''Born Yesterday'' is a play written by Garson Kanin which premiered on Broadway in 1946, starring

Judy Holliday Judy Holliday (born Judith Tuvim, June 21, 1921 – June 7, 1965) was an American actress, comedian and singer.Obituary '' Variety'', June 9, 1965, p. 71. She began her career as part of a nightclub act before working in Broadway plays and mus ...

as Billie Dawn. The play was adapted into a successful 1950 film of the same name.

Plot

An uncouth, corrupt rich junk dealer, Harry Brock, brings his showgirl mistress Billie Dawn with him to Washington, D.C. When Billie's ignorance becomes a liability to Brock's business dealings, he hires a journalist, Paul Verrall, to educate his girlfriend. In the process of learning, Billie Dawn realizes how corrupt Harry is and begins interfering with his plans to bribe a

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivale ...

into passing legislation that would allow Brock's business to make more money.

Productions

1946 Original Broadway

''Born Yesterday'' opened on February 4, 1946 on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre and ran there until November 6, 1948; the play transferred to Henry Miller's Theatre on November 9, 1948 and closed on December 31, 1949, after a total of 1,642 performances. it was the seventh longest-running non-musical play in Broadway history. Judy Holliday starred as Billie, with

Paul Douglas Paul Howard Douglas (March 26, 1892 – September 24, 1976) was an American politician and Georgist economist. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois for eighteen years, from 1949 to 1967. During his Senate ...

as Harry Brock and

Gary Merrill Gary Fred Merrill (August 2, 1915 – March 5, 1990) was an American film and television actor whose credits included more than 50 feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, and dozens of television guest appearances. He starr ...

as Paul Verrall. Written and directed by Garson Kanin, the scenic design was by

Donald Oenslager Donald Oenslager (March 7, 1902 – June 11, 1975) was an American scenic designer who won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design. Biography Oenslager was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and attended Harvard University, graduating in 1923. He bec ...

and costume design by Ruth Kanin.

Jean Arthur Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s. Arthur had feature roles in three F ...

was originally cast in the role of Billie but quit during tryouts. For his performance as Harry Brock, Paul Douglas was awarded the 1946 Clarence Derwent Award for the most promising male performance. ;Original Broadway cast *

– Harry Brock *

– Billie Dawn *

– Paul Verrall * Carroll Ashburn – The Assistant Manager * Frank Otto – Eddie Brock * Larry Oliver – Senator Norval Hedges *

Mona Bruns Mona Bruns (November 26, 1899 – June 13, 2000) was an American actress on the stage, films, radio, and television. She appeared in such television series as ''Dr. Kildare'', ''Little House on the Prairie'', ''Green Acres'', and ''Bonanza'', ...

– Mrs. Hedges * C. L. Burke – Waiter * Ellen Hall – Helen Judy Holliday appeared as Billie Dawn in over 1,200 performances. Her replacements in the role included Jean Hagen and Jan Sterling.

Revival by the Negro Drama Group in 1953–54

A production mounted by the Negro Drama Group at Broadway's President Theatre, starring

Edna Mae Robinson Edna Mae Robinson (September 4, 1915 – May 2, 2002) was an American dancer, actress, and activist. She was a dancer at the Cotton Club and toured Europe with Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. She later became a public figure when she married the ...

as Billie Dawn, Powell Lindsay as Harry Brock and Henry Scott as Paul Verrall, was given a full review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' on January 1, 1954, with the theatre critic (signature L. C.) mentioning that "...Mrs. Robinson is in private life the wife of

Sugar Ray Robinson Walker Smith Jr. (May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989), better known as Sugar Ray Robinson, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is often regarded ...

, the former welterweight and middleweight champion of the world" and that she "...is possessed of a natural flair for comedy. With some judicious direction she could go a long way toward achieving spectacular success in the theatre." Although the production received positive reviews, it closed after five days.

Watergate Era

According to theatre scholar Jordan Schildcrout, the Watergate scandal brought renewed interest in ''Born Yesterday'', with a surge of productions in the early 1970s starring

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reig ...

, Sandy Dennis,

Chita Rivera Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson; January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in ''West Side Story'', Velma Kelly in ''Chic ...

, and

Karen Valentine Karen Valentine (born May 25, 1947) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as young idealistic schoolteacher Alice Johnson in the ABC comedy drama series '' Room 222'' from 1969 to 1974, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award ...

at major regional theatres, as well as

Lynn Redgrave Lynn Rachel Redgrave (8 March 1943 – 2 May 2010) was an English actress. She won two Golden Globe Awards throughout her career. A member of the Redgrave family of actors, Lynn trained in London before making her theatrical debut in 1962. B ...

in a London revival directed by

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

. The critic Michael Billington noted, "With the Watergate scandal coming to a head, the play suddenly seems as fresh and relevant as the day it was written." Kanin himself later asserted, "When the play was written it was a fable, but after Watergate it became a documentary."

1989 Broadway revival

The play was revived on Broadway in 1989. It opened at the

46th Street Theatre The Richard Rodgers Theatre (formerly Chanin's 46th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 226 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by He ...

in previews on January 18, 1989, officially on January 29, 1989,Rich, Fran
"Review/Theater; Right-Thinking Ingenuousness Cleans Up a Nation"
''New York Times'', January 30, 1989 and closed on June 11, 1989 after 153 performances. It was directed by Josephine R. Abady and starred Edward Asner and Madeline Kahn, who received a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination for Best Actress in a Play. ;1989 revival cast Source:''New York Times'' * Edward Asner – Harry Brock * Madeline Kahn – Billie Dawn * Franklin Cover – Ed Devery * Daniel Hugh Kelly – Paul Verrall * Joel Bernstein – Eddie Brock * Charlotte Booker – Manicurist * Peggy Cosgrave – Mrs. Hedges * Heather Ehlers – Helen, a maid * Paul Hebron – Another Bellhop, Barber, Waiter *

Gregory Jbara Gregory Jbara (; born September 28, 1961) is an American film, television, and stage actor, and a singer. Early life and education Jbara was born in Nankin Township (now Westland), Michigan, the son of an advertising office manager and an insur ...

– Bellhop, Bootblack * Ron Johnston – The Assistant Manager * John Wylie – Senator Norval Hedges

2011 Broadway revival

The second Broadway revival opened at the Cort Theatre for previews 31 March 2011, performances began on April 24, 2011. The show closed on 26 June 2011 after 28 previews and 73 performances. Produced by Frankie Grande and directed by Doug Hughes, the play starred

Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security'' ...

as Harry Brock, Nina Arianda as Billie Dawn and Robert Sean Leonard as Paul Verrall. The 2011 revival was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play and Best Costume Design of a Play ( Catherine Zuber). ;2011 revival cast *

as Harry Brock * Nina Arianda as Billie Dawn * Frank Wood as Ed Devery * Robert Sean Leonard as Paul Verrall * Michael McGrath as Eddie Brock * Liv Rooth as A Manicurist * Patricia Hodges as Mrs. Hedges * Jennifer Regan as Helen, a maid * Fred Arsenault as Bellhop #1 * Danny Rutigliano as Bellhop #2/Bootblack * Bill Christ as A Bellhop #3/Barber * Andrew Weems as The Assistant Manager * Terry Beaver as Senator Norval Hedges

Film adaptations

The 1950 film adaptation, made by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

with direction by

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head of ...

starred Judy Holliday and

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

. A 1993 remake directed by Luis Mandoki and released through

Buena Vista Pictures Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...

, starred

Melanie Griffith Melanie Richards Griffith (born August 9, 1957) is an American actress. She began her career in the 1970s, appearing in several independent thriller films before achieving mainstream success in the mid-1980s. Born in Manhattan, New York City, ...

as Billie Dawn and updated the plot."'Born Yesterday', 1993"
Internet Movie Database, accessed June 18, 2011

References

External links

* {{Garson Kanin 1946 plays American plays adapted into films Broadway plays Works by Garson Kanin