In a time when any talentless person can become famous with minimal exertion, the premise of It Should Happen to You might not seem as astonishing as it was when this prophetic look at the power of publicity became an immense commercial and critical success. (Bosley Crowther of The New York Times pronounced it "a neat piece of comic contrivance that will contribute to the joy of man.") Designed as a showcase for Judy Holliday, the film stars the ever-charming comic blonde as small-town girl Gladys Glover, who arrives in New York with stars in her eyes and little in her pocket. Determined to gain the fame she desires despite her lack of talent, Gladys spends the last of her money on hiring a billboard on Columbus Circle emblazoned with nothing but her name. Soon the mystery has the city abuzz, television stations calling, and Gladys pursued by a suave soap company executive (Peter Lawford, with whom Holliday had an affair during the film's shoot). Despite the vaunted talent surrounding him, Jack Lemmon made an instant mark in his first film appearance as Gladys' solemn boyfriend, an aspiring documentary filmmaker , inspiring Crowther to note "As for this new young man, Jack Lemmon — a fugitive from TV, we are told — he has a warm and appealing personality. The screen should see more of him."