For Love of Ivy movie storyline. Ivy Moore, a 26-year-old African American woman, has worked as a maid for the white, upper-middle-class Austin family of Long Island, New York for nine years, since arriving from Florida where she was raised by her grandmother. Despite being treated as a part of the family, she announces her decision to leave her job and go to secretarial school in order to improve her situation.
The Austins are desperate to keep her, and the teenagers, Gena and Tim, hatch a scheme to do so. Tim Austin sets up Ivy with Jack Parks, a trucking company executive, to wine and dine Ivy. Tim hopes that the introduction of excitement in her life will dissuade her from leaving the family. Tim persuades a reluctant Parks to date Ivy, and applies pressure by threatening to reveal his illegal gambling casino, which operates at night in the back of a large long-distance truck.
Their initial meetings are awkward for the cosmopolitan Parks and the less sophisticated Moore, as they go to a Japanese restaurant and a bohemian nightclub in Manhattan. Eventually, however, romance blossoms, but when Moore learns that Parks was coerced into initially dating her, she breaks up with him.
For Love of Ivy is a 1968 romantic comedy film directed by Daniel Mann. The film stars Sidney Poitier, Abbey Lincoln, Beau Bridges, Nan Martin, Lauri Peters and Carroll O’Connor. The story was written by Sidney Poitier with screenwriter Robert Alan Arthur. The musical score was composed by Quincy Jones. The theme song “For Love of Ivy”, written by Quincy Jones and Bob Russell, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The film received Golden Globe supporting acting nominations for Beau Bridges and Abbey Lincoln.
For Love of Ivy (1968)
Directed by: Daniel Mann
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Abbey Lincoln, Beau Bridges, Nan Martin, Lauri Peters, Carroll O’Connor, Leon Bibb, Hugh Hurd, Stanley Greene, Paul Harris, Clark Morgan, Christopher St. John
Screenplay by: Robert Alan Arthur
Production Design by: Peter Dohanos
Cinematography by: Joseph F. Coffey
Film Editing by: Pat Jaffe
Costume Design by: Frank L. Thompson
Set Decoration by: Leif Pederen
Music by: Quincy Jones
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Cinerama Releasing Corporation
Release Date: July 17, 1968
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