"Born Yesterday" is a heartbreaking movie made in 1950. Mind you, in 1950 it was a bit of a comedy, not a heartbreaker. But, watching it today (literally), I felt my eyes well up at some of the scenes and some of the ideas expressed.

For those unfamiliar, it's the story of a "self-made man"; people here would think him the protagonist, but he's not really "self-made". He's not so much a Hank Rearden as an Orrin Boyle. Harry (Broderick Crawford), the villain of the story, started out poor, and by wheeling and dealing, became wealthy and powerful in the scrap metal business. This would be alright, but "wheeling and dealing" in his case didn't mean trading value for value and often meant trading favors for favors and threats for favors. Even murder.

The conflict is "Billie" (nee "Emma") (Judy Holiday). See, she doan talk so good, and she ain't none too bright, and Harry's come to Washington, see, ta do bidness; ta get an amendment tacked onta a bill what will make him some money, see?

Enter Paul Verral (William Holden), a reporter back when most all reporters acted like they worked for Fox News instead of Entertainment Tonight. He tries to get an interview with Harry, but Harry's not havin' none o' dat.

So, Billie, in her ignorance, embarrasses Harry one night. So, what Harry does, see, is he gets dis Paul Verral character ta teach Billie ta talk good. Ya know, show her da ropes and such. $200 a week fer lessons.

Paul takes him up on it, and his ulterior motive is clear almost immediately. Besides trying to win Billie, he's really trying to teach her what a crook her boyfriend his, and why that's a bad thing.

In an initial conversation, the heartbreak begins. Billie says that Harry told Paul that she's stupid.
Billie: "He's right. I'm stupid and I like it. "

She goes on to explain that she gets what she wants so why learn? Paul quips, "...so long as you know what you want".
This echos Francisco D'Anconia's "Money Speech" in part:
“Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants: money will not give him a code of values, if he’s evaded the knowledge of what to value, and it will not provide him with a purpose, if he’s evaded the choice of what to seek."

His continual tripping up of her basic assumptions and complacency is a treat, especially as you watch her wake up to the world around her; learning how the country was meant to be vs how it is. It's particularly touching when she relates the story of her father... an honest, decent, good *productive* man.

Holden keeps making the mistake of referring to us as a democracy, but that was a common tactic back then.

Harry's right hand man in Washington is a corrupt lawyer, who we find out could have been assistant attorney general of the U.S. Now he spends most of his time, when he's not doing Harry's dirty work, with is nose in a glass of booze.

There's another scene where Billie encounters a Congressman whom Harry just finished browbeating; a bought-and-paid-for corrupt politician. Billie confronts him, and quietly, and unintentionally, shames the man, simply by relating what she's been learning; that when Harry browbeats him, he's browbeating the 315,405 people whom he represents.
She reminds him that being a Congressman is a great thing. Her quiet words of support beat him down more than all of Harry's bombastic tirade.

Harry's problems multiply when Billie, who technically owns all of Harry's properties, starts applying what she's learned. She wants to read stuff before she signs it. Eventually, Harry loses his temper and beats her, forcing her to sign.

Francisco D'Anconia's words echoed in my mind again as I saw Harry backhand her repeatedly:

"So long as men live together on earth and need means to deal with one another–their only substitute, if they abandon money, is the muzzle of a gun.
...
"Then the race goes, not to the ablest at production, but to those most ruthless at brutality. When force is the standard, the murderer wins over the pickpocket. "

Billie gets the paperwork for Harry's corrupt legislative deal to Paul, who hides it. And then goes back to get Billie.

There's a confrontation, which climaxes in Harry's attempt to strangle Paul. Harry's right-hand man, Jim, pulls him off, and explains to him how it's all over, how he can't use the strong-arm tactics anymore. Harry tries to bribe Paul, who won't be bribed. Billie reminds him that, regardless, she owns all his property...

But, she tells Harry... she'll give it all back... one property a year. So long as Harry behaves himself.

There's a lot of condemnation of crony capitalism in the movie, and a lot of noble rhetoric and famous names thrown around. Sadly, it was made at a time before most anyone made a distinction between free market capitalism and crony capitalism, and so much of it passes as a condemnation of "self-made men".

What makes the movie a heartbreaker is how much of the rhetoric echos current events, and our government as it is more generally run today.

It's well worth watching.


(there's a remake starring Melanie Griffith, Don Johnson and John Goodman, but it's not nearly as good, and is even more of a condemnation of capitalism and wealth in general.