He Couldn't Say No (Warner Bros.) (1938)

(Opening Day) COMEDY FARCE OPENS TODAY AT THE STRAND “He Couldn’t Say No,” a rol licking farce-comedy dealing with a bashful young man who falls in love with a statue and then with the girl who posed for it, will be presented by Warner Bros. today at the Strand Theatre. Frank McHugh plays the shy lad and a tiny little newcomer to the screen, Diana Lewis, is the original of the scantily-draped work of art. Then, too, there is a designing mother, Cora Witherspoon, who wants to marry her daughter, Jane Wyman, to Frank. Also a Senator, Berton Churchill, who is indignant because his daughter has been an artist’s model, and afraid lest his political enemies use the statue against him. “He Couldn’t Say No” is said to rank among the gayest of the gay in the comedy field of the season. It was directed by Lewis Seiler, and among other wellknown players in the cast are Ferris Taylor, Raymond Hatton, Yom Kennedy, William Haade, Chester Clute, Cliff Clark and Rita Gould. It was adapted to the screen by Joseph Schrank and Robertson White, from a magazine story by Norman Matson. Mat 102—15¢ DIANA LEWIS — Petite starlet who is definitely on her way up to screen fame is featured with Frank McHugh in “He Couldn’t Say No,” now showing at the Strand Theatre. Law As A Hobby! Frank McHugh, comedy lead in Warner Bros.’ “He Couldn’t Say No,” which is due at the Strand Theatre next week, is planning to take the California state bar examinations within the next few months. His hobby is reading law and if he is admitted to the bar he will assist extras and other minor screen players in their legal problems. Novel Awakener Jane Wyman, leading woman in Warner Bros.’ “He Couldn’t Say No,” which is now showing at the Strand Theatre, has taught her pet parrot, which she bought from a sailor in Panama, to awaken her each morning. The parrot gently touches her forehead with its beak and repeats “Hit the deck!” until she awakens. Bashful Boy! Moments to remember: Frank McHugh blushing as he makes love to a scantily draped statue for Warner Bros.” “He Couldn’t Say No,” now showing at the Strand Theatre. scenes in PUBLICITY (Review) ‘He Couldn’t Say No” at the Strand Comedy Triumph for Frank McHugh STORY SYNOPSIS (not for publication): When Lambert Hunkins (Frank McHugh). advertising clerk, gets a $10 a week raise in salary, Violet Coney (Jane Wyman), who works in the same office, and her mother (Cora Witherspoon), decide it is time he marry Violet. It is an out-and-out case of railroading poor, meek little Lambert, who has an ideal. He is in love with Iris Mabby (Diana Lewis), daughter of Senator Mabby (Berton Churchill). Lambert never has met Iris, but whenever her picture appears in newspapers or magazines he clips it out and saves it. Gabby Mrs. Coney and Violet take Lambert to an auction room to buy furniture. Instead he spends all the money for the statue of a beautiful girl. He takes it home in a hearse. In the meantime Senator Mabby and Iris are hunting for the statue. Iris had posed for it and the senator is afraid his political enemies will secure the statue and make something of it. They come to Lambert’s house but he refuses to sell. Iris encourages him to keep the statue. He has to defend it first from the irate Senator, and then from a mob of gangsters. It turns him from a mouse into a man and he gets his girl, CAST OF CHARACTERS Lambert Hunkins Frank McHugh Violet, Coney.—...:... Jane Wyman Mrs. Coney eniceccceec en Cora Witherspoon [ris MADDY. .ccccneccccccennocn neces iana Lewis Senator Mabby..................Berton Churchill Oxnard O. Parsons......0....-Ferris Taylor Slag 2 William Haade Dimples cndcenaewertne LOO AEDDCAY Hymie ... iomnnnnhaymond Hatton The Man-On-The-Street........John Ridgely Musgrave Chester Clute Auctioneer Cliff Clark Julia Becker Rita Gould Length: 5251 feet — 3 Vo m4 The timidity and embarrassment which Frank McHugh, roly-poly comedian, displayed in “Three Men On a Horse” a few months ago, are his characteristics again in his latest Warner Bros. comedy, ‘““He Couldn’t Say No” which sent yesterday’s audiences at the Strand Theatre into loud guffaws of laughter. But the stories aren’t anything alike, at all. Frank was then a greeting-card poet with an uncanny ability to pick winners in the horse races. This time he is an advertising clerk in a big manufacturing plant. But he’s the same downtrodden worm who turns in the end and beats his oppressors. There is probably no actor on the screen who does that sort of thing quite as well as Frank McHugh, and he’s at his best in this movie. He is secretly in love with the young daughter of a Senator—a new picture girl, by the way, called Diana Lewis. He has never met her, but has worshipped her pictures in newspapers and magazines. At the same time, plans are laid which might force him into marriage with a fellow worker in his office, Jane Wyman, by Jane’s mother, played by Cora Witherspoon. This is because he has DYNAMIC AND DIMPLED Jane Wyman, five feet two’s worth of charm and loveliness, and an up-and-coming screen star, is currently playing a featured role in “He Couldn’t Say No”’ with Frank McHugh at the Strand. Mat 201—30c PRODUCTION STAFF Lew Seiler {Robertson White | Sesgeph Schrank | Ben Grauman Kohn Adapted from Play by.....Joseph Schrank Based on Short Story by....Norman Matson Photography by..........Arthur Todd, A.S.C. AUP eg)) ayC8 bY oy ofiones ceiem eine Director Screen Play by uw frank Dewar Dialogue Director............Frank Beckwith Art Director wonue_stanley Fleischer Sound by Francis J. Scheid GOWNS) DYo ee ee . Howard Shoup Running Time: 57 minutes just had a raise of salary. Knowing he has saved $113, these two take him to an auction-room to buy furniture. But to their amazement, he spends $100 on a statue because it resembles Diana, the secret choice of his heart. As a matter of fact, Diana has posed for this scantily-clad sculpture. Diana’s father, the Senator, fears his political opponents will get hold of the statue and ruin him. A certain gangster-group realize this possibility and try to force Frank to demand a fortune for restoring the work of art to the Senator. The little weakling clerk’s struggles against these two elements, and his eventual triumph, carry along the howling comedy of “He Couldn’t Say No.’’ which was nicely directed by Lewis Seiler. The new starlet, Diana Lewis, is a tiny bit of a girl, less than 5 feet tall, and not only pretty but a capable actress. Jane Wyman, always excellent, is splendid in a new type of role. So, too, is the famed ex-stage actress, Cora Witherspoon. Other notables in the cast include Berton Churchill, Ferris Taylor, William Haade, Tom Kennedy, Chester Clute and Raymond Hatton. (Current) 2 BROADWAY VETERANS IN NEW COMEDY Frank McHugh, famed comedian who is now starring in “He Couldn’t Say No” for Warner Bros. at the Strand Theatre, made his Broadway stage debut with James Gleason in “The Fall Guy.” During his footlight career he worked with Miriam Hopkins, Ernest Truex, William Boyd, Frank Morgan, Louis Calhern and many other top flight favorites. His best role on Broadway was in “Excess Baggage” at the Ritz theatre in 1928 and he made his film debut the same year in a talking featurette, “If Men Played Cards as Women Do.” He very definitely prefers screen work now. Cora Witherspoon, who is playing an important role in “He Couldn’t Say No,” made her Broadway debut at the age of 18 with Leo Dietrichstein in “The Concert.” Among her many Broadway plays are “Daddy Longlegs,” with Ruth Chatterton; “The Awful Truth,” with Ina Claire; “The Constant Wife,” with Ethel Barrymore. She entered pictures with Whee ler and Woolsey in “Peach o’ Reno” and has_ been especially busy since then on the screen. While she is intensely interested in the screen she occasionally likes to make a soiree into Broadway. Mat 101I—I15c FRANK McHUGH — Comedy portrayer of the meek and mild has his funniest role to date in the new Warner Bros. farce, ““He Couldn’t Say No,” now showing at the Strand Theatre. Jane’s ‘Plane’ Room Jane Wyman, Warner Bros. featured player, is building a new playroom at her home to simulate the interior of the huge transport plane of the future. Cleverly painted walls will give the illusion of traveling through space and furnishings and fittings of the room will be ultra-modern and what may be expected in the planes of tomorrow. Jane is now appearing as leading lady to Frank McHugh in “He Couldn’t Say No,” at the Strand Theatre. She’s A Gibson Girl Cora Witherspoon, famed stage actress playing a featured role in Warner Bros.’ “He Couldn’t Say No,” at the Strand Theatre, once posed professionally for Charles Dana Gibson and other artists. Actress At Eight Jane Wyman, featured in the Warner Bros. comedy “He Couldn’t Say No,” now at the Strand Theatre, started her stage career at the age of eight when she appeared in Little Theatre productions in St. Joseph, Mo. Page Three