It Should Happen to You Poster

 

Garson Kanin originally wrote It Should Happen to You as a vehicle for Danny Kaye. When his creative partner and wife Ruth Gordon read it, she knew who would be perfect for the part—Judy Holliday! The script was rewritten for her. What resulted was part satire on the pursuit of fame and part romantic comedy.  At its center is Judy’s character Gladys Glover, an American girl who’s average, but not too average, possessing more than a smidgen of Billie Dawn’s initial ditziness, but a lot more ambition. She wants to make a name for herself. She’s not sure at what or how, but she’s got the will to make her way, and the $1,000 in her bank account will help her.

It Should Happen to You Gladys's Feet

When we first meet Gladys, she’s roaming the park depressed and shoeless. She’s lost her job modeling girdles on account of being ¾ of an inch too wide. A transplant to New York City, she travelled there with the hopes of many young women. She wanted to make it big in the city and not through marriage. Now she’s been there two years, and she fears even if she had not lost her job she would be getting nowhere in her quest not to be nobody. She’s removed her shoes in order to think about what to do next.

It Should Happen to You Altercation

Her shoelessness and a hilarious altercation with another park patron accusing her of trying to pick him up draw the attention of documentary filmmaker Pete Sheppard (Jack Lemmon). He’s another transplant, and the two bond over the unfriendliness of New Yorkers. That may be an in-joke because offscreen Judy and Jack bonded because they were both native New Yorkers in Hollywood. She’s very hard on herself to him saying her name isn’t “much of a name” because “nobody ever heard of it, and I guess nobody ever will.” He thinks she’s on the “young side,” and that’s why she’s so bothered.

It Should Happen to You Serious Talk

In some ways, Gladys’s lament could be made by any person. He or she moves somewhere like a big city and struggles to get ahead or even just to live. The grand ambitions of being important or doing something important can get lost in the daily grind of making that living. Combine that with the alienation involved in living somewhere you don’t know hardly anyone in an unfriendly seeming place, and the world becomes too much for some. As Gladys says, “Some people when they get to that point, when they realize they’re getting nowhere, you know, they just kill themselves. I don’t feel like it.”

It Should Happen to You You'll Get It

As a woman, she knows her options. “The only other thing is to go back home. Do the same thing as everybody else. Go back to work in the shoe factory. Marry the first man that asks or the second. And then good-bye name for yourself. Good-bye dreams. In fact, good-bye Charlie.” Her name could be replaced by her husband’s before she’s done anything with it. She’s presenting two options: Will she keep up her pursuit or give in to conventionality and become somebody’s wife? Pete assures her, “Good luck to you, Gladys. I sure hope you make a name for yourself if that’s what you want. If that’s what you really want, you’ll get it.” He gets her number to call her later, and he does.

It Should Happen to You This Space For Rent

 

It Should Happen to You Epiphany

 

It Should Happen to You Fantasy Billboard

Inspiration strikes when she sees an empty billboard in Columbus Circle! She will spend her savings to put her name up on the billboard. We’re treated to a fantasy sequence of Gladys imaging all the ways her name and image can be painted on the billboard. Judy makes Gladys seem so happy and genuine in her awe that we feel excited for her, too. She has no further plans than seeing her name erected in big letters for the maximum amount of time she can afford. She’s found her way to be “above the crowd.” She sets about her task immediately.

It Should Happen to You Weight Loss Ad

The film shows its screwball comedy roots by making the situation spiral out of control. That one billboard will lead to others and eventually a job of being famous to be famous. Gladys becomes a hit, especially on the TV circuit, where her quirky responses make audiences laugh. Soon those who contributed to her rise will find ways to make money off of her. Her name becomes known, but what will it mean to those who know it? Will success spoil Gladys Glover and cause a rift in her nascent relationship with Pete? Will she make her name stand for something or has she sold-out permanently?

It Should Happen to You Let's Fall in Love Reprise

Hidden within the comedy is a conservatism in Gladys’s represented choices. She can keep pursuing fame and become an oddity, or she can become Pete’s wife. What of a middle way? Kanin hints to us about her remaining ambition at film’s end. All that ambition would need an outlet. Daily household tasks would not be likely releases. Judy “liked playing characters who wouldn’t settle for being ordinary, who struggled to live their lives as responsibly and creatively as possible.” Judy enchants us as Gladys, and we want Gladys to be happy. We don’t want Gladys to settle even if she settles down with Pete. Judy keeps enough sparkle in Gladys’s eyes to hint at this third option.

 

CMBA May 2014 Blogathon Fabulous Films of the 50s Banner

This post has been part of the Classic Movie Blog Association‘s blogathon Fabulous Films of the 50s. Find its other fun and fabulous entries here.

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Beth Ann Gallagher

10 Comments

  1. Reply

    Aurora

    May 27, 2014

    Love this movie and Judy Holiday in it – happiness is a Kanin rewrite for the likes of her talents! You then add Jack Lemmon and this becomes a favorite! I think he’s a perfect match for Judy and I wish they’ made more films together. Fantastic choice for the blogathon and your post is a fun read.

    Aurora

    • Reply

      msbethg

      July 12, 2014

      Thanks! Yes, it is too bad that Judy and Lemmon did not get to make more films together. They worked well onscreen and off. He was one of her leading men that Judy befriended, and she wanted him to succeed. He would later praise her and her acting when interviewed about her. What could have been?!?

  2. Reply

    Vintage Cameo

    May 27, 2014

    I haven’t seen this one, but it sounds adorable! The “Fame! Fortune! Fellers!” tagline itself was enough to make me laugh out loud (which seems like a good sign), and Judy and Jack look absolutely charming together. Great ’50s pick!

    • Reply

      msbethg

      July 12, 2014

      When you get the chance, do! TCM airs it sometimes. It’s available to watch on Amazon, too. Judy and Lemmon work well together. Plus, the movie examines fame and celebrity in a way that’s relevant today.

  3. Reply

    Jacqueline T. Lynch

    May 28, 2014

    A charming post. Judy Holliday was something special. One can sense her delight in absurdity, particularly in the most “normal” aspects of our lives. A really nice contribution to this fun blogathon, thanks.

    • Reply

      msbethg

      July 12, 2014

      Thank you! Judy really was something special. She favored characters that were trying to make something of themselves, so her portrayal of Gladys is done with a loving sense of humor.

  4. Reply

    The Lady Eve

    May 31, 2014

    I happened to see “It Should Happen to You” before “Born Yesterday,” so it was my introduction to the unique and endearing onscreen persona of Judy Holliday. What a special talent.

    Given the era in which this film is set (and the limited opportunities for women lacking money, social standing and an elite education), one option for Gladys might’ve involved partnering with Pete in his filmmaking projects (a la Kanin and Ruth Gordon?), and who knows where that might’ve taken her.

    • Reply

      msbethg

      July 12, 2014

      She really was a special talent. I first saw her in Adam’s Rib. I like how you saw her in It Should Happen to You before Born Yesterday. They’re both great performances, but you worked your way up to her most remembered role.

      I can’t imagine Gladys being happy simply being a housewife. She likely could have been a good one, We’re shown she has domestic skills, but she has ambition and drive that needed focus. I wonder if Pete would have been able to work with her? Not all couples can work together. He seemed miserable when she was famous and stood for nothing. Would he have been ready for a wife as a partner outside of the domestic sphere?

  5. Reply

    KimWilson

    June 3, 2014

    I haven’t seen many Judy Holliday films, this one included, but she always seems to emit a lot of energy in her roles. I think this film sounds like a precursor to what was to come in her celebrity-obsessed culture with everyone wanting to be famous. I could help but think of the Kardashians and Paris Hilton when I read that Judy’s character gets notoriety just from a billboard and starts to make the talk show/variety show circuit.

    • Reply

      msbethg

      July 12, 2014

      Kim, you’re correct when you connect this film with our contemporary celebrity culture! This movie prefigured today’s urge to be famous versus yesteryear’s urge to be known for accomplishments. From Angelyne famous only for her billboards in the 80s (Did she watch this movie?) to today’s reality TV stars, there are a lot of people famous for being famous. They’re products and brands with no real message. Judy brings a lot of energy and humanity to her role. She empathizes with Gladys’s drive and ambition even though it might not be correctly focused.

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