Born Yesterday (1951)

This was an excellent first encounter with Judy Holliday.  I loved her!  I was pleasantly surprised by the touching story.  I had expected just another screwball comedy, but rather encountered a lovely and moving plot along the lines of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe. There are some wonderful moments along with Holliday’s brilliant performance as Billie Dawn.  There has been much controversy over the years about her Oscar win over Bette Davis (All About Eve) and Gloria Swanson (Sunset Blvd.).  Yet I would dare to agree with the Academy’s decision.  Davis and Swanson’s performances were indeed brilliant, but they were also normal for that period of Hollywood.  I would venture to say that Judy Holliday’s performance was very different and extraordinary.  She wasn’t some high maintenance egotistically heiress who has a tragic tendency to ruin the lives of people around her.  She was an individual with a level head and a clear mind.  Billie is a character that I could believe in, one that wouldn’t surprise me to bump into on the street.  Rarely does one meet a Norma Desmond or a Margo Channing, but meeting a Billie Dawn (especially in that era) is plausible.  Judy Holliday deserved her Best Actress Oscar and this film the Best Picture nomination.