The Girl Said No

Winsome graduate William Haines (as Tom Ward) comes home, intending to enter the job market, while retaining his college lifestyle. Mr. Haines is accustomed fast cars, frequent parties, and women who don't say "No!" While seeking employment at "Sutton & Co.", Haines flips over pretty blonde secretary Leila Hyams (as Mary Howe). But, the otherwise engaged Ms. Hyams wants nothing to do with the graduate. Although "The Girl Said No", Haines refuses to give up...

The Haines formula film, with sound, rang up the cash register for MGM. This film was the most profitable of the 1930 hits which propelled William Haines to the top of the box office charts. For the year 1930, he was the US #1 Male "Box Office Star", according to the industry standard list, complied by Quigley Publications. "The Girl Said No" finds Haines graduating from college at a later age than most (he's about the same age as Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate"). Haines' fine voice, comic timing, and physicality make the most of a weak, inappropriate, story...

Highlights are Haines' driving Hyams crazy in his car, especially when she tries to drive away without him; and, a terrific extended session with Haines posing as Marie Dressler's doctor. Ms. Dressler (as Hettie Brown) is hilarious; and, the two play extremely well together. Polly Moran also appears, as Haines' loyal housekeeper. Haines and Moran don't have as much to do; but, the rapport between Haines and both women should have had producers looking for a suitable co-starring vehicle. The other cast members perform well (and stay out of Haines' way)...

Haines has some fine moments throughout, and shares a classic scene with Dressler...

******* The Girl Said No (3/15/30) Sam Wood ~ William Haines, Leila Hyams, Marie Dressler, Polly Moran

This labored attempt at madcap comedy features William Haines as a reckless, hyperactive go- getter who drives everyone around him crazy when he comes home after college graduation and proceeds to paint the town crimson. Early on, he falls madly in love with a secretary (Leila Hyams) who works in the Wall Street firm of one of his father's colleagues and sets out to claim her for his own whether she likes it or not, making one outlandish attempt after another to wrest her from a rival (Francis X. Bushman, Jr.). This kind of devil-may-care behavior is more suited to the silent cinema; with spoken dialogue mixed in the slapstick sequences seem to go on forever. Such is the charm, skill and magnetism of Haines that he almost pulls it off, but he is working with thin material that is stretched way too far, and let's face it, his behavior is reprehensible. Marie Dressler lends a big blob of color as a dowager who becomes falling-down drunk after two sips of alcohol.

It seems like people either love this film or hate it. Personally, I liked it a great deal. The film doesn't stray far from the typical Haines formula - the character starts out brash, ends up humble. Haines plays Tom Ward, recent college graduate and oldest son of a bank president. He's been laughing his way through life up to this point, and seems to have no intention of changing. His dad sets him up with a job via a friend in the investment business, and Tom fritters away that opportunity and instead takes an interest in the firm secretary, played by Leila Hyams. His attempts to woo her away from an extremely unlikeable coworker sets up situations for some typical Haines tomfoolery. However, Tom's fortunes and attitude take a sharp turn when his father dies suddenly and the family suddenly finds itself penniless. Now it's a job selling neckties for Tom and a small flat shared by the entire family.

If you like Haines' silent films, you'll like this one, but I don't think anyone should be introduced to Haines via one of his talkies. For one thing, talking comedy was never something MGM did extremely well or with much finesse, and in this first year of talking pictures the studio was really groping for successful formulas as well as adapting their silent stars to the new medium.

The worst thing about this film is that Haines is a fast talker and the primitive sound recording has trouble picking up all of his conversation. He gets better at speaking clearly in later films, and the technology improves as well. The second worst thing is that there is no explanation of some of the turns of events in the film that would have been familiar to anyone in March 1930. Today, it is hard to understand why the death of the head of household might automatically lead to instantaneous poverty for the surviving members, especially if that head of household was head of a bank right after the stock market crash. None of this is explained in the film.

The best part of the film is a ten minute bit done when Tom Ward is trying to sell bonds to a wealthy woman played by Marie Dressler. Since Dressler's character agrees to see Ward because she believes him to be a doctor, it sets up some comical situations that leave Haines' character squeamish to say the least. Polly Moran is another good part of the film. She plays the Ward family housekeeper that loyally follows the family from mansion to poorhouse. It's one of the few Moran/Dressler films in which the two actresses don't interact, but they still do much for the success of the film.

Highly recommended for the fans of early talkies and of William Haines. However, if you are unfamiliar with the early sound films and the goofy style of William Haines you might not share my enthusiasm.

During the 1920s, William Haines made a string of films with very, very similar themes. In films such as BROWN OF HARVARD and THE SMART SET, he played a smug braggart that was immensely talented but needed to learn humility. He always found this out after he disappointed the team with his boorish behavior. However, late in the films, a humbler Haines then learns what it means to be self-sacrificing--once again allowing him to be the hero--and so ended each picture.

By the 1930s, Haines was essentially doing the same roles he'd done for years. The big difference was that with the advent of sound pictures, he not only acted conceited but you could hear him talking non-stop about himself--making people like me wish he'd stayed in silent films! Additionally, by the time he did THE GIRL SAID NO, his character had also changed--and not for the better. In the earlier films he was conceited but immensely talented. However in THE GIRL SAID NO, he was essentially an annoying idler with nothing to back up his boasting but his "charming personality". Well, to me this personality was not at all charming and I just wanted to bust him in the mouth!! An unlikable and sociopathic jerk is what he was in this film (such as sexually harassing a girl repeatedly, acting cruelly to everyone he came in contact with and risking others' lives) and I found myself loathing every second he was on film. This is quite a change, as I had liked many of his earlier films, but by this awful film he was simply too unlikable, too brash, too talkative, too selfish and just too much! Watching him was like watching an obnoxious four year-old who insists on entertaining guests--whether they want to or not!!

I've gotta admit something before I close. This is the first Haines film I didn't finish. I tried, believe me, but I simply hated the sight and sound of him and couldn't take it any more. I know that according to formula, by the end of the film he'll have changed, but I wasn't willing to wait plus someone this awful really won't change in real life.

I read a book some time ago about leading men at MGM and it said how Haines' career ended because Louis B. Mayer was a homophobe and pushed him out of films. I used to believe it, but with films like THE GIRL SAID NO, I am more inclined to believe that Haines just overstayed his welcome. With him performing essentially the same role again and again (and the character getting more obnoxious as the years passes), it's no wonder he was out of the business by the mid-1930s. I truly, truly hated him in this film and would rather gargle with glass then see it to the end!!

William Haines the Star of THE GIRL SAID NO (1930) had created a persona that he played in every film. His character was of the irresponsible young man who through a challenge in his life turns it around and saves the day and gets the girl. In the silent era his pantomime may have been acceptable, but in sound he just comes across as a prissy ham.

THE GIRL SAID NO well illustrates this. For the first half of the picture he mug's at every opportunity. We suppose this behavior makes him endearing to the Female members of the audience of the time. What the Men thought can only be guessed at, but we are sure it was not flattering. Mr. Haines was capable of a more subtle acting style which he illustrated in SHOW PEOPLE (1928). For some reason though he kept returning to his 'Gay Blade' persona. A characterization that did not hold up well to Depression Era audiences.

Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg had come to that conclusion, tastes were changing and they needed Stars that the new audiences could identify with. Using the pretext of Haines homosexuality and the morals clauses in contracts of that time he was forced out of the business. Fortunetly the talented Mr. Haines other skills as a interior decorator with his Hollywood contacts provided a successful second career.