Charming satire in which Lemmon made a winning debut opposite the flawless Holliday.
Holliday is Gladys Glover (a name you'll never forget once you've seen the film), a poor model from Binghampton who has come to New York. She's spotted by film documentarian Pete Sheppard (Lemmon), who is roaming Central Park with his camera. When Gladys looks up and sees an empty billboard, she
promptly uses all her money to have her name painted there in huge letters. Suddenly, all of New York is wondering who she is and why she's done this. Lawford plays Evan Adams III, an executive for a huge soap company who wants the billboard for his products, making a deal with Gladys whereby he
gives her several other billboards in return for the big one. Gladys and Pete become lovers, but he doesn't like what is transpiring. He thinks his feckless love is cheapening herself, and he wishes she would stop the campaign and settle in with him. Fame follows her, however, and she becomes a
celebrity, appearing on talk shows and doing commercials. Pete leaves her in disgust, but that's just until they get back together for a customary happy ending.
IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU benefits from fine performances from some wonderful farceurs, a witty Kanin script, and Cukor's light-hearted direction. Melvine Cooper, Wendy Barrie, Constance Bennett, and Ilka Chase spoof the inanities of TV talk shows perfectly, and Lemmon and Holliday also get a chance
to sing with "Let's Fall in Love," which had been written (by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler) almost 20 years earlier. In a tiny role, John Saxon is the young man who watches the argument in the park. Jean Louis' costumes were nominated for an Oscar. leave a comment
