IMDb > They Knew What They Wanted (1940)

They Knew What They Wanted (1940) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

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6.3/10   133 votes »
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Up 44% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Garson Kanin
Writers:
Robert Ardrey (screenplay)
Sidney Howard (play)
Contact:
View company contact information for They Knew What They Wanted on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 October 1940 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Drama | Romance See more »
Tagline:
You have seen great motion pictures! We believe you have not seen a greater motion picture than this!
Plot:
Tony (Charles Laughton), a successful but illiterate middle-aged grape farmer, sends the photograph of his handsome young foreman... See more » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. See more »
NewsDesk:
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User Reviews:
Great Performance by Carole Lombard See more (6 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)

Carole Lombard ... Amy Peters

Charles Laughton ... Tony Patucci
William Gargan ... Joe
Harry Carey ... The doctor
Frank Fay ... Father McKee
Joseph E. Bernard ... The R.F.D. (as Joe Bernard)
Janet Fox ... Mildred
Lee Tung Foo ... Ah Gee, the Cook (as Lee Tung-Foo)

Karl Malden ... Red
Victor Kilian ... The photographer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Demetrius Alexis ... Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Ricca Allen ... Mrs. Thing (uncredited)
Effie Anderson ... Nurse (uncredited)

Bobby Barber ... Tony's Pal at Table (uncredited)
Marie Blake ... Waitress (uncredited)
Tom Ewell ... New Hired Hand (uncredited)
Antonio Filauri ... Customer (uncredited)
Millicent Green ... Waitress (uncredited)
Bobby Hale ... Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Paul Le Pere ... Hired Hand (uncredited)
Grace Lenard ... Waitress (uncredited)
Patricia Oakley ... Waitress (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva ... Tony's Pal at Table (uncredited)
Paul Panzer ... Proprietor of Italian Restaurant (uncredited)
Stephen Soldi ... Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Joe Sully ... Father of Family (uncredited)
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Directed by
Garson Kanin 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Robert Ardrey  screenplay
Sidney Howard  play

Produced by
Harry E. Edington .... executive producer
Erich Pommer .... producer
 
Original Music by
Alfred Newman 
 
Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.  (as Harry Stradling)
 
Film Editing by
John Sturges 
 
Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase 
 
Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera 
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ruby Rosenberg .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Mark-Lee Kirk .... associate art director
 
Sound Department
John L. Cass .... sound recordist
 
Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker .... special effects
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edward Stevenson .... wardrobe
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
USA:96 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16
Filming Locations:
Napa Valley, California, USA
Company:
RKO Radio PicturesSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
In March 1941, RKO was distributing this film on a double bill with Queen of Destiny (1938). (Queen of Destiny (1938) was distributed with the alternate title "Queen of Destiny".)See more »
Movie Connections:
Remake of A Lady to Love (1930)See more »

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User Reviews

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15 out of 15 people found the following review useful.
Great Performance by Carole Lombard, 5 November 2011
Author: drednm

This is the third filmed version of Sidney Howard's play. Previously this was filmed a THE SECRET HOUR (1928) with Pola Negri and Jean Hersholt and as A LADY TO LOVE (1930) with Vilma Banky and Edward G. Robinson.

Here, Charles Laughton plays the Italian Tony, a successful grape grower in Napa Valley. He goes to San Francisco and is smitten with a waitress named Amy (Carole Lombard) and decides to marry her. Back home he gets his pal (William Gargan) to write a letter. She answers back. Eventually they send a picture and invite her to Napa.

Unfortunately they send a picture of Gargan. But Lombard has nothing to go back to but her dreary and demeaning job so she stays. Despite her best efforts she falls for Gargan right under Robinson's nose.

Basically a love triangle story, there's enough humor to defuse the slightly clichéd story. Lombard give a great performance as the feisty Amy. Laughton is hammy and loud but a pleasure to watch. Gargan won an Oscar nomination for the hapless Joe, torn between his devotion to Tony and his love for Amy.

Supporting cast includes Harry Carey as the doctor, Frank Fay as the priest, Victor Kilian as the photographer, Janet Fox as Mildred, and the film debuts of Karl Malden and Tom Ewell.

Good location shooting in Napa Valley opens up the film and adds a nice touch.

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