She Wouldn't Say Yes

The bite had gone out of the Columbia comedies by the time they got around to having Roz Russell, in her Travis Bainton wardrobe, front this one as a psychiatrist who assures army hospital patients that we don't get shell shock anymore. According to formula, her self sufficiency has to be wiped out by the final reel and the agent of change here is a less than sparkling Lee Bowman, serviceman cartoonist whose Nixie strip character banishes inhibitions.

The studio's most prestigious technicians give things a smoothness that doesn't make them any more plausible. Best element is the forties atmosphere - train, clothes, cars.

Russell and Hall got better results with MY SISTER EILEEN.

'She Wouldn't Say Yes' could and should have worked, am actually quite sad that it didn't. The cast is a talented one and Rosalind Russell is always worth watching and makes any film she starred or featured in better, although some of them were a lot better than others. Alexander Hall was an inconsistent director but did make some entertaining films, sadly 'She Wouldn't Say Yes' is not one of those. The story did sound somewhat interesting on paper.

There is not much really to add to what has been said already about 'She Wouldn't Say Yes', others have cited very well the numerous things wrong with the film and why it doesn't work. Is 'She Wouldn't Say Yes' a bad film or a complete bust? No, there were moments and there are a few crucial things that are done right. Overall though it is a misfire and has a lot wrong with it, all of which much more crucial to execute well. Something that the film does not, at all.

As said, good things are here in 'She Wouldn't Say Yes'. It looks good, very slickly shot, there is a real sense of period created with a careful eye for detail and the clothes are beautiful, Russell's are a knockout. Russell herself gives her all to her part and has a luminous charm, she has been much better in role that do better showcasing her personality but at least she tries.

Charles Winninger and Adele Jurgens also do their best, with Jurgens being very alluring and looks like she's having fun. And yes, it was interesting seeing Arthur Q. Bryan (voice of Elmer Fudd) in a small uncredited part, an uncommon chance to see him on film.

Lee Bowman sadly is completely out of his element, he is very bland and doesn't look like he is enjoying himself one bit. There is no chemistry whatsoever between him and Russell, no spark and they just don't gel together, it was like seeing them in two different films. While Winninger and Jurgens are fine, the rest of the cast struggle to bring much to stock roles, it was more walking on set, do their thing with not much distinction and that's it. Didn't find myself feeling for any of the characters and didn't find them interesting or well developed, none of them come over as real.

Do agree that 'She Wouldn't Say Yes' is not funny. It is very predictable humour, both in dialogue and gags, lacking in sharpness or wit and is very forced and over-silly throughout. It really didn't have to try as hard as it did, you could literally see and feel the strain going on trying to make it work. Some of the better-faring material did come from the marrying judge subplot, but there was a lot of trying too hard there too. The story is incredibly daft, credulity strained to the limit, and gets very over-complicated and contrived. The ending is too abrupt.

All in all, lacklustre and not worth saying yes to. 4/10

Lee Bowman plays a cartoonist who is going off to fight in the Pacific and Rosalind Russell a psychiatrist. Russell's problem is a common one in the 1940s in films--a woman competes in a man's world and as a result is rather sexless and sublimates this in her job!! It's very chauvinistic and doesn't play especially well today, but that's the way it is, folks! Eventually, through MANY contrivances the two end up together and eventually are destined to fall in love. Whatever--it's not like this sort of thing comes as any surprise!

Arthur Q. Bryan is a name very, very few people would recognize. He was the voice for Elmer Fudd up through most of the 1950s. Yet, aside from his voice talents, he didn't appear in all that many films. So here is a very rare chance to actually see what he looked like--and it was a LOT like his cartoon alter-ego. However, you really don't have to look for him in his bit role--as he talks EXACTLY like Fudd! It's sort of surreal seeing this pudgy balding man talking with such a strange yet familiar voice--and it's reason enough to see this Rosalind Russell-Lee Bowman comedy!! And, as an added bonus, you get to see a brief appearance of Alfalfa Switzer in one of his few adult roles (towards the very end of the movie).

Sadly, aside from the novelty of seeing these odd supporting characters, there isn't a whole lot more reason to see the film. Although it is a screwball comedy starring Rosalind Russell (who was magnificent in "His Girl Friday"), here she is just blah...because the story is so incredibly blah.

The story suffers from one major problem and lots of little ones--all because the writing is so incredibly bad. The major problem is that the film isn't funny--a pretty bad problem for a comedy! The minor problems include how contrived the plot is at times, the lack of chemistry between the leads (much of it due to writing--Lee Bowman and Rosalind Russell COULD have been good together) and the film just tries way, way too hard to make you laugh. This is because it didn't really trust the characters to develop naturally--it all came off as goofy and forced. All in all, it's not a terrible film but with good support and lead actors, it SHOULD have been a zillion times better.

as many comedies from same period, it is a nice film. not perfect,not real convincing, using a lot of clichés but nice. and that fact saves it. a film about tension between a woman and a man, few amusing scenes and few good performances, Rosalind Russell in a role who use the experience about same type of character, Lee Bowman in a seductive role who has the fundamental problem to have a great ignored potential , Adele Jergens as the perfect choice for a lovely character. it is easy to criticize it. but it has the virtue to propose not only a story who seems be more a sketch but to use interesting cast. and that fact remains useful. for remember a form of cinema with special flavor.

Rosalind Russell is doing some sub par material in She Wouldn't Say Yes. Once again she's a professional woman, this time a psychiatrist who does yeoman service counseling soldiers suffering from shell shock. That part of the film was serious and quite real. In fact I wish Roz had done a serious film with her in that kind of role. With what she later did in Sister Kenny, Russell could definitely have handled a serious part like that.

Instead she meets up with Lee Bowman, A GI traveling cross country on a train to head for the Pacific Theater. And for reasons I still can't fathom, Charles Winninger who is both Russell's father and also a psychiatrist is trying his level best to hook his daughter up with Bowman.

Adele Jergens gets to strut her sexy stuff as temper tantrum throwing diva from Bolivia and I'm sure the men in the audience were given reason to come to this 'women's picture' because of her. There's a definite lack of chemistry between Russell and Bowman. But I'm not sure Tracy and Hepburn could have pulled this one off.

For dedicated Rosalind Russell fans only.