(1950)
Guest blogger tonight, my grad school friend Lisa . . .
The image of the "dumb blonde" has never taken on such poignancy and dignity as it does in George Cukor's Born Yesterday. Billie, played by Judy Holliday, is the kept woman of a crooked, egomaniacal, brutish "businessman" (Broderick Crawford) who is in Washington, D.C., to work a deal to the left of the law with a complicit congressman. Harry is concerned that Billie will embarrass him (and yet they are perfectly matched in their gaucheness, though even at first Billie is aware that she is clueless, and Harry has no such awareness). He asks Paul, a newspaper reporter played by a handsome William Holden, to "educate" her. Through Paul's tutelage and encouragement, Billie starts to awaken to the world around her, but more importantly, she begins to recognize that she is in a dead-end, no-win, abusive situation with Harry, and that Harry, formerly a "big man" in her eyes, is a common criminal and a loser. She helps Paul take some crooked contracts to expose Harry's dishonest dealings, and leaves Harry to go off with Paul.
We see Billie gain in confidence and attractiveness as her vacant stare becomes a focused gaze and her sense of self-worth increases. And this is a comedy, after all, so Billie never stops delivering malapropisms. But the message is loud and clear--no one is the property of another, and one's self-determination is a right and a privilege. This film, made in 1950, was definitely an oldie but a goodie.
Nicely done, Lisa, and thanks--it's good to have a night off!
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