Rating: 
Summary: Razor Sharp and Lots of Fun
Review: Judy Holiday won an Oscar for this film, and no wonder: her performance of Billie Dawn, a "dumb broad" who suddenly wises up in a most unexpected way, is certainly one of the finest and most original film performances in 20th Century American cinema. The story, from the stage success, concerns a crass junk yard tycoon (Broderick Crawford) who goes to Washington to buy a Senator--and promptly considers that his blonde-bimbo mistress Billie Dawn (Holiday) lacks enough poise for such refined circles. He accordingly entices a reporter (William Holden) to "smarten her up." But things soon get out of hand: once her mind is awakened, Billie Dawn begins to perceive her lover and his political intrigues in a very different light.The comedy is genuine, and Crawford and Holden are as memorable as Holiday herself. But there is some serious stuff behind the hilarity: issues of personal integrity, honesty, and civic duty become increasingly important as Billie evolves, and ultimately she must make a choice between her old life and a new one. The film very neatly balances its comic elements with its serious side, and neither predominate nor throw the film off center; director Cukor steers a perfect course. A must-see and a must-own.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST COMEDIENNE
Review: Judy Holliday 1923-1965(Judith Tuvim) was the greatest comedy-actress in films. No question about it. Jean Hagen did a good "Judy-Holliday" in Singin` in the Rain after the real star reportedly turned it down. But Judy`s Billie Dawn is flawless. Broderick Crawford and William Holden are also good in their thankless roles as a foil to Judy. Buy watch them! Their`e good! As a production it halts in the second half when it tends to wave the flag and gets preachy... I always thought, but wait a minute: Seeing what happening in the US today, one would like certain politicians to see this film... it might improve their personalaties...(ooooh I`m being naive here now hehehe)... so it`s subject is as potent as ever... The 1993 version? Let there be silence.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST COMEDIENNE
Review: Judy Holliday 1923-1965(Judith Tuvim) was the greatest comedy-actress in films. No question about it. Jean Hagen did a good "Judy-Holliday" in Singin` in the Rain after the real star reportedly turned it down. But Judy`s Billie Dawn is flawless. Broderick Crawford and William Holden are also good in their thankless roles as a foil to Judy. Buy watch them! Their`e good! As a production it halts in the second half when it tends to wave the flag and gets preachy... I always thought, but wait a minute: Seeing what happening in the US today, one would like certain politicians to see this film... it might improve their personalaties...(ooooh I`m being naive here now hehehe)... so it`s subject is as potent as ever... The 1993 version? Let there be silence.
Rating: 
Summary: You're Not Couth!!
Review: Judy Holliday is the whole show in this story of a crooked junk dealer who hires a tutor to give his chorus girl girlfriend a little culture as he tries to buy his way into Washington. Broderick Crawford is the junk dealer, and he bellows hiw way through the character, a self made millionaire who thinks everyone can be bought. William Holden is good as the tutor/journalist who has nothing but contempt for Crawford, but finds himself falling in love with his pupil. Holliday shines as the pupil, a girl who doesn't like reading or learning, but discovers that she's a lot brighter than she thought, and that there is more to life than the world Crawford has created for her. From her voice to her mannerisms to her perfect timing, it's one of the best comedy performances you will see an actress give. The script has some great dialogue, some preachy speeches, and some funny moments, such as the gin rummy game. It's a smart comedy about a couple of dumb people who both learn important lessons. Watch this film!
Rating:
Summary: You're Not Couth!!
Review: Judy Holliday is the whole show in this story of a crooked junk dealer who hires a tutor to give his chorus girl girlfriend a little culture as he tries to buy his way into Washington. Broderick Crawford is the junk dealer, and he bellows hiw way through the character, a self made millionaire who thinks everyone can be bought. William Holden is good as the tutor/journalist who has nothing but contempt for Crawford, but finds himself falling in love with his pupil. Holliday shines as the pupil, a girl who doesn't like reading or learning, but discovers that she's a lot brighter than she thought, and that there is more to life than the world Crawford has created for her. From her voice to her mannerisms to her perfect timing, it's one of the best comedy performances you will see an actress give. The script has some great dialogue, some preachy speeches, and some funny moments, such as the gin rummy game. It's a smart comedy about a couple of dumb people who both learn important lessons. Watch this film!
Rating:
Summary: Holliday Road
Review: Judy Holliday won an Oscar for her fantastically nuanced performance as Billie Dawn, the so-called dumb blonde who isn't so dumb after all, just uneducated. When Harry Brock, her fiancee and business partner, chooses to have her educated in local affairs (they live in Washington D.C.) by a reporter who was doing a story on him (William Holden)--so she won't embarrass him in front of the Senators he is planning to buy--things of course, don't go as planned. She becomes too smart to be bossed around anymore. Knowing the plot does not ruin the film at all. The fun is watching the actors, especially the chemistry between Holliday and Holden. Broderick Crawford is wonderful, too, as Brock, a guy you have to hate for the story to work. Even the bit players: the lawyer, the senator are letter-perfect in their parts. The script, based on a play by Garson Kanin, is full of one-liners and zingers. It's a little too patriotic in the end for me--sometimes I felt preached at--but that is easily overlooked during what is really a fun film.
Rating:
Summary: Holliday Road
Review: Judy Holliday won an Oscar for her fantastically nuanced performance as Billie Dawn, the so-called dumb blonde who isn't so dumb after all, just uneducated. When Harry Brock, her fiancee and business partner, chooses to have her educated in local affairs (they live in Washington D.C.) by a reporter who was doing a story on him (William Holden)--so she won't embarrass him in front of the Senators he is planning to buy--things of course, don't go as planned. She becomes too smart to be bossed around anymore. Knowing the plot does not ruin the film at all. The fun is watching the actors, especially the chemistry between Holliday and Holden. Broderick Crawford is wonderful, too, as Brock, a guy you have to hate for the story to work. Even the bit players: the lawyer, the senator are letter-perfect in their parts. The script, based on a play by Garson Kanin, is full of one-liners and zingers. It's a little too patriotic in the end for me--sometimes I felt preached at--but that is easily overlooked during what is really a fun film.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece! Funny and Humane!
Review: This is a fine movie, marvelously crafted, well written, superbly acted, and luciously photographed. The DVD medium shows off the wonderful black and white cinematography more than any of its predecessors. Shining over all else in this film is the tour de force of Billie Holliday playing a "dumb blonde" who -- surprise -- is anything but dumb. William Holden and Broderick Crawford are perfect foils for her brilliance, good guy and bad guy. The most wonderful aspect of this movie is the demonstration of Billie Holliday's character coming into its own, developing poise, awareness, and intellect. Her sensitivity and mastery as an actress are nowhere more visible than in this film. The plot is diverting--a rough and greedy hoodlum seeking to dominate everyone else, hoodwinked by his own pretensions of grandeur, surrounded by a wond'rous variety of people.
Rating:
Summary: A great classic. A movie that holds no punches.
Review: This is a must see film for anyone who has low self esteem issues. You find yourself rooting outloud for the underdog and wanting to go postal for the lewd, crude and above all rude boyfriend. Judy Holiday was never used enough. Why I don't know, but the timing of the cast in this movie was absolutely fantastic. This is a hard film to find on video. I know since I've had to put it on order in three stores and months have passed without a nibble. Call you girlfriends over, bring out the munchies and laugh your head off. Truly, a classic with substance
Rating: 
Summary: Okay
Review: This movie I thought had except for a few cute lines (all said by Holliday, who shone anyway) everything but a script. I read a few of the other "reviews" and disagreed with almost everything about them except their praise for Judy Holliday and the one comment that Crawford came across menacing rather than humorous. Come to think of it, he WAS menacing, remember when he hit her? There was very little humor of any kind in this flick (what there was, aside from two or three genuine witticisms, came from Holliday's supposed dumbness), it was very serious and far from light. I disliked the adaptation from stage to screen, particularly and emphatically the ridiculous ending in the car when Holden gives the cop his marriage license. Good grief! I do not like Garson Kanin anyway, on Bway or off, I think he's very dull and unfunny, and think he writes better when working with his strident wife Ruth Gordon (like on another Holliday flick, much warmer and gentler and more human and more humane than this one, "The Marrying Kind," finally out this month on DVD). I was surprised to read Holliday's competition for the Oscar, she was definitely good, but THAT good? All three of them should have gotten an Oscar. Judy Holliday is one of my all-time heroes (heroines), and I found this picture a big disappointment, lit up only when she was on-screen. By the way, I may live to eat my words if this "review" is posted, but speaking of dumbness, didn't ANY of these other "reviewers" proof their "reviews" before submitting them? Talk about illiterate, ungrammatical and DUMB!
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