- Genre
- Drama
- Year
- 1940
- Runtime
- 1h36
0
They Knew What They Wanted
Where secret letters and hidden desires bloom into unexpected truths
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Synopsis
In this heartfelt romantic drama set among the sun-drenched vineyards of California, Tony Patucci (Charles Laughton) is a gruff yet lonely Italian-American grape grower who, yearning for companionship, persuades a San Francisco waitress named Amy Peters (Carole Lombard) to help him win a woman’s heart. Writing letters on his behalf, Amy discovers both the power and pitfalls of words unspoken. As their correspondence weaves friendship and affection, Tony’s growing expectations collide with Amy’s sense of integrity and the realities of small-town life. Through gentle humor and genuine emotion, the film explores themes of identity, self-worth and the lengths people will go for love—without ever losing sight of its characters’ warmth and vulnerability.
Cast
Reviews
Contemporary critics offered a generally positive response to They Knew What They Wanted, praising its strong leads and faithful adaptation of Sidney Howard’s Pulitzer Prize–winning stage play. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times found that "Carole Lombard and Charles Laughton give deeply winning performances in Fox’s heartfelt adaptation," noting the film’s ability to balance light humor with poignant drama. Variety commented that the picture "retains the spirit of the original play, even if its deliberate pacing may feel slow to modern audiences," singling out the believable chemistry between Lombard and Laughton. On IMDb, the film holds a 6.0/10 rating from thousands of user votes, with many viewers applauding its crisp dialogue and genuine emotional core, while some cite its theatrical roots as making it feel dated. Leonard Maltin gives the film 2.5 out of 4 stars in his Movie Guide, calling it "an engaging chamber piece with attractive leads and measured emotional depth." Though it lacks a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer or Metacritic score—owing to the scarcity of archival reviews—it earned two Academy Award nominations in 1941 (Best Actor & Best Adapted Screenplay), cementing its status as a noteworthy entry in Hollywood’s Golden Age drama catalog.
