The 25 Must-See Titles at the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival

Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford and William Holden in Born Yesterday. Image courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

Born Yesterday (1950)

Billie (Judy Holliday) is the sweet but dimwitted girlfriend to a junkyard tycoon intent on running for office. Hoping to make Billie more presentable, a tutor (William Holden) is hired, but he might end up teaching Billie more about herself.

Acclaimed “woman’s director” George Cukor takes Garson Kanin’s stage play and presents it on the screen with all the fun and whimsy it deserves. Judy Holliday won an Oscar for her portrayal of the squeaky-voiced Billie, a character that paved the way for the likes of Melanie Griffith (who actually tackled the role in an ill-conceived 1993 remake). Kanin’s play doesn’t just poke fun at the world of grift in politics, but the assumptions made about women. Billie may be rough around the edge and lacking in education, but the scariest thing is a woman with a book, and Billie is eager to learn. Teaching her about the world around her is William Holden, one of the most beautiful men to ever grace the similar screen. Hollywood could hide him behind big glasses, but we know better.

Holden and Holliday have great comedic timing, but that’s a testament to Holliday’s performance. Watch her play a fast-paced game of gin rummy against Broderick Crawford who plays her boyfriend – the scene is quick, emphasizes her intelligence and is funny as can be.

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