Friday, June 6, 2014

June 6 - The Americanization of Emily

Today’s movie is a dramedy with scenes that happen on June 6. I hope you will enjoy this film 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 aide 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 Cummings 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 secret, 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

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.








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