DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Darling Lili - Director's Cut (Recommended) (1 Viewer)

[Mark B]

I'm trying to piece "Girl in No Man's Land" back together and can't quite figure out the original continuity. Can anyone assist me?

There seems to have be a bit missing which guides the transition to Julie speaking to the soldiers mid-song.

 

[Darrell S.]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD: From what I understand, Blake Edwards' S.O.B. is based on the experience he had making this movie. This movie bombed at the box office because the public was growing more jaded and was becoming bored with movie musicals in 1970. It is quite a good film that does a delicate balancing act between farce, romance and war drama, musical, dark comedy, and suspense. That might be why it did not fare well. The public was confused as to what it was or what they were seeing. Also, Julie Andrews does have a nude scene where she is actually topless at the end of her strip-tease for a few frames. She also playing a Mata Hari type double-agent for the Germans and not a sympathetic sweet ingenue. It's possible that this new cut is what Blake Edwards prefers. It was awesome of Paramount and Edwards to include a great deal of what was deleted. The music by Henry Mancini is very reminiscent of MOON RIVER and as beautiful as anything else he wrote. Very haunting score.

 

[Rob_Ray]

Actually, that's not exactly true. It didn't bomb as much as Paramount barely released it and basically just dumped it in a few theatres around the country for a limited run. The company was going through a management change with lots of internal upheaval and corporate politics and various other issues involving the studio head ego trips suggested in S.O.B. The new regime at Paramount wanted to nothing to do with the films in the pipeline made in the "Paint Your Wagon" mold. Darling Lili took the full brunt of this and On a Clear Day suffered as well.

In many of its premiere engagements, especially Radio City Music Hall, Darling Lili actually drew quite well, although by 1970, Hollywood had changed and musicals were perceived as finished.

 

[Joe Caps]

One of the problems is that by 1970, there had been a TON of musicals released in the aftermath of sond of Music.
When Paramount cut and mono mixed ON a Clear Day and quickly released Darling Lili - they also did the worst ad campaigns for these films. The posters for both films were terrible (better posters in other countries) that hardly made you want to see the films at all.
BTW - there is no intermission but I got the dvd yesterday and the Intermission music IS on there - at the end of the film and marked exit music - WRONG !!

 

[Darrell S.]

I think we might be getting the best of both worlds in a roundabout way here. The deleted scenes look and sound exactly like the feature. They even have the same subtitles and are in stereo so you can have fun trying your hand as an editor and restorationist reassembling the deleted scenes back in if you want. It seems that the deleted scenes are actually not deleted but are the same scenes in the director's cut, but are complete and include the little trims that have been cut out of the director's cut. I would love to hear Blake Edwards' thoughts on what was cut and why. The cutting down of GIRL FROM NO MAN'S LAND, however, is unforgivable. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written by Henry Mancini and a very tender scene of Julie speaking words of comfort to wounded soldiers in their own tongue. Why this few seconds was cut is unfathomable! We also get the weird trailer that tries to present this as another SOUND OF MUSIC for the whole family which it completely is not. It is a very adult picture with nudity, language and very adult situations.

 

[Mark B]

I've been doing just that -- reassemling it. Interesting thing I discovered: folloeing the scene in which the wingless biplane crashes into the hangar, there is a single frame of the pavement insignia, which is from the following, and now trimmed scene. I think the feature was mastered in full and then digitally reassembled to the director's cut.



I found that very touching also...it's also a beautiful balance to the hilarious wheelchair bit.

 

[Charles H]

I recall that when it was originally rumored or announced a director's commentary was mentioned.

 

[Erik_H]

When I saw "Darling Lili" at a revival house in NYC years ago, it was on double bill with "S.O.B." My understanding is that "S.O.B." was the product of Edwards' frustration with studio interference not only in the making of "Darling Lili" and also the western "Wild Rovers" with William Holden and Ryan O'Neal which I believe was his next film (and was drastically cut by MGM). The director's cut of "Wild Rovers" was released on laser but is not available on DVD.

After the failure of "Wild Rovers" (and Andrews' acclaimed but poorly rated variety show on ABC) Edwards and Andrews spent much of the rest of the 1970s in Switzerland.

 

[Darrell S.]

Yes, the wheelchair bit is absolutely textbook Blake Edwards and very reminiscent of the PINK PANTHER series. Also, the scene where the guy slides down the tiles on the roof. This is really quite a fun movie. Why doesn't Blake Edward do some more! We need him!

 

[Arnie G]

I just got this title blind, and I really enjoyed it.

The video looks gorgeous and the audio was pretty good too. I liked it a LOT better than Star!

 

[TonyDale]

Erik_H - you mustn't forget the battles and legal actions Blake Edwards went through on his second MGM feature, THE CAREY TREATMENT, when talking about the inspirations for S.O.B.

 

[Jefferson]

I played the "piece together" game with this title, but in my vhs days. I had the new cut from AMC which looked great and a horrible old print of the complete version from CINEMAX...I even added the overture from my LP.

I never noticed Julie was actually topless at any point during the strip. I will have to look again.

 

[TonyDale]

The closest to topless Julie really gets is in the shower scene. . .

 

[Mark B]

Go frame by frame as she exits the strip number. Possible nipple....