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.
... View MoreJudy Holliday's best comedy vehicle, a wonderful adaptation of George Kaufman and Howard Teichmann's play, about a struggling actress in New York City who owns ten shares of stock in a large corporation; perplexed as to why the board members do so little and get paid so much, she attends a stockholder's meeting and soon has all the power-suits reeling. Richard Quine directs the proceedings with an assured touch, and teaming Holliday with her "Born Yesterday" stage co-star Paul Douglas was a terrific move (they have a built-in rapport). Douglas gets one of his funniest roles as the former Chairman of the Board who has gone to work in Washington, D.C., setting up a finale which mixes together a touch of Frank Capra with a bit of "Born Yesterday". Some may complain the theme of government--coupled with a wise-beyond-her-own-knowledge heroine--is too close to Judy's previous hit. While that may be true, the actress is so good at playing the innocent gal taking on the corporate sharks, it's not worth quibbling over. Big laughs from start to finish, with a doozy of a tag and fantastic comic support from Fred Clark, John Williams, Neva Patterson, and Madge Blake. ***1/2 from ****
... View MoreWhat 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.
... View MoreWonderful, perfect romp with Judy Holliday doing what she does best...make us laugh, cry and fall in love with her and her characters.Her acting in Solid Gold is as perfect as can be. The script and wonderful character actors, Paul Douglas, Fred Clark, Paul Collins and Neva Patterson, who support her, do their very best to bring this whimsical story to life. Judy may not be a household name to most - but to me, she will be one of the inextinguishable shining angels in the celluloid firmament. Her legacy will live on as long as we want to laugh at ourselves. This movie is a must-see comedy if you like to feel good.
... View More