BORN YESTERDAY

BOTTOM LINE: There are two reasons why I decided to watch this film. The first is my ever-growing fascination with William Holden. The second is Judy Holliday. She won an Oscar for her role, so I figured it had to worth seeing at least once. I've only ever seen her once before in ADAM'S RIB where she practically steals the show from Hepburn and Tracy. Regrettably, she's the best part of this romantic comedy. She plays Billie, a dumb blond forced by her meathead mafia boyfriend Harry (Crawford) to educate herself so he won't be embarrassed every time she opens her mouth. Harry hires a journalist, played by Holden, to make her into a lady. Not an easy task when the last thing she read was a gum wrapper. It quickly becomes clear, at least to Paul, that Billie isn't as ignorant as she appears. In fact, she takes to learning so well, she is quickly becoming an independent thinker, much to Harry's dismay. He wanted her to be presentable not a pain in the ass. Things progress exactly as expected: Billie and Paul fall in love and Harry gets his just reward for being a mean ass. Holliday is amazingly funny and feisty as the blond who finds her brain. Everything else about the film falls flat, even the love story angle. It's all Holden and Crawford can do to keep up with her energy. A great star turn, despite the uneven story.