 The role of the ditzy movie diva Lina Lamont was written with  Judy Holliday (qv) in mind. Holliday was a close friend of  Betty Comden (qv) and Adolph Green (qv) and they even modeled  the character on routines they had worked up with Holliday back when  they were part of a satirical group called The Revuers in New York.  Timing was everything, however, and the idea of casting Holliday was  vetoed after she hit it big in _Born Yesterday (1950)_ (qv).  Everyone figured shed be uninterested in the supporting part but,  as it turned out, the lovely Jean Hagen (qv), Hollidays  understudy on Broadway for Born Yesterday, got the part.