Title: Born Yesterday
Director: George Cukor
Screenwriter(s): Albert Mannheimer & Garson Kanin
Producer: S. Sylvan Simon
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
In Theaters: December 26th, 1950
Run Time: 103 minutes
Color: Black & White
Starring: Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford, & William Holden
Genre(s): comedy/drama/romance
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. Written by Paul Penna
Movie Trailer:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upJ5pZdyZlM]
My Review: Yet another stellar evening at the movies with Ms. Hedda Lettuce and her comedy pre-show.
If you've never seen this version perhaps you are familiar with the remake? Melanie Griffith reprises Judy Holliday's role although not as brilliantly. I've seen this original several dozen times but never until now did I notice just how much of the movie revolves around politics. Not the politics of today but how corruption first started out on a small scale. Your average, run of the mill gangster, thinks he can do what he wants and get anyone he wants to do his bidding because he has money at his disposal. So while Harry is busy pushing around his cousin, his lawyer, and a congressman, his fiance Billy is learning how to be cooth from Paul (William Holden).
All she has to do is learn how to speak good, but instead of teaching her the basics Paul pushes her mind to the limit. A light bulb finally goes off in Billy's head and she sees Harry for who he really is, a bad man! She calls him out on his operation and brings him down to size in a scene that could only be expressed with such intensity by Ms. Holliday herself. You'll find yourself laughing, smiling, and you might even shed a tear for the shear joy this feel good movie will bring you from beginning to very happy ending.
My Rating: A
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