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Will Holtzman (biographer): ”Judy [Holliday] delivered herself to Jean Louis's designing genius, and even he
was amazed at the changes wrought. There were thirteen costumes in all that charted the character's growth
from tacky to tasteful. The early tight-fitting outfits had been a particular worry, given Judy's weight and appar-
ent lack of glamour. But as George Cukor was the first to say, Judy saved her acting for the audience, and he'd
take someone who could act beautiful over a model any day. The moment she put on the costumes, she became

Billie Dawn."

Jean Louis: “When I saw [Judy l-lolliday] the first time in the fitting room, I thought, ‘Oh, my God, what are we
going to do with that?’ She was standing with a sloping shoulder, exactly like this [please use your imagination].'.
..Isaicl, ‘Can you raise your shoulder a little bit?’ She said, ‘Oh, yes.’ She was pretty dreadful. I said, ‘Do you like
this?’ When you get no reaction you get so depressed and you're not sure of yourself. You have to have some-
body who reacts. It gives you inspiration, particularly after fitting and fitting. l was absolutely panicked at the test

. . . and suddenly Judy came on the screen a different woman. She was a great actress."

BORN YESTERDAY (1950) - JEAN LOUIS, COSTUME DESIGNER