Adorable Julia (1962) User Reviews

Make it 7.5!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 18 August 2016]

An elegant comedy of manners, based on W. Somerset Maugham's "Theatre". For once, the English-dubbed version can be recommended. Expert impersonators do the voices of Lilli Palmer and Charles Boyer, and the dubbing of the rest of the cast is on a similarly extremely high level.

This film was actually an Austrian-French co-production, with 2nd unit work by Jean Sorel in London. It was directed by a German, Alfred Weidenmann, with just about an evenly mixed French and German cast.

The direction is smooth, the photography able, and the girls, costumed by Pierre Balmain, are most attractive. The music score is nothing short of delightful. And I particularly liked the dialogue device of giving Miss Pakmer acid little comments on the action.

ENTERTAINING BUT RUGGED TRIFLE

[J. Steed · 6/10 · 31 May 1999]

Average, entertaining, fast-paced but also rugged trifle that could have done with a lighter touch of direction. Charles Boyer has no more to do than say his lines in time; Lilli Palmer is okay, but I can not imagine a younger man falling in love with her. A better director would have found a solution for the voice-over of Lilli Palmer: in stead of finding a filmic solution, every inner thought of her character is conveyed by way of the voice-over, making the film a bit tiresome at moments.

Exquisite and delightful Lilli Palmer

[jonathan_lippman · 12 July 2009]

The sophisticated and elegant Lilli Palmer is superb in this delightful romantic comedy from M. Somerset Maugm.. It was remade a few years ago with Annette Bening called BEING JULIA but this 1962 version is the better one.. Her co-star Charles Boyer is also excellent as the understanding producer husband and French heart throb Jean Sorel has one of his best roles as her younger lover.. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE to anyone looking for a funny romantic comedy, a bit bitter sweet with a London theater ambiance and an excellent performance from a beautiful and underrated International star, Miss Palmer. It is a French German production and I believe some of the actors are speaking German and dubbed into French for the French version and vice versa for the German version.. Not out on video or DVD and a bit hard to find but worth the search. Filmed in Paris but takes place in London.. They could have just filmed it in Paris and gave it a French background rather than trying to make it British, from the original source.. Though it was written in the 20s, it has been updated for the early 60s when it was made. The Annette Bening version does go back to the original time frame though. Doesn't really make a major difference though.