Born Yesterday was the box-office comedy hit of 1950 and won a Best Actress Oscar for the exceptional Judy Holliday, recreating her long-running Broadway triumph as Billie Dawn, the quintessential dumb blonde who finally gets herself some smarts. The film resonates with the sophisticated sparring in Garson Kanin's script and there are tightly controlled performances from William Holden as the cynical journalist hired to polish Billie up for Washington society and Broderick Crawford as Harry Brock, her rough, crooked and ambitious boyfriend. But Born Yesterday is Holliday's... picture, as she runs the gamut from brassy insouciance to tentative, vulnerable enlightenment. She hasn't thought of her estranged father in five years: "It's nothing against him. I haven't thought of anything in five years." Her gradual awakening to the realisation that she is a stooge for Brock's corrupt business deals, and the way she sheds her chorus girl's intellect in the face of growing political awareness, are brilliantly traced. Holliday's dead-pan delivery makes the pathos of her self-discovery both hilarious and deeply touching; it's the hallmark of a comic genius, which makes the sparseness of her subsequent film appearances all the more regrettable. On the DVD: Born Yesterday is presented in full screen (1.33:1) ratio. Like the mono soundtrack, the black and white picture quality has triumphantly survived its more than half century. Extras include a gallery of vintage advertisements and an original theatrical trailer, plus filmographies and welcome, comprehensive booklet notes. --Piers Ford [show more]
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 or region free DVD player in order to play Brock is a corrupt millionaire junk dealer with social ambitions and a willingness to do anything to fulfill them Embarrassed by his girlfriend Billie&39;s crass behaviour and lack of social sophistication he decides to hire a tutor to give her English lessons and to give her some cultural background What he doesn&39;t bargain for is her falling in love with the teacher!
Judy Holliday and William Holden star in this classic comedy directed by George Cukor. Millionaire gangster Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford) hires Paul Verrell (Holden) to educate his ex-showgirl girlfriend Billie Dawn (Holliday) in the ways of etiquette. As Harry tries to impress certain high-powered men in Washington DC with a view to gaining their trust, Billie unintentionally falls for Paul and begins to wise up to her boyfriend's dubious business practices.
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