Born Yesterday (1950)

John Chard

8.0

Jun 28, 2014

Possibly the most endearing "dumb blonde" ever? Judy Holliday rightly won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of dumb blonde kept woman Billie Dawn, a role she successfully played on Broadway in the stage show production. Yet to only mention her would be doing a disservice to the films other strengths as it has many to justify it being labelled a classic of its time. Billie Dawn is the girlfriend of scrap metal magnate Harry Brock, she's not that bright and Brock uses her as a front for some less than honest dealings. Sure he cares but his treatment of her borders on the repulsive w…

Nutshell

10.0

Jul 16, 2019

Intelligent script and a very funny movie, a true classic with a perfect cast. Judy Holliday steals the show, and both Crawford and Holden are at the top of their game. You will not be disappointed!

Born Yesterday’s philosophy – a fusion of Greek myth and allegory; specifically, Pygmalion (by way of Shaw) and Plato’s Cave – is not only timeless but timely. At one point, William Holden’s character says “I want everybody to be smart. I want 'em to be as smart as they can be. A world full of ignorant people is too dangerous to live in.” This is as true now as it was more than 70 years ago – perhaps truer; as recent events, such as the covid pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have made abundantly clear, the world is still a very dangerous place full of ignorant people. This film…