They Knew What They Wanted

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They Knew What They Wanted ★★★ 1940

A lonely San Francisco waitress begins a correspondence romance with a grape grower and agrees to marry him after he sends her a photo which shows him as being young and handsome. She arrives to discover Laughton had sent her a picture of another man. An accident, an affair, and a pregnancy provide further complications before a satisfactory ending is suggested. Flawed adaptation of Sidney Howard's play still has strong performances from Lombard and Laughton. 96m/B VHS . Charles Laughton, Carole Lombard, Harry Carey Sr., Karl Malden, William Gargan; D: Garson Kanin; C: Harry Stradling Sr.

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