Clara Snyder (Betsy Blair)’s Timeline and Summary
- Clara, a single science teach in her late-20s who still lives with her folks, is set up on a date on Saturday night by her friend, Millie, and her husband, Andy.
- They go to the Stardust Ballroom, and even though her date, Herb, hardly pays attention to her, she keeps a brave face and sits alone at a table while her friends dance.
- Herb finally returns and brings a strange man, who he says is his old army buddy. He asks her to dance, but Clara says no thank you.
- A moment later, a homely-but-kind looking man approaches her and asks her to dance. This time she says yes.
- Her dance partner's name is Marty, and he's a bit of a chatterbox, but Clara can tell he has a rare, good heart and that's he's a wonderful man.
- They moves from the dance hall to a coffee shop to keep talking and then, even though it's getting late, to Marty's house down the block so he can get some cash and they can continue their date.
- Marty tries to kiss Clara, but she withdraws, surprised. Even so, she confesses that after she's home in bed tonight, she'll be thinking of him.
- They kiss, and a moment later, Marty's mom comes home. The two women have a bit of an argument. Clara's got a modern idea of womanhood, while Marty's mom is definitely in the old style of things.
- After Marty takes her home and he promises to call her at 2:30 the next afternoon, she says goodbye.
- The whole of Sunday passes, including church and hanging out with her parents, until it's so late that she begins to cry quietly while they're watching Ed Sullivan.
- The phone at last rings: It's Marty, finally, and everything's going to be okay.