A woman writes a best-selling book for women warning them about the "dangers" of men. A handsome photographer for a national magazine arrives in her town to do a feature story on her. Compli... Read allA woman writes a best-selling book for women warning them about the "dangers" of men. A handsome photographer for a national magazine arrives in her town to do a feature story on her. Complications ensue.A woman writes a best-selling book for women warning them about the "dangers" of men. A handsome photographer for a national magazine arrives in her town to do a feature story on her. Complications ensue.
- Maj. Gen. Horatio W. Schofield
- (as Robert Williams)
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Woman at Meeting
- (uncredited)
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Brawler
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
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Joan Caufield plays a best-selling authoress, whose claim to fame is a book that warns unsuspecting women about the greatest horror known as Man. Men are filthy, nasty beasts, and women would do well to always say "no"! David Niven works for a popular magazine, and he's assigned to do a featurette on Joan. He hates her book and her message, and as soon as they meet, they're at each other's throats-and not in a good way. But, since it is David Niven, she just might be charmed long enough to listen to what he has to say.
Yes, it's pretty silly, and enormously dated, but if you like silly and dated, you won't go wrong by renting The Lady Says No on a rainy afternoon. David Niven is absolutely adorable and charming, and since I love him anyway, it's easy to root for him in this funny 50s romp. My advice: watch the opening credits. If you start laughing during the song, you're in the right mindset to enjoy the rest of the movie. I find it hilarious.
Joan has written the title book, which argues for women to stand up for themselves in a male-dominated society. She's thrown together with a self-assured Life magazine photographer played by Niven, whose innate charm makes his chauvinistic attitudes tolerable, with zero doubt that they will move past detente to become a loving couple by film's end.
Adding quite a bit to the movie's impact is the subsidiary storyline involving Joan's aunt Frances Bavier and her estranged Scots husband James Robertson Justice, a real chauvinist pig. Casting that team seems unlikely, but this pair of opposites are delightful in their bickering, with Justice's comedy flair (staring in many a British comedy of the Fifties) on display.
I've been watching David Niven demonstrating his acting versatility a few years later on "Four Star Playhouse", and his nimble comedy reactions help lift "The Lady Says No". Kudos also to the great James Wong Howe's distinctive camerawork. Watch for some strange little touches by director Frank Ross, including a goofy dream sequence and a "jump and jive" Black girl dancing around in a hallway.
Niven seems TOTALLY OUT OF PLACE, a part someone like Tony Randall or Jack Lemmon could have banged out of the park (maybe it was a bit before their time...) Not a bad premise, has been stolen and used repeatedly in movie history, but it seems listless and lifeless when Niven is on screen. Oh, well.
Also in the cast are Francis Bavier (Aunt Bee-The Andy Griffith Show), James Robertson Justice, Henry Jones, Lenore Lonergan, and Peggy Malley, with Bavier and Justice as Caulfield's aunt and uncle, Jones and Lonergan as a military couple, and Malley as a friend of the military couple.
Mostly hilarious and predictable (Caulfield's dream of her fighting off jungle women to get to Niven), but stoic in some areas (Niven's lack of comic response), the film was written as a showpiece for Caulfield, who carried the movie. Wouldn't mind seeing it again. In other words, I would love to see Caulfield flaunt her style in Orry-Kelly fashions, while she defends her position of feminism, while a different actor could have been used as a comic foil, maybe Fred MacMurray. A film slightly ahead of its time.
Did you know
- TriviaBarbara Carroll's debut.
- GoofsJames R. Justice's accent keeps switching between (his authentic) Scottish and Irish.
- Quotes
Dorinda Hatch: Well, what makes HER so important ?
Potsy: She don't take no "stuff" from nobody... unless she wants to. Then she takes anything that isn't nailed down.
Dorinda Hatch: Well, I think it's disgusting. Why any woman could get a man like that if she wanted to. I know I could... couldn't I ?
Potsy: You don't have the stuff it takes to take the stuff you don't have.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits show a woman's hands opening a gift card from a fancily wrapped present, which starts the credits. The next shot is the opening of the gift itself, which turns out to be a book with the title of the movie (based on a book a female author writes).
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Bruden sa' nej
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 20m(80 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1