The Americanization of Emily (1964)

An American Naval Officer's talent for living the good life in wartime is challenged when he falls in love and is sent on a dangerous mission.

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writers:

Paddy Chayefsky (screenplay), William Bradford Huie (novel)

Stars:

James Garner, Julie Andrews, Melvyn Douglas

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Garner	...	Lt. Commander Charles Edward Madison
Julie Andrews	...	Emily Barham
Melvyn Douglas	...	Admiral William Jessup
James Coburn	...	Lt. Commander Paul 'Bus' Cummings
Joyce Grenfell	...	Mrs. Barham
Edward Binns	...	Admiral Thomas Healy
Liz Fraser	...	Sheila
Keenan Wynn	...	Old Sailor
William Windom	...	Captain Harry Spaulding
John Crawford	...	Chief Petty Officer Paul Adams
Douglas Henderson	...	Captain Marvin Ellender
Edmon Ryan	...	Admiral Hoyle
Steve Franken	...	Young Sailor
Paul Newlan	...	General William Hallerton
Gary Cockrell	...	Lieutenant Victor Wade

Storyline

During the build-up to D-Day in 1944, the British found their island hosting many thousands of American soldiers who were "oversexed, overpaid, and over here". That's Lieutenant Commander Charles Edward Madison (James Garner) exactly; he knows all of the angles to make life as smooth and risk-free as possible for himself. But things become complicated when he falls for English woman Emily Barham (Dame Julie Andrews), and his commanding officer's nervous breakdown leads to Charles being sent on a senseless and dangerous mission.

---

Plot Keywords:

world war two | military | naval officer | london england | based on novel | 

---

Taglines:

Swinging's their game and London will never be the same!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The role of Lieutenant Commander Charles Edward Madison was originally offered to William Holden, while James Garner was considered for the part of Lieutenant Commander Paul "Bus" Cummings.

---

Goofs

In one shot of Charlie's hotel room door, the exterior of the door is white, in another the exterior of the door is wood grain.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Lt. Cmdr. Charles E. Madison: Hi, Harry. It'll only be a few moments, sir. Put that hand luggage in the automobile. Paul? Paul!
Chief Petty Officer Paul Adams: Yeah.
Lt. Cmdr. Charles E. Madison: Put the footlocker in the jeep. Everything else goes in the two-and-a-half. Unloading shouldn't take long, so you won't be more than a few minutes behind us. I'll see you back at the hotel. Harry. Is everything set at the hotel?
[Slaps driver on butt]
Female driver, unidentified: Hiya, Charlie.

---

Crazy Credits

The three women that James Coburn sleeps with are collectively credited as "The Three Nameless Broads (in order of appearance)".

---

Connections

Referenced in Action on the Beach (1964)

---

Soundtracks

Emily
Music composed by Johnny Mandel
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

User Reviews

A satiric, romantic, daring black comedy, it is dialog-driven and certainly wordy in places, but it has a lot to say.

Americanization of Emily is not an anti-war or pacifist film. Its position is anti- glorification of war or heroism. Chayefsky himself was a war hero and awarded a Purple Heart. His position on war is stated clearly by the James Garner character in the amazing garden scene with Emily and her mother, who has been driven mad with grief over the loss of her husband, son-in-law, etc. in the war. Emily takes Charlie's cowardice and throws it back at him. The film was unavailable for years since the widow of the author of the book on which it is based held the copyright and would not release it for DVD. It is finally available for a new generation, and the ideas are still timely and valid. The theme song, Emily, is a jazz classic that has become better known than the film itself.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Emily

Filming Locations:

Dukes Avenue, Muswell Hill, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$2,700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmways Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) Stereo

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1