Darling Lili (1970)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

William Peter Blatty (writer)
Blake Edwards (writer)

Release Date:

24 June 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | War

Tagline:

For a spy, love is the deadliest enemy.

Plot:

Set during WWI, this movie is a cute spin on the Mata Hari legend.

Plot Keywords:

WWI | Spy | Cancan Dance | La Marseillaise | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Julie Andrews	...	Lili Smith (Schmidt)
Rock Hudson	...	Major William Larrabee
Jeremy Kemp	...	Colonel Kurt Von Ruger
Lance Percival	...	T.C. Carstairs
Michael Witney	...	Lt. George 'Youngblood' Carson
Gloria Paul	...	Crepe Suzette
Jacques Marin	...	Major Duvalle
André Maranne	...	Lt. Liggett
Bernard Kay	...	Bedford
Doreen Keogh	...	Emma
Carl Duering	...	General Kessler
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Otto Kraus - Kessler's goon
Laurie Main	...	French general
Louis Mercier	...	French general
Arthur Gould-Porter	...	Sergeant Wells

Runtime:

USA:107 min (director's cut) | 143 min (with overture and exit music) | USA:136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Netherlands:AL | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Company:

Geoffrey Productions

Trivia:

Most of the movie was filmed in the spring of 1968.

Quotes:

Lili Smith: But then, why DOES he drink?
Maj. William Larrabee: Because he's afraid to fly.
Lili Smith: Then why does he fly?
Maj. William Larrabee: Because he likes to drink!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Top Secret! (1984)

Soundtrack:

Your Good-Will Ambassador

delightful pairing of Julie Andrews and Rock Hudson

Julie Andrews plays a German spy who falls in love with an American pilot Rock Hudson, while on an assignment for Germany.

The songs are beautiful. The two are well-paired. Julie demonstrates a more temperamental side in this film than the nice girl she normally plays.

A half-German, half-English girl who sings beautiful and entertains the troops in WW I, Julie sings some endearing Mancini songs.

I loved the film. Some will say it's a "chick-flick," but so what. It's wonderful.

Supporting characters are somewhat stereotyped. It may not be up to Rock's performance in Pillow Talk, Magnificent Obsession, or Giant.

Blake Edwards shot the film in Ireland and authentic WW I -type planes were used in the film. Scenery for England and France is absolutely gorgeous.