Born Yesterday Overview:

Born Yesterday (1950) was a Comedy - Drama Film directed by George Cukor and produced by S. Sylvan Simon.

SYNOPSIS

Holliday at her best as the unschooled girlfriend of a domineering scrap-iron tycoon who hires egghead Holden to tutor off the rough edges. Guess who falls in love? Based on Garson Kanin's Broadway play. Remade in 1993 with Melanie Griffith.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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Born Yesterday was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2012.

Academy Awards 1950 --- Ceremony Number 23 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActressJudy HollidayWon
Best Costume DesignJean LouisNominated
Best DirectorGeorge CukorNominated
Best PictureColumbiaNominated
Best WritingAlbert MannheimerNominated
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BlogHub Articles:

A Pair That Cooked Food for Thoughts: ‘Born Yesterday’ (George Cukor, 1950)

By Virginie Pronovost on Apr 17, 2026 From The Wonderful World of Cinema

“A world full of ignorant people is too dangerous to live in.” – Paul Verrall, Born Yesterday We often remember the 1951 Oscars for being “The year where Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson didn’t win the Best Actress Oscar”. Instead, the Academy presented the prestig... Read full article


Broderick Crawford, Judy Holiday, and William Holden in “Born Yesterday”

By Stephen Reginald on Feb 19, 2024 From Classic Movie Man

Broderick Crawford, Judy Holiday, and William Holden in “Born Yesterday” Born Yesterday (1950) is an American comedy directed by George Cukor and starring Broderick Crawford, Judy Holiday, and William Holden. Holiday recreated her role as Billie Dawn which she played on Broadway. Cr... Read full article


KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: The Subtle Messages of BORN YESTERDAY (1950)

By Lara on May 19, 2016 From Backlots

A few days ago,?as I spent?a sick afternoon at home, I was pleased to discover the delightful?Born Yesterday?(1950) playing on TCM. This is a movie that has always fascinated me–Judy Holliday’s performance as the dim-witted Billie Dawn won her an Oscar for the Best Actress of 1950, in th... Read full article


Born Yesterday (1949)

By Beatrice on Jun 20, 2015 From Flickers in Time

Born Yesterday Directed by George Cukor Written by Albert Mannheimer from a play by Garson Kanin 1949/USA Columbia Pictures Corporation Repeat viewing/my DVD collection Billie Dawn: DOUBLE NEGATIVE! Right? Think what you will about the line-up for the 1949 Best Actress Oscars. ?It is impossible... Read full article


Born Yesterday (1950) (2) (1)

on May 5, 2014 From Journeys in Classic Film

**This post is written as part of the Romantic Comedy Blogathon hosted by Backlots. ?Be sure to head over after reading and check out the other participants.** The most dangerous thing to?give a person is a book. ?Or in this case the movie Born Yesterday. ?A surface level analysis of George Cukor... Read full article


See all Born Yesterday articles

Quotes from

Paul: A world full of ignorant people is too dangerous to live in.


Billie Dawn: How about the story of your life?
Paul Verrall: Oh no. Much too long... and mostly untrue.


Harry Brock: Look, this way I give her somethin', I'm a swell fella. We get married, she's got it coming, she thinks.


read more quotes from Born Yesterday...

Facts about

To help build up Judy Holliday's image, particularly in the eyes of Columbia Pictures chief Harry Cohn, Katharine Hepburn deliberately leaked stories to the gossip columns suggesting that her performance in Adam's Rib was so good that it had stolen the spotlight from Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. This got Cohn's attention and Holliday won the part in Born Yesterday.
Garson Kanin wrote that Marilyn Monroe made a screen test for this film in 1948 before signing a two-picture contract. Those who saw it thought it was excellent, but Columbia head Harry Cohn did not take the trouble to walk six steps from his desk to his projection room to watch it.
The "teapot" referred to was "Teapot Dome Scandal", an unprecedented bribery scandal and investigation during the administration of President Warren G. Harding.
read more facts about Born Yesterday...
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Best Actress Oscar 1950






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National Film Registry

Born Yesterday

Released 1950
Inducted 2012
(Sound)




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Also directed by George Cukor




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Also produced by S. Sylvan Simon




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Also released in 1950




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