Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Born Yesterday Blu-ray Movie Review

Jolly Holliday.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 17, 2014

It was supposed to be Bette Davis’ year. Except that that little upstart Anne Baxter refused to go gently into the Best Supporting Actress night, and was vying against her All About Eve co-star in the Best Actress category, not to mention the cold, clear light of day, in a ploy that seemed to suggest that Eve Harrington and the actress playing her weren't so very different after all. So, okay, splitting those votes only guaranteed Gloria Swanson the Oscar for her comeback as the inimitable Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. And yet neither of those parables of the vagaries of show business managed to triumph that year in an extremely heated Oscar fest, and instead a real Cinderella story emerged: the victory of Judy Holliday, who after a long stage career but only an intermittent film one managed to take home the award for Born Yesterday. Holliday had originated the role on the Broadway stage in the original play written by Garson Kanin which ran for the rather astounding number of 1,642 performances. Jean Arthur was reportedly the first choice for the role of “dumb blonde” Billie Dawn, but once Holliday segued into it, it became obvious that she and the part were tailor made for each other. Holliday had a very sweet, unassuming nature that still tended to just barely adequately disguise the little devilish twinkle in her eye (something compounded by her equally roguish dimples), but she was as brassy as the best of them when she needed to be. Holliday got her start in cabaret and revues as part of a celebrated troupe which included future musical theater superstars Adolph Green and Betty Comden, a duo who provided Holliday with one of her career defining roles in the musical Bells Are Ringing. And while she at least one credited film appearance to her name by the time she opened on Broadway in Born Yesterday (in 1946), she seemed like the type that would be consigned to “colorful” supporting roles in movies, if she managed to get work at all. That prospect seemed to be confirmed when she was cast in a supporting role in the Kanin co-written Adam’s Rib, but after her triumph in Born Yesterday, Hollywood for once came to its senses and realized the Broadway star simply couldn’t be bettered in the film version, no matter what her lack of box office history might be.

We tend to think of the forties and fifties as a generally more genteel time in American politics, though of course with phenomena like the House Un-American Activities Committee and numerous other fracases, that rosy colored perspective is probably far from the truth. Born Yesterday seems rather prescient in its formulation of “big money” entering the political circus in order to sway Congress’ opinions (or at least votes). Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford) is a multimillionaire who made his fortune in the trash business, and who has come to Washington, D.C. to throw around copious amounts of cash in the hopes of “buying” a congressman. Harry is accompanied by his world weary attorney Jim Devery (Howard St. John) and his long gestating fiancée, Billie Dawn (Judy Holliday). Harry’s a lout, but knows he is, as he makes clear to a journalist named Paul Verrall (William Holden), but he’s concerned that Billie’s lack of couth will be a detriment to infiltrating the upper echelons of Washington’s hoity toity society.

In a kind of slightly gentler take on Pygmalion than the one offered in My Fair Lady, Paul becomes a mentor to Billie, introducing to her to great works of literature and philosophy, and calling upon her to develop her innate abilities, which turn out to be quite formidable. (Though Holliday is playing the prototypical “dumb blonde” here, the actress herself was a certified genius with an Einstein level IQ.) Naturally, romance develops between the two, and the last third of the film has several delightful interludes where Billie uses her newfound independence to extract herself from Harry’s brutish clutches so that she can find true love with Paul.

Holliday was an incredibly unique presence, and one which the film world was never able to really capitalize on successfully. This seems especially odd given how winning she is in films like this one and Bells Are Ringing. Her untimely death in 1965 may have cut short her career, but even taking that into account, the movie world simply did not flock to Holliday’s side the way one might have hoped. Holliday was a naturally ebullient spirit who nonetheless could muster intense amounts of wistful feeling, and while she at least received an Oscar for Born Yesterday, it’s hard not to regret the fact that she wasn’t given far more opportunities in Hollywood than she ended up with. Hollywood tried remaking Born Yesterday in 1993 with an okay if unspectacular Melanie Griffith in the Holliday role. If the powers that be ever deign to actually make a Holliday biopic, there’s actually one comedically and musically gifted actress who might be perfect for the role: Megan Mullally. She’s got the same kind of quirky personality that Holliday had, but even Mullally might be gunshy about stepping into such formidable high heeled shoes.

Born Yesterday Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Born Yesterday is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. Culled from the Columbia catalog, this is another sterling high definition presentation, though with a few instances of variable sharpness which seem largely attributable to some second unit location work in and around Washington, D.C. Otherwise, this offers a beautifully clear and stable image, one that supports a natural looking grain field and resolves any number of fine patterns in costumes and sets effortlessly. Contrast is strong and stable as well, delivering a nicely realized gamut of gray scale and deep blacks. The elements are in very good condition, with nothing of any import to cause worry.

Born Yesterday Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Born Yesterday's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track frankly doesn't have a lot to play with other than dialogue and some occasional underscore, but it suffices perfectly well, delivering Kanin's witty bon mots effortlessly. Lest anyone think differently, that first screeched moment from Holliday in the hotel (across the atrium to Crawford) is not distortion—that's her actual voice (or at least the voice she assumed for the character at that moment in time). Fidelity is excellent, and there are no overt issues related to the age of the track.

Born Yesterday Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Original Theatrical Trailer #1 (1080p; 1:43) is from a reissue.


• Original Theatrical Trailer #2 (1080p; 2:47) touts Holliday's Oscar win and also features footage from the Los Angeles premiere, before presenting much the same footage as the other trailer included on this Blu-ray.


• Isolated Score Track is presented via DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. It's considerably brighter sounding that the actual soundtrack version, and for that reason, some may actually prefer the original soundtrack since the highs aren't quite as shrill.

Born Yesterday Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Born Yesterday holds up surprisingly well (in fact, I'd argue much better than the more recent remake), buoyed by a heartfelt and sweet performance by Judy Holliday. Crawford is suitably blustery and Holden makes for a rather surprisingly suave romantic interest here. Watching the "dumb" Billie gain confidence and ultimately get the upper hand over the bullying Harry is probably the chief allure of the film, but the romantic sparks between Billie and Paul provide a little extra momentum that carries the film through to its expected happy ending. Technical merits on this Blu-ray are excellent, and Born Yesterday comes Highly recommended.