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A true comedienne is something of a rarity. Judy Holliday will always be remembered as one of the stage and screen's finest comediennes. The problem facing top comedians has always been finding the right material to suit their talents. More often than not they find themselves saddled with inferior material, (Bob Hope, Peter Sellers, Jerry Lewis….the list goes on).

In her brief screen career Judy Holliday was fortunate in having vehicles that managed to show off her talents. Yet there remains a nagging sense that even a movie as successful as "It Should Happen to You", does not quite do Holliday justice. It's pleasant and amusing viewing, but ultimately Holliday deserved more.

A young Jack Lemmon proves an almost perfect foil for Holliday. In his very first screen role he is a pleasure to watch. As the years passed Lemmon began to lean more and more on his famed idiosyncrasies.

The theme of "It Should Happen to You" is as relevant as ever in its dealing with the public's fascination with vacuous celebrity. Clearly not much has changed over the past fifty years.

A lonely women feeling insignificant rents a giant billboard in the high traffic locale of Columbus Circle to gain notoriety. That's the premise of 'It Should Happen To You'. Best known for being Jack Lemmon's first film (he would go on to win a supporting Oscar for 'Mr. Roberts' in 1956 - a mere two years later) and also starring a dashing Peter Lawford, mid career and recently released from his MGM contract, this Judy Hollliday rom com (she won an Oscar for 'Born Yesterday' in 1951) revolves around the pursuit and consequence of sudden dubiously acquired fame. Sound familiar? It's relatable enough, but instead of thefacebook and YouTube, the post war era of commerical advertising and television are the medium to fame and fortune. Judy Holliday made a career out of playing the unsophisticated and guileless "dumb bunny" and Lemmon plays the affable guy next door (that would be the mainstay of his early movie roles). Holliday is not a comedian, she is an actress who finds herself in comedic situations, which lends an emotional depth to her performance. Lemmon and Lawford were close in age but it's Lemmon's kinetic earnest energy and confident ease, representative of the new generation of actors of that era, that leaps through the screen and is in direct contrast to the tempered and old school reserve of Peter Lawford. Garson Kanin, responsible for the smart snappy banter made famous by Spencer and Hepburn in classics like 'Adam's Rib', wrote the screenplay and so the dialogue has a familiar rhythm but without the gravitas. The result is a light, cheery and unsubstantial movie.

Jack Lemmon makes his screen debut in a surprisingly average comedy given that it came from Cukor and Kanin. It relies too much on the questionable charm of its not-so-dumb-blonde leading lady, but is at least prescient in the way it anticipates the modern phenomenon of celebrities with no discernible talents who are famous merely for being famous.

The Garson Kanin screenplay isn't out of his top drawer, but it has a cute idea at the heart of it, one that has become more timely with the passing years: Celebrity can be bought. Judy Holliday plays a nobody who wants to be a somebody, and with the help of a cynical agent and a clever marketing ploy, she becomes one. Indeed, with the media machine grown so disproportionately huge since, this movie cries out for a remake. But who could ever match Holliday's musical, clinically precise line readings, or her wide-eyed facial expressions? There really is only one of her.

Jack Lemmon, in his movie debut, is likeable and accomplished, and some amusing faces turn up in supporting and cameo roles -- Constance Bennett, Ilka Chase, Peter Lawford. There's some gritty New York location filming, approximately where Lincoln Center is now (and where "West Side Story" was shot years later), adding to the verite motif in the subplot (Lemmon plays a documentary filmmaker).

With Cukor's sure direction, everybody seems to be having a wonderful time. So will you.

The opening 15 minutes of this film grabs you and hold your attention as Judy Holliday who plays a yet unknown model named Gladys Glover (Judy Holliday) is trying to make it big in the big apple New York City. Gladys Glover meets for the first time filmmaker Pete Sheppard (Jack Lemmon in his first feature film) in Central Park and unbeknownst to Gladys, Peter the film maker has immediately fallen in love with the barefoot in Central Park model currently unknown, Gladys.

Very quickly though Gladys goes from being just another visitor to New York City to being the most wanted model as her name is plastered on billboards across the city skyline. It is unfortunate that she passed away far too early at the age of 44 in the prime of her life and her acting career.

Pete's funny way of romancing Gladys who is also being wooed by a rich and handsome Evan Adams III (Peter Lawford) makes for an interesting romance/comedy well worth seeing.

I give it a 6 out of 10 IMDB rating

Judy Holliday was very lucky that she and Garson Kanin worked together so frequently. He had written the Broadway play BORN YESTERDAY that made her a stage star. He wrote the screenplay for her first major film, ADAM'S RIB, with his wife Ruth Gordon. Aided immeasurably by the directing of George Cukor, their success record continued in 1954 with IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU. While BORN YESTERDAY dealt with political corruption, and ADAM'S RIB with the equality of the sexes in the law (in the extreme case of the use of the so-called "unwritten law"), IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU is about the nature of fame and notoriety in modern society.

Gladys Glover (Judy) gets the idea of renting a large billboard near New York City's Columbus Circle, and having her photograph put on it. She's not afraid of doing such a nutty idea - she is a professional model. But her billboard would be advertising just her - not a product or company. The billboard has traditionally been used as the central ad-board for a soap corporation, owned by aristocratic and handsome Peter Lawford. He proceeds to try to romance Judy to get her to give up her lease of the board (which will end in a few months). But the huge degree of notice the board brings to Judy turns her life around. Although she has no message for the public, the public embraces her.

The one active critic she meets is a good looking young documentary maker, who can't see what she is gaining by this. It is not that Judy needs fame - she seems quite level headed. Moreover, the young man is growing jealous at the attentions showed by Lawford to her. He's a really nice young fellow (who would appear in another film with Judy shortly afterward). His name was Jack Lemmon. Usually people thinking of Lemmon's long career recall MR. ROBERTS as his first role. His performance as Ensign Pulver did win an Oscar, but he had made about three movies before that film, and his first role is here.

Michael Shea is also in the film, as a critic who first dismisses Judy as a fiction, like "Kilroy", but subsequently becomes an evil genius to her - becoming her overly forceful agent. And Judy does have to go through some real soul searching here as she determines whether notoriety and fame is worth the trouble it brings.

The film is funnier than this description may suggest. It ranks behind THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC and BORN YESTERDAY as her best comic performance, completing an interesting trilogy commentary on society in the U.S. at mid-century.

Judy Holliday as Gladys Glover, working girl of the 50's just looking for her 15 minutes of fame, finds more than that with Jack Lemmon as Pete Sheppard. Judy has a gift for capturing the childlike quality of the pure of heart "dumb blonde". It is oh so sad that we lost this comedic genius well before her time. But at least we have this treasure with Jack Lemmon at his comedic best opposite her. Add this all time comedic classic to your film library.

This immensely funny comedy, which we had seen years ago, popped up suddenly on cable. It was just a reminder of those innocent years of New York in the 50s. It shows what a great director, George Cukor, working with a frequent collaborator, Garson Kanin, can do as they bring magic to Manhattan.

New York is a magnet for people with dreams and ambitions that come to the city to make their name known, as is the case of Gladys Glover, a transplant from upstate that hasn't yet made her mark in Gotham. It doesn't take long before Gladys is a minor celebrity because of her name being plastered all over town in billboards that only show her name.

There's a funny scene that takes place in Macy*s where Gladys had gone shopping with Pete Sheppard. She's buying towels that are on sale for 54 cents! Oh, and there are others for 64 cents! When she gives her name to the sales lady, the woman immediately realizes she has a celebrity in her department because she can see Gladys' name through an open window! Talk about logic, Mr. Kanin, or even Mr. Cukor, probably never set foot on the Herald Square store: there are no windows in any of the big Manhattan department stores!

The brilliant Judy Holliday makes this picture her own. She was such an accomplished comedienne that she could do anything and outshine anyone near her. It's a shame this funny lady's life was cut short of an impressive career in the stage and in movies. Ms. Holliday was an actress who brought a lot of joy to any of the roles she undertook, as proved here; we don't doubt for a moment she is Gladys because she acts without any effort.

Jack Lemmon, in his first movie, is also very likable as the documentary photographer, Pete Sheppard, who can't help himself falling in love with Gladys. Mr. Lemmon showed his huge talent from the beginning. Playing opposite Ms. Holliday must have been the answer to any aspiring young actor starting in films. He was also a natural who could do anything at all on the stage and later in his long years in front of the camera.

Watching this film is like taking a nostalgic trip to the New York of that era.

A 1954 comedy starring Judy Holliday & Jack Lemmon (in his film debut) directed by George Cukor (The Women/A Star is Born). A woman strolls along the park where she meets cute w/a documentarian who takes note of an argument she's having w/a fellow park denizen. Holliday is a recent transplant to New York where she feels moorless but when she sees a sizable blank building wall for rent (for ads & such), she strikes upon the idea to take over the space w/her name the sole occupant. At first the landlords want to buy back the space since they have a more lucrative offer (from future Rat Packer Peter Lawford) but a price is not agreed upon so the agency offers Holliday a trade for at least six other spaces throughout the city causing a stir amongst the inhabitants to find out who this person is. Now a celebrity model, she finds herself at odds w/the attention her scheme has gotten her which alienates Lemmon & forces them to define their relationship. Holliday, who I only know from Born Yesterday (which I still haven't seen), shines in the role w/her guileless street smarts complementing her winsome looks to perfection. Lemmon is more low key here than we'd come to find him in later years but makes enough of an impression to see the star he'd become.

This is probably both Judy Holliday's and Jack Lemmon's happiest film, or at least one of them. It was Jack Lemmon's first, and George Cukor's problem with him was that he was a little too good and always overdid it, but as such he was ideal for Judy Holliday who was the opposite - always getting in on understatements. Her sense of humour is something unique in American film, always funny especially when she is dead serious, and in all her films you always suspect there is something dark and tragic under all that brilliant sunshine of sparkling wit and good humour, and she did die far too early at only 43. The comedy is one of the best and sunniest ever produced in Hollywood, and the main credit goes to Garson Kanin, who wrote the script. It is actually a satire on the career and advertising business, and the urge to make a name for oneself and be a success by some glorious career is exploited for fun but never in a negative sense. It reminds very much of Carole Lombard's best comedies in the 30s, like the Ben Hecht hilarious satire "Nothing Sacred" - it's the same kind of reckless making fun of how the vanity of society works. George Cukor himself must have thoroughly enjoyed making it, especially as he also could enjoy how well Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon went together.

This movie was made at a time when Reality TV wasn't in the vocabulary, yet it foretold the future, in this tale of a young woman (Judy Holliday) who longs for fame and hates being unknown, prompting her to rent billboard space, so everyone in New York City will know the name Gladys Glover! She gets her wish and discovers it's not all she thought it would be.

Jack Lemon was on the road to fame with his portrayal of Pete Sheppard, the young man Gladys meets in Central Park, who's soon a tenant in her west side apartment building, then her boyfriend, then the guy she loses and must win back (in a reversal of the usual boy-meets-girl routine).

Peter Lawford plays the other man in the picture, wealthy Evan Adams, whose family company wanted the billboard space Gladys rented and made a deal with her, launching her "reality" career, and sparking Evan's interest in the new "star", though his intentions are not exactly honorable!

There are some great location shots, a chance to see some scenes of New York City in the 1950's. This is a fun and entertaining movie.

Unemployed Holliday is unhappy with her lot in life and decides to rent out a huge billboard and plaster her name across it. Fame etc follows as does competing friendships between slimy lothario Lawford and Lemmon, only interested in what's best for her.

Witty enough with an engaging performance from Holliday, it is though all terribly predictable without being quite sharp enough and despite its age, the messages about the best things in life are really hammered home. This was Lemmon's first film role - and he practically walks off with the film, oozing comic timing and future star power potential.

A cute story about a woman who gets it in her head to make herself a celebrity just by putting her name all over town, AND it works, but at what cost?? The great Judy Holiday plays Gladys Glover. She buys time on a few billboards around town to show off her name. Next thing she knows Peter Lawford is after her for one of those billboards for his drug store chain. In return he offers her several other billboards and to model for his ads. He wines and dines our dear Gladys to get what he wants. Throw in Jack Lemmon(in a early performance) who just wants Gladys to stay the little sweet unknown girl that he fell in love with, and you get this funny little comic gem. Here's hoping it comes out soon in DVD.....

I have a friend who has always wanted to be famous. Not famous for doing something, like writing a novel or acting in a movie or robbing a bank, but simply for existing.

Apparently, there have always been people like my friend, because It Should Happen to You is about a woman who comes up with a scheme for attaining fame unattached to greater purpose.

This movie could be described as likable actors making unlikable characters likable. Holliday, who begins the movie by obliviously tossing bird on a man, is a narcissist. Lemmon is the guy who claims he loves her yet continually harangues her. And sure, Holliday's idea is nuts, but why does Lemmon continually attacks her dream, and, for that matter, why on earth does he like her?

It is a tribute to Holliday that she manages to make it all work, exuding a mix of sex, innocence, softness and steel that suggests someone more interesting than the script is offering.

Holliday is funny and likable, and for that reason I'd say this is worth watching.

Sometimes i heard the name of Judy Holliday. But i had never seen her work. Suddenly, a lovely comedy appeared.

"It should happen to you" tell us about the real dreams, and the false dreams. Gladys Glover, is a name difficult to forget. Our charming character wants to be somebody, and she try to make reality that dream. But she makes it in the mistaken way. Because, maybe is more important the real love of a man than a fake illusion. The illusion of be famous.

Since the naked feet in the park, "It should happen to you" is a great comedy. A comedy about the love, the dreams and ... of course ... big billboards with names.

Recommended for any occasion. Especially, if you want to see a real comedy.

*sorry, if there any mistake there

Aspiring model comes to New York and concocts a novel idea to advertise herself - her name on billboards. This is a pleasant little comedy that benefits tremendously from the presence of Holliday. In fact, she's the whole show as the kooky blonde named Gladys Glover, a simple, good-hearted young lady who revels in her 15 minutes of fame. It is lamentable that the actress had such a brief career before her untimely death. Lemmon makes his film debut here, establishing the sensitive, hyperactive good-guy persona that he would go on to play variations of pretty much throughout his career. This was the last of a half-dozen films that Kanin and Cukor collaborated on.

What can I say about It Should Happen To You? It has the perfect cast--Peter Lawford, the always-wonderful Judy Holliday, and Jack Lemmon in his first starring role. It has a great plot--a woman (Holliday) who wants to make a name for herself, who wants to be famous, more than anything else, and who goes about it by putting her name on a billboard in New York City. From there it escalates to several billboards, then a national soap campaign sponsored by Lawford's soap company. Lemmon, who's in love with her, thinks she's crazy and obsessed. All in all, a classic movie, with dozens of great scenes, particularly the one with Holliday in Lawford's apartment. The chemistry between the stars is perfect. I highly recommend it.

One of the reasons I didn't know this film must be the terrible, forgettable title. However, it's a lovely film. What a debut for Jack Lemmon! Assured, slick, great timing. Pete Sheppard was the only character that didn't verge on caricature.

Judy Holliday is great as the scatty, crazy, fame-seeker, and just about convinces as Gladys' character develops.

Flimsy plot, but a subject worth dealing with: the pointlessness of fame for its own sake. Current generation of kids, take note!

Nice shots of 1950s New York and portrayal of the excitement of live TV broadcasting.

It's sad that Judy Holliday made so few movies before dying very prematurely in 1965. She had a marvelous screen presence--earthy but extremely likable. Here, as usual, she is in top form as the sweet but ditsy Gladys Glover. However, unlike several of her other films, this one featured a supporting performance that was so well done that for once, my attention was not just on Holliday. Jack Lemmon is here in his first film and he is marvelous as well. This is NOT in the same way as Holliday, but as a sweet everyman sort of character--one that actually improved the film tremendously. Together, they were better than any of Holliday's other films. Teaming her with talented actors such as William Holden ("Born Yesterday"), Dean Martin ("The Bells Are Ringing") and Aldo Ray ("The Marrying Kind") worked fine--but the Lemmon-Holliday teaming was perfect.

The film begins with Holliday and Lemmon meeting in Central Park. She has just lost her job and he is a struggling documentary film maker getting shots for his next film. They begin to talk and it's obvious that there is some lovely chemistry between the characters. You really, really like the two and want to see them fall in love. And, so it would appear until something weird happened. On a lark, Holliday buys billboard space on which she simply has her name written. At first, nothing comes of it, but soon a lot of unexpected publicity results and Holliday becomes an instant star. While this would seem great, it drives a wedge between her and Lemmon. I liked this, as in some other romantic comedies, the guy is a jerk who just doesn't understand. In this case, your heart breaks for Lemmon, as he is wronged repeatedly as Holliday's attention is taken away from this sweet guy. For example, you can't help but feel for the shmoe when she blows off their date--their date to meet his parents! Can Judy get her head on straight and realize that there is more to life than publicity and notoriety? Or, will she lose the man in her life who is worth having? See this film and find out for yourself.

There is a lot to love about about the film. The acting is first-rate, the writing is perhaps even better (if it's possible) and this little film packs an amazing punch. Sweet, memorable and perhaps Holliday's best--this is a great example of simple and highly effective film making. Not to be missed!

A documentary filmmaker in New York's Central Park meets an unemployed young woman and unwittingly gives her an idea for self-promotion; she rents a large advertising space in Columbus Circle and has nothing but her name painted across it, resulting in curiosity, television spots, and a possible romance with a beauty soap czar. Screenwriter Garson Kanin fashioned this frustrating comedy about celebrity into a vehicle for Holliday, who is deliberately at half-mast for a laugh. Holliday's character is an unreal creation: while she is dazzled by the sight of her name on a billboard, she's movie-virtuous and above deceiving the public with untrue advertisements or in accepting the advances of the Lothario (who doesn't seem to have any connection with her, anyhow). She loves the filmmaker (played in a low-key by the debuting Jack Lemmon), but he's of the old-fashioned (i.e., selfish) opinion that sudden fame comes at too high a price--particularly for him as the potential boyfriend of a starlet. It's the old "your career or me" ploy, and the laughs quickly dry up as Holliday realizes her ambition was not to be famous but to be loved. The performances are nearly likable enough to make the picture worth-watching, but George Cukor directs in waning spirits. ** from ****