"flipper" wrote in message
...

When you say "humanist-liberal" do you mean classical liberalism or
modern liberalism?

Classical. Note the lower case.


At any rate, I see this movie as being sort of (early) transitional.
Go back a decade or so and the basic theme is the 'inherent goodness'
of the common man with the sophisticates often getting a lesson. Like
in, say, Mr Smith Goes to Washington.

Here. as you pointed out, Holiday turns on Crawford only after she's
'tutored' on principles by the 'educated' man. Holden, himself, makes
the point with "A world full of ignorant people is too dangerous to
live in." (I do think there's a tinge of intellectual snobbery in
Holden's character.)

I completely agree it's about morals but I don't think it can be
separated from the 'intellectual' argument and seems to me they're
inextricably linked even in your explanation. She becomes 'moral'
as a 'result' but remove the 'intellectualism' and the implication is
she wouldn't.

That's a significant shift from the natural goodness of the common
man theme.

Good points.