Darling Lili

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Movie
German title Darling Lili
Original title Darling Lili
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1970
length 119 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Blake Edwards
script Blake Edwards
William Peter Blatty
production Blake Edwards
music Henry Mancini
camera Russell Harlan
cut Peter Zinner
occupation

Darling Lili is an American spy and romance drama set in World War I directed by Blake Edwards . The main roles are played by his wife Julie Andrews and Hollywood star Rock Hudson .

Film kiss scene between Hudson and Andrews

action

London, First World War . The singer Lil Smith, who has achieved some popularity in England with her patriotic songs, surrounds a dark secret: Nobody knows that she is actually spying for the Germans. Her supposedly Swiss uncle is always on guard by her side, but in reality he is Colonel Kurt von Ruger, who is in the service of Kaiser Wilhelm. Ruger is not only her occasional lover, but also her liaison to the German military. His superior, the German General Kessler, does not trust Lili because she is half German but also half British. Lili's latest assignment is to lead her to the US Major William Larrabee. He is currently in France to receive a high medal there. Lili gets to know the handsome American aviator and immediately begins to ensnare him. Like her British admirers in London, he is enchanted by Darling Lili's charm and impressed by her sympathy for the wounded. Larrabee is only too happy to have a love affair with her. He really goes to great lengths for her and once even hires so-called gypsy violinists to serenade her in a romantic setting. This makes it all the easier for Lili to extract important military information from the unsuspecting American about the Entente's flight plans. The other side soon realizes that there must be a security breach in the Entente, and the French secret service begins to investigate. Ironically, Lili's right hand is won over to help track down the spy.

Lili learns from Colonel von Ruger that Larrabee is involved in this secret operation, called Operation Crêpe Suzette, and that they are on her trail. When Lili, whose German ancestors once gave her the real surname "Schmidt", learns that Suzette is none other than Larrabee's previous lover and at the same time a striptease dancer, she tries to eliminate the young rival by telling her the British as a German spy, as "the leak" that everyone is feverishly looking for. Meanwhile, Major Larrabee is on a rescue mission over enemy territory, but he escapes from enemy territory with the plane stolen by Manfred von Richthofen and lands in England. Here Larrabee is instantly arrested for espionage for the enemy. Lili, who has long since fallen in love with the handsome Yankee, comes to his aid and, much to the annoyance of her German superiors, reveals her true identity. Now Larrabee has to fear for Darling Lili's life, because you should have the same fate as Mata Hari . Larrabee then grabs the plane captured by Richthofen again and saves Lili from an Entente train that is currently being attacked by German planes. From the plane he throws his scarf down as a sign of his love. After the armistice, Darling Lili returned to the stage as a singer and can finally embrace her American major.

Production notes

The filming of Darling Lili began on March 18, 1968, but had to be interrupted in May of the same year, because serious student unrest was raging in France at that time. Thereupon one evaded to Brussels. Due to these interruptions, the filming of the film was not finished until mid-December 1968. Some follow-up photos were taken in April 1969. The world premiere of Darling Lili took place in Germany on June 18, 1970, the American premiere was six days later.

Owen Crump was production manager, Ken Wales production manager. Fernando Carrere designed the film structures, Reg Allen acted as set designer. Jack Bear and Donald Brooks designed the costumes. Hermes Pan designed the choreographic scenes.

Russell Harlan gave his farewell performance here after having made over 100 films as chief cameraman.

Nominations

There were three Oscar nominations:

  • Best Score ( Henry Mancini , Johnny Mercer )
  • Best Film Song Whistling Away the Dark (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer)
  • Best Costumes (Jack Bear, Donald Brooks)

Mancini and Mercer accepted the Golden Globe Award for Whistling Away the Dark .

Reviews

Vincent Canby wrote in The New York Times : “The movie is tiresome from time to time, and the old, fine, cheesy World War I songs have been supplemented with some new, not-so-fine, cheesy Henry Mancini songs. It's still fun though. As a historical note I would also like to point out that "Darling Lili" has the kind of romantic attitude that we probably won't see again for a very long time. "

The Movie & Video Guide gave a succinct verdict: "Great fun, good music."

Halliwell's Film Guide wrote, "Farce and romance mix strangely with flying acrobatics in this expensive and foolish extravaganza."

The Lexicon of International Films reads: "Light comedy that mixes elements from spy films and musicals."

Individual evidence

  1. ^ New York Times, July 24, 1970
  2. ^ Leonard Maltin : Movie & Video Guide, 1996 edition, p. 300
  3. ^ Leslie Halliwell : Halliwell's Film Guide, Seventh Edition, New York 1989, p. 250
  4. ↑ Darling Lili. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed January 25, 2020 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 

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