Here is today's film with a scene that happens today - June 6. I hope you enjoy it and watch it tonight.
THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY
It is shortly before D-Day in
England. Charlie Madison is a womanizing, cynical ‘dog-robber’ who, as an aside
to Admiral Jessup, ensures his boss gets the best food and throws the best
parties around by bribing/threatening supply officers to get what he needs. His
new driver Emily, a English widow is both fascinated and repulsed by Charlie.
In spite of this she agrees to attend a bridge party when Charlie ends up a
girl short. Admiral Jessup is in Europe to ensure that the Navy’s role in the
upcoming Normandy invasion gets more press, so that after the war Congress
won’t reduce the Navy’s budget. He comes up with the idea that the first dead
man on Omaha beach must be a sailor. Charlie and Emily begin a sexual
relationship. The Admiral wants a movie made about the Naval demolition units
that precede the troops onto the beach. Charlie tells Emily he’s a coward and
she says she approves of this as her husband, brother and father have all died
in the war and she couldn’t love a man who might be killed. When Charlie tells
the Admiral he doesn’t like the movie idea, the Admiral puts Charlie in charge
of it. Charlie’s best friend Bus Cumings cuts orders sending Charlie and Emily
on a vacation in Sussex, ostensibly to scout filming locations. Charlie is then
assigned to an underwater demolition unit, but the Admiral has nervous
breakdown. However, he has written the President about the film. To keep the
fact that Admiral Jessup has flipped out the Navy brass decides the film must
be made. Cummings sees this as his last chance for military glory and refuses
to let Charlie out of the plan. When they leave to join the unit, Emily says
she does not want to see Charlie again, as she has decided honor and duty are
important and can’t stand Charlie’s cynical attitude. At the port they learn the ship with the underwater demolition
teams sailed two hours before (a fact known to Charlie, but not Cummings).
However, since the invasion is postponed, the next day they are put on the
correct ship in a timely manner. On
June 6, 1944 Charlie and Bus land on Omaha beach where Charlie is shot
by Bus when he won’t go on the beach. A shell burst knocks Charlie down and
everyone thinks he is dead. [1:28:48 to 1:35:57] The Navy builds Charlie up
into a huge posthumous hero. Emily now realizes she really did love Charlie and
misses him terribly. The Admiral recovers and is dismayed when he learns his
actions caused Charlie’s death. Then word comes that Charlie is alive. The
Admiral wants him in Washington to testify before Congress. Charlie announces
he going to tell the truth about what happened, even if it means being jailed
for cowardice. Emily convinces him to go along with his heroic status so they
can be together.
This movie is about as cynical as
they come. It has a very hard edge and its biting sarcasm can’t be matched.
Both Garner and Andrews give excellent performances of characters who are out
of their usual comfort zone.
The Third Reich at War by Richard J. Evans (The
Penguin Press, New York, 2009) at page 620 gives the invasion date
Producer - Martin
Ransohoff
Director - Arthur Hiller
Screenplay - Paddy Chayefsky
Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Art Direction
and Best Cinematography
Oscars at the 37th Academy Awards.
Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes
Released – October 27, 1964
Starring –
James Garner as Lt. Cmdr. Charles E. "Charlie"
Madison
Julie Andrews as Emily Barham
Melvyn Douglas as Admiral William Jessup
James Coburn as Lt. Cmdr. Paul "Bus" Cummings
Joyce Grenfell as Mrs. Barham
Keenan Wynn as Old Sailor
Edward Binns as Admiral Thomas Healy
Liz Fraser as Sheila
William Windom as Captain Harry Spaulding
John Crawford as Chief Petty Officer Paul Adams
Douglas Henderson as Captain Marvin Ellender
Edmon Ryan as Admiral Hoyle
Steve Franken as Young Sailor
Alan Sues as Petty Officer Enright
No comments:
Post a Comment