Judy Holliday

When she's remembered, Judy Holliday is mainly known for her role in Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday as gun moll turned citizen.

Judy Holliday was brilliant. She was a smart and funny, a member of a Village improv group called the Revuers. She was committed to a wide range of political causes, including serving on the radical Voice of Freedom Committee along with Dorothy Parker and Paul Robeson, and supporting the Civil Rights Congress.

Great review in Jump Cut about Being the Ricardos, the recent biopic about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Of interest to those interested in gender and TV history is its treatment of Judy Holliday, apparently the object of Ball's criticism. Evidence that Hollywood still loves a catfight between powerful women, rather than telling the more complicated and interesting story of two women who had obvious political and artistic differences.

A nice tribute to Judy Holliday, by film and video archivist and appraiser Audrey Kupferberg! Holliday was born 100 years ago today, and died tragically young of cancer, at the age of 44. 

Sometimes, getting on the television blacklist came down to having supported an event in the past, often many years ago.

Had a great conversation with Kurt Anderson about the Broadcast 41--lots of terrific clips of their work, thanks to the hard work of Zoe Saunders and others on the show. You can listen to it here.

There's a new off-Broadway play--Smart Blonde--about the incredible, funny, and brilliant Judy Holliday.

Holliday was in the comedy group the Revuers in Greenwich Village in the 1930s--Lillian Hellman was a fan! Gary Carey wrote a decent biography of Holliday--Judy Holliday: An Intimate Life Story (don't be totally put off by the title).