Born Yesterday (1950)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Garson Kanin (play)
Albert Mannheimer (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

28 May 1951 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

A perfectly swell motion picture!

Plot:

A million dollar Tycoon hires a tutor to teach his lover proper etiquette.

Plot Keywords:

Congressman | Mistress | Washington D.C. | Etiquette | Hotel

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Judy Holliday	...	Emma '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	...	Mrs. Hedges
Grandon Rhodes	...	Sanborn
Claire Carleton	...	Helen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Cane	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Helen Eby-Rock	...	Manicurist (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Paul Marion	...	Interpreter (uncredited)
William Mays	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
John Morley	...	Native (uncredited)
David Pardoll	...	Barber (uncredited)
Ram Singh	...	Native (uncredited)
Smoki Whitfield	...	Bootblack (uncredited)

Directed by
George Cukor

Writing credits
Garson Kanin		(play)
Albert Mannheimer		(screenplay)
Garson Kanin		screenplay revision (uncredited)

Produced by
S. Sylvan Simon	....	producer

Original Music by
Friedrich Hollaender		(as Frederick Hollander)

Cinematography by
Joseph Walker		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Charles Nelson

Production Design by
Harry Horner

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Earl Bellamy	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jack A. Goodrich	....	sound engineer (as Jack Goodrich)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director

Other crew
Max Gordon	....	stage producer
David Pardoll	....	dialogue supervisor

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1951) (France) (theatrical) (35 and 16mm)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Sunset Gower Studios  sound stages (uncredited)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

France:U | Sweden:Btl | Finland:S | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #14779) | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The Broadway production of "Born Yesterday" opened at the Lyceum Theater on February 4, 1946 and ran for 1642 performances. Judy Holliday reprises her role in the movie.

Goofs:

Factual errors: While visiting the National Archives in Washington, DC, Paul Verral explains to Billie Dawn that the country's whole government is based on "these three pieces of paper." In reality, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were written on vellum, or parchment, which is made of stretched and treated animal skin.

Quotes:

Harry Brock: How d'ya like that! He could've had a hundred grand. She could've had me. Both wind up with nothin'... Dumb chump!... Crazy broad!
Jim Devery: [raises a glass as a toast] To all the dumb chumps and all the crazy broads, past, present, and future, who thirst for knowledge and search for truth... who fight justice and civilize each other... and make it so tough for crooks like you...
[Harry stares at him angrily]
Jim Devery: ...*and* me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

I Can't Give You Anything but Love

Unique Gem

Okay, so Bette and Gloria lost out to Judy Holliday in this Oscar race 50 years ago. In 20/20 hindsight, have there not been enough scenery-chewing, over-the-top dramatics that have won Academy Awards over the years? Even the least of actors acknowledge that comedy is more difficult to play well than drama.

When I watch "Born Yesterday" - I KNOW I'm observing two masters at work: Judy Holliday and Broderick Crawford. (Holden gives a good performance, of course, but can't hold a light to his co-stars in this particular project.) Holliday is mesmerizing with every expression, every screechy syllable - and watch those hands during the gin game! Perfection in each gesture. Crawford pulls off a nifty trick by making the viewer simultaneously loathe and feel compassion for his character.

Although she died before I was even a twinkle in my mother's eye, I think I could have hung out with Judy Holliday (nee' Judith Tuvim.) I like intelligent people, and I've read that she was a brilliant woman. Makes sense: it takes some serious smarts to play so dumb. She was a funnier Marilyn before there WAS a Marilyn.

Partially because she died so young, and partially because of her refusal to play patty-cake with the HUAC, she is now an under-appreciated memory. There's one more reason to love Judy: can you think of any other person hauled before the HUAC who had the . . . <ahem> . . . gonads to confound the committee by appearing as a character from one of their own movies? And pull it off? Now that, ladies and gentlemen, takes guts AND brains!

Treasure this unique gem and then . . .

Thank God for the short-lived, but stunning talent of Judy Holliday.