Hard to Get (1938)

When spoiled young heiress Maggie Richards tries to charge some gasoline at an auto camp run by Bill Davis, he makes her work out her bill by making beds. Resolving to get even, she ... See full summary »

Director:

Ray Enright

Writers:

Jerry Wald (screen play), Maurice Leo (screen play)

Stars:

Dick Powell, Olivia de Havilland, Charles Winninger

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dick Powell	...	Bill
Olivia de Havilland	...	Margaret (as Olivia De Havilland)
Charles Winninger	...	Ben Richards
Allen Jenkins	...	Roscoe
Bonita Granville	...	Connie
Melville Cooper	...	Case
Isabel Jeans	...	Mrs. Richards
Grady Sutton	...	Stanley Potter
Thurston Hall	...	Atwater
John Ridgely	...	Burke
Penny Singleton	...	Hattie
Granville Bates	...	Judge Harkness
Jack Mower	...	Schaff

Storyline

When spoiled young heiress Maggie Richards tries to charge some gasoline at an auto camp run by Bill Davis, he makes her work out her bill by making beds. Resolving to get even, she pretends to have forgiven him, and sends him to her father to get financing for a plan Bill has. What happens next was not part of her original revenge plan.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | heiress | millionaires daughter | fired from the job | party | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

For Lovers Only

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The price of gas at Bill's station is 18 cents per gallon. Margaret buys 5 gallons for 90 cents on her second visit.

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Goofs

When Bill is forcibly carrying Margaret from her car after she can't pay for the gas, just after they pass the pumps the shadow of the boom microphone can be seen following them on the ground.

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Quotes

Margaret Richards: May I have your hat sir?
Bill Davis: Yeah. Say, take it easy, its the only one I got.
Margaret Richards: I'll put it in the safe.

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Connections

References The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

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Soundtracks

Sonny Boy
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown
Played by the band at Atwater's and sung by Dick Powell in blackface

User Reviews

Lots to like, and a little to hate

'Hard to Get' was released just six months after 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' made 22-year-old Oliva de Havilland a star, and she's as delightful as ever. She plays a spoiled rich girl who seeks a little revenge on a gas station attendant (Dick Powell) after he forces to work as a maid to pay off a gas bill. Powell's character has a big business idea and she gets him in to see her father (Charles Winninger), knowing that he won't be seriously considered. Her father doesn't seem serious about much, entertaining himself busy by engaging his servant (Melville Cooper) in a variety of competitions for small sums of money, e.g. fencing, ping pong, wrestling, and boxing.

de Havilland is highly animated and I loved how her character was playful with both the young man and her father, surprising the latter by assuming the role of the maid to keep up the charade. There is a lot of clever banter all around, and Cooper is fantastic and a real highlight in his supporting role. "Keep your chin covered, sir," he says in his dignified accent, before socking his employer in the belly. "I couldn't resist the temptation, sir, the target was so large and inviting." And then, a little out of nowhere, Powell busts out a wonderful rendition of "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," serenading de Havilland while on a lake at night.

The film was cruising to a higher rating, but degraded in the last twenty minutes or so. My heart sank as I saw Powell sneak his way into a dinner party as part of the orchestra by wearing blackface, and then perform the Al Jolson number, 'Sonny Boy.' It was painfully ironic to have one white performer imitating another white performer's blackface routine, and while brief, it's tough to watch. The plot itself also gets a little silly from there, even for a screwball comedy. In this kind of movie we all kind of know how it's going to play out, but the way this one does in particular - both with an about-face on the business proposition and then later romantically, are awkward and forced. Worth seeing, albeit with reservations.