IMDb > Born Yesterday (1950)
Born Yesterday
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Born Yesterday (1950) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   3,449 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Garson Kanin (play)
Albert Mannheimer (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Born Yesterday on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 May 1951 (Sweden) more
Genre:
Tagline:
A perfectly swell motion picture!
Plot:
A million dollar Tycoon hires a tutor to teach his lover proper etiquette. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Ask the Flying Monkey! (November 16, 2009)
 (From AfterElton.com. 15 November 2009, 9:20 PM, PST)

Assume Crash Positions For 'Boeing-Boeing' At Florida Rep
 (From BroadwayWorld.com. 1 November 2009, 12:03 PM, PST)

User Comments:
A seemingly neglected, wonderful movie more (54 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited 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
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Additional Details

Runtime:
103 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
To help build up Judy Holliday's image, particularly in the eyes of Columbia Pictures chief Harry Cohn, Katharine Hepburn deliberately leaked stories to the gossip columns suggesting that her performance in Adam's Rib (1949) was so good that it had stolen the spotlight from Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. This got Cohn's attention and Holliday won the part in Born Yesterday (1950). more
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. more
Quotes:
Harry Brock: Don't you feel good? You want a aspirin?
Jim Devery: No, no, I'm fine. In fact, considering I've been dead for sixteen years I'm in remarkable health.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
I Can't Give You Anything but Love more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
17 out of 19 people found the following comment useful.
A seemingly neglected, wonderful movie, 9 July 2001
9/10
Author: bleakeye from not sure

A hidden gem (I say 'hidden' because as this comment is being written, there are only 400+ votes here in the ImDb for this movie) of a movie from 1950 is "Born Yesterday". Nominated for several Academy Awards and won Best Actress for Judy Holliday's performance of a "not-so-bright" fiancee of another "not-so-bright" but rich and powerful "junkman" played by Broderick Crawford. William Holden also shows another of his fittingly played performances as the newspaperman who teaches Judy Holliday's character the better things she's neglected to even try to learn. Another fine "Broadway Hit" that is preserved on film. Great acting and dialogue does enhance the quality of a movie and this proves it. It also tells a simple story of intelligence that should be heard once in a while. It is not perfect (probably as a result of because of the movie's age and contrast with modern society) but the imperfections could be ignored for it's truly wonderful feeling that reminds me of "Mr. Smith goes to Washington". A movie that should be seen by many politicians and anybody in power. It's just too bad that this movie came at the time of "Sunset Boulevard" and "All About Eve" because it seems to have been neglected as of late. Also, I would like to say to those who say Judy Holliday's performance isn't as deserving against Bette Davis' in All About Eve and Gloria Swanson's in Sunset Boulevard to figure out which one of the roles were the most difficult to play for each particular actress and in fact for any actress. I'm sure that Gloria Swanson's performance was difficult, but it was seemingly so close to her real life that it doesn't seem so difficult (Although that well known fact made 'Sunset Blvd' a greater Masterpiece). As for Bette Davis in 'All About Eve', it was also great but not very difficult for her (She never had a bad performance in her movie career).

Anyway, I recommend this movie to anybody who wants a meaningful movie for a change.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Born Yesterday (1950)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Ju-dy, Ju-dy, Ju-dy!! She Deserved That Oscar csu16387
this is a COMEDY?? j_hughes2000
anti-capitalist twob_ornot
the marriage license itmaylooklikeawalnut
What song is this? celestey-1
Bill Holden is hot with those glasses ladylavende
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