Born Yesterday (1950)
A fun film from start to finish...
Get ready for some laughs, because this tale of social climbing, corruption, and unexpected romance is one wild, rollicking ride from start to finish! The film follows the story of an uneducated young woman and a crass, older, filthy rich tycoon who wants to mold her into a more refined, intelligent companion to boost his own image. He hires a savvy journalist to educate her, but this scheme backfires spectacularly when the young woman ends up uncovering just how corrupt her older suitor is - and to make matters even juicier, she can't help but start falling for the journalist instead! Born Yesterday is one captivating and amusing film you won't want to miss.
Alright, let’s dive into this entertaining plot…
Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford), a big brash bully, goes to Washington, DC, and he's not messing around. He's accompanied by his sassy companion, Billie Dawn (Judy Holliday) and his shady lawyer Jim Devery (Howard St. John). His mission? To do a little "persuading" of a few politicians. As a legal safeguard and to keep the government’s mitts off Harry's cash, Devery has convinced Harry to hand over a bunch of his assets to his sweet, obedient soon to be fiancée.
Harry, with his sights set on becoming a power player among the D.C. elite, loves to flex his muscle over the political bigwigs he's got in his pocket. He'll even humiliate them if they don't fall in line (hmm...sounds a bit familiar). Devery sweet-talks Harry into sitting down for an interview with hot-shot reporter Paul Verrall (William Holden). But Verrall gets more than he bargained for when Harry unleashes his fiery temper - first yelling at poor Billie for trying to sneak in a cheeky drink, then assaulting his lawyer for daring to crack a joke at Harry's expense. Talk about a spicy interview!
But Harry has some serious skeletons in his own closet - he's mortified by Billie's clueless antics with intelligent politicians and disgusted by her total lack of manners and social graces, which he thinks make him look bad.
Congressman Norval Hedges (Larry Oliver) and his wife visit the suite later that evening, ready to meet Harry and Jim Devery. But poor Billie, who's way out of her element, ends up stealing the spotlight and embarrassing Harry - even though he's already tripping over his own two left feet. Determined to avoid further public humiliation, Harry hires the suave Paul Verrall to school Billie in the ways of D.C. society and politics, all while conveniently ignoring his own rough-around-the-edges tendencies.
Paul was more than happy to accept the invitation, both because he was smitten with Billie and because, as a journalist, he hoped to uncover some juicy details about Harry's shady dealings. Later, Paul dropped off some newspapers for Billie, instructing her to circle anything she didn't understand and to “look it up” in the dictionary. Billie circled practically every article she tried to read, grumbling that she had to look up nearly every single word. But with her own determination, Billie turned out to be way smarter than anyone, including herself, had ever realized.
The next day, Paul sweeps Billie off her feet with a whirlwind tour of the nation's bustling capital. Billie's eyes light up as she drinks in the history lessons, her childlike wonder melting Paul's heart. But Paul's disdain for the shady Harry soon has Billie's inquisitive mind spinning, as she starts digging into the murky details of Harry's business dealings.
One afternoon, Billie overhears Harry's chat with his lawyer Jim Devery and Congressman Hedges (Larry Oliver). Feeling emboldened by Paul's encouragement, Billie calls out Hedges - why put up with Harry's relentless bullying when the guy was never even elected to any position of power (hmm...again this sounds a bit familiar)? This really ruffles Harry's feathers. When Jim then asks Billie to sign some papers, she refuses until she's had a chance to review them first. Big mistake - the enraged Harry winds up smacking Billie, sending her running out in hysterics. She contacts Paul, and the next day, the two of them hatch a plan. Thinking Harry's not there, they sneak into his room to search for those mysterious papers. But surprise - Harry's home waiting for them! While Billie tries to distract the brute, Paul manages to swipe the documents. What a wild ride!
After Harry pops the big “M” question, Billie turns him down, explaining that she’s leaving him behind to pursue a different life path. But the plot thickens! Billie drops the bombshell that Paul has swiped Harry's top-secret documents, planning to expose his shady business dealings. Quick on his feet, Harry tries to bribe Paul to return the papers, but Paul won’t be bothered. So, Billie offers a compromise - she'll sign over one of Harry's companies to him each year, if he behaves himself. In the end, Billie and Paul end up tying the knot, having grown more alike over time.
Leaving the nation's capital, Paul and Billie get pulled over by a traffic cop for speeding. When the officer asks Paul for his driver’s license, Billie hands over their marriage license instead. Impressed by the young couple's charm, the sympathetic officer lets them off with a warning. When Billie comments that their marriage was "predestination," the officer says that he doesn't know what that means. Billie, an advocate for expanding vocabulary—responds, "Look it up!"
This classic comedy, Born Yesterday delivers a rollicking good time from start to finish. With the duo of the handsome William Holden and the endlessly amusing Judy Holliday, the film grabs viewers with its clever plot and endless laughs. Holliday's character, in particular, grows on you with each delightfully witty quip. If you haven't experienced the fun of Born Yesterday, do yourself a favor and check it out - this is truly a fun and thoroughly entertaining movie!
Enjoy!
…Jill
Directed by: George Cukor
Cast:
Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn
Broderick Crawford as Harry Brock
William Holden as Paul Verrall
Howard St. John as Jim Devery
Frank Otto as Eddie, Harry's servant
Larry Oliver as Congressman Norval Hedges
Barbara Brown as Mrs. Anna Hedges
Grandon Rhodes as Sanborn, hotel manager
Claire Carleton as Helen the maid
Release Date: Feb 1950
Production Company: Columbia Pictures Corp.
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington, DC, USA
Screenplay Information: Based on the play Born Yesterday by Garson Kanin, as produced on the stage by Max Gordon (New York, 4 Feb 1946).
Notes of Interest (courtesy of TCM):
One scene which was singled out for praise by contemporary and modern critics involved a gin rummy game between Billie and Harry in which Billie quickly wins, despite enthusiastically humming the song "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby" and constantly rearranging her hand. In another popular scene, when Harry tries to impress Billie with his knowledge and her ignorance of words, he asks her to define "peninsula," and she retorts by calling it "the new wonder drug."
Holliday won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of "Billie Dawn." The film also received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Costume Design (black and white).
Kanin's play also served as the basis for the remake in 1992 of the film Born Yesterday, directed by Luis Mandoki, and starring Melanie Griffith, John Goodman and Don Johnson.
The Forks Part…
This classic appetizer was a constant fixture at all my parents' swanky soirées. Back in the 60s, I turned up my nose at this "sophisticated" hors d'oeuvre. But now, as a sophisticated adult myself (some may question that), this has become a delightful
go-to, perfect for nibbling on with guests or savoring solo during a cozy movie night!
Artichoke Dip
What You Need:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
What To Do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, basil, garlic salt, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl.
Fold in artichoke hearts and spinach.
Place the mixture in the greased baking dish; top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees F until bubbly and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.
I love serving this retro appetizer with petite crostini and Triscuits for dipping - it's a real crowd-pleaser! And don't forget the wine; a glass or two of your favorite vino is the perfect pairing. You can also spread it on slices of crusty French bread for a tasty twist. This dish is a total blast from the past, so dig in and enjoy!
Love this movie and watch it over and over. All the actors are great, but I always thought William Holden was miscast as the intellectual writer.
Huge Judy Holliday fan. She died way too soon but her movies still stand out years later. A unique and distinctive actress for her time.