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 3 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 | washington d.c. | congressman | crook | 

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Taglines:

"MY FATHER ALWAYS SAID: Never do nothin' you wouldn't want printed on the front page. Now he's afraid to buy his morning paper..."

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nacida ayer

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,000,000, 31 January 1970

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To help facilitate shooting, George Cukor decided to rehearse Born Yesterday (1950) as if it were still a stage play. For two weeks, the cast worked on their lines while a construction crew built a 300-seat mini-theater within one of the studio's sound-stages. It was there that Judy Holliday, William Holden and Broderick Crawford gave six performances in front of a live audience so that Cukor could precision-time the pacing of the film's jokes.

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Goofs

In the final scene of the movie Billie and Paul are pulled over by a motorcycle cop. There are three shots, one of them driving to the curb, one of them talking to the officer, and then driving away. The officer who talks to them is obviously much older (and bigger) than the thin young man in the first and third shots.

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Quotes

Billie Dawn: One night I brought home a hundred dollars and gave it to him. You know what he did?... Well, it sure didn't do the plumbing no good.

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Connections

Referenced in You Bet Your Life: Episode #6.18 (1956)

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Soundtracks

America, the Beautiful
(uncredited)
Music by Samuel A. Ward
Played when they're at the Jefferson Memorial

User Reviews

Timeless Judy

She bursts into the screen. Every tiny little nuance in her extraordinarily telling eyes are absolutely true and we surrender to her persona without even thinking about it. She was miraculous. "I'm stupid and I like it" she tells William Holden with devastating sincerity. She exudes such honesty that it's impossible to be indifferent to her. Ruth Gordon and Garson Kannin concocted a realistic fairy tale that Judy Holliday inhabits (rather than inhibits)with overwhelming naturalness. It is a sensational creation and George Cukor, as usual, puts the camera at her service to magnificent results. Look at the card game, no cut aways from her face for which, I was enormously grateful. If you haven't seen it, rent it now. You'll have an unforgettable time.