This is one of those films which, for some reason or other, have become known by two quite different titles, in this case "She Couldn't Say No" and "Beautiful but Dangerous". To add to the confusion, it is not the only film to be known by either of those titles. There were three other films made between 1930 and 1940 entitled "She Couldn't Say No", the first of which (now believed lost) was made by the same director, Lloyd Bacon. Despite the coincidence, however, this film is not a remake of the 1930 one; indeed, it does not have any connection, as far as plot is concerned, with any of its namesakes. A Franco-Italian co-production from 1955, only a year after this film, is known as "Beautiful but Dangerous" in English, even though this is not an exact translation of either its French or Italian titles. The film is set in the (fictitious) small town of Progress, Arkansas, population 200. (In America it would seem that no settlement, however insignificant, is happy to be referred to as a village, except perhaps in New England where the term "village" is thought to confer the sort of olde-worlde rustic charm that is good for the tourist trade). Corby Lane, a wealthy heiress, visits the town in order to express her gratitude to its residents, who had paid for a critical medical operation for her when she was a child. (In the IMDb cast-list her Christian name is spelt "Korby", but this is clearly an error as a set of monogrammed luggage bearing the initials "CL" plays an important part in the plot). Corby decides to help the local people by giving them money anonymously, but things do not turn out as she had planned. A romance also develops between Corby and the local doctor, Robert Sellers.I watched the film because it features two major stars, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons, but neither is at their best here. Mitchum was generally better in serious dramas, notably films noirs and Westerns; in comedies he could be too laid-back, and here he just seems content to stroll through the film without taking anything seriously. Jean Simmons could be better as a comic actress, but here she appears to be trying too hard to impersonate Audrey Hepburn, who had made a huge impression in her Hollywood debut the previous year in "Roman Holiday". There was, granted, a certain physical resemblance between Simmons and Hepburn, but Simmons here tries to imitate not only Hepburn's hairstyle but also her characteristic gestures, mannerisms and even voice, and her performance (predictably) ends up looking and sounding forced and artificial. The main supporting actor is Arthur Hunnicutt who, as he normally did, plays a crusty old Deep South rustic with a thick accent virtually incomprehensible to anyone living on this side of the Atlantic. Indeed, it is probably equally incomprehensible to anyone from any part of America apart from Arkansas and the adjacent states. Hunnicutt played an almost identical character in "The French Line" (also directed by Bacon) the previous year; although he was only in his early forties at the time his characters seem much older. Corby is supposed to be American by birth, but the explanation is given that she was educated in Britain, thus accounting for Simmons' accent. Hunnicutt's character Odie, however, assumes that she is from Boston; the difference between British accents and certain East-coast American ones is not as clear-cut as we like to imagine. (I myself have been taken for a New Englander while travelling in one Western state). This was to be Bacon's last film - he died the following year- and I doubt if it is really the film he would have wished to be remembered by. It has been suggested on this board that it might have been better if it had been made by another director such as Frank Capra, but any director is only as good as his material, and the truth is that Bacon is here trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The basic idea could have been a good one, but it would have required a much funnier script; the one we actually have is leaden and humourless, with very few laughs to be had from beginning to end. When an inadequate script is combined with two below-par acting performances, the result is generally a predictably poor movie. 4/10 .

Given that this movie starred one of my favorite actors – Mitchum – and a couple of my favorite character actors – Ford and Hunnicutt – I was surprised how much I disliked it. The premise is promising: a wealthy young woman (Simmons) returns to the small town of Progress, Arkansas where as a small child the town's people saved her life by raising the money for an operation she needed. She wants to repay them by anonymously making their financial dreams come true. Upon arriving in Progress, she first looks for the doctor most responsible for saving her life and finds that he has died and his son has taken over the practice. Mitchum's character is an easy- going country doctor with an innate kindness and pleasing manner. The Simmons character is completely unlikable – egocentric to an amazing degree. Her "kindnesses" are not really kind and are done with the arrogance of one who is sure that she knows best regardless of all indications to the contrary. Her later speech of contriteness sounds phony. Mitchum walks through his part but at least is someone one actually would like to know. All of the character actors do a marvelous job, but my favorite scene was that of Dabbs Greer as a new father carrying his just born daughter into his wife and telling her "thank you." It was so touching. Greer nailed this scene perfectly. Even so, this is one movie I won't be watching again.

She Couldn't Say No terminated the tempestuous relationship of Jean Simmons with RKO Studios and her most eccentric boss Howard Hughes. It was shot in 1953 and released in 1954. Being that it was held up for a year also made it the farewell film for Robert Mitchum on his RKO contract. Soon Hughes would unload the studio itself and before the decade was over, RKO would be out of business.The film casts Jean Simmons as a rich heiress to an oil fortune who back when she passed through the town as a child she was the daughter of an oil wildcatter, ill and in need of an operation. The town raised the money for her and she's appreciative. Jean should have taken her lawyer's advice and just given the town a new school or library. But she goes to town incognito to determine the individual needs and wants of everybody. That gets her in trouble, but does provide a few chuckles, no real belly laughs.Simmons figures to make contact with the doctor who did the operation back then, but he's died and the practice has passed on to his son who is played by Robert Mitchum. He practices medicine as long as it doesn't interfere with his fishing with Jimmy Hunt.She Couldn't Say No is set in rural Arkansas and the biggest thing the film has going for it is the casting of such people as Raymond Walburn, Wallace Ford, Edgar Buchanan, Arthur Hunnicutt, Gus Schilling, etc. You see all those in the cast and you know the film is not going to be sophisticated comedy. They are as interesting a set of rustics you will ever find in any movie and they more than the disinterested stars make She Couldn't Say No entertaining.Mitchum and Simmons both thought lowly of this film and I'm inclined to agree.

This is one of those movies that is improbable but fun, with one of the most important features (in my opinion) for a movie - it is entertaining.Bob's pairing with Jean Simmons is almost as good as his pairing with Deborah Kerr, although the chemistry is different; perhaps more paternal on his part.I am, admittedly, a big Mitchum fan, but I won't buy a movie just because he is in it. The other actors in this film do a fine job and help give it a little more substance than the plot would have otherwise.If this ever comes out on dvd, I'm buying it!