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| She Wouldn't Say Yes - 1945 |
Coming up next is 1945's "She Wouldn't Say Yes", a story about a woman who refuses to marry the man that fate has evidently picked out for her.
The film's cast includes Rosalind Russell, Lee Bowman, Adele Jurgens, Charles Winninger, Harry Davenport, Sara Haden, Percy Kilbride, Tom Dugan, Sam McDaniel, Darren McGavin, Ida Moore, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Cora Witherspoon, and Mabel Paige.
Noted psychiatrist Dr. Susan Lane is traveling home to Chicago after spending some time working at a mental hospital in New York City.
Collecting her train tickets, she meets a man whom she keeps bumping into, literally. "I have a feeling that meeting under other circumstances I would've liked you very much," says the man, a Mr. Michael "Mike" Kent. Clearly annoyed, Susan replies, "Then I'm glad the circumstances were as they are."
Coincidentally, they meet later on board the train. He insists on having a drink with her in the club car. When he likens her profession to being that of a "mental Peeping Tom", Susan retorts, "Only by appointment".
Susan is further annoyed when she finds out that Mike has tickets to her upper berth. Apparently, the ticket office gave them a set of identical tickets. She wastes no time tossing him out when the train goes around a sharp curve.
In Chicago, Mike, very smitten with Susan since first laying eyes on her, finds out where she lives. He shows up and regales her father with tales of how the two shared an upper berth. Susan's father, also a doctor, is mortified until Susan sets the story straight.
Susan's father, however, likes Mike a lot. And he's tired of Susan thinking that she can do without love. So, he tells Mike where he can find Susan the next day. For her part, Susan only hopes she's seen the last of him.
When Mike shows up at Susan's office the next day, Susan thinks she's got the perfect way to get rid of him. She gets a man hungry patient interested in him.
Susan goes to the trouble of arranging a dinner for the two of them at her house. Mike thinks that Susan herself will be there, and he readily accepts. However, Susan goes out with her father and leaves Mike and her patient, Allura, alone.
Once Mike realizes that it's all a set-up with the aim of getting Allura and himself together, he gets a little frightened. Allura is very persuasive and she wants Mike.
Susan resists all of Mike's charms. She's bound and determined to stay single. She explains it's because of all the women who come through her office because of what "love" did to them. Mike is bound and determined to wear down her defenses.
Susan's father goes to the trouble of arranging a marriage for the two. Susan doesn't know anything about it. She thinks she's there to treat a very jumpy judge. Before she knows it, she and Mike are married, and she is none the wiser.
Naturally, Susan is very upset once she learns the truth about the marriage. She orders Mike out of her house and her life.
However, Susan realizes that she does love Mike. This realization comes right in the middle of a session with another patient.
She hurries to catch up with Mike, who is on his way to San Francisco. She arranges to be in his upper berth. They kiss and make up. They also make plans to stop in Nevada and have a real wedding.
Cast rundown:
Rosalind Russell.............................Dr. Susan Lane
Lee Bowman..................................Michael Kent
Adele Jurgens................................Allura
Charles Winninger..........................Dr. Lane
Harry Davenport............................Albert
Sara Haden...................................Laura Pitts
Percy Kilbride................................Judge Whittaker
Tom Dugan...................................Cab Driver
Sam McDaniel...............................Train Steward
Darren McGavin.............................Soldier In Hospital
Ida Moore.....................................Spinster On Train
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer......................Delivery Boy
Cora Witherspoon..........................Mrs. Peterson
Mabel Paige..................................Martha Whittaker
And that's it for She Wouldn't Say Yes. The release date of the film clashed somewhat with a plot point. Michael Kent was on his way to San Francisco so that he could join the war effort in Japan. However, the war had ended three months before this film was released.
This film also marked the screen debut of actor Darren McGavin, who would later become famous (especially to American audiences) for his portrayal of Mr. Parker in the film "A Christmas Story".
