MartinHafer 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!!

writers_reign Frank Ross distinguished himself in various ways - he was married to one great actress (Jean Arthur) and one acting joke (Joan Caulfield), he produced a couple of Sinatra titles (The House I Live In, Kings Go Forth) and a fairly risible pseudo-religious entry (The Robe). Somehow he got the idea he was equipped to direct a film and given that his second wife Caulfield was sorely in need of a vehicle that may remind viewers she had once been in the same film (Blue Skies) as Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, coming a bad nowhere despite co-star billing, he must have seen this as a chance to kill two birds with one stone. Alas ... the teaming of two actors of monumental unequal talent (David Niven and James Robertson Justice) was only eclipsed a couple of years later when Fred Astaire wiped the floor with Jack Buchanan in The Bandwagon and the chemistry between Niven and Caulfield could only have been eclipsed by Garbo and Mr. Bean. One best forgotten.

Cristi_Ciopron Joan Caulfield and the cocksure, conceited Niven made the funny snappy screwball LADY SAYS NO, directed by Frank Ross; Niven is a photographer, Shelby, attracted to a young feminist authoress who turns into a willful woman and husband—snatcher—and then, the transformation of this babe as she opens herself to love. The womanizer Shelby sets himself up to conquering the blonde writer. The comic is often very unsubtle, but after seeing ETERNALLY YOURS—with the same Niven--, LADY SAYS NO looked like a marvel of fun (--that was a romance while this is a malicious sex comedy--). Basically well—paced, LADY SAYS NO is a watchable screwball and an anti—feminist satire, though quite witless ; it's better directed than written, the blonde does an average role. Niven, a meager but funnier Rathbone, has some brio as the sardonic seducer; but, even for himself, he looks awfully old and ugly, and with a rather constipated humor. The leading actress could be a bit uninspiring. Not more than 6/10.

richard.fuller1 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.