MovieChat Forums > The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956) Discussion > Josephine Hull

Josephine Hull

posted 13 years ago by HarlowMGM
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The great elderly character actress Josephine Hull (Oscar winner for HARVEY) actually starred in the original Broadway play THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC in the 1950's; Judy Holliday's part was originally written as a nosy old lady and of course there was no romantic involvement with the character and the male lead. They changed it around for a younger actress and Judy was sensational in this but nevertheless I wish somebody at least would have produced a tv version of this play with Miss Hull in it as I can just see her delivering some of the great lines and bits (the gag where Judy refers to herself as not yet married and a career girl probably was much funnier said by the elderly Josephine for instance although I am certainly not knocking Judy's wonderful performance).

[–] poetcomic1 10 years ago

The original 'old lady script' was rather English in feel and reminiscent of the great Ealing comedies of the 1950's. Nothing wrong with that. Judy Holliday was a more dynamic and accomplished comic actress than Josephine Hull. Her timing was uncanny.

[–] HarlowMGM 10 years ago

I have nothing but praise for Judy Holliday's performance - she was an excellent comedienne and the change from old lady to young dizzy gal works very well however talented as she was I would dispute that Judy was "a more dynamic and accomplished comic actress" than Josephine Hull - Ms. Hull was a legendary stage comedienne for half a century and she gives one of the great screen comedy performances in HARVEY - for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar the very same year Judy won Best Actress for BORN YESTERDAY. Ms. Hull is also wonderful in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, one of her few other films, and proves a superb dramatic actress as well on the 1950's tv anthology series LIGHTS OUT in the well-regarded episode "The Man Upstairs" as a neurotic old lady terrified of her mysterious boarder (John Forsthye). Holliday and Hull were both great talents but I think Miss Hull may have been more versatile.

[–] poetcomic1 10 years ago

I wish I liked 'Harvey' but I really, really can't stand that movie. I like almost ALL the classic films except that. Hull certainly was more of a theatrical force than a movie actress.