Themes: Traitorous Spies/Double Agents, Women During Wartime, Opposites Attract
Main Cast: Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, Jeremy Kemp, Lance Percival, Mike Witney
Release Year: 1970
Country: US
Run Time: 130 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Plot
Julie Andrews made a bid to change her squeaky clean image with this elaborately mounted World War I musical. Lili Smith (Andrews) is a popular British music hall singer who is regarded as a femme fatale and has been known to throw a bit of striptease into her act. However, Lili has a secret: she's actually a German spy, and the uncle she dotes upon is really Von Ruger (Jeremy Kemp), a fellow espionage agent and her contact for the Huns. In hopes of gaining valuable information, Lili begins using her feminine wiles on Maj. William Larrabee (Rock Hudson), a top American pilot. However, Lili soon discovers that she's falling in love with Larrabee and can't find the courage to betray him; Larrabee discovers Lili's secret, but he refuses to turn her in. Darling Lili was a notorious box-office disappointment, grossing a mere $5 million on a budget that rose to $25 million due to a variety of production mishaps. Director Blake Edwards (Andrews' husband) was stung by the poor reception, and he later trimmed the 136-minute film to 114 minutes, downplaying its comic elements in favor of a more serious tone. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Judging from the initial reception afforded Darling Lili, one would have thought Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews had committed a horrible crime by foisting this movie upon the public. Time has helped to correct that judgment, and Lili can now be seen for what it really is: an unfocused and overproduced film with enough assets to make it an entertaining way to spend an evening. Edwards's screenplay is the chief villain; it is a mish-mash of genres -- comedy, drama, spoof, musical, spy film, adventure, epic -- that tries so hard to be faithful to each genre that it never develops a consistency or personality. The changes in tone are frustrating and damage the film, but not fatally, and the film does raise some moral issues which it handles surprisingly well. More importantly, the film showcases Julie Andrews's many talents, allowing her to play a more complicated character than in many of her previous roles while still giving her the chance to let loose with a song in the manner that is uniquely hers. Her performance of "Whistling in the Dark" is especially memorable. There's little chemistry between Andrews and Rock Hudson (whose performance is only adequate), but there's good support from Jeremy Kemp. Edwards's camerawork is exciting (especially in the aerial sequences), and the costumes are period perfect. Lili has been shown in several different forms, each of a different length; the "director's cut" version is the most consistent, stylistically. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Jacques Marin - Duvalle; Andre Maranne - Lt. Liggett; Gloria Paul - Crepe Suzette; Bernard Kay - Bedford; Doreen Keogh - Emma; Carl Duering - Gen. Kessler; Vernon Dobtcheff - Kraus; Ingo Mogendorf - Baron von Richthofen, the Red Baron; James Lanphier; Niall MacGinnis - von Hindenberg; Laurie Main - French General; Louis Mercier - French General
Credit
Hermes Pan - Choreography, Donald Brooks - Costume Designer, Jack Bear - Costume Designer, Mickey McCardle - First Assistant Director, Blake Edwards - Director, Peter Zinner - Editor, Henry Mancini - Composer (Music Score), Johnny Mercer - Composer (Music Score), Allan Snyder - Makeup, Willard Buell - Makeup, Lynn Reynolds - Makeup, Fernando Carrere - Production Designer, Russell Harlan - Cinematographer, Anthony Squire - Cinematographer, Guy Tabary - Cinematographer, Blake Edwards - Producer, Owen Crump - Producer, Ken Wales - Producer, Jack Stephens - Set Designer, Reg Allen - Set Designer, Rex Wimpy - Special Effects, Linwood G. Dunn - Special Effects, Bob Peterson - Special Effects, VanDer Veer Photo Effects - Special Effects, William Peter Blatty - Screenwriter, Blake Edwards - Screenwriter, Irene Caine - Costumes Supervisor
Set during World War I, it centers on Lili Smith (Julie Andrews), a popular British music hall performer who is regarded as a femme fatale. She is actually a German spy, and the uncle she dotes upon is really Colonel Kurt Von Ruger (Jeremy Kemp), a fellow spy and her contact with the German military. In hopes of gaining valuable information, Lili begins using her feminine wiles on Major William Larrabee (Rock Hudson), a top American pilot. However, Lili soon falls in love with Larrabee and cannot find the courage to betray him. When Larrabee discovers Lili's secret, he refuses to turn her in.
Blake Edwards suffered continual interference from Paramount Pictures executives while making the film, and it was eventually edited by the studio largely without his input. The director later satirized the problems he faced in the film S.O.B. (1981).
Darling Lili made use of Lynn Garrison’s aviation facility at Weston Aerodrome, Leixlip, Ireland. This collection of World War I replica fighter aircraft, facilities and support equipment was originally put together in support of 20th Century Fox’s 1966 film The Blue Max. The aerial fleet included a sole Caudron 277, two Fokker DR 1s, three Fokker D VIIs, two Se 5as and two Pfalz D IIIs (all full-scale replicas). In addition, the studio contracted with Slingsby Aircraft Ltd to build six 7/8th scale SE 5s (the "Mini SE 5").[1] The Paramount production utilized the assembled aircraft for thousands of flying hours and accumulated hundreds of hours of aerial footage. Pilots were drawn from the Irish Air Corps and civilian circles. Charles Boddington and Derek Piggott did many of the more spectacular stunts.[1]
The film's distribution was badly managed by Paramount executives and barely got a release in most of the United States. Despite setting box-office records at Radio City Music Hall, the film was a critical and commercial failure. Budgeted at $25 million, it grossed only $5 million in the US, and later earned $3.3 million in videotape rentals.[2]
A widescreenDirector's Cut, significantly shorter than the original release and more serious in tone, was prepared for television in 1988, and this version was transferred to Region 1 DVD. The full original version, complete with overture and exit music, has aired on Turner Classic Movies as well as receiving commercial release on Region 2 DVD in Europe.
Despite being a financial failure, the film did garner important awards and nominations and was a modest success with critics.
Academy Awards
The song "Whistling Away the Dark", music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. It was performed by Julie Andrews at the beginning of the film.
The movie had two other nominations, in costume design (Donald Brooks and Jack Bear) and best original song score (by Henry Mancini).
Golden Globe Awards
Julie Andrews received a nomination for Best Actress, Musical or Comedy, while "Darling Lili" won for Best Original Song. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy.
