Starring Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, Jeremy Kemp, and Gloria Paul
Directed by Blake Edwards
Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Our second epic musical this week had an even more troubled production. Andrews was desperate to prove she was ready to be more than a magical nanny or a frivolous flapper. Edwards envisioned her in a small-scale World War I action romance with music, but Paramount had loftier plans. They wanted everything big - big musical numbers for Andrews, big budget, widescreen, elaborate costumes, location shooting in Europe, major leading man Rock Hudson as Andrews' co-star.
Unfortunately, what they wanted and what Edwards wanted frequently clashed, and shooting the mid-air dogfights in rainy Ireland proved to be expensive and frustrating. Even after all the trouble and expense, Paramount didn't give the movie much publicity when it debuted, and it wound up being one of the biggest flops of the year. Did it deserve that fate, or should it have a second chance at redemption? Let's begin with Lili Smith (Andrews) against a black backdrop as she sings for an audience of London theatergoers and officers and find out...
The Story: Despite her singing sweetheart image, Lili is really a German spy who uses her popularity with the British and American fliers to gain information on their squadrons from them. She's especially interested in handsome pilot Major Bill Larrabee (Hudson) and asks him questions about his squadron, which she passes to her Uncle Kurt Von Ruger (Kemp). As Larrabee continues to court her, Lili finds herself genuinely falling for him.
Lili's shocked when it turns out "Operation Crepe Suzette," which she believed to be a military plan, is actually a stripper (Paul). She's even more upset when the French send two officers of their own to spy on her and Larrabee, thinking he's the one doing the spying. She frames them and gets them arrested for treason and herself a Medal of Honor. Suzette, however, tells all, forcing Lili and Kurt to flee. Larrabee, however, can't forget his darling Lili, no matter who she is or what she did in the past...and he's not about to let her go down without a fight!
The Song and Dance: At least Paramount spared no expense on the production. The costumes are absolutely stunning, from Andrews' array of period-accurate gowns to the officers' uniforms and the leather jackets and caps on the pilots. That location shooting may have been a headache to film, but it looks lovely on-screen, especially the emerald greens of Ireland. I do give them credit for trying something original, given most musicals in the late 60's and early 70's were stage adaptations. Andrews gives it her all as Lili, even when the script is at its messiest, and Kemp is having his own fun as her slightly smarmy German "uncle."
Mancini and Mercer did come up with a genuinely good score. The haunting "Whistling Away the Dark" deserved its Oscar nomination. I also like "I'll Give You Three Guesses" and Paul's hilarious striptease number "Your Goodwill Ambassador."
Favorite Number: We open and close with one of the simplest and most striking musical numbers in film history. "Whistling Away the Dark" begins with Lili, luminous in a black gown and diamond jewelry, singing the gorgeous ballad against a black background. Neither version has much to do with the story, but it's still a great way to start. After the theater is bombed, Lili does a medley of the World War I hits "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," "Pack Up Your Troubles," and "Keep the Home Fires Burning."
Lili sings the cheer-up ditty "Smile Away Each Rainy Day" and the touching ballad "The Girl In No Man's Land" to a crowd of wounded veterans and pilots on leave, including Larrabee. Can-can girls do a lively and racy skirt-raising routine to an instrumental number while Lili is in the cafe with the officers, just before she encounters the very drunk pilot TC. TC insists on her reprising "Tipperary," which turns into a very drunk"Mademoiselle From Armentieres" with flyers hanging off her car on the way home.
We see two very different versions of "I'll Give You Three Guesses." The first one is traditional and romantic, with Lili in white ruffles swirling around with young men in uniform. After she sees Crepe Suzette (Paul) sing "Your Goodwill Ambassador" in little more than a beaded bikini, she turns the second "Three Guesses" into a far hotter striptease. She and Larrabee join a group of little girls singing on the way home from school at one point.
Trivia: There's at least two versions of this kicking around. I based my review on the original theatrical roadshow release that's currently at Amazon, but there's a much shorter Director's Cut currently on DVD.
Last full musical with songs by Johnny Mercer.
Andrews and Edwards married during filming. They would remain together until his death in 2010.
Edwards would later use his difficulties making this movie as the inspiration for his 1981 comedy S.O.B (which also featured Andrews).
The movie went way over-budget, mainly because of those big plane fight sequences that took two years to film in Ireland.
Oscar-nominated for Best Score, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Song.
What I Don't Like: This is another musical with an identity problem. All the tinkering and trouble shows in a movie that has no idea whether it wants to be a war film, a romantic comedy, a mystery, or a sex farce. Hudson can sing well, but he's otherwise at sea in a musical and has no chemistry with Andrews. In fact, he doesn't really have that much to do other than be the love interest for Lili. The comic relief French spies in the second half are totally out of place with the war drama. Their shenanigans really bog the last hour or so down and are unnecessary.
And yeah, so are the musical numbers. "Whistling Away the Dark" aside, most of them have nothing whatsoever to do with the movie and stop it cold. Edwards originally just wanted a few glimpses of Lili singing, but once again, the studio wanted big...and in this case, big probably wasn't needed.
The Big Finale: There's some great music and scenery in this movie, and Andrews does her best...but it's mostly a mess. See it for the numbers if you're a fan of Andrews or the big musicals of the late 60's and early 70's.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming. The Warner Archives DVD is the director's cut; most streaming sites have the original theatrical roadshow version, including Amazon.
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