Julie (1956)

A terrified wife tries to escape from her insanely jealous husband who is bent on killing her.

Director:

Andrew L. Stone

Writer:

Andrew L. Stone

Stars:

Doris Day, Louis Jourdan, Barry Sullivan

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Doris Day	...	Julie Benton
Louis Jourdan	...	Lyle Benton
Barry Sullivan	...	Cliff Henderson
Frank Lovejoy	...	Det. Lt. Pringle
Jack Kelly	...	Jack (co-pilot)
Ann Robinson	...	Valerie
Barney Phillips	...	Doctor on Flight 36
Jack Kruschen	...	Det. Mace
John Gallaudet	...	Det. Sgt. Cole
Carleton Young	...	Airport control tower official
Hank Patterson	...	Ellis
Ed Hinton	...	Captain of Flight 36
Harlan Warde	...	Det. Pope
Aline Towne	...	Denise Martin
Eddie Marr	...	Airline Official

Storyline

Her new husband's behaviour convinces Julie Benton that his jealousy is dangerous, and when he admits he killed her first husband she realises she has to get away. A long-time friend helps all he can, but even in a town the size of San Francisco, Benton seems able to track them down. The police can do nothing despite a death threat, so the next move is up to Julie.

---

Plot Keywords:

suspense | san francisco california | aviation | character name as title | jealous husband | 

---

Taglines:

BRIDAL NIGHT FRIGHT! This is Doris Day as the frightened Julie who discovers on her honeymoon that her husband is a killer - and SHE is next!

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 October 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mord in den Wolken

Filming Locations:

Blythe, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$785,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arwin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Among buffs of movie mistakes, this film is notorious for the number of times the boom microphone appears in frame.

---

Goofs

Bathroom scene at flight attendant apartment, Doris Day is wearing her personal robe. Monogram with DDM can be seen on the back.

---

Quotes

Julie Benton: Sergeant, I want to report a murder!

---

Connections

Featured in Biography: Doris Day: It's Magic (1998)

---

Soundtracks

Midnight On The Cliffs
Composed and Performed by Leonard Pennario

User Reviews

Last-minute shift of gears turns Julie into routine "jep"

A thriller starring Doris Day a few years before she hit the jackpot with her string of coy sex comedies, Julie is what was known in the trade as a `jep' – a woman-in-jeopardy drama. It starts off promisingly with a spat at a country club between Day and her second husband, Louis Jourdan (the first Mr. Day, a presumed suicide, may have been his victim) that escalates into an incident of road rage. Jourdan is passed off as a concert pianist – you know, one of those unstable `artistic' types. And he fills out a startlingly up-to-date profile of the irrationally jealous, controlling spouse, alternating between murderous rages and mawkish contrition. (Since Charles Boyer launched the prototype of this sort of abusive male in Gaslight, it seems that Hollywood thought it safe to cast chiefly Frenchmen in subsequent outings.)

Julie wastes no time in setting Day to flee, with Jourdan in pursuit; her ally is old friend Barry Sullivan, who tries to smuggle her safely from Carmel to San Francisco. But Jourdan, who apparently missed his calling as an international master of intrigue, proves too smart for them and manages to get himself, gun in trenchcoat, aboard a cross-continental airliner.

Julie, you see, used to be an airline stewardess, and here is where the script's credibility ultimately crumbles. As the movie prepares to come in for a landing, it abruptly shifts gears, leaving behind the dark psychological drama of the noir cycle for the purely mechanical thrills of an Airport. And so what at first seemed daring – revealing Jourdan as a woman-hating psycho without a tedious buildup – turns into a time-saving gimmick to place Day as swiftly as possible behind the controls of an airplane. And so what started out as a psychologically astute study of obsession descends into the merely routine.