“Born Yesterday”

WHEN “Born Yesterday” played on Broadway—where it was one of the greatest hits in years—Brod Crawford tried for the same role of Harry Brock, the millionaire junk dealer, that he now plays in the movie. Had Brod gotten this role, things would have been different. He would not have played his Oscar-winning role in “All the King’s Men.” And the chances are, he never would have been chosen to play Brock in the Columbia movie. For Judy Holliday, who was a great success in the Broadway play, wanted to play Billie Dawn again, in the worst way. But practically every actress in town was tested for the role before she was signed.

Lawyer Howard St. John arranges meeting between junk dealer Brod Crawford, Senator Larry Oliver and wife Barbara Brown. Brod’s girl, Judy Holliday, is no . . .

. . . social asset. Realizing she’ll hamper his Washington ambitions, Brod hires Bill Holden, a writer, to give her a light touch of culture!

Brod and Judy rehearse for play version shown to studio employees only

Stage-trained Judy missed audience laughter, so Director Cukor, with Bill, let crew listen

Soon she refuses to sign papers without reading them.

Brod strikes her, orders her out of the apartment

Judy, not as dumb as she sounds, learns fast. She buys books by the cartload, begins to think for herself. As nominal president of Brod’s shady corporations, she had always signed any legal papers without question

Judy goes to Bill with proof of Brod’s crookedness. On way back to hotel, Bill tells her he loves her

Brod, facing jail or Judy’s terms, realizes she wasn’t—born yesterday

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE JANUARY 1951