Easy Living

Star footballer Pete Wilson faces a career-threatening condition. His wife Liza enjoys the glamorous lifestyle, while shunning has-beens. His friend Tim retired to coach. Pete only knows football. Pete Wilson is on top. He is the highest paid professional football player in the league. He has seen other players come and go, but he was MVP last year and the future looks rosy. His wife, Liza, is there for the fame, the money, the good times and does not like those who are washed up. His friend Tim, just retired and accepted a job as head coach at State. But Pete discovers that he has a condition that may end his career and all that he knows is football. —Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com> Star professional quarterback Pete Wilson (Victor Mature) thinks nothing of his future after football, not even after longtime teammate Bill "Holly" Holloran (Gordon Jones) is released by the team. Pete gets advance after advance on his salary from Anne (Lucille Ball), the secretary of team owner and coach Lenahan (Lloyd Nolan). One day, however, he goes secretly to see a doctor about various symptoms he has been experiencing and learns that he has a heart condition due to a childhood bout of rheumatic fever, one that could kill him if he continues playing football. He starts to tell his wife Liza (Lizabeth Scott), but she is disinterested in football. He changes his mind when she is cool to Holly, whom she refers to as a 'has-been' after he is gone, stating she likes her men "100%." She informs Pete she lost her decorating job because she is "married," but she downplays it. Aambitious to make her own interior design business a success, Liza drags Pete to a fancy party to try to land Gilbert Vollmer (Michael St. Angel) as a client. Gilbert knows she has no talent, but is interested in her for other reasons. So is his father, Howard (Art Baker). The older man is looking to replace his young girlfriend, Billy Duane (June Bright), and dangles before Liza the prospect of redecorating his apartment. Knowing what he is after, Liza is willing to do whatever it takes to further her ambitions. When Pete tries to pick up his wife later, she and Gilbert have left; he questions Liza later, who is evasive. Meanwhile, Pete is bitterly disappointed when his friend, retiring college head coach Virgil Ryan (Everett Glass), informs him that he cannot recommend him as his replacement because Liza is unsuitable for the duties of a coach's wife. Instead, the job is given to Pete's teammate and friend, Tim "Pappy" McCarr (Sonny Tufts). Tim offers Pete the position of his assistant, but Pete turns it down. Liza admits to Pete she's jealous of the attention he gets from football. She secretly plans to go into business with Howard who informs her she lacks talent, but recognizes her ambition and drive to succeed. On a team road trip, Anne confesses to Pete her love and they briefly kiss but she is told by Lenahan to stay away from him. The team also begin to tease him about his game-playing. Afraid of physical contact, Pete turns in a very poor performance and loses the next game. Lenahan cannot afford another loss if he wants to make the playoffs (and earn $100,000), so he benches Pete in favor of Tim. Tim plays well, and they win their next game. When Pete proposes taking the assistant coaching position, Liza counters he's jealous of her "success," and separates from him. He warns her about not mixing with "professionals." Liza reads about Billy's suicide on the newspaper front page and is drunk when Howard returns. She realizes he is dumping her and then tries unsuccessfully to get Pete back as he realizes she still is selfish. On the playing field, right before the game, Pete is given another chance at glory when Tim is injured, but ultimately tells his teammates about his condition, mostly due to Anne's loving persistence, and walks away from the game. Though Anne has made it clear that she loves him, Pete decides to take Liza back, making it clear he will be in charge, however, that it will be on his own terms.