THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF JUDY HOLLIDAY
Judy Holliday’s cinematic career took off like a comet in 1950 with the release of BORN YESTERDAY. One of the most gifted comedians in Hollywood history, she brought strength, vulnerability and perfect timing to her many blondes. Though she made only seven films in her last decade of work, Holliday was a fixture on Broadway and captivated audiences in every role. She left us too soon at age 43, but her body of work is nothing short of astonishing. The Heights is proud to present four of her comedy classics, little seen in theaters today.
THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF JUDY HOLLIDAY
THURSDAY MAY 1 | 7:30 PM
BORN YESTERDAY IN 35MM
1950 | D: GEORGE CUKOR
JUDY HOLLIDAY, WILLIAM HOLDEN, BRODERICK CRAWFORD
ALL SEATS
$16.00 - in person$16.75 - on line
75TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING!
Billie Dawn (Holliday) is a blonde bombshell, a former dancer who is now the fiancée of a corrupt junkyard tycoon, Harry (Broderick Crawford). Problem: Harry’s hoping to buy himself a congressman, and in D.C. he’s finding out that Billie’s foul mouth offends the dignitaries he needs to impress. Enter Paul Verrall (William Holden), a journalist looking for a scoop. When Harry asks Paul to help polish his tarnished fiancée, little does Harry realize an educated Billie might not cotton to being a stooge anymore. With BORN YESTERDAY, Judy Holliday reprised her role in the smash Broadway hit, took the nation by storm, and won a surprising Best Actress Oscar in what has become one of the funniest—and most influential—comedies of all time.
35mm print - Sony Pictures.
THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF JUDY HOLLIDAY
THURSDAY MAY 8 | 7:30 PM
BELLS ARE RINGING
1960 | D: VINCENTE MINNELLI
JUDY HOLLIDAY, DEAN MARTIN
ALL SEATS
$13.00 - in person$13.75 - on line
65TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING!
Ella (Holliday) runs Susanswerphone, a successful answering service, and though she’s just supposed to take down messages, she can’t help but get involved in her clients’ lives. Case in point: Jeffrey Moss (Dean Martin) a struggling playwright with a drinking problem (and they cast ol’ Dean-o?!?) Dispirited over a potential failure, Jeffrey hits the bottle, so Ella takes it upon herself to help the man out, with hilarious results. Reprising her Broadway smash, Holliday has never been more charming.
THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF JUDY HOLLIDAY
THURSDAY MAY 15 | 7:30 PM
IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU IN 35MM
1954 | D: GARSON KANIN
JUDY HOLLIDAY, JACK LEMMON
ALL SEATS
$16.00 - in person$16.75 - on line
75TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING!
Gladys (Holliday) has been struggling in New York for two long years. After having been fired, she sits in Central Park, where she meets documentary filmmaker Pete Sheppard (Jack Lemmon), who films her for his movie about the everyday people of the city. He’s smitten, and so is she—except in her case, it’s with an enormous billboard overlooking Columbus Circle. Using the thousand bucks she’s saved, she has an ad agency slap her name on it, and off she goes, rocketing to fame almost overnight. This loony cautionary tale is equal parts funny, charming, and romantic, and was Jack Lemmon’s first star turn.
35mm print - Sony Pictures.
THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF JUDY HOLLIDAY
THURSDAY MAY 22 | 7:30 PM
PHFFFT
1954 | D: MARK ROBSON
JUDY HOLLIDAY, JACK LEMMON, KIM NOVAK
ALL SEATS
$13.00 - in person$13.75 - on line
Poor Nina and Robert (Holliday and Jack Lemmon). Married for eight years and phffft!, it’s splitsville. So, Robert crashes at the home of his playboy pal Charlie (Jack Carlson) and Nina nurses her grievances over the phone to her mom. It’s the 50s, just get a divorce already! Too bad Nina and Robert can’t live without one another in this sidesplitting, and tender, comedy of manners. Holliday and Lemmon have incredible chemistry, Carlson is the perfect cad, and Kim Novak is on hand as an ingenue with an eye for our man Robert.