Classism is sharply written into the plot and characters of
Born Yesterday. But my favorite place it appears is in Judy Holiday’s
wonderful, unconventional voice. Her voice is high yet soft, just a register
off from shrill. It has working class written into its every syllable. But her
voice also makes us almost immediately endeared to and interested in Emma "Billie"
Dawn, a woman thanklessly engaged to crass businessman and con-man Harry Brock
(Broderick Crawford). Harry has moved down to Washington D.C. in order to make
some illicit deals with members of Congress, but Billie sticks out like a sore
thumb in the polished, tasteful elitism of capitol culture. To remedy this
Harry tries to pull a Pygmalion on Billie by hoisting her off on refined
journalist Paul Verrall (William Holden) to be educated. Instead, Billie falls for the
journalist and, through her studies, begins to realize Harry’s mistreatment of her.
The drama and critique here are tame, reminiscent of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. But it’s not really the point; the
Capra-ian sincerity caters to a screwball sensibility, clashing Billie’s lack
of formal learning with her crash course in culture. Throughout all of this,
Holiday’s remains a thoroughly appealing presence. It’s easy to overlook what
Holiday is doing here. She's playing a dumb blonde but the film doesn't pigeonhole her as only that persona. Notice the subtle changes in Holiday's voice. She's not only got great comedic timing, but she’s also doing
small but significant vocal changes that not only win us over but also build an
inner world, one that’s yelling, or, rather, squeaking, to be free.
Grade: A-
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