Born Yesterday (1950)

A tycoon hires a tutor to teach his lover proper etiquette, with unexpected results.

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Garson Kanin (play), Albert Mannheimer (screenplay)

Stars:

Judy Holliday, William Holden, Broderick Crawford

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Judy Holliday	...	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	...	Anna Hedges
Grandon Rhodes	...	Sanborn
Claire Carleton	...	Helen

Storyline

Uncouth, loud-mouth junkyard tycoon Harry Brock descends upon Washington D.C. to buy himself a congressman or two, bringing with him his mistress, ex-showgirl Billie Dawn. Brock hires newspaperman Paul Verrall to see if he can soften her rough edges and make her more presentable in capital society. But Harry gets more than he bargained for as Billie absorbs Verall's lessons in U.S. history and not only comes to the realization that Harry is nothing but a two-bit, corrupt crook, but in the process also falls in love with her handsome tutor.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | political satire | education | rye whiskey | man wears eyeglasses | 

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Taglines:

"Say mister, are you one of those talkers, or are you interested in a little action?"

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Initially, William Holden passed on the role of Paul Verrall, claiming that it would be overshadowed by the other leading roles. Finally, Garson Kanin convinced him that the three roles had been written as equals, but Paul Douglas and Judy Holliday had so overpowered the original Broadway Paul (Gary Merrill.), it had made people think of it as a secondary role. When he offered to build the role up for the screen, Holden finally agreed to do the film.

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Goofs

The position of the papers on the desk changes between when Billie puts them down and Harry forces her to sign them.

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Quotes

Harry Brock: You know, the more I see of you, I don't like you as much. For a chump who got no place, you're awful fresh. Now, you better watch out. I got my eye on you.

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Connections

Featured in The Men Who Made the Movies: George Cukor (1973)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36, 2nd movement
(uncredited)
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Played at the outdoor concert
Also played on the phonograph

User Reviews

One Holiday performance I especially liked

More often than not, I get annoyed at the sound of Oscar award winning (for this part) Judy Holiday's (né Judith Tuvim) voice but it served her character well in this moving drama in which she plays a dim witted and exploited partner of a uncouth and domineering man (Broderick Crawford). William Holden, as always, is very good in his role; this time he is the reporter hired to refine Holiday but falls in love with her. There are so many memorable scenes in this movie but I think the best ones are the card game between Judy and Broderick, the somewhat heavy handed references to Jefferson, and of course the comeuppance of Broderick. The supporting actors, especially Broderick's longsuffering lawyer are also more than competent in their complimentary roles. 8/10.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Born Yesterday

Filming Locations:

National Archives Building - 700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1