The Girl Said No (1930) User Reviews

Hard To Understand His Appeal...

[xerses13 · 4/10 · 4 August 2008]

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.

Sure to offend today's audience, William Haines plays an obnoxious brute

[jacobs-greenwood · 4/10 · 19 December 2016]

Directed by Sam Wood, with dialogue by Charles MacArthur, this A.P. Younger story was adapted by Sarah Y. Mason into a below average romantic comedy that's likely to offend men and women alike. It's not only sexist in the worst way, but lead actor William Haines's character practically forces the object of his desire (played by Leila Hyams) into foregoing all others for him. The only saving grace of this film is a short sequence which involves the great screen comedienne Marie Dressler, playing a wealthy woman that Haines's character hoodwinks into making a philanthropic investment.

Tom Ward (Haines) has just returned from college where he somehow managed to earn a degree while partying. As the eldest son of the comfortably "well off" Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Ward (William Mong & Clara Blandick), this irresponsible eldest son just happens to arrive home on the date of his parents' wedding anniversary. An outgoing personality, "devil may care" Tom quickly charms his folks, his 19 year old brother Jimmy (William Janney), teenage sister Alma (Phyllis Crane), preteen brother Eddie (Frank Coghlan Jr.), and longtime family maid Polly (Polly Moran), with whom he maintains a special, teasing relationship. A group of his fellow, perhaps even inebriated graduates show up at the Ward home to whisk Tom, and younger Jimmy, away for further celebration. His father and his friend, who's a potential employer for the recent graduate, are left "holding the bag", as is wannabe grownup sister Alma.

At a nightclub, Tom sees fellow graduate J. M. McAndrews (Ralph Bushman), a proper young man who got straight A's, with a date, who turns out to be Mary Howe (Hyams). This leads Tom into bribing a waiter (Henry Armetta, uncredited) to dump a serving bowl full of onion soup with cheese onto McAndrews's head. Tom then proceeds to, quite literally, (sexually) harass Ms. Howe for several scenes, several of which are probably intended to be funny. Tom has ample opportunity because he is hired by Mr. Sutton (Wilbur Mack, uncredited), another friend of Tom's father, who's more enamored with Tom's college gridiron success than his ability to sell bonds. McAndrews also works there; he grows jealous of Mary's inexplicable growing attraction to Tom and his antics. Naturally, Tom fails to succeed at Sutton's, and gets himself fired.

Fortunately (?), for Tom anyway, his father dies so that Tom is forced into a situation of responsibility. He proceeds to take seriously the job as man of the Ward household, keeping Alma from dating persons such as his (former?) self. Unbeknownst to him, a still jealous McAndrews conspires to keep Tom from being gainfully employed. However, Polly had saved $723 during her years as the Ward's maid, and she happily spends it to keep the family from its creditors. Sutton tells McAndrews he wants to give "the new" Tom another chance, and tells him to rehire Tom. But McAndrews assigns Tom the impossible task of selling some Denver bonds for a park to a rich old woman, Hettie Brown (Dressler), that no one has been able to convince thus far. Tom talks his way past her butler Alfred (Edgar Norton, uncredited) and then proceeds to impersonate a doctor in order to see her. He then gets her drunk to obtain her signature, but eventually comes clean and gets her BB (bond business) "honestly" for his clever approach.

Meanwhile, McAndrews has gotten Mary to agree to marry him, regardless of the fact that she doesn't love him, and Tom returns to Sutton from whom he learns the truth about Mrs. Brown's earlier resistance. Tom then proceeds to break the law and practically kidnap Mary (he ties her up and gags her!) from her wedding, flattening the tires of all the cars in the parking lot, and driving away with his future bride. Wouldn't you want to marry such a fellow?

Today he'd be arrested

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 22 August 2019]

William Haines and Leila Hyams star in this rather dated early talkie from MGM. In this Haines finds the girl of his dreams with Hyams, but she's been earmarked for the boss's son Francis X. Bushman, Jr.

In this day and age Haines would be arrested for the way he pursues Hyams. I'm not sure how in 1930 he wasn't hauled off to the hoosegow. But these were the parts Haines played, smart alecks who got away with anything.

Anyway Bushman is such a drip of a human being audience sympathy is with Haines.

Best in the film is Haines's scene with Marie Dressler where he does some unorthodox things to sell her some bonds. Polly Moran is here also for some more laughs.

Still feminists would stone the screen if this were made today.

gags galore, but little laughter

[mukava991 · 3/10 · 13 November 2009]

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.

Hilarious and Handsome William Haines

[drednm · 29 April 2005]

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.

I wanted to kill William Haines!!!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 5 August 2008]

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!!

How could Sam Wood be responsible for directing this awful early sound film?

[Doylenf · 3/10 · 10 November 2009]

After viewing THE GIRL SAID NO, that's the question that haunted me. Apparently, he had no control over WILLIAM HAINES, who, at thirty years old, is playing a brash and rude college student who thinks he's what every girl should want in a man. He's obnoxious to the point of driving the viewer to exasperation and he's the center of the whole story.

It's rough going for anyone to sit through this dreadful early '30s comedy of ill manners. Others in the cast do what they have to do as competently as possible, but nobody can top the mugging and mincing of Haines at his worst.

The only segment that manages to be downright funny is the ten-minute sequence with MARIE DRESSLER. It's a howl. Too bad the script didn't afford Dressler and Haines other moments like this.

LEILA HYAMS is attractive as "the girl," HENRY ARMETTA is amusingly exasperated as the waiter who foolishly agrees to a prank suggested by Haines, and POLLY MORAN almost makes sense out of a poorly written and directed role as a housemaid.

It's really a total waste of time to watch Haines mugging constantly and thinking he's being irresistibly endearing as a comedian. He's not.

But I have liked him in other films of the "silent" era. But this attempt at comedy is unbearably unfunny.

Laughing It Up

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 9 August 2008]

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 viewer said Yuck

[rhoda-9 · 2/10 · 20 April 2019]

William Haines bravely refused to hide his homosexuality, and even gave up his acting career rather than disown his lover or have a sham marriage. The respect one feels for him now, however, goes down the drain on watching even some (20 minutes was all I could stand) of this film. In it Haines treats the girl he says he loves with brutality and contempt. He not only embarrasses Leila Hyams, he kidnaps her (twice, once tying her up!), insults her, forcibly kisses her, and threatens to hit her. He ridicules her fiance (the divinely handsome Francis X. Bushman) for having graduated at the top of his college class and being hard-working and well-mannered. One wonders if Haines's determination to get Hyams has less to do with her than with his desire to triumph over Bushman.

Though he was 30 when the movie was made, Haines plays a young, wealthy man who has just graduated from college (perhaps he was held back several times?) and whose insolence and nasty teasing would get a teenager disciplined by his parents and punched by his peers. He thinks it funny to torment a family servant, and to involve another servant in a practical joke that gets him fired.

Haines was hugely popular in his day. It is depressing to think that millions found him hilarious and a great, he-man-type guy, roaring at, among other things, the camp gestures and expressions with which he ridiculed effeminate men. The thought of their faces if they were told the truth was the only smile I got out of this movie.

For Haines and Dressler Fans Only, Others Beware

[dglink · 7/10 · 14 September 2010]

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.

I Tried

[Calaboss · 4/10 · 5 August 2008]

I tried, both to understand this movie from 1930, and why it could be important to anyone today. I know some people find it interesting (you're a mighty small lot), but I don't. I'm just a 50 year old man that likes old John Wayne movies. This movie offered nothing to me. A girl, a guy, (and some movie moguls trying to figure out what worked in a new talkie world).....

They didn't have it down yet. Film stock was crappy, and sound was like mud. The writers were still struggling to deal with "words" spoken by actors. It amazes me how fast Hollywood humped these problems. Just nine years after this, The Wizard of Oz came out, with great sound, fantastic effects, and COLOR! The Girl Said No was a tough watch for me. But I'm trying.

Haines successfully transitions to sound

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 8 November 2009]

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.

Contemptible

[view_and_review · 1/10 · 4 February 2024]

This was one stupid contemptible movie with an imbecilic and early stage rapey main character.

You get the idea that "The Girl Said No" wants you to hate and love the main character, Tom Ward (William Haines). Tom is a loud, obnoxious prankster of a guy who can't keep his hands to himself. He abuses the maid and essentially kidnapped the romantic interest, Mary Howe (Leile Hyams). It's reprehensible behavior, but it's supposed to be innocent, good-natured fun. I didn't think it was innocent, good-natured, fun, or funny.

I got through 25 minutes and had to turn it off, which sucks because I never got to see Marie Dressler.

Free on Odnoklassniki.

Stick with Haines Silents

[Michael_Elliott · 27 November 2009]

Girl Said No, The (1930)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

I'm not sure how many people know this but William Haines made three films in 1930 and they were so popular that he was voted the most popular actor of the year. This was Haines first talkie after years in the silent era where he played obnoxious brats who would do anything to get his way. In this film, he plays an obnoxious brat who returns home from college and refuses to settle down in any way, shape or form. He reluctantly gets a job where he falls in love with the secretary (Lelia Hyams) but she wants nothing to do with him so he decides to bug her to death, kidnap her and torture her some more. Okay, we all know that THE JAZZ SINGER was released in 1927 and it pretty much had people wondering if silents would ever be needed again. I always point to 1928's THE WIND as proof that movies didn't need sound. This film here is my second bit of evidence in this theory because Haines is so downright obnoxious that you'll with the film was silent so you wouldn't have to hear him. Apparently MGM also released this in a silent version and I wouldn't mind seeing it because what we've got here is pretty bad on all levels. I'd almost recommend people to watch this just to see how bad it actually is. There are a couple good moments so I'll get them out of the way now. There's a pretty funny sequence where Haines pays a waiter to throw some onion soup on his rival (Francis X. Bushman, Jr.). Bushman, Jr. himself is pretty good here and there's also another decent sequence with Marie Dressler towards the end of the movie. Now, for the bad, which is pretty much everything else. For starters, Haines is so obnoxious that you won't be able to not hate him. Not only is the actor himself way too over the top but his character is such a mean jerk that you want to see him beaten to a pulp. That's not a good feeling to have for the lead actor. The scenes with him pretty much forcing himself on the girl and kidnapping her doesn't work because of how much we hate him. Hyams isn't any better as the female lead but the less said the better. The technical side of the film is also quite poor as there are several sequences with the actors moving where it becomes quite hard to understand what they're saying as they move further away from the mic. The opening sequence at the house is also pretty ugly to watch as several of the actors in the frame have their heads cut off. The biggest sin of this turkey is that there's just not enough laughs to carry a 91-minute movie. Perhaps had this been 60 or 65 minutes then it might have worked but not at this long time. It's worth noting that there's a joke where one character says he doesn't understand why people would be against birth control in regards to Haines. I'm not sure how many films this early mentioned birth control but the quote itself is something I have to agree with in regards to this character.

William Haines & Marie Dressler Hilarious in Early Talkie Comedy

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 26 January 2000]

1930. Silents were dead, talkies were king & it was William Haines golden Hollywood year. His pictures - he starred in 3 - made enough money at the box-office to make him the top male movie star of that year. THE GIRL SAID NO is one of those films.

It is very much a typical Haines comedy, with lots of silliness based on his boyish character (although he was 30, he plays a college kid). His wealthy father dies, leaving his family penniless and Haines in need of finding money. The plot revolves around his attempts to make good in a new job, where he tries to impress Leila Hyams, the pretty secretary he meets there.

Also in the cast are Francis X. Bushman, Jr. as Haines' rival; Clara Blandick (Auntie Em in THE WIZARD OF OZ 9 years later); and the ubiquitous Polly Moran. The inimitable & irrepressible Marie Dressler appears in only one scene, but it's a dandy. She plays a very rich potential client who mistakes Haines for her new doctor, which generates a hilarious slapstick sequence. With this one 10-minute segment, talkie comedy was off to a very good start.

The Haines Character at His Worst!

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 25 June 2014]

This is the only William Haines movie that I really enjoyed from start to finish. In this one, his obnoxious presence is so over the top that I had no sympathy whatever for any of the supporting characters who didn't try to put a muzzle on Haines or simply beat him to a pulp. They were all – men from presidents to waiters and women from high society glamour girls to inebriated dowagers – such a spineless lot, they deserved the way the Haines character thumbed his nose at them, played them for suckers, constantly belittled them and did whatever mocking and humiliating turns he pleased. Of course, Haines' thoroughly unlikable "hero" does reform somewhat when the film is about 80% over, but in this case it didn't spoil our enjoyment as we knew that the beautiful but brainless heroine – well played by Leila Hyams – so ready to chuck out the man who really loved her and would devotedly look after her – was in for at least 50 years of hell with a man like Haines' constantly belittling, thoroughly self-devoted, dangerously prankish, uncaringly misanthropic "hero". Directed at a nice, crisp pace by Sam Wood. Available on an excellent Warner Archive DVD.

Very funny. Not politically correct.

[rlymzv · 9/10 · 3 March 2024]

I laughed and laughed watching this movie. As mentioned in my title, this movie is not politically correct. In our modern, no sense of humor world, Haines would have been arrested at least a dozen times for his shenanigans.

We have a comedy about a guy aggressively pursuing a woman he is interested in. The problem is, he doesn't know how to talk to women. Reminds me a little bit of the cartoon character "Johnny Bravo".

As you judge this movie, remember it's a comedy, not a romance. Also, in 1930 people could get away with a lot more and could live more freely. Leila Hyams with her good-natured demeanor, was the attractive female in this movie.