Truly Dreadful Film

Best movie ever!

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The Lady Says No is the type of post World War II film that tackled issues the movies would not focus on. In this case, it's feminism. Beautiful Joan Caulfield (Blue Skies, The Unsuspected) was directed by her husband, Frank Ross, to play a man-hating writer of a book telling women to be cautious of a man's desires. David Niven is a photographer for a magazine who tries to do a story on her, but romance steps in...with complications. He gets embarrassed for whistling at her, she takes the heat for her book causing a marital break-up. But, ultimately, things turn around, as a sergeant reunites with his wife and writer and photographer get back together, as 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.

Wow...this movie was so bad that I couldn't even finish it! That's amazing, as I have an ALMOST limitless ability to watch crappy films. I think the reasons I couldn't stick with this one were because it totally wasted a good cast, it tried WAY too hard to be cute and the film was also a sexist mess. So, despite having said I'd watch almost anything with David Niven in it, I'll put this with a few of his films that are simply unwatchable messes--such as "Casino Royale" (1967) and the final Pink Panther film in which he appeared (he was so sick that his lines had to be dubbed by another actor and Peter Sellers wasn't even in the film except for scenes with stock footage).The film begins with a photographer (Niven) from a magazine is on his way to interview a lady who wrote a book called "The Lady Says No". When he meets her (Joan Caulfield) and her aunt (Frances Bavier) he assumes the older lady wrote the book. After all, he reasons, only an old biddy would write such a dumb book about men and women and relationships!!! He even goes on to SAY this--proving he's a sexist jerk. As for the rest of the film I could stand watching, you see Niven repeatedly act like a boorish sexist--and he seems half asleep in the film. Perhaps he was just too embarrassed by the craptitude of the script. Caulfield seemed to take it a bit more seriously, but even her attempts to make this film watchable were in vain. Overall, it's clichéd, badly written and annoying...and those are only its GOOD points. I can EASILY understand why the studio allowed this movie to pass into the public domain!!

Suave LIFE magazine photographer David Niven (as William "Bill" Shelby) arrives to do a feature on the female writer who made her "The Lady Says No" a feminist bestseller. She surprises him by being shapely blonde Joan Caulfield (as Dorinda Hatch). Mr. Niven attempts to thaw the icy beauty by getting her to wear less for his photo spread, but Ms. Caulfield resists. You can guess the rest."The Lady Says No" is predictable to a fault and only pretends to be sophisticated. Don't give up on it too early, lest you miss Caulfield's dream sequence - she ties Niven up after he leads his bikini-topped harem by a collective rope around their pretty necks. Director Frank Ross was Caulfield's husband. Favorite aunt Frances Bavier (as Alice) and Henry Jones (as Potsy) are always fun to see.**** The Lady Says No (1/6/52) Frank Ross ~ Joan Caulfield, David Niven, Frances Bavier, Henry Jones

Ever wonder how those Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan films will look in years to come? LIke this empty headed flick. I'm not even sure what it was about! Niven was a photographer, Joan Caufield was some independent female who had to challenge him about a woman's independence. Huh? A photograph of her crossing her eyes and pulling a lock of her hair across her upper lip like a moustache was supposed to be embarrassing and he put it on the cover of a magazine. Really odd movie and such a waste of David Niven. I have seen him salvage other movies. Alas, this one he could not. The film was a showboat for Caufield, and she couldn't be more uninteresting if she tried. One very amusing moment was Niven having a dream about Caufield and she is dressed like Sheena of the Jungle in a leopard print one piece swimsuit. Very bohemian! Think of Madonna of '52. The wooden gyrations are laughable to begin with, but just before this scene, we're shown an unamed African American woman who was the towel girl (!) at the restaurant and her dancing to the band's music was priceless. This chick really cut loose! I thought it was tremendously odd that this woman was uncredited and danced so much more better than Caufield, and that her scene would precede Caufield's big dance moment. Avoid this flick at all costs, unless you are an overwhelming David Niven fan, as I am. This was not one of his best.