Mademoiselle, écoutez-moi donc!

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

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.

Preposterous and silly, the early talkie comedy, "The Girl Said No," depends on the charms of its handsome star, William Haines, and on a short scene-stealing turn by Marie Dressler. The irrepressible Haines plays his usual over-confident flamboyant self in the guise of Tom Ward, a young man just back from college. To the dismay of his parents, he has more interest in partying and pursuing girls than job hunting. Oozing charm and optimism throughout, Haines goes to ridiculous lengths to win Leila Hyams, who is the girl who says no. Perhaps the film should have been titled "The Man Never Hears No," because Haines blithely ignores rejection and perseveres, much as he did in film after film throughout his career. Oh, a setback here and there, a lesson learned, a smart aleck chastened, but Haines always gets the girl, and his pearly whites gleam in a dazzling smile at every fadeout.

If the boyish attributes of Mr. Haines fail to engage, perhaps Dressler's tipsy curmudgeon will. Although again totally foolish, Haines, who looks bemused throughout the often-hilarious scene with Dressler, manages to impersonate a doctor and inebriate the old toughie during a sales pitch for Denver bonds. Don't ask why or how, because nothing in the film makes any sense if examined from closer than a mile. While "The Girl Said No" is less-than-classic movie-making, director Sam Wood keeps the plot moving breezily, and the actors hamming shamelessly. Unfortunately, Haines and Dressler alone rise above the proceedings, and the audience may laugh fitfully if at all.

Haines was a top star from late 20s thru early 30s. He sailed from silent films into talkies and remained a star til he ran afoul of Louis B. Mayer. He is hilarious in The Girl Said No, starring in the "Haines formula" type of film: brash young man takes nothing seriously until tragedy hits, then he turns himself around and succeeds. Here he is a college boy returning to his wealthy home and causing riotous problems wherever he goes. Pop gets him job after job but he fails at all of them because he has fallen for pretty Leila Hyams. Plot is OK, but Haines is the whole show. There was never anyone quite like Haines, a comic actor who was not really a comic. His comedy is much broader than anything Cary Grant or Robert Montgomery did. Very funny film that co-stars the always funny Polly Moran, Clara Blandick, William Janney, Francis X. Bushman, Jr., Henry Armetta as the hapless waiter, and as mentioned elsewhere, the hysterical scene with Haines and Marie Dressler. Too bad Haines is all but forgotten. He was a wonderful star and one of a kind.

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.