Born Yesterday (1950)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Garson Kanin (play)
Albert Mannheimer (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 May 1951 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

A perfectly swell motion picture!

Plot:

A million dollar Tycoon hires a tutor to teach his lover proper etiquette.

Plot Keywords:

Congressman | Mistress | Washington D.C. | Etiquette | Hotel

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Judy Holliday	...	Emma 'Billie' Dawn
Broderick Crawford	...	Harry Brock
William Holden	...	Paul Verrall
Howard St. John	...	Jim Devery
Frank Otto	...	Eddie
Larry Oliver	...	Congressman Norval Hedges
Barbara Brown	...	Mrs. Hedges
Grandon Rhodes	...	Sanborn
Claire Carleton	...	Helen

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

France:U | Sweden:Btl | Finland:S | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #14779) | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Jefferson Memorial - 900 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Garson Kanin sold Born Yesterday (1950) to Columbia Pictures for $1 million, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a film property.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Mr. and Mrs. Hedges leave, Billie goes out of the room dancing to the sound of the radio, with a lit cigarette in her left hand. The next shot shows her entering in the other room with no cigarette at all.

Quotes:

Harry Brock: Shut up! You ain't gonna be tellin' nobody nothin' pretty soon!
Billie Dawn: DOUBLE NEGATIVE! Right?
Paul Verrall: Right.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Unique Gem

Okay, so Bette and Gloria lost out to Judy Holliday in this Oscar race 50 years ago. In 20/20 hindsight, have there not been enough scenery-chewing, over-the-top dramatics that have won Academy Awards over the years? Even the least of actors acknowledge that comedy is more difficult to play well than drama.

When I watch "Born Yesterday" - I KNOW I'm observing two masters at work: Judy Holliday and Broderick Crawford. (Holden gives a good performance, of course, but can't hold a light to his co-stars in this particular project.) Holliday is mesmerizing with every expression, every screechy syllable - and watch those hands during the gin game! Perfection in each gesture. Crawford pulls off a nifty trick by making the viewer simultaneously loathe and feel compassion for his character.

Although she died before I was even a twinkle in my mother's eye, I think I could have hung out with Judy Holliday (nee' Judith Tuvim.) I like intelligent people, and I've read that she was a brilliant woman. Makes sense: it takes some serious smarts to play so dumb. She was a funnier Marilyn before there WAS a Marilyn.

Partially because she died so young, and partially because of her refusal to play patty-cake with the HUAC, she is now an under-appreciated memory. There's one more reason to love Judy: can you think of any other person hauled before the HUAC who had the . . . <ahem> . . . gonads to confound the committee by appearing as a character from one of their own movies? And pull it off? Now that, ladies and gentlemen, takes guts AND brains!

Treasure this unique gem and then . . .

Thank God for the short-lived, but stunning talent of Judy Holliday.