It Should Happen to You

"That "Born Yesterday" Bombshell Explodes Again!"

1954 1h 26m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 77

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Gladys Glover has just lost her modeling job when she meets filmmaker Pete Sheppard shooting a documentary in Central Park. For Pete it's love at first sight, but Gladys has her mind on other things, making a name for herself. Through a fluke of advertising she winds up with her name plastered over 10 billboards throughout city.

“That "Born Yesterday" Bombshell Explodes Again!”

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Cast

Judy Holliday
Gladys Glover
Peter Lawford
Evan Adams III
Jack Lemmon
Pete Sheppard
Michael O'Shea
Brod Clinton
Vaughn Taylor
Entrikin
Connie Gilchrist
Mrs. Riker
Walter Klavun
Bert Piazza
Whit Bissell
Robert Grau

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: George Cukor
Writers: Garson Kanin, Garson Kanin
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

72 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by George Cukor, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Friedrich Hollaender. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Charles Nelson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Judy Holliday and Peter Lawford and Jack Lemmon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "That "Born Yesterday" Bombshell Explodes Again!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0047123 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

George Cukor directs. Charles Lang behind the camera. Friedrich Hollaender scores. Charles Nelson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
272 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by George Cukor, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Friedrich Hollaender. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Charles Nelson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Judy Holliday and Peter Lawford and Jack Lemmon carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "That "Born Yesterday" Bombshell Explodes Again!".
8IMDB entry: tt0047123 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 77 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Charles Lang
Original score: Friedrich Hollaender
Editing: Charles Nelson
Costume design: Jean Louis
Makeup / hair: Clay Campbell
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: It Should Happen to You (1954)

Also by

George Cukor

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-05-04
★ 9/10
I love this film so much--another Judy Holliday screwball comedy directed by George Cukor. Notable for the screen debut of Jack Lemmon, Holliday had great screen chemistry with both suitors of her love triangle, Lemmon and Peter Lawford. In today's media-obsessive and Facebook-oriented culture, where selfies and 'food porn' are splashed online whenever people leave their homes, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if this got remade with contemporary twists (here, Holliday pays part of her life savings, simply because she wants her name, 'Gladys Glover', on the largest billboard of New York City, after she loses a modeling job for being too fat--and chaos ensues when Lawford's company, who's father has always utilized that billboard for their ad campaign every summer, wants to know why it's reserved, and with simply the huge words, 'Gladys Glover' on it. Lemmon's doings, both in being so intrigued by her that he moves into her apartment building, right across the hall from her, and in making a documentary film about their meeting, when he incorrectly thinks he's licked and that she's chosen Lawford as her partner, were very nice touches, from the Garson Kanin script. If you come across a film that comes from one of his screenplays, don't hesitate for a moment. Chances are very good that you're in for a real treat. A documentary DVD extra on Lemmon's life and career (which I believe was on my copy of 'Glengarry Glen Ross', but I may be wrong) is called 'Magic Time: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon'. It's great, and well-worth checking out. He sometimes gets short shrift amongst cinephiles because he mostly does comic roles, but he didn't get two Oscars and eight nominations overall for nothing. Though he's more well-known both for his films with Walter Matthau, and as the alter ego of Billy Wilder in seven of his films, check this out if you've ever been a fan. You'll be very pleasantly surprised by this little gem.
barrymost2019-09-28
★ 8/10
Judy Holliday is wonderful in this sparkling little comedy as Gladys Glover, an ex-model with aspirations of stardom. She begins to achieve her big dreams when she blows her life-savings on getting her name plastered on the biggest billboard in town! Jack Lemmon, as her long-suffering, aspiring boyfriend, hits a home run in this, his Hollywood debut. Cute comedy may be a bit corny at times, as well as utterly ridiculous, but it's rather fun to watch. A nicely-done, pleasant diversion. Would I recommend? Yes, to fans of Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon alike, and to those who like a good little comedy.
griggs792025-03-28
★ 6/10
A time capsule from 1950s New York, which is so prominent on screen that it practically becomes a character in its own right. As always, Judy Holliday is great fun as the fame-chasing lead, and Lemmon’s early charm in his debut film shines through. The satire’s light touch and the plot’s a bit fluffy, but it’s an easy, breezy watch. Whilst not a classic, it's good fun if you’re into old-school rom-coms with a playful jab at ambition.