Born Yesterday (1950)

Expected more

Absolutely amazing

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

George Cukor released his first adaptation of a Garson Kanin play with "Born Yesterday". Judy Holliday won an Oscar for her role as the ditzy moll of a slimy businessman (Broderick Crawford). While they're in Washington, DC, a reporter (William Holden) shows her the city. Cukor had previously cast Holliday in a supporting role in "Adam's Rib" - written by Kanin - but her performance here knocks everything out of the field. To be certain, the movie plays with the audience. At first it looks as though she's not the main character. But when the focus shifts to her, there's some great stuff in store.The movie is half zany comedy, half lesson about democracy. As Holliday and Holden tour the important sites and see the documents that laid the foundation for the US's democracy, he reminds her that a democracy is only as good as the people. When Amy Goodman interviewed George Takei, he quoted his father, who said essentially the same thing. So, while we should laugh at the humorous scenes in "Born Yesterday", we should take a lesson that a system of government in which the leaders are supposed to answer to the people is not something to take for granted.But aside from that, it's a funny movie. Holliday milks her dumb blonde image to the fullest. Crawford's character reminded me of Donald Trump. As for the movie's legacy, I wonder if it became iconic for the gay community (especially since it was an open secret in Hollywood that George Cukor was gay). Worth seeing.

This is a wonderful movie that you'll want to see primarily for its electrifying performances.Judy Holliday reigns supreme as the Duchess of Coney Island transplanted to Washington where she gets spoon fed a diet of long-overdue book learning, and offhandedly wooed, by smooth-talking straight arrow William Holden.Archboor, tycoon and ignoramus Broderick Crawford is out of his depth and sometimes seems out of his mind -- his volcanic performance routinely goes off the rails, providing the raw energy and unadulterated nastiness that makes this boy-meets-girl meets political satire of a movie so flawlessly balanced.Howard St. John is quite serviceable, and sad, as the alcoholic doormat lawyer/fixer for the creature played by Broderick Crawford. And everyone else from chamber maids to petty hooligans turns in a flawless supporting performance.There are scenes in this movie that are beyond priceless. My personal favorite is the one where Holliday and Crawford play gin rummy -- it is directed to perfection by the peerless George Cukor, who should have gotten his second (i.e., his first) Oscar for his work creating this gem.Don't miss this witty, fast-paced, funny and touching picture -- it is truly a must see.

Back in 1950 Born Yesterday was a staggeringly huge box-office success. This Rom-Com really wowed its audiences with its apparent clever wit that had them all literally rolling in the aisles with peals of uncontrollable laughter.But, today, 63 years later - I found this film's somewhat contrived and predictable story to be repeatedly teetering on the very edge of being just a one-note joke that got mighty stale after just the first half-hour.At the start Judy Holliday's Billie Dawn character (in all of its crudeness and its cluelessness) was kind of cute and amusing - But, it certainly didn't take long for the loud-mouthed brassiness of her character to grate on my nerves like you wouldn't believe.It certainly seemed to me that the more Billie got educated (which seemed to happen at about warp speed) the more annoying and downright tiresome she became. And I also found that she proved, in the end, to be way too smart to have actually been as unbelievably dumb as she was initially perceived to be.I personally thought that Holliday was badly miscast as the Billie character. Not only did she lack any conviction in her overall performance, but, she was painfully deficient of any sexual appeal, as well.I think that this was the sort of role meant for an actress with the dynamic screen-presence of Marilyn Monroe, which Holliday obviously lacked.Besides Holliday not being able to cut the mustard in this comedy, I also thought that Broderick Crawford was a repulsive bore as the big-mouthed bully-of-a-billionaire and William Holden as the true-blue, little news-reporter was far too wishy-washy for my liking.All-in-all - Born Yesterday was just a so-so comedy that really baffles me in regards to it huge popularity back in its heyday.

George Cukor directed this comedy that stars Judy Holliday(Academy Award winner for best actress) as Billie Dawn, trophy wife of junkyard king(and millionaire) Harry Brock(played by Broderick Crawford) who has arrived in Washington D.C. in order to buy himself some political influence in order to increase his wealth and power. He is concerned about his "uncouth" wife, so hires a newspaper reporter(played by William Holden) to educate her. He succeeds, but discovers that she isn't as dumb as Harry thinks, and that not only does she disapprove of Harry's crooked ways, but that a romance has started between pupil and student... Funny comedy with good performances by the star trio, and witty script. Obvious to a point, and a little of Judy's accent goes a long way, but otherwise a memorable comedy.