Moviecut—The Solid Gold Cadillac

source: The Solid Gold Cadillac

What can you say about Judy Holliday? Her timing was always absolutely perfect. Her facial expressions frequently making speech unnecessary. In Solid Gold Cadillac she gives a magical portrayal as Laura Partridge, the supposedly, dumb blonde, part time actress with no appreciation of Shakespeare, ("You don't even get to sit down unless you're a king" - a typical Holliday line), but who is nonetheless shrewd enough to see through the corrupt shenanigans of the board of directors of a multi-national company in which she owns just ten shares. The partnering of Judy Holliday and that fine actor, Paul Douglas, as Edward L. McKeever, the upright, down to earth and totally incorruptible founder of the company, who is (according to Laura Partridge) "scared of girls", works like a dream. The film also has excellent support from Ray Collins, Arthur O'Connell, Neva Patterson, John Williams and of course Fred Clark, as Snell, the oily, slippery company treasurer, a real nasty piece of work. I defy anyone not to boo and hiss whenever he appears. In addition to being a delightful romantic comedy, this is also a tale of good fighting to overcome evil, and the little people of this world getting together and refusing to be trampled by a big faceless conglomerate. If you've never seen this picture before, or maybe never seen a Judy Holliday movie, you're in for a treat.

Hollywood has had a long tradition of dumb blonde performers who could be counted on to produce more than their share of belly-laughs. None, however, was more expert at the trade than Judy Holiday whose untimely death robbed filmdom of one of its most accomplished comediennes. This movie, along with Born Yesterday, is among her very best, and should not be missed. Film fans may want to note that there's a direct line of descent from Holiday in this movie to Reese Witherspoon in the megahit Legally Blonde. Like Witherspoon's character in Blonde, everyone underestimates Holiday's Laura Partridge and with similarly devastating results. In both cases, it's that sweetly scatterbrained exterior that conceals a shrewd and determined inner woman, a combination which proves deadly for those who would happily exploit them. Here, it's the Board of a soulless corporation ( just then emerging from the 50's decade of growth) that falls into Holiday's trap with hilarious results. The Board itself is a stellar lineup of character actors: from the curmudgeonly Fred Clark, to the cultured John Williams, to the scheming Ray Collins, all familiar faces from the Late Late Show and pompously perfect targets for a womanly comeuppance. Holiday's pixilated exchanges with these smugly officious scofflaws are minor gems. Those interested in charting the rise of the women's movement might also note an important contrast between the two films. Holiday's character, for all her wiles and willpower, must eventually succumb in typical 50's fashion to her stronger male half as played by the always redoubtable Paul Douglas. On the other hand, Witherspoon's post-Gloria Steinam character discovers a hidden self-sufficiency that requires no Douglas counterpart, producing a typically 90's note of feminist triumph. But these are merely incidental reflections on an underrated movie that truly sparkles because of the comedic lustre of its star, the unforgettable Judy Holiday, in a role that suits her to the proverbial T.

I had first seen this film on its initial release in 1956. Although I was then only in my teens, I had thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I watched the film again today - 64 years laters and loved it even more. It's a deeeeeelightful movie ! Need I say more?

Although all the events that take place in this timely farce are highly improbable, JUDY HOLLIDAY is so adept at making a believable character out of her ditsy blonde that she makes the whole plot seem plausible by the time she steps into her solid gold Cadillac for the final Technicolor scene shot at Rockefeller Plaza. Today's headlines full of corporate greed and big bonuses for men in high places makes the plot more relevant than ever. She turns up at a stockholders meeting at the start with a whole bunch of seemingly innocuous questions, wondering how much the stuffed shirts who run the huge corporation make when all they have to do is show up at board meetings four times a year. And even though she only owns 10 shares of stock, she upsets the apple cart of some crooked members of the Board of Directors and has them scrambling to find ways to make her disappear. The slimiest one of all (played by FRED CLARK) thinks that murder is a possible option. But then they set her up in an office (with nothing to do), hoping that she just fades away and giving her secretary strict instructions to keep her nose out of their business. Naturally, Holliday takes charge with her own ideas about contacting the small stock holders with letters she dictates to her secretary--and, well, you can pretty much guess what happens next. The script has some bright and witty moments, played to the hilt by an expert cast including PAUL DOUGLAS, JOHN WILLIAMS, RAY COLLINS and NEVA PATTERSON, but Richard Quine's direction is rather unimaginative and the film never quite soars into the stratosphere of bright farce that it's striving for. A tighter pace would have helped. Judy Holliday's perky performance as the naive stockholder seems more like a retread of previous parts than anything else, but she does brighten things up considerably whenever she has a clever line, and Paul Douglas is amusing as the business man she impresses.

Before the days of S&L scandals, Enron, the Texas billionaire brothers manipulating the precious metals market, and the 2009 bailout of the largest and once most powerful financial institutions in the world by the United States government, Richard Quine helmed a screenplay adaptation of a play sending up corporate manipulation of share holders and deceiving the government by demanding contracts. A classic comic look look at how things haven't changed in the fifty some odd years since this film was made. Financial gamesmanship and political deceit are as old as pharaohs and kings. To paraphrase Richard Harris playing Oliver Cromwell from "Cromwell", "An immovable parliament is more obnoxious than an immovable king!"... or words to that effect. "Solid Gold Cadillac" shows us this premise in spades, and gives us the gallant comedienne Judy Holliday sallying forth with womanly earnestness, by asking the most basic and fundamental questions; i.e. why do the boards of directors get paid so much? Her innocence and wide eyed (almost country girl like) innocence throws a monkey wrench into the antagonists' machinations. We are reminded of some of the pitfalls of automated private bureaucracy. And how if the average share holder (or voter as the case may be) doesn't follow the "Trust but verify" axiom, then they're in for a roller coaster ride as unethical executives play funny with their money. This is a smart light hearted comedy that plays to a more reserved audience. This isn't the "in your face" 90s nor 2000s. It's the reserved 1950s where sexual intrigue is understood, but not blatantly thrust in the face of the mainstream viewer. It's kind of refreshing. Although the film is a glimpse into the financial double-dealings of past 1950s America, it's a parable on how not to repeat history. Or, should history repeat itself, then fight it with a repeat of your own; get informed, organize, and take action by mobilizing the stock holders :-) Were this film made today, it would placate strictly to a female audience. It is in some sense a "chick flick" of a bygone era, but it's really more of couples' film. Some nice entertainment for a lazy afternoon. Enjoy :-)

In a role tailor made to her special gifts Judy Holliday is totally captivating and wholly endearing. The sign of a truly unique performer is to watch a film or performance and not be able to envision anyone else in the part. That's what happens watching the magical Judy as Laura Partridge. There are many great comediennes but while Marilyn Monroe was sexier, Lucille Ball wackier and Carole Lombard more stylishly outlandish no one quite had the special sweet radiance and naive intelligence of Miss Holliday. While she is wondrous she isn't the whole show. Paul Douglas and his gruff charm plays well off of her and they are surrounded by an absolutely great cast of some of the best character actors working in film at the time. The story is a pleasant far fetched little fable, a sort of David versus Goliath reworking. Sit back and enjoy.

You'll have to wait until the very end of the film to actually see The Solid Gold Cadillac. Such a vehicle I doubt would run, I rather think this was gold sheeting. Maybe even gold paint. Paul Douglas is the president of a big conglomerate that he built from the ground up. Now he's getting out to take a big job in Washington, in the Defense Department which is always hiring business executives. More in the Eisenhower administration than in most others for this was the presidency which had Charles E. Wilson who opined during his Senate confirmation hearings that 'what's good for General Motors is good for the USA'. Lots of folks thought that way then. But as he's taking leave at his last stockholder's meeting 10 shares holder Judy Holliday shows up asking a lot of questions, annoying the rest of the board which has such folks as Ray Collins, John Williams, and Fred Clark on it, but she charms Douglas. Try as I might I could not wrap my mind around the concept of a man succeeding in business as Douglas does and being such a boy scout. To avoid conflict of interest the normal procedure is to put one's holdings in a blind trust. But the fact that his company specifically does not get government contracts at Douglas's say so at the Defense Department is just off the wall. Who knows, they might actually have the low bid and the right product. Still Douglas does what he does and would be actress Holliday is actually hired by the company. But our villains are indeed full of tricks. George S. Kaufman is one of the creators and I find that hard to believe. I think Kaufman was having an off day. Holliday and Douglas do the best they can with limited material as does the rest of the cast.

Lots of commentators here have been referring to Capra. This is enlightening: this comedy, this story of an honest little woman against the riches and corrupt guys who run a corporation, lacks a great director. And Capra sure would have been the best choice to make this movie more than just marginally good. Look, the storyline is good because it was rehearsed and played so many times on stage and so are the actors since they were already in the play or had a chance to see it. But the mise en scene is lame. So many important if not climactic scenes are shot on the same level as the rest... it's a pity. The movie's breath is that of a dozing director. No rush, no hush, and certainly no plush nor blush. Bottom line: a very good play with very good actors unfortunately shot at stage level, not movie level. Personal: in my opinion: Paul Douglas was a bit too old or too common to be a love interest. If I can daydream of Capra helming this one why not attach Jimmy Stewart?