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 Charlie Madison exactly; he knows all the angles to make life as smooth and risk-free as possible for himself. But things become complicated when he falls for an English woman, and his commanding officer's nervous breakdown leads to Charlie being sent on a senseless and dangerous mission.

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

Why did Emily call Charlie the most immoral man she'd ever met?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The author of the novel, "The Americanization of Emily", William Bradford Huie, states in the foreword to the novel that: "The Americanization of Emily, like The Revolt of Mamie Stover, is from the war memoirs of Lieutenant Commander James Monroe Madison, USNR. All characters are fictitious." The novel's protagonist is Jimmie Madison. That character is named Charlie Madison and is played by James Garner in this movie, and is named Jim Blair and is played by Richard Egan in The Revolt of Mamie Stover.

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Goofs

When the Admirals were drinking heavily in the hotel room they reflected on their days at Annapolis when they were called "Naval Cadets" instead of "Midshipmen." Annapolis students were called "Naval Cadets" from 1888 to 1902 when these senior officers were likely enrolled.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Referenced in Quantum Leap: The Americanization of Machiko - August 4, 1953 (1989)

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Soundtracks

Emily
Music composed by Johnny Mandel
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

User Reviews

Paddy Chayefsky, what a writer!

Think of Network or The Hospital, Paddy Chayefsky was seeing into the future and what he saw was ugly. Here we have an insane admiral and how his men, who know he's crazy, stand in line to follow his wishes/commands. An anti war film without sentimentality. Julie Andrews is a total delight as the tough cookie with a razor sharp mind. James Garner has the best lines of his career. His tea with Joyce Grenfell is a superb written scene. Joyce Grenfell as Julie's mother is divine, yes, divine! Melvyn Douglas as the crazy man in charge is the Howard Beale of the situation and what he does with it is pure genius. Highly recommend it.