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 Davis
Olivia de Havilland	...	Margaret 'Maggie' Richards (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.

---

Plot Keywords:

auto camp | song | singer | singing | white actor performs in blackface | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

Connections

References The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

---

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

A Light-hearted Romance

"Hard to Get" is what you might call a low-key comedy. There are some pratfalls, but the action is mostly at a relaxed pace, not frantic or riotous. Olivia de Havilland (as Margaret) and Dick Powell (as Bill) are delightful as the couple who find romance in a most unexpected (to them) way. She tears out of the house in a pique of rebelliousness but finds that the car's fuel tank is low. When she stops to get gas at a combination garage/motor court, she tries to charge the expense, but the attendant--who does not know her--refuses to extend her credit.

She's actually from a wealthy family, but Bill doesn't know that and he forces her to work for the cost of the gasoline by making beds and dusting in the motor court's bungalows. She concocts a scheme for getting even, which involves her father, Charles Winninger (Ben Richards).

If you believe the film, CEOs--like Mr. Winninger--spend their days wasting time or indulging in whimsical activities, like wrestling with their butlers, but it makes for a funny story.

The cast is excellent. Together they create a light-hearted comedy that revolves around a growing romance.