Julia (1977)

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Lillian Hellman (based upon the story by)
Alvin Sargent (screenplay)

Release Date:

October 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The story of two women whose friendship suddenly became a matter of life and death.

Plot:

At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Writer | 1930s | Hat | Berlin Germany

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Lillian
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Julia
Jason Robards	...	Hammett
Maximilian Schell	...	Johann
Hal Holbrook	...	Alan
Rosemary Murphy	...	Dottie
Meryl Streep	...	Anne Marie
Dora Doll	...	Woman Passenger
Elisabeth Mortensen	...	Girl Passenger
John Glover	...	Sammy
Lisa Pelikan	...	Young Julia
Susan Jones	...	Young Lillian
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Grandmother
Maurice Denham	...	Undertaker
Mark Metcalf	...	Pratt
Gérard Buhr	...	Passport Officer (as Gerard Buhr)
Stefan Gryff	...	'Hamlet'
Phillip Siegel	...	Little Boy
Molly Urquhart	...	Woman
Antony Carrick	...	Butler
Ann Queensberry	...	Woman in Berlin Station
Edmond Bernard	...	Man in Berlin Station
Jacques David	...	Fat Man
Jacqueline Staup	...	Woman in Green Hat
Hans Verner	...	Vienna Concierge
Christian de Tillière	...	Paris Concierge (as Christian De Tiliere)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lambert Wilson	...	Walter Franz
Jacques Disses	...	(uncredited)
Jim Kane	...	Sardi (uncredited)
Don Koll	...	First Nighter at Sardi's (uncredited)
Francis Lemaire	...	Train Steward (uncredited)
Richard Marr	...	Sardi Customer (uncredited)
Shane Rimmer	...	Customs Officer (uncredited)
Vincent Sardi Jr.	...	Bit Part (uncredited)

Directed by
Fred Zinnemann

Writing credits
Lillian Hellman		(based upon the story by)
Alvin Sargent		(screenplay)

Produced by
Julien Derode	....	executive producer
Tom Pevsner	....	associate producer
Richard Roth	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Marcel Durham
Walter Murch

Casting by
Margot Capelier
Jenia Reissar
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Gene Callahan
Carmen Dillon
Willy Holt

Costume Design by
Anthea Sylbert		(costumes designed by: principals')

Makeup Department
Bernadine M. Anderson	....	makeup: Jane Fonda (as Bernadine Anderson)
George Frost	....	makeup
Ramon Gow	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Bill Kirby	....	production manager
Jean-Pierre Spiri-Mercanton	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alain Bonnot	....	assistant director
Anthony Waye	....	assistant director
Gerry Gavigan	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Terry Hodgkinson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Terry Madden	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Roger Wielgus	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Pierre Charron	....	set dresser
Tessa Davies	....	set dresser
John Leuenberger	....	property master
Pierre Roudeix	....	property master
Tommy Bacon	....	dressing props (uncredited)
Reg Bream	....	chief draughtsman (uncredited)
Steve Cooper	....	art department assistant (uncredited)
Bob Douglas	....	props (uncredited)
Dennis Fruin	....	dressing props (uncredited)
Bob Hedges	....	props (uncredited)
Peter Hedges	....	props (uncredited)
David Lusby	....	production buyer (uncredited)
Kieron Mcnamara	....	dressing props (uncredited)
Peter Sheilds	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Bob Walker	....	signwriter (uncredited)
Gus Walker	....	construction manager (uncredited)

Sound Department
Derek Ball	....	sound mixer
Leslie Hodgson	....	sound editor
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recordist
Bill Barringer	....	sound assistant (uncredited)
Roy Birchley	....	assistant dubbing editor (uncredited)
Peter Handford	....	sound engineer (uncredited)
Archie Ludski	....	dubbing editor (uncredited)
Ken Nightingall	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Sue Crosland	....	stunt double: Lisa Pelican (uncredited)
Veronica Griffiths	....	stunt double: Susan Jones (uncredited)
Dan Vieru	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paddy Carey	....	second unit photography
Guy Delattre	....	second unit photography
Charles Lefèvre	....	chief electrician
Barry Miller	....	chief electrician
Brian Osborne	....	chief grip
René Strasser	....	chief grip
Robin Vidgeon	....	camera assistant
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
John Hammond	....	electrician (uncredited)
John Harman	....	electrician (uncredited)
Ray Snooks	....	electrician (uncredited)
Hank Wilcox	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Colette Baudot	....	costume supervisor
Joan Bridge	....	wardrobe designer
Annalisa Nasalli-Rocca	....	wardrobe designer
John Wilson-Apperson	....	costume supervisor (as John Apperson)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Ruth Knight	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)
Janet Lucas	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mick Monks	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Georges Delerue	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Peter R. Chittell	....	unit car driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Stanley Burridge	....	production accountant
Pamela Davies	....	continuity
Van Jones	....	production assistant
Linda Allen	....	secretary: M. Derode (uncredited)
Trudie Balen	....	accounts secretary (uncredited)
Paul Chart	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Claudia Fraser-Orr	....	secretary: Mr. Zinnemann (uncredited)
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Barbara Harley	....	publicity secretary (uncredited)
Carolyn Hicks-Beach	....	secretary: Mr. Roth (uncredited)
Elizabeth Smith	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (produced by) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1977) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• 20th Century Fox (1978) (France) (theatrical)
• Fox-Stockholm Film Distribution (1978) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)

Other Companies

• Elstree Film & Television Studios  movie studio
• Fox Fanfare Music  original music copyright © 1977 by (as Fox FanFare Music Inc.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Indonesia:Dewasa | Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Argentina:Atp | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (PCA #24858) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Central Station, Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, France

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Barbra Streisand turned down the role of Lillian Hellman.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The plot of the entire film revolves around the restrictions in pre-WWII Nazi Germany on the import of foreign (such as American) currency. There was no such restriction. Stable foreign currency was welcomed in an era when extreme inflation was a recent memory.

Quotes:

Johann:If you cannot do it, do not do it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Bye, Bye, Blackbird

Fonda, Redgrave, Streep!

Julia (1977) Starring Jane Fonda as playwright Lillian Hellman and Vanessa Redgrave (controversially winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar) as a longtime childhood friend. Meryl makes the most of her miniscule part as an upper-class snob acquaintance of Ms. Fonda's. Basically it's a story of a friendship. Redgrave's character, born into privilege, becomes part of the Resistance movement in World War II torn Europe while Fonda fights her own political battles in America while becoming a famous playwright.

The story focuses on an episode near the end of the friends' lives, when Fonda goes to Europe to visit Redgrave, now completely consumed in underground resistance activities and (summoning up bravery of her own) smuggles in money to support the underground movement.

The movie succeeds on several levels. The cinematography, though shot in color, successfully evokes a world of muddied browns, shadows and murkiness. The screenplay, based on Hellman's own memoir is translated well, capitalizing on Hellman's unique talent for imbuing simple moments with heroic significance. The personal drama of the friendship is heightened against the intrigue and always threatening possibilities of war.

Julia provides a rare opportunity to see two female characters conducting their lives not as appendages of men, but as independent protagonists. Furthermore, social relationships, both on a personal and political level, are presented, for a change, from a woman's point of view. Though not a Streep showcase, it is a compelling movie that will haunt you.