She Had to Say Yes 1933

Sol Glass (Ferdinand Gottschalk) runs a clothing manufacturing company barely keeping afloat during the Great Depression. Like many of his rivals, he relies on a group of “customer girls” to entertain out-of-town buyers. But the clients have grown tired of his blunt, money-minded approach and have started taking their business elsewhere. Tommy Nelson (Regis Toomey), one of his salesmen, proposes a modern twist: replace the conventional courtesies with the company’s stenographers. Glass decides to give the idea a real chance.

When buyer Luther Haines (Hugh Herbert) notices Tommy’s secretary and fiancée Florence “Flo” Denny (Loretta Young) and tries to take her out, Tommy redirects him toward the more flirtatious Birdie (Suzanne Kilborn) instead. Birdie falls ill, and Tommy reluctantly allows Flo to date another buyer, Daniel “Danny” Drew (Lyle Talbot). They share a pleasant evening, but Flo is shaken when Danny makes it clear he expects sex. A contrite Danny apologizes and confesses that he has fallen in love with her. He must travel for business but keeps in touch through calls and letters.

Meanwhile, Flo’s friend and roommate Maizee (Winnie Lightner) reveals to Flo that Tommy is cheating on her with Birdie, ending their engagement and forcing Flo to reassess her future.

To preserve her self-respect, Flo tells Glass she will no longer go out with any buyers. When he threatens to fire her, she resigns in defiance.

Danny returns and takes Flo to dinner. Spotting Haines at another table, he asks Flo to help persuade the last holdout to sign a merger—an important contract and the biggest deal of his life. Disappointed by the request but determined, Flo agrees to help. She goes to dinner with Haines, but cleverly arranges with Maizee to have Haines’ wife (Mrs. Haines) and daughter appear, forcing Haines to pretend he’s conducting business and ultimately signing the contract.

Later, Haines complains about Flo’s methods and insinuates that she and Tommy are living together. Danny, suspecting Flo’s innocence, drives her out to the country to a mansion belonging to his friends. No one is home, but inside he tries to coerce Flo. She struggles to get away, and when she asks whether that is all he cares about, Danny stops. She leaves and runs into Tommy, who had followed them and believes Flo is not pure. Danny overhears the tense conversation, realizes Flo’s innocence, and compels Tommy to apologize. He then begs Flo to marry him. After she whispers something in his ear, Danny lifts her into his arms and carries her back into the mansion, signaling a hopeful turn for the couple amidst the upheaval.