I Am a Camera (1955)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Henry Cornelius

Writers:

Christopher Isherwood (book)
John Van Druten (play)

Release Date:

2 December 1955 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

There are two points of view about SEX and " I Am a Camera" takes both of them!

Plot:

In the early thirties, aspiring writer Christopher Isherwood, living in Berlin, meets the vivacious...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play | Based On Book

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Julie Harris	...	Sally Bowles
Laurence Harvey	...	Christopher Isherwood
Shelley Winters	...	Natalia Landauer
Ron Randell	...	Clive
Lea Seidl	...	Fräulein Schneider
Anton Diffring	...	Fritz Wendel
Ina De La Haye	...	Herr Landauer
Jean Gargoet	...	Pierre
Stanley Maxted	...	Editor
Alexis Bobrinskoy	...	Proprietor (Troika)
André Mikhelson	...	Head Waiter (Troika)
Frederick Valk	...	Doctor
Tutte Lemkow	...	Electro-Therapist
Patrick McGoohan	...	Swedish Water Therapist
Julia Arnall	...	Model

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Romulus Films

Trivia:

Marian Winters won the 1952 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actress in a Drama for "I Am A Camera" in the role of Natalia Landauer.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sally and Chris place their drink orders in the Troika bar we see Sally's jacket is buttoned up. The camera cuts back to Sally after Chris sitting opposite her utters one short sentence and her jacket is now unbuttoned in readiness to be removed.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Chris & Don. A Love Story (2007)

Soundtrack:

Ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin

Charming film treatment of Isherwood's "Goodbye to Berlin"

In Isherwood's preface to his "Berlin Stories" he talks about meeting Julie Harris backstage during "Camera's" Broadway run, and seeing her as the quintessential Sally Bowles. Maybe he was being gracious, but we couldn't have agreed more. Filled with witty dialogue, this film moved at a brisk pace, and yet when it was over, we felt as if we had seen an in depth slice of the demimonde life in pre-war Berlin. Harris was simply fascinating - what a beautiful smile! Highly recommended (if you can find it) for those who find this time and place irresistible.

Nice details too, including quick shots of Berlin "boot-girls" (dominatrix ladies of the night) and the El Dorado, one of the city's most colorful transvestite bars (even the murals inside are spot on!)