Time
is often referred to as being ‘of the essence,’ but in Hollywood, timing is often even more essential. For
many films, the year in which they are released can often lead to skewed
perceptions that have more to do with passing trends than the film’s actual
entertainment value. Such was the case for the 1970 musical espionage tale Darling Lili, which despite a unique
script, a talented cast, and an award winning score became labeled ‘box office
poison’ when it became a commercial failure upon its release. While timing
proved to be the film’s weakness, the passage of time has proved kinder as
critics and audiences have begun to warm up to the musical that dared to bring
a little more than the standard snappy tunes and smiles into the genre.
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| Espionage at its most heartwarming |
The
story begins in World War I as British music-hall entertainer Lili Smith (Julie
Andrews) leads a group of patrons in a patriotic song during a German air raid.
The film then takes an interesting turn when Colonel Kurt von Ruger (Jeremy Kemp) arrives at Lili’s house after
the show and is revealed to not be her uncle, as he pretends to , but
actually an elite spy-master and Lili’s boss. This unexpected twist in turn
leads to the revelation that while Lili seems to be an unassuming English
singer, she is actually half-German, and leading a double life as a seductive
spy. Von Ruger proceeds to assign Lili to her latest target, Major Bill
Larrabbee (Rock Hudson), who is believed to be involved in a top-secret
operation code-named “Crepe Suzette”. Unfortunately for the German government,
Larrabbee has plenty of wiles of his own and the sultry spy soon finds herself
up against a weapon that even she might not be able to handle; love. The
ensuing plot contains enough spy-jinks, romance, history, and toe tapping
numbers to keep even the most cynical cinephile entertained.
Despite
the film’s original approach to the well-worn Mata Hari story, audiences were
unfortunately simultaneously well past and unprepared for the story that
director Blake Edwards was trying to tell. After the movie-musical’s hey day
during the 1940’s and 1950s’, Hollywood released a series of flat efforts to
capture the allure of an era that had already gone by. The loosening of Hay’s
Code restrictions and subsequent release of several envelope pushing pictures
sparked the public’s demand for more gritty stories that adults could relate
to, which musicals were unable to satisfy. As the upheaval of the 1960’s
continued, audiences found the glitz and optimism of musicals to be an
unfulfilling way to pass time rather than the exciting escape that earlier
audiences had regarded them as. By the time that Darling Lili hit theaters, the routine efforts of Hello Dolly!, Can Can, and Paint
Your Wagon, had already soured audiences on the genre, ultimately leading
them to spend their money elsewhere.
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| The Western front just got a whole lot hotter |
While
the use of song and dance in film was becoming a tired effort, Darling Lili was actually far more refreshing
than its ad campaign would have indicated, and perhaps more fresh than
audiences were prepared for. Instead of treating its espionage thrills with
deadly seriousness as its predecessors like Mata
Hari and Dishonored had done in
the pre-code era, Darling Lili infuses its
proceedings with just enough humor to poke fun at its genre trappings while
still covering the expected spy territory. The film also takes the seductive
spy stereotype into a modern direction as the usually wholesome Julie Andrews
burlesques her way into international espionage with more va va voom than
established glamour queens had been permitted to display in earlier spy films. Beyond
its mere use of sex appeal and comedy, Darling
Lili’s strongest suit is the way in which it subtly weaves these elements
into a traditionally serious tale of love and honor in a world at war. The
mixing of these diverse techniques created a story that is as three dimensional
as the events and people it was attempting to chronicle, but unfortunately left
audiences shaking their heads in confusion. For moviegoers hoping for a family
friendly musical, the film’s more risqué element left something to be desired,
and fans of spy thrillers were disappointed by the many musical and humorous
interludes that took away from the story’s thrills, leaving moviegoers unsure of
who the film’s target audience actually was. As a result, the film was left without a
solid target base and ticket sales suffered, leading to a net loss for the film’s
makers. Adding to the already low blow of low sales, Edwards had spent a
significant amount of the film’s $25 million budget to recreate the aerial
fights of WWI with complete historical accuracy, much to Paramount’s
frustration. The constant studio interference, filming delays, and lackluster
commercial box office performance left Edwards so distraught that he put his
experiences into the cynical 1981 Hollywood satire S.O.B.
While
the script may have left some scratching their heads, the cast turns in
performances that are without question entertaining. Julie Andrews satirizes
her good girl image in her portrayal of straight laced songstress by day and
sultry spy by night, Lili. Beyond the simple balancing of dual extremes Andrews
adds genuine emotion to her role and lends credibility to Lili’s dilemma as
her political resolve gives way to emotional uncertainty. Similarly, Rock
Hudson holds his own as Lili’s all-American love interest, Bill, as he infuses
his rugged character with enough humor and charm to leave little question as to
why Lili is swayed by him. The supporting cast lends excellent support to the
story with Jeremy Kemp and Gloria Paul turning in scene stealing performances
as Lili’s stalwart boss and a ditzy burlesque dancer.
Today,
Darling Lili is no longer shorthand
for cinema flop, and has actually gained a softened second look from critics
and audiences alike. Through its daring effort to combine several seemingly
incompatible genres into a cohesive, if unconventional, whole, the film earned
its still disputed place in cinematic history. The score alone is worth the
price of admission with WWI standards playing equally well as more swinging original Henry
Mancini tunes, including the Oscar winning “Whistling Away The Dark”. The
dynamic script and engaging performances will be sure to please fans of
musicals, spy spoofs, and history buffs alike. For a truly explosive script
that refuses to fit ‘in the box’, look no further than Darling Lili.
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| Ever hear of knocking?! |
If you enjoy spies like Lili, don't forget to check out my full-length drama Through Enemy Eyes http://www.jacpub.com/Full-Length/Ennis_EnemyEyes.htm
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