A man with no illusions marries a young woman who is brimming with idealism. She attempts to remake her husband with her overflowing optimism, but the marriage is severely strained when her first pregnancy ends in miscarriage. They separate, and the woman has a number of affairs, but eventually she returns to her husband. They have a daughter, then settle down to a life that is a blend of the husband's worldliness and the wife's idealism.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Burgess MeredithNarrator (voice) | Narrator (voice) |
 Tom RosquiHenry | Henry |
| IIna MelaLorabella | Lorabella |
| EEllen FryeNoel | Noel |
| SSonia BermanFortune Teller | Fortune Teller |
| SSidney M. GospeDoctor | Doctor |
| HHarry HuntCyrus the Actor | Cyrus the Actor |
| CCalvin KentfieldJim the Fisherman | Jim the Fisherman |
| DDoug KortyFalbuck Wheelilng | Falbuck Wheelilng |
| JJerry ManderVoice Teacher | Voice Teacher |
| RRobert MarquisDr. Milton Tugwell | Dr. Milton Tugwell |
| GGeorge Williams MeyersMinister | Minister |
| VVicki MillerNoel as a Child | Noel as a Child |
| PPavel WaldBig Game Hunter | Big Game Hunter |
 David WintersBoy | Boy |