Directed by William A. Wellman, and based on Owen Johnson's "Lawrenceville School" stories, this "coming of age" comedy drama stars 14 year old Dean Stockwell as an incorrigible young lad who eventually learns to fit in at a prep school, after having been thrown out of at least two others. A rivalry with a "tough" older boy, a friendship with a nerdy underage one, and gentle guidance provided by an Instructor who becomes his dormitory "house master" all lead to his maturation. Though not exceptional, this pre-"turn of the century" period piece does provide adequate entertainment and positive messages, after its slow start.Set in 1896 somewhere near New Jersey, unkempt John Humperdink Stover (Stockwell) was thrown out of his older brother's prep school for blowing up the chemistry lab, he wanted to prove that one could make dynamite without using gunpowder. While home, he paints the neighbor's horse green to help it hide from mosquitoes. His father Samuel Stover Sr. (Leon Ames) & mother Maude (Margalo Gillmore) are at their wits end, wishing their youngest was more like his model older brother Samuel Jr. (Peter M. Thompson) or proper sister 'Tootsie' (Jeralyn Alton, uncredited). They decide to give him one more chance, before reform school, by sending him to the Lawrenceville School, where 'Sambo' (what John calls his older brother), now at Yale, spent some time.On the horse & buggy ride from the train station to the school, Stover takes the reigns from the driver that wasn't going fast enough to suit him, upsetting an older passenger (Leo G. Carroll) also along for the ride. Upon arrival at the school, he is dropped off in front of the Green house, the off-campus dormitory for what looks like the roughest of the students. After introducing himself to the head boy, 'Tough' McCarty (Darryl Hickman), Stover is made to bow & introduce himself to the other boys seated on the front steps. Each has a unique nickname: 'Cheyenne' Baxter (Jerry Mickelsen), Coffee Colored Angel (Alan Dinehart III), White Mountain Canary (Dave Bair), and so forth. Stover is given the nickname 'Dink'.Venturing into town, while skipping classes his first day (a right of passage), Dink meets Tennessee Shad (Scotty Beckett), who fills him in on some of the folklore before scamming the greenhorn into purchasing a decorative toiletry set. Back at Green house, Dink's roommate Butsey White (Danny Mummert) mocks him for being taken. Later, as the ninth member of the house, Dink is made to play baseball, a sport he clearly doesn't play. Robert Wagner is uncredited as the opposing catcher, but is unrecognizable through the face mask. After helping his team lose the game, Dink is chased over a period of days by White Mountain Canary, until he's finally caught and must defend himself. When Dink comes out on top, he figures he can take on Tough for the head boy. He learns otherwise, though he vows revenge. He also learns that the older passenger from that first buggy ride is Mr. Hopkins (Carroll), the school's Latin teacher.The next thing you know the semester is over and Dink returns home having failed to make any friends. His family, which summers at the beach, seems to have heard about his rough time, and treats him with kid gloves throughout the season. During his vacation break, Dink teaches the local gang of ruffians some new tricks he'd learned while at school. While spoiling all the little girls' enjoyment during the summer with one particular ruse, Dink finally meets his match in Dolly Travers (Claudia Barrett), who also happens to be enamored with Tough McCarty.When Dink returns to school, he finds himself reassigned to Kennedy house, whose house master is Mr. Hopkins, dubbed 'The Old Roman'. He also meets the 'Great Big Man' (Donn Gift), who's anything but, in fact he's technically underage but smart enough to be one of the school's best students. He's staying at Kennedy house because his father is friends with 'The Old Roman', who's also the football coach. Because of his tenacity, and despite his size, the coach allows Dink to play on the scrubs (second, practice team), which gives him an opportunity to regularly tangle with the team's captain, Tough. Struggling with his Latin, Dink makes a deal with the 'Great Big Man' - he'll help the little guy live up to his name if the little genius will help Dink pass an oral Latin test to keep from flunking out of playing on the football team. The 'Great Big Man' uses two different unique physical talents to do both - an ability to wiggle his ears to help Dink answer some binary questions accurately, and his enormous appetite to earn a replacement nickname 'Hungry Smeed', and free pancakes for everyone on campus. Irving Bacon appears, uncredited, as the pancake establishment's owner, who'd "bet" that no one could eat more than twenty-six.Eventually, of course, even Tough and Dink become friends, when an injured player during a football game enables Dink to play side-by- side his rival. Additionally, Dink learns that 'The Old Roman' is not the ogre he thinks he is. There's also a cute little wrap up when the school year ends and Stover returns "home" to the beach.

In 1896 New Jersey, wealthy small city editor Leon Ames (as Samuel H. Stover) learns delinquent Dean Stockwell (as John Humperdink Stover) has just been "fired" (expelled) from school, for blowing up the chemistry lab. At home, young teenage Stockwell paints a snooty neighbor's prize horse green (don't adjust your color, it does look blue). Described as both a "heathen" and an "anarchist," Stockwell is sent to picturesque "Lawrenceville School" where he plans to "own" the school. After a stimulating buggy ride, the binding around Stockwell's suitcase magically disappears - causing his belongings to spill out in front of six house-mates, posed by director William A. Wellman to block his entrance to "Green House"...All bigger than Stockwell, the laughing delinquents are led by bully Darryl Hickman (as George "Tough" McCarty), who is caressing a pussycat. In all likelihood, director Wellman is having some fun with this assignment. Also note Stockwell's roommate Danny Mummert (as "Butsey" White) is quite logically introduced from their bedroom window, rather than on the stoop. The four other lads are Alan Dinehart III (as "The Coffee Colored Angel"), David Bair (as "The White Mountain Canary"), Jerry Mickelsen (as "Cheyenne" Baxter), Eddie LeRoy (as "Polar" Beckstein) - they don't have a lot to do, but the nicknames are great. Determining Stockwell is not there to sell "removable underwear," Mr. Hickman dubs him "Dink"...Stockwell has a rough year, but does receive some sympathy from roommate Mummert. Another friendship is formed when Stockwell meets school-skipping Scotty Beckett (as "The Tennessee Shad"). Playing his entire part with a toothpick in his mouth, Mr. Beckett looks like his just walked out of a Norman Rockwell painting. After a bizarre summer vacation - wherein Stockwell and his rich friends play a surreal joke on young Elinor Donahue (as Connie Brown) and some other girls while the black-eyed director's son Tim tolls church bells - Stockwell will join Beckett at "Kennedy House" and finally resolve his Hickman problem. And in 1897's class, we meet hungry Little "Big Man" Donn Gift (as Joshua Montgomery Sneed)...Wise Leo G. Carroll teaches us all a lesson as house-master Hopkins ("The Old Roman"), and Wellman maneuvers the young actors exceptionally well. Working with his award-winning "Battleground" photographer Paul C. Vogel and the MGM team, Wellman handles "The Happy Years" like he's bringing a turn of the century painting to life. It exudes a Norman Rockwell quality, shot in beautiful Technicolor - without looking real, it appears authentic. Drawing from his youthful experiences and adult directorial skills, Wellman stages scenes with skillful simplicity. Never given the power and glory of 1890s peers like John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock, director Wellman could make classics out of arguably unlikely assignments, like this...********* The Happy Years (7/7/50) William A. Wellman ~ Dean Stockwell, Darryl Hickman, Scotty Beckett, Leo G. Carroll

This is one of my favorite movies. Dean Stockwell is great as the main character. This is not your run of the mill story about sweet little boys at some boy school. They all are characters, The main character (Humperdink)Dink is a feisty kid who doesn't take any mess from anyone. He is not annoying or disrespectful. He just feels very strongly about certain things and will let you know. He is a little guy among older boys, But they soon find out he is not a pushover. The supporting characters are great.And I love the message the schoolmaster had. Dinks grades are not the best, and he almost gets expelled. But the school master, played by Leo G Carroll says that even though he may not have good grades his character offers so much more then that and people could learn from people like him too. I adhere to that. I have seen so many A students with nothing to offer but a good grades. I feel grades are important, but they should not count for every thing and at times should not be the most important factor to judge if one is a success. This movies picked up on that Dink was a leader who had roadblocks but he tackled them and that was what was the most important. There is a subplot about him playing football which is also very good. His classmates fall in love with him eventually, like you will.I think this was a part that could of been easily played two different ways. One is the smart azz, disrespectful way that we see so many child stars act today, The parts where the kids are smarter then the adults and go around the whole movie calling adults by their first name. The movie would of failed if it went in that direction. Or the way Dean Stockwell played it. This part has to work for the movie to work. I just got to see this movie by mistake for the second time in my life this morning on TCM. I didn't even know its name until today. But I never forgot the movie and was elated to see it on the TV when I woke up this morning. I am just mad I did not DVR it because it is not on video. Something I found out when went to buy it online. Check this movie out if you can catch it on TV.

Dean Stockwell is superb as "Dink" who comes to a new school and doesn't get along with his classmates. The setting takes place in an era long past, but for many never forgotten. The film teaches us a lesson which can be learned no matter what the age or gender. I enjoyed this movie more than I can say.