The Americanization of Emily (1964)

Note des utilisateurs:

7.3/10   

Réalisateur:

Arthur Hiller

Writers:

Paddy Chayefsky (screenplay)
William Bradford Huie (novel)

Release Date:

27 octobre 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedie | Drame | War

Accroche:

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

Plot:

An American soldier's talent for living the good life in wartime is challenged when he falls in love and is sent on a dangerous mission.

Plot Keywords:

D Day | Newsreel | London England | Self Sacrifice | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

"I'm not interested in the truth, just the momentary fact of things."

Ensemble

James Garner	...	Lt. Cmdr. Charles Edward Madison
Julie Andrews	...	Emily Barham
Melvyn Douglas	...	Adm. William Jessup
James Coburn	...	Lt. Cmdr. Paul 'Bus' Cummings
Joyce Grenfell	...	Mrs. Barham
Ed Binns	...	Adm. Thomas Healy (as Edward Binns)
Liz Fraser	...	Sheila
Keenan Wynn	...	Old Sailor
William Windom	...	Capt. Harry Spaulding
John Crawford	...	Chief Petty Officer Paul Adams
Douglas Henderson	...	Capt. Marvin Ellender
Edmon Ryan	...	Adm. Hoyle
Steve Franken	...	Young Sailor
Paul Newlan	...	Gen. William Hallerton
Gary Cockrell	...	Lt. Victor Wade
Alan Sues	...	Petty Officer Enright
Bill Fraser	...	Port Commander
Lou Byrne	...	Nurse Captain
Alan Howard	...	Port Ensign
Linda Marlowe	...	Pat
Janine Gray	...	1st 'Nameless Broad'
Judy Carne	...	2nd 'Nameless Broad'
Kathy Kersh	...	3rd 'Nameless Broad'
reste de la distribution par ordre alphabétique:
Larry Billman	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Paul Genge	...	Officer (uncredited)
Bob Johnson	...	Documentary narration (uncredited)
Kent McCord	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Jack Raine	...	Hotel Waiter (uncredited)
Sharon Tate	...	Beautiful girl (uncredited)
Red West	...	Soldier (uncredited)

Réalisé par
Arthur Hiller

Scénaristes
Paddy Chayefsky		(screenplay)
William Bradford Huie		(novel)

Produit par
John Calley	....	associate producer
Martin Ransohoff	....	producer

Musique originale
Johnny Mandel

Image
Philip H. Lathrop		(director of photography) (as Philip Lathrop)

Montage
Tom McAdoo

Distribution des rôles
Irene Howard		(uncredited)

Direction artistique
George W. Davis
Hans Peters
Elliot Scott

Décorateur de plateau
Robert R. Benton
Henry Grace

Création des costumes
Bill Thomas

Maquillage
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup supervisor

Assistant réalisateur
Al Shenberg	....	assistant director

Technicien du son
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects
J. McMillan Johnson	....	special visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Christopher Challis	....	additional photographer (as Chris Challis)
Travers Hill	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Armbruster	....	conductor
Robert Armbruster	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Divers
Alain Delalande	....	subtitles: original version with French subtitles

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)
• Filmways Pictures

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmipaja (1965) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1966) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1969) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (????) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Swashbuckler Films (2008) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Turner Network Television (TNT) (????) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Titra Film Paris  subtitles: French version

Autre(s) titre(s):

Emily (USA) (reissue title)
Les jeux de l'amour et de la guerre (France) [fr]

Durée:

115 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Noir et Blanc

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Son:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Stereo

Classification:

UK:X | Australia:G (TV rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #20611) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Spain:13 | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-7 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | Australia:PG

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

London, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Anecdotes:

Although the DVD cover states that film historian Drew Casper does the audio commentary, it's actually Arthur Hiller. He speaks very fondly of the making of the movie.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The airplane that takes the Admiral back home bears a USAF roundel (i.e., red strip inside the "wings") three years before there was a "USAF".

Guillemet:

Emily Barham: Oh, shut up and let me kiss you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Quantum Leap: The Americanization of Machiko - August 4, 1953 (#2.3)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Emily

"I'm not interested in the truth, just the momentary fact of things."

For those of today's fans who think Julie Andrews made her film debut in Mary Poppins, they would be wrong. After leaving Camelot on Broadway, The Americanization of Emily was the vehicle with which Julie made her debut. And she sings not a note.

She didn't have to. Beneath all the comedy revolving around the scheming and conniving of James Garner to stay as far away from the hail of bullets as possible are some profound statements about the futility of war and the geopolitics that got the USA in that particular war.

James Garner is in a quintessential James Garner role as set down by Bret Maverick, the part that made Garner a star. He's a "dog robber" a military aide to an admiral who specializes in acquiring certain creature comforts for his boss. Garner became one after serving some combat in Guadalcanal and finding it not to his liking. Fortunately for him, he had the connections to get out of that situation unlike several thousand others. Not a very admirable man.

But despite herself, stiff upper lip Britisher Julie Andrews finds herself falling for him. There's is one rocky romance.

Through a combination of circumstances Garner finds himself going to the front on D-Day to film the Naval Engineers disabling the mines in the water at Normandy Beach. Once again, it's not to his liking.

Garner and Andrews get good support from the supporting cast consisting of James Coburn, William Windom, Joyce Grenfell and Melvyn Douglas as the battle fatigued admiral who's Garner's boss and who got him in the situation described.

One of my favorite scenes involves two sailors, Keenan Wynn and Steve Franken who get assigned to Garner to make the film. The three of them get cockeyed drunk and Garner's immediate superior James Coburn finds them in a state of uselessness. He has them hauled aboard the transport with the cargo.

One of the great things this film had going for it was the Henry Mancini-Johnny Mercer title song of Emily. They were a hot combination of movie song writers then, having one back to back Oscars for Moon River and Days of Wine and Roses. Frank Sinatra, Jack Jones, and Andy Williams are some of the artists who recorded that song back in 1964.

I can't give the ending away, but let's say that Garner through a bit of sophistry winds up doing exactly what he said he never would. But then again as Garner says, he's not interested in some great philosophical truth, just the momentary fact of things. He and Julie Andrews together are what counts most.