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:

Edward L. McKeever: Miss Partridge, you see, I am a businessman. All my life I've concentrated on business. Now, this has necessarily forced me to devote more of my time to some things and less to others. You understand.
Laura Partridge: Sure. You're scared of girls.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "I Dream of Jeannie: The Solid Gold Jeannie (#5.17)" (1970)

Timeless Solid Gold

What can you say about Judy Holliday? Her timing was always absolutely perfect. Her facial expressions frequently making speech unnecessary. In Solid Gold Cadillac she gives a magical portrayal as Laura Partridge, the supposedly, dumb blonde, part time actress with no appreciation of Shakespeare, ("You don't even get to sit down unless you're a king" - a typical Holliday line), but who is nonetheless shrewd enough to see through the corrupt shenanigans of the board of directors of a multi-national company in which she owns just ten shares. The partnering of Judy Holliday and that fine actor, Paul Douglas, as Edward L. McKeever, the upright, down to earth and totally incorruptible founder of the company, who is (according to Laura Partridge) "scared of girls", works like a dream. The film also has excellent support from Ray Collins, Arthur O'Connell, Neva Patterson, John Williams and of course Fred Clark, as Snell, the oily, slippery company treasurer, a real nasty piece of work. I defy anyone not to boo and hiss whenever he appears. In addition to being a delightful romantic comedy, this is also a tale of good fighting to overcome evil, and the little people of this world getting together and refusing to be trampled by a big faceless conglomerate. If you've never seen this picture before, or maybe never seen a Judy Holliday movie, you're in for a treat.