
The Happy Years
Based on a collection of stories with the focus on young John Humperkink "Dink" Stover, a student at the Lawrenceville Prepatory School, in 1896, whose family, in Eastcester, New York, have just about given up on his education because he is an incorrigible student. He gets into one situation after another and incurs the dislike of his classmates, who think he is cowardly but he changes their opinion when he challenges several of them to a fight. When he returns home for the summer, he meets Miss Dolly Travers and increases his 'hatred of women' because she does not accept his schoolboy pranks. Back at school, in the fall, he is more difficult than ever until his philosophy is changed by a teacher.
Director William A. Wellman
Trailer
Cast

Scotty Beckett
'Tennessee' Shad

George Chandler
Johnny

Arthur Space
Al

Dean Stockwell
John Humperdink 'Dink' Stover

Leon Ames
Sr. Samuel H. Stover

Leo G. Carroll
Mr. Hopkins

Leon Tyler
Edward "Puffy" Ellis

Peter M. Thompson
Sambo

Mason Alan Dinehart
Coffee Colored Angel

Donn Gift
Joshua Montgomery Smead

Irving Bacon
Mr. Conover

Jacqueline deWit
Mrs. Cameron

Charles Smith
Student

Robert Wagner
Student

Darryl Hickman
George 'Tough' McCarty

Margalo Gillmore
Maude Stover

Elinor Donahue
Connie Brown

Claudia Barrett
Dolly Travers