DRAMA . 1940 . 1h 36m . 5.8/10

They Knew What They Wanted_

""I won't Do it! Joe...you and me...we can't. It'd be too awful-on account of Tony. I've got to marry Tony...just as soon as he gets well!""

While courting a young woman by mail, a rich farmer sends a photograph of his foreman instead of his own, which leads to complications when she accepts his marriage proposal.

Starring Carole Lombard, Charles Laughton, William Gargan
5.8/10
Rating
1h 36m
Runtime
1940
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
They Knew What They Wanted poster
"I won't Do it! Joe...you and me...we can't. It'd be too awful-on account of Tony. I've got to marry Tony...just as soon as he gets well!"

While courting a young woman by mail, a rich farmer sends a photograph of his foreman instead of his own, which leads to complications when she accepts his marriage proposal.

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Cast
Carole Lombard stars as Amy Peters in They Knew What They Wanted.
Carole Lombard →
Year context
They Knew What They Wanted was released 86 years ago in 1940.
Overview
While courting a young woman by mail, a rich farmer sends a photograph of his foreman instead of his own, which leads to complications when she accepts his m...
They Knew What They Wanted is a Drama, Romance film with a runtime of 1h 36m.

CAST (20)

Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Amy Peters
Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton
Tony Patucci
William Gargan
William Gargan
Joe
Harry Carey
Harry Carey
The Doctor
Frank Fay
Frank Fay
Father McKee
Joseph E. Bernard
Joseph E. Bernard
The R.F.D.
JF
Janet Fox
Mildred
Lee Tung Foo
Lee Tung Foo
Ah Gee, the Cook
Karl Malden
Karl Malden
Red
Victor Kilian
Victor Kilian
The Photographer
DA
Demetrius Alexis
Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Ricca Allen
Ricca Allen
Mrs. Thing (uncredited)
EA
Effie Anderson
Nurse (uncredited)
Bobby Barber
Bobby Barber
Tony's Pal at Table (uncredited)
Marie Blake
Marie Blake
Waitress (uncredited)
Tom Ewell
Tom Ewell
New Hired Hand (uncredited)
AF
Antonio Filauri
Customer (uncredited)
MG
Millicent Green
Waitress (uncredited)
BH
Bobby Hale
Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
PL
Paul Le Pere
Hired Hand (uncredited)

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
96 min (1h 36m)
Country
Rating
5.8/10 (11 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is They Knew What They Wanted about?
While courting a young woman by mail, a rich farmer sends a photograph of his foreman instead of his own, which leads to complications when she accepts his marriage proposal.
How long is They Knew What They Wanted?
They Knew What They Wanted has a runtime of 96 minutes (1h 36m).
Who stars in They Knew What They Wanted?
The cast of They Knew What They Wanted includes Carole Lombard, Charles Laughton, William Gargan, Harry Carey, Frank Fay.
What is the rating of They Knew What They Wanted?
They Knew What They Wanted has a rating of 5.8 out of 10 based on 11 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (2)

Drama Romance
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