He Couldn’t Say No (1938): Cast & Plot
He Couldn’t Say No is a 1938 adventure comedy directed by Lewis Seiler, starring Frank McHugh as Lambert T. Hunkins, Jane Wyman and Cora Witherspoon. It runs 57 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 57 min
- Director
- Lewis Seiler
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is He Couldn’t Say No About?
The premise of He Couldn’t Say No without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
He throws caution to the wind, gambling his future and winning first prize in a love sweepstakes. An unassuming office clerk spends the money earmarked for his marriage furniture on a statue of a beautiful girl, sparking the anger of his fiancée and future mother‑in‑law, yet he refuses to part with the statue at any cost.
He Couldn’t Say No Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- fiance fiancee relationship
- new york
- new york state
- late for work
- based on short story
- marble statue
- newspaper
- newspaper headline
- newsboy
- telegram
- roll call opening credits
- year 1938
+38 more Show fewer
- senator
- clerk
- raise
- statue
- gangster
- auction
- fired from a job
- winner
- truck
- truck driver
- telephone booth
- subway
- stock footage
- state senator
- slang
- savings account
- radio program
- politics
- politician
- police officer
- gang member
- gang leader
- engagement
- deception
- cigarette smoking
- auctioneer
- archive footage
- ambulance
- ambulance driver
- museum
- new york city
- reporter
- police
- blackmail
- advertising
- linoleum
- marriage proposal
- sculptor
He Couldn’t Say No Cast & Characters
Frank McHugh leads the cast as Lambert T. Hunkins, with Jane Wyman as Violet Coney and Cora Witherspoon as Mrs. Coney. Directed by Lewis Seiler; 29 actors are credited in all.
- Director Lewis Seiler
-
Frank McHugh as Lambert T. Hunkins - Jane Wyman as Violet Coney
- Cora Witherspoon as Mrs. Coney
- Diana Lewis as Iris Mabby
Also Starring in He Couldn’t Say No
· 25 more- Berton Churchill Senator Mabby
- John Ridgely Man-On-The-Street Reporter
- Rita Gould Julia Becker, the Sculptor
- Raymond Hatton Hymie Atlas
- William Haade Slug
- Tom Kennedy Dimples
- John Harron Man With Street Radio Reporter
- Ferris Taylor Oxnard O. Parsons
- Sol Gorss Mike, the Linoleum Truck Driver
- Jimmy Conlin Ambulance Driver
- Jack Mower Detective Driving Car
- Leo White Man Commenting at Ambulance
- Stuart Holmes $1 Bidder
- Paul Panzer Man Knocking on Telephone Booth
- Harry Tenbrook Jostled Subway Rider Taking Seat
- Chester Clute Musgrave
Show all 29 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Tom Wilson Mover Bringing Statues
- Harry Wilson Jostled Subway Rider
- Cliff Clark Auctioneer
- Pat O’Malley Policeman in Car
- Jack Wise $30 Bidder
- John J. Richardson $45 Bidder
- Eddie Graham $2 Bidder
- Ben Hendricks Jr. Policeman at Near Accident
- Paul Irving Professor, the Museum Official
He Couldn’t Say No Plot Summary
What happens in He Couldn’t Say No from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Frank McHugh stars as Lambert T. Hunkins, a mild-mannered linoleum-company worker whose quiet routine is upended by a small raise from $30 to $40 a month. The news comes with a side of family pressure, because Lambert’s fiancée, Jane Wyman as Violet Coney, and her practical mother, Mrs. Coney (Cora Witherspoon), decide it’s time for a wedding. Lambert is too gentle to argue, and the prospect of a stable home life begins to feel almost within reach—until a single impulsive decision changes everything.
Full summary
The whole story of He Couldn’t Say No, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know He Couldn’t Say No?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
What is the occupation of the protagonist, Lambert T. Hunkins?
Seen He Couldn’t Say No?
Movies Like He Couldn’t Say No
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including It Could Happen to You, The Girl Said No and Love on a Bet.
He Couldn’t Say No FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of He Couldn’t Say No, each answered in a sentence.
How long is He Couldn’t Say No?
He Couldn’t Say No runs 57 minutes.
When was He Couldn’t Say No released?
He Couldn’t Say No was released on March 19, 1938.
Who directed He Couldn’t Say No?
He Couldn’t Say No was directed by Lewis Seiler.
More films by Lewis Seiler Who is in the cast of He Couldn’t Say No?
He Couldn’t Say No stars Frank McHugh as Lambert T. Hunkins, Jane Wyman as Violet Coney and Cora Witherspoon as Mrs. Coney, among 29 credited actors.
Does He Couldn’t Say No have a post-credit scene?
No. He Couldn’t Say No has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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