| Darling Lili | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Blake Edwards |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Owen Crump |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Russell Harlan |
| Edited by | Peter Zinner |
| Music by | Henry Mancini |
Production company | Geoffrey Productions |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 136 minutes (originalroadshow release) 107 min (director's cut) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million |
| Box office | $3.25 million (Distributor rentals) |
Darling Lili is a 1970 American romantic-musical spy film, written byWilliam Peter Blatty andBlake Edwards, the latter also directing the film. It starsJulie Andrews,Rock Hudson, andJeremy Kemp, with music byHenry Mancini and lyrics byJohnny Mercer. This was the last full musical to have song lyrics written by Mercer.
DuringWorld War I, Lili Smith is a beloved English musical star and a secret German spy, much admired by the French and British pilots who she mixes with at the Cafe Can-Can. One American, Major Larrabee, woos her with a gypsy serenade outside her window inviting her to a night-time champagne picnic. She is soon passing information gleaned from Larrabee to Colonel Kurt Von Ruger, the German liaison masquerading as her uncle.
Larrabee showers her with red roses and they begin a courtship. The French authorities think Larrabee is the spy and ask Lili to keep an eye on him. While out at dinner together a drunken fellow pilot, Lieutenant Carstairs, asks Larrabee about "Operation" Crepe Suzette, and he deflects by reminding Carstairs the "operation" is top secret, which Lili reports to Von Ruger, who tells her to find out more.
The French authorities, Duvalle and Liggett, spy on both Larrabee and Lili at a hotel getaway where they share a room. As they begin to make love Lili suddenly accuses Larrabee of calling her Suzette, and in a panic he again tries to deflect by saying he said "my pet", which she rejects. He soon admits Operation Crepe Suzette is a military operation and teases a few more details she reports to Von Ruger.
With Larrabee away on a mission the French tell Lili they now suspect the German spy is Crepe Suzette, aburlesque dancer, and she goes to weigh up the competition. In a fury Lili then does her own striptease to a song that seemed demure before. When Larrabee returns and tells her the true story of his encounter with theRed Baron, she mocks him - until Von Ruger calls and confirms it. But when Larrabee leaves Lili follows him despite assuring him she now believes him.
Lili plants her code book in Suzette's rooms to get Larrabee and Suzette arrested for treason after she sees them together. While Lili is awarded theLegion of Honour at a huge ceremony, the evening paper reveals Suzette's claim that Larrabee met her to end the relationship because he was in love with another woman.
Lili goes to the French to confess in an attempt to save Larrabee from the firing squad, evading a German assassin after they send her away in disbelief. Von Ruger plans an escape toSwitzerland but the assassin captures them on the train. The assassin dies in a German aerial attack on the train, while Larrabee's squadron defends it successfully. He sees Lili on the ground and tips his wing in salute.
The war ends and Lili sings on a dark stage inGeneva surrounded by pilots looking on from the wings. Larrabee comes out and kisses her and the crowd cheers.
In 1967,Blake Edwards signed a four-picture deal withParamount Pictures. The projects he would make wereWaterhole No. 3,Gunn, the television seriesMr. Lucky andDarling Lili.Julie Andrews signed to play the lead inDarling Lili. Production was to start late in 1967.[1][2] Executive producerOwen Crump began shooting second unit in 1967.[3]
The film was given a budget of $6 million and Andrews was paid $1.1 million and promised 10% of the film's profits.[4] Edwards wanted to film the aerial dogfight scenes in South Carolina, but was forced to film them in Ireland, with planes fromThe Blue Max, due to studio demand despite it costing $70,000 per day.[5] Edwards later claimedDarling Lili was budgeted at $11.5 million, but ended up costing $16 million with half of the cost coming from the second unit filming in Ireland.[6] Filming was later moved to Belgium, where filming cost $50,000 per day. The final budget for the film was $25 million, making it one of the most-expensive musicals made by Paramount.[7]
Edwards courted British comedianBenny Hill for a supporting role in the movie. During the audition, he asked Hill if he could do aParis accent. Being a perfectionist, Hill asked Edwards if he wanted an east side or west side accent, but Edwards was not impressed by his attention to detail and recast the role of Captain Duvalle withJacques Marin.[8]
Edwards suffered continual interference from Paramount executives while makingDarling Lili, and it was eventually edited by the studio largely without his input. The director later satirized the problems he faced in the filmS.O.B. (1981), which was also distributed by Paramount theatrically.
Problems with theMay 1968 protests in France led to much of the planned Parisian shooting to be done inBrussels, Belgium.[9]
Darling Lili made use ofLynn Garrison’s aviation facility at Weston Aerodrome inLeixlip, Ireland. This collection ofWorld War I replica fighter aircraft, facilities and support equipment was originally put together in support of20th Century Fox’s 1966 filmThe Blue Max. The aerial fleet included aCaudron 277, twoFokker DR 1s, threeFokker D VIIs, twoSe 5as and twoPfalz D IIIs (all full-scale replicas). In addition, the studio contracted withSlingsby Aircraft Ltd to build six 7/8th scale SE 5s (the "Mini SE 5").[10] The Paramount production utilized the assembled aircraft for thousands of flying hours and accumulated hundreds of hours of aerial footage. Pilots were drawn from theIrish Air Corps and civilian circles. Charles Boddington andDerek Piggott did many of the more spectacular stunts.[10]
The original score forDarling Lili was composed byHenry Mancini. He andJohnny Mercer wrote the title tune, as well as "Whistling Away the Dark" and "Your Good-Will Ambassador". Songs from the era were performed in the film, including "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag", "Keep the Home Fires Burning", and "Mademoiselle from Armentières".
The film had its premiere at theCinerama Dome inLos Angeles on June 23, 1970, before opening to the public the following day.[11] The film's distribution was badly managed by Paramount executives andDarling Lili barely got a release in most of the United States.[citation needed]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 40% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.8/10.[12]
Stefan Kanfer, reviewing the film forTime, called it a "common, overproduced, underinspired feature".[13]
The film was abox-office bomb, earning only $3.2 million indistributor rentals,[14] against a final estimated budget of $25 million.[7]
Despite being a financial failure, the film was nominated for a number of awards.
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[15] | Best Costume Design | Donald Brooks andJack Bear | Nominated |
| Best Original Song Score | Music byHenry Mancini; Lyrics byJohnny Mercer | Nominated | |
| Best Song – Original for the Picture | "Whistling Away the Dark" Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards[16] | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Julie Andrews | Nominated | |
| Best Original Song – Motion Picture | "Whistling Away the Dark" Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer | Won | |
| Grammy Awards[17] | Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special | Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer | Nominated |
| Laurel Awards | Top Composer | Henry Mancini | 4th Place |
In 1991, at the behest of Michael Schlesinger, then the head of Paramount's Repertory division, Edwards was invited to recutDarling Lili to his original intentions. This director's cut was 29 minutes shorter than the original release. A fully restored, newDolby SR 35mm print premiered at the1992 Cannes Film Festival and was attended by Edwards and Andrews; the U.S. premiere was at theDirectors Guild theater in Los Angeles shortly thereafter, again with both in attendance. Then, after a brief domestic theatrical reissue, it was released to home video and television; this version was released onRegion 1 DVD. The original roadshow version, complete with overture and exit music, has aired onTurner Classic Movies as well as receiving commercial release onRegion 2 DVD in Europe.
Notes
