The Lady Says No (1951)

David Niven is a commercial photographer who travels to various shoots. He picks up a female hitchhiker (Lenore Lonergan) who has a military husband (Henry Jones). Then shortly afterward a couple more couples are added to the mix, including Peggy Maley. Niven is on his way to do a shoot with Joan Caulfield, the author of the book in the title, which an anti-male production. Her aunt (Frances Bavier) is the moving force behind her philosophy. Lonergan and Jones come into the house in the midst of a fight while Niven and Caulfield are talking, but make up immediately. Caulfield come to the beach where Niven is set up for their shoot. He catches her making a face, but that is all the posing she will do. When she gets home, who should show up but James Robertson Justice, Bavier's globetrotting and partially-estranged husband. They try to make him leave, but he refuses.

Niven and Justice attend an all-female gathering in honor of the book. Niven mocks the idea that women hate to be whistled at. She abuses him to try to make him angry - and finally succeeds. Niven send a mock-up of a Life magazine cover with the ugly face he photographed on the cover. She goes to his trailer on the beach to object. He offers to "sell" her the negative for a kiss. He has to teach her how it is done properly, and then tells her it was not a very good kiss. "Hardly worth the bother." She asks him to do it again, and then slaps him when he closes his eyes. At the house, Justice has a copy of one of Niven's books in which he photographed natives - including the women. She begins reading it, and a surrealistic dream in which she is a leopard-skin-clad woman who captures Niven. (We now pause for the obligatory dance routine.) When she wakes, she gets Justice to take her to Monterrey to a bar. Niven is there with Lonergan, Jones and Maley. Justice leaves. She orders a Wharf Rat Special and it takes immediate effect. She tries to move in on Niven, who is Maley's date. Then she dances with Jones. Lonergan confronts her and they almost fight. Then when breaks into a discourse on her anti-male philosophy, which convinces Lonergan. She walks out and pushes Jones out of his chair. Then she swaps her expensive gown to Maley for Niven. He tells her that the new dress does not fit her, and she picks up another guy in the bar. A brawl breaks out.

When Niven takes Caulfield home, things are very romantic, but she cuts him off coldly and goes back to the anti-man stance. He whispers a few sweet nothing to her, and she obviously is affected, but he tells her she is just a machine, and walks out. She goes inside, but Justice convinces her that what she is feeling is real. She goes to where Niven's trailer was parked, but he has left. She goes to Fort Ord and finds Maley working at a soda counter. Maley tells her that she has caused trouble between Lonergan and Jones. Jones and Niven are living in the trailer. Caulfield goes to see Lonergan to convince her that the book is wrong. They go to the trailer, but the men will not come out, so they hook up to it and take them for a rough ride down a winding dirt road. They zoom past the gate into Camp Ord, with military police in pursuit. The local police also show up, so they call the provo marshall to mediate. A crowd begins to gather. Finally they send for the commanding general. With everyone helping the process along, they finally reconcile.

Caulfield goes home to pack. She scolds Bavier and Justice that they need to patch up their own affairs, which they do. Caulfield heads out of town. Niven passes her going the other direction, wheels around and finally cuts her off. She tosses her book into the ocean




Jones


Caulfield