Darling Lili (1970)
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69% of users liked it
(1,810 ratings)
Julie Andrews made a bid to change her squeaky clean image with this elaborately mounted World War I musical. Lili Smith (Andrews) is a popular British music hall singer who is regarded as a femme fatale and has been known to throw a bit of striptease into her act. However, Lili has a secret:… More Julie Andrews made a bid to change her squeaky clean image with this elaborately mounted World War I musical. Lili Smith (Andrews) is a popular British music hall singer who is regarded as a femme fatale and has been known to throw a bit of striptease into her act. However, Lili has a secret: she's actually a German spy, and the uncle she dotes upon is really Von Ruger (Jeremy Kemp), a fellow espionage agent and her contact for the Huns. In hopes of gaining valuable information, Lili begins using her feminine wiles on Maj. William Larrabee (Rock Hudson), a top American pilot. However, Lili soon discovers that she's falling in love with Larrabee and can't find the courage to betray him; Larrabee discovers Lili's secret, but he refuses to turn her in. Darling Lili was a notorious box-office disappointment, grossing a mere $5 million on a budget that rose to $25 million due to a variety of production mishaps. Director Blake Edwards (Andrews' husband) was stung by the poor reception, and he later trimmed the 136-minute film to 114 minutes, downplaying its comic elements in favor of a more serious tone. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Blake Edwards
- Written By
- William Peter Blatty, Blake Edwards
- Genres
- Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Mystery & Suspense, Classics
G,
- In Theaters
- Jun 18, 1970 Wide
- Studio
- Paramount
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Starring Julie Andrews, this preposterously plotted WWI musical was a huge artistic and commercial flop.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It seems to be not that bad if you view it more as a love story than as a war story.
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Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
if you thought The Sound of Music was hokey, wait'll you get a load of this
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Julie Andrews
as Lili Smith
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Rock Hudson
as Maj. William Larrabee
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Jeremy Kemp
as Von Ruger
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Lance Percival
as Lt. Carstairs TC
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Mike Witney
as Youngblood Carson
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Jacques Marin
as Duvalle
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Andre Maranne
as Lt. Liggett
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Gloria Paul
as Crepe Suzette
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Bernard Kay
as Bedford
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Doreen Keogh
as Emma
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Carl Duering
as Gen. Kessler
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Vernon Dobtcheff
as Kraus
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Ingo Mogendorf
as Baron von Richthofen the Red Baron
- James Lanphier
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Niall MacGinnis
as von Hindenberg
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Laurie Main
as French General
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Louis Mercier
as French General
