The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Abe Burrows (writer)
George S. Kaufman (play)

Release Date:

22 August 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Laura Partridge is a very enthusiastic small stockholder of 10 shares in International Projects, a large corporation based in New York...

Plot Keywords:

Stockholder Meeting | Corporation | Convertible | Cabinet Officer | Black & White To Color

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Judy Holliday	...	Laura Partridge
Paul Douglas	...	Edward L. McKeever
Fred Clark	...	Clifford Snell
John Williams	...	John T. 'Jack' Blessington
Hiram Sherman	...	Harry Harkness
Neva Patterson	...	Amelia Shotgraven, Secretary
Ralph Dumke	...	Warren Gillie
Ray Collins	...	Alfred Metcalfe
Arthur O'Connell	...	Mark Jenkins
George Burns	...	Narrator (voice)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 | USA:Approved | Finland:S

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Judy Holiday and Paul Douglas starred together on Broadway in Born Yesterday. Judy was cast in the film, but Paul Douglas' role was played in the film by Broderick Crawford.

Goofs:

Continuity: Snell steps over to the phone in Blessington's office. In one shot Blessington has a cigarette in his right hand. In the next shot the cigarette turns into a pencil.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Narrator: The solid gold Cadillac. Well, we had to call it something.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Bewitched: The Solid Gold Mother-in-law (#4.13)" (1967)

Mr Capra, will you please helm this one?

Lots of commentators here have been referring to Capra. This is enlightening: this comedy, this story of an honest little woman against the riches and corrupt guys who run a corporation, lacks a great director. And Capra sure would have been the best choice to make this movie more than just marginally good.

Look, the storyline is good because it was rehearsed and played so many times on stage and so are the actors since they were already in the play or had a chance to see it. But the mise en scene is lame. So many important if not climactic scenes are shot on the same level as the rest... it's a pity. The movie's breath is that of a dozing director. No rush, no hush, and certainly no plush nor blush.

Bottom line: a very good play with very good actors unfortunately shot at stage level, not movie level.

Personal: in my opinion: Paul Douglas was a bit too old or too common to be a love interest. If I can daydream of Capra helming this one why not attach Jimmy Stewart?