The Americanization of Emily (1964) User Reviews (91)

Overlooked Gem Looks Angrily and Wittily at the American Military Propaganda Machine

[EUyeshima · 8/10 · 2 May 2006]

Masterfully scripted by Paddy Chayefsky, this 1964 anti-war film is not quite a classic but nonetheless an unexpected treat and one that deserves resurrection by a new generation of viewers. Set in WWII London, the dark hearted plot focuses on Navy Lieutenant Commander Charles Madison, an especially notorious personal assistant to the mentally unstable Admiral William Jessup. Madison's job is to make sure Jessup gets anything he wants, and he has a warehouse full of contraband to back him up. Smug in his self-awareness about his cowardice, he meets Emily Barham, an English war widow who has lost her father and brother as well as her husband to the war. She is repulsed by Madison's manipulative agenda and cavalier materialism, and he finds her priggish and self-righteous. Needless to say, they fall in love. Complicating matters is Jessup's hare-brained scheme to ensure the first casualty of the D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach be a naval man. Without a glimmer of irony recognized, the admiral assigns Madison and his colleague "Buzz" Cummings to find the appropriate sailor and film his heroic death.

The sheer audacity of this task is a hallmark of Chayefsky's vitriolic style, and the film is full of his brittle, observant dialogue and sharply articulate soliloquies. You need an actor of consummate charm and cunning to play Madison effectively, and Garner responds by turning in one of the best performances of his long career. He shows not only his deft comedic touch but also a piercing insight into the integrity that can come from an acknowledged lack of courage. Squeezed in between her twin juggernauts of sugar, "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music", Julie Andrews gives an intelligent, passionate performance as Emily that actually eclipses her acting in either mega-hit. The movie's title comes from her character's resistance to what she sees as cheapening her values by becoming more American. Together, they not only spark romantically but also trade speeches of barbed cynicism making Chayefsky's words fly off the page with supple dexterity.

Screen stalwart Melvyn Douglas is a terrifically befuddled blowhard as Jessup, while an especially energetic James Coburn aggressively turns "Buzz" into a monomaniacal yes-man. Joyce Grenfell is superb in her few scenes as Emily's no-nonsense mother. For interested baby boomers, you can even see future "Laugh-In" regulars Alan Sues and Judy Carne in bit parts, as well as the late Sharon Tate. If there is a weakness to the film, it comes from Arthur Hiller's pedestrian direction making the film more episodic than it should. The 2005 DVD package has a sharp print of the film and includes Hiller's informative commentary on an alternate track. He is understandably proud of the film since his subsequent work ("Love Story", "Making Love") has not even come close to the quality of this production. There is also a short, "Action on the Beach", which shows how the realistic filming of the D-Day scene was executed. It would be interesting to see this film in a double bill with Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" to get alternative perspectives on the same event.

Amusing warfare cynical comedy about an immoral and oversexed Lieutenant during Overlord operation

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 16 February 2013]

Acceptable but overlong war comedy with screenplay by prestigious Paddy Chayefsky and being based on a novel written by William Bradford . It deals with an American naval Lt. Cmdr. Charles E. Madison (the role was originally offered to William Holden, while James Garner was considered for the part of "Bus" Cummmings played by James Coburn) , he has a talent for living the good life in wartime that is challenged when he falls in love and is sent on a dangerous mission . Meanwhile , he falls in love with an enticing Brit widow (Julie Andrews' only movie in black and white). But when his Admiral (Melvyn Douglas) suffers a nervous breakdown , it leads to Charlie being sent on a senseless and risked mission dealing with a master plan to have American naval soldier first Normandy with predictable results .

This cynical war comedy contains drama , humor , emotion and romance . Top-of the-range stellar cast who gives magnificent acting as James Garner who is splendid as a coward sponger who takes his life as smooth and risk-free as possible for himself ; Garner always says that this is his favorite of his movies and an attractive Julie Andrews who is frankly well . Very good support cast such as James Coburn as Lt. Cmdr. Paul 'Bus' Cummings , Edward Binns as Adm. Thomas , Keenan Wynn as Old Sailor , William Windom as Capt. Harry Spaulding and special mention to Melvyn Douglas as Adm. William Jessup .

This ironic picture was financed by producer Martin Ransohoff who removed director William Wyler from the picture as Wyler wanted to change Paddy Chayefsky's script. It was a rare instance in which a producer supported a screenwriter over a director, particularly one of Wyler's caliber. As Chayefsky was known to have guarantees written into his contracts protecting his scripts, Ransohoff may have had no choice but to replace Wyler with Arthur Hiller . Nice production design and art direction from George W Davis and Hans Peters , though several war images have been taken from stock shots , some scenes of the D-Day landing scenes were filmed on Mandalay Beach in Oxnard, California . Atmospheric as well as evocative Original Music by Johnny Mandel . Excellent Cinematography in black and white by Philip H. Lathrop though also shown and available in horrible colorized version .

The motion picture was well and professionally directed by Arthur Hiller . Arthur is a good craftsman who has directed all kind of genres as Romantic story : ¨Love story¨ , wartime : ¨Tobruk¨ , Drama : ¨Making love¨, ¨Author , Author¨ ; being his specialty comedy genre such as proved in ¨The out of towners¨, "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" , ¨Silver streak¨ , ¨Outrageous Fortune¨, or this ¨The Americanization of Emily¨ .

One of the very best anti-war movies, esp. for Americans

[seajoe-1 · 8/10 · 29 October 2002]

This film is being released on cable again here in the fall of 2002. I guess I hope some liberal Hollywood mogul is doing it on purpose, to give us, especially those of us in the US, another good dose of anti-war. The movie seems especially apt for me, for my countrymen, because it is both funny and serious, and, set in England, it gives a pretty good sense of what a people who know war think and feel about it.

I'm afraid I doubt that it's going to have much effect against the probably coming Iraq action, but I'd like to think it might have a bit.

Both James Garner and Julie Andrews do well in the film, and Melvyn Douglas is real good as an American ranking Naval officer who's sane about the "glories of war". The Brit who plays Julie Andrews mother, whose name I unhappily cannot remember, deserves strong mention, too, especially with her scene about the absurdity and stupidity of memorializing the first Allied death in the invasion at Normandy in WW II.

Wonderfully crafted romantic drama

[Doctor_Bombay · 3 March 1999]

There can be no Paddy Chayefsky without comedy, nor can there be without drama. His work is always serious, channeled with humor, but his presentation is so on-point, so honest, so blatant, that as viewers we are forced to soak it all up, and we are left the better for it.

Set in wartime, the Americanization of Emily looks at changing times in a very changing world. The ‘balloon will go up' any day now, signaling the Invasion of Europe and all around will be forever changed.

It is not solely the warriors, the decision makers, that are central to the battle. Chayefsky knows that, and shows us that war will change all it touches, from the simple Emily (Julie Andrews), a kind, intelligent, sensitive single English woman to the devil-may-care ‘scrounger', Lt Cmdr Charles Madison (James Garner-somewhat a reprise of his role in The Great Escape).

This movie is a romance, and a serious examination of people over-matched by forces outside their control, who struggle to do everything in their control to find their way.

A well-told story, skillfully delivered. It's hard to ask for much more than that.

Censors Ignore Standards of 1964

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 26 October 2010]

Paddy Chevesky wrote some pretty good scripts. Auther Hiller directs with James Garner & Julie Andrews carrying the load here very well. James Coburn supports a talented supporting cast.

This film sets up Garner in a character he plays often, a coward who is being asked to be a hero on D-Day. He naturally thinks the project is nuts as they want him to be the first on Omaha Beach with a camera. He becomes involved with British woman Emily (Andrews) & tries to convert her into a woman who could love a coward, in spite of her own standards.

Where this film really breaks ground is one scene where Emily & Garner argue & he proceeds to call her a b* tch. In the mid 1960's, this was a rare event in films. I am not sure if because of the writer / director this line got through, but it is a rare time in film for Andrews to be called a b* tch.

Garner has a top notch performance in this & Andrews is strong in this one too. It does have the Hollywood happy ending.

Intelligent, poignant satire on the the meaning of heroism

[wdbrown · 10/10 · 1 January 2004]

Simply put, this is one of my all-time favorite movies. I can't possibly agree with the individual who wrote this was possibly James Garner's worst movie. The exact opposite is true. The character of Charlie is callous, and self-serving, but he has a dedication to the admiral that is logical and touching. It is the admiral, after all, who saved Charlie from the realities of war.

Listen to Charlie's speech about how he got there. He started off by going to war with all the ideals of any other Marine, but in the teeth of war he realized he wasn't the man he thought he was and "the glory" certainly wasn't worth it. Charlie is a coward, but not a deserter. He has priorities, which he lists to Emily.

Garner does a fine job in communicating the role of an outwardly selfish and uncaring man struggling hard to suppress his principles.

Julie Andrews' Emily is just the person to bring those principles out. And James Coburn is outstanding as the one person who actually takes the admiral's plan for a sailor to be the first casualty on Omaha Beach seriously.

Very good acting by all. Fine comic performances in a film that is easily overlooked by today's audiences because it isn't the type of humor that hits you over the head with a baseball bat to make its point. Instead, it uses characterization and intelligence.

How sad we are that we are no longer required to think about movies, since so many of them have no thought behind them other than making money.

"The Americanization of Emily" is definitely worth a look if you like smart, intelligent characters with something to say.

Andrews gets Americanized to Moderately Good Effect

[movieman-200 · 7/10 · 15 June 2005]

Arthur Hiller's The Americanization of Emily (1964) was a departure for its British co-star, Julie Andrews. Known primarily as the squeaky clean virgin of stage plays, Camelot and My Fair Lady, and her debut standout as the nanny with an edge in Mary Poppins, on this occasion Andrews is cast as Emily Bartham – a rather vivacious vixen in London's swinging west end. She's a perfect fit for the hero of our tale, Charlie Madison (James Gardner). With a penchant for wooing the ladies with his false modesty and tales of heroics during the last days of WWII, Charlie is the hottest sexual conquest in town. His pick of the litter eventually hurls him headstrong into the arms of darling Em' only to realize his own romantic fallibility when he genuinely falls in love with her. Then duty calls on a gregarious and dangerous mission in which Chuck is asked to put his money where his mouth is – and just may not live to tell the tale afterward. Featuring, among other things, Julie Andrews in her first on screen sexual encounter – the screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky is economical to say the least, moving in and out of intrigues and romantic entanglements with ease, but often with a sense that the story really doesn't have much in the way of actual plot. He introduces Charlie to Emily quickly enough – and then mixes things up in a very congenial, but conventional boy meets girl scenario. The war time motif is appealing, but intrusive to what is essentially an old time romance with a genuine 60s time capsule twist.

The transfer on The Americanization of Emily is absolutely first rate. The black and white picture elements are pronouncedly pristine, with barely a scratch or speckle to speak of. Blacks are velvety rich and deep. Whites are clean and bright without blooming. The audio has been remixed to good effect. But this is a primarily 'talking' film with limited action so even the mono will suffice. It's still nice to have stereo, though. Arthur Hiller delivers a sublime and enriching audio commentary that is head and shoulders above what most directors and producers usually offer in reflections of their own work. This is an excellent DVD that should be a part of everyone's home library.

Paddy Chayefsky, what a writer!

[claudiaeilcinema · 9/10 · 13 March 2018]

Think of Network or The Hospital, Paddy Chayefsky was seeing into the future and what he saw was ugly. Here we have an insane admiral and how his men, who know he's crazy, stand in line to follow his wishes/commands. An anti war film without sentimentality. Julie Andrews is a total delight as the tough cookie with a razor sharp mind. James Garner has the best lines of his career. His tea with Joyce Grenfell is a superb written scene. Joyce Grenfell as Julie's mother is divine, yes, divine! Melvyn Douglas as the crazy man in charge is the Howard Beale of the situation and what he does with it is pure genius. Highly recommend it.

"The first dead man on Omaha Beach must be a sailor!" ...and James Garner is a sailor

[Terrell-4 · 7/10 · 7 October 2008]

Paddy Chayefsky's fluent, clever, pungent polemics have always seemed more than a little stagy to me. If there was an opportunity for Chayefsky to shake his finger at us and give us a speech, he couldn't resist. The Americanization of Emily, a clever romantic drama about war, heroics and practicality, is a good example. Nearly 45 years after it was filmed, the movie still packs a cynically amusing anti-war punch...but those speeches sure do go on. If James Garner, Julie Andrews and Melvyn Douglas weren't such sympathetic and skilled actors, we might be tempted to leave the movie playing while we take a bathroom break or make a fresh bowl of popcorn. The movie has a running time of nearly two hours, so you'll probably need to do both anyway.

If Chayefsky's speeches wind up doing turnabouts, the story line is simple and sweet. It's 1944 in London and Lieutenant Commander Charlie Madison (Garner) has used all of his charm and skill to stay far away from danger. He thinks war is a fool's game where people can get killed. The real heroes are the cowards who stay far away from the senseless killing. (Of course, Chayefsky gives Charlie a back-story that is touching, brave and good for a tear up or two.) He's comfortably on the staff of the aging political Admiral William Jessup (Douglas), working with a fellow Lieutenant Commander, Bus Cummings (James Coburn), to set up lavish parties for the brass and VIPs, with plenty of rationed goods -- dry-aged strip steaks, avocados and bourbon -- and friendly women. Then he meets Emily Barham (Julie Andrews), whose father died in an air raid, brother was shot down during the Blitz and whose husband was killed at Tobruk. Now she's in uniform serving as a driver. With much back and forthing about Brits, Americans, sex, Hershey bars, heroics, duty, bravery and heart-felt cynicism, etc., etc., etc., they fall in love. By then Admiral Jessup is going gaga and decides a movie about the heroic first man on the D-Day beaches would be a terrific PR scoop for the Navy. Charlie finds himself with no wiggle room and is soon wading through the surf on what could well be a dead hero's mission. Will Charlie survive? Will Bus set him up to be a dead hero? Will Emily inspire him? Will Chayefsky give just about everyone, but mainly Garner, long speeches for us to be charmed and challenged by? Need you ask?

Without Garner's and Andrew's likability, this movie would get tiresome quickly. It really needs to lose about half an hour and Chayefsky needs a tough-minded editor. Still, the polemics are often funny and uneasy and Garner was one of the best of the laid-back, charmingly skeptical leading men of his time. (Three roles that I think show him at his best, whatever one thinks of the movies, are Jason McCullough in Support Your Local Sheriff, Murphy Jones in Murphy's Romance and Raymond Hope in Twilight.) He does an exceptional job with Chayefsky's words.

Why not give the last word...well, the last many words, to Chayefsky wearing his Charlie Madison mask. Madison sure was a fluent, facile speechifier. Says Charlie: War isn't hell at all. It's man at his best; the highest morality he's capable of. It's not war that's insane, you see. It's the morality of it. It's not greed or ambition that makes war: it's goodness. Wars are always fought for the best of reasons: for liberation or manifest destiny. Always against tyranny and always in the interest of humanity. So far this war, we've managed to butcher some ten million humans in the interest of humanity. Next war it seems we'll have to destroy all of man in order to preserve his damn dignity. It's not war that's unnatural to us, it's virtue. As long as valor remains a virtue, we shall have soldiers. So, I preach cowardice. Through cowardice, we shall all be saved.

Time to make the popcorn, or to run down to the store and buy a bag from Chayefsky.

A black comedy about the excesses of war set against the backdrop of D-Day.

[llsee46 · 9/10 · 19 June 2005]

I first saw this movie in 1964 at the Air Force base where I was stationed. At the time I thought it was an odd choice to show on base, but in those days, I guess the military wasn't so sensitive that they had to censor the films shown on base. The movie practically disappeared for 40 years, and I was pleased to see that it is now released on DVD. I watched the DVD this weekend and was happy to find that the film still seemed fresh and had aged very well.

Watching this movie reminds one of why James Garner and Julie Andrews became stars. They are both extremely likable and have good chemistry together. Garner's character, Charlie Madison, is just a rift on his Maverick TV personae, but is well suited to the character. Andrews, in a non-singing role, is luminescent. She plays a British war widow the way all Americans think of British women. It is a classic portrayal. The star of this film though, is the script by Paddy Chayefsky. Snappy, witty dialog and that strong dose of black humor amply illustrate why Chayefsky should be considered on of the finest script writers of all time. This is equal to his work in Network.

The DVD extras are sparse. There is a 6 minute 1964 MGM featurette on the filming of the Omaha Beach scene. It is only notable by comparison of Mr Garner's treatment during filming to how today's over-indulged, ego-inflated, and under-whelming movie stars are treated. Recommended.

Thought-provoking comedy-drama from screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky

[sme_no_densetsu · 7/10 · 22 January 2010]

Arthur Hiller's "The Americanization of Emily" is a film that courted controversy with its subject matter. While the sexual elements of the film were somewhat bold for its time it's the film's anti-war sentiment that pushes the buttons of folks even today.

While anti-war sentiment may have been justified during the Vietnam War (which hadn't really escalated yet) this story is set during WWII. That, in my mind, hurts the film's message. The lead character's self-proclaimed 'cowardice' is difficult to see in a positive light when he's in a war that basically *had* to be fought. I also don't think that the film's ending is really true to what preceded it. Even with these faults, though, Paddy Chayefsky's script shows the touch of a master.

Although the cast didn't get an any Oscar attention there are a number of good performances to be found here. James Garner oozes charisma in the lead role and Melvyn Douglas stands out as the gung ho, but cuckoo, admiral. James Coburn also contributes admirable support while Julie Andrews puts in a solid but unremarkable performance in the female lead.

Hiller's direction is well handled and the film shows ample refinement. The Omaha Beach scene won't leave you thinking of "Saving Private Ryan" but the film's two Oscar nominations for black-and-white cinematography and art direction weren't for nothing. I can't remember anything about the score so it must have been pretty average.

With a film like this, the message of the movie could turn you off entirely. I suggest approaching it with an open mind and not taking it too seriously. It is, first and foremost, a comedy, after all.

Excellent, funny, sad, sexy

[funkyfry · 9/10 · 24 September 2002]

This excellent film combines humor and drama in ways I've never seen before. Far from heavyhanded in either department, its notable trait is a kind of circular irony that runs through the film, becoming even more profound in the film's final scenes. Garner plays a man whose ideal is cowardice and self-service. Face dfinally with having to become and official "hero" and wanting no part of it, he has to realize that to be true to himself he has to play this role -- the nobility of any grand gesture of honesty in his cowardice would be too utside of his character! Andrews is magnificent and more sexy than usual as Emily, a girl afraid to have any man who's not a coward! No sentimentality, just good old dark irony. Very well written. Good film!

Proper Brit meets The Ugly American in romantic comedy with enigmatic moral principles...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 28 January 2007]

Puzzling, yes, but entertaining nevertheless due to splendid performances (and great chemistry) of JULIE ANDREWS and JAMES GARNER. What this is, really, is a more serious version of an idea Preston Sturges had for HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO back in the '40s, the scatterbrained comedy with Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton about a man mistaken for a war hero.

But the questionable element here is what to make of the speeches Julie and James make when they find themselves on opposite sides of the argument on war and the reasons for it. Evidently Paddy Chayefsky was writing this with serious intent on imparting some kind of morality to the tale, but it fails to make sense when you stop to analyze it. Nobody has a clearcut opinion on anything and both Julie and James settle for going along with the phony publicity ballyhoo engineered by JAMES COBURN.

MELVYN DOUGLAS is fine as the officer who is responsible for the dangerous mission that falls into the hands of JAMES GARNER, and all because he was drunk when he proposed it. In the end, he's happy that Garner is still alive and wants to promote him as the Navy's most obvious example of heroism under fire...ironically, a far departure from the truth.

So is the film and its moral ambiguities--but it's still fun to watch for the performances of Andrews and Garner. They're wonderful together and it's no wonder that eighteen years later they were reunited for a smash hit called VICTOR/VICTORIA.

William Wyler refused to direct when he asked for revisions in the script--and I can understand his objections. Nevertheless, it manages to be an above average romantic comedy. It's more a character study of two opposites who are given some great speeches to make about patriotism or the lack thereof by writer Paddy Chayefsky.

Favorite moment: The rain scene where Garner and Andrews tell each other off in the classic manner of screwball comedy.

A satiric, romantic, daring black comedy, it is dialog-driven and certainly wordy in places, but it has a lot to say.

[castilda · 18 September 2011]

Americanization of Emily is not an anti-war or pacifist film. Its position is anti- glorification of war or heroism. Chayefsky himself was a war hero and awarded a Purple Heart. His position on war is stated clearly by the James Garner character in the amazing garden scene with Emily and her mother, who has been driven mad with grief over the loss of her husband, son-in-law, etc. in the war. Emily takes Charlie's cowardice and throws it back at him. The film was unavailable for years since the widow of the author of the book on which it is based held the copyright and would not release it for DVD. It is finally available for a new generation, and the ideas are still timely and valid. The theme song, Emily, is a jazz classic that has become better known than the film itself.

A fair anti-war, but more anti-freedom satire

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 20 February 2018]

No one can doubt that "The Americanization of Emily" is an anti-war film. But to think that this is a very good anti-war film knocks some tremendous films that show the sacrifice, carnage, death and losses from war. For this film has none of that. Instead, it has a lot of anti-war talk and philosophizing by the lead character. And, it is anti-war talk that seems to embrace a propaganda message of the Axis powers in World War II. Some may describe it as defeatist. It was a powerful psychological tool, especially used by Germany and Japan in WW II. The message was, "Quit fighting, Yanks. Go home to your wife and family."

In this movie, James Garner does a good job in that role as Lt. Cdr. Charles Madison. But that's not the way that William Huie (1910-1986) wrote the character in the novel of the same title in 1959. The American author and journalist wrote the book as a serious satire (with some humor) of the Navy brass at the time and place. It was London in 1944, just before the June 6 Allied invasion. Huie was a lieutenant in the Navy and serving in England. He had been on the staff of Vice Admiral Ben Moreell of the Seabees, and took part in the D-Day landings.

Huie wrote about the system and the extravagance of the top Navy brass over the common troops - sailors and soldiers. During his life, he reported and wrote serious books about controversial issues of WW II, and later of the Civil Rights struggle in the U.S. He was a strong proponent of civil rights.

The writer for the screenplay of the movie was Paddy Chayefsky. He himself was a noted writer, especially of satirical works. Chayefsky also served during World War II. He was an enlisted man in the 104th Infantry and received a Purple Heart for being wounded by a land mine in Germany. Chayefsky said he read Huie's book and saw it as a funny satire. He must not have thought many others would see it that way without significant changes. So, he wrote the screenplay to make the satire less serious and more comical.

While the screenplay for the movie retains the main plot, and most of the characters and incidents of the book, it alters them considerably. The book hero (Lt. Cdr. James "Jimmy" Madison) was a trained, working PR professional before the war, and knew how to make movies. TV didn't exist as we know it today. There were no camera crews covering WWII. So the Army and Navy had professional film crews to record the war. Many Hollywood directors, cameramen and other technicians who joined the military were put into units to film the war. The hero in the book was serious about filming the D-Day landings. But it wasn't to show a sailor as the first to land - or the first to die, on Omaha Beach.

In the book, the hero wasn't a coward, nor did he say that he was. The term isn't even in the book. Nor does he accuse the good folks back home of being the cause of war. Finally, the women were portrayed in the book a little more openly. Americanized women were those who gave sexual favors during wartime in exchange for scarce food items and gifts. Emily was one of them.

The high living of the admiral and Navy brass was one part of the satire. The film makes the movie project of Admiral William Jessup the second satire. This is a dark piece of comedy that had no source at all in the book. Melvyn Douglas plays Jessup superbly. He has gone out of his mind and ordered his men to make a movie to glorify the first dead man on Omaha Beach as a sailor.

The romance between Charlie and Emily Barham is a third part of the plot. Julie Andrews is very good as Barham. The romance is the vehicle for Charlie to pronounce his pride at cowardice and disdain for war. But rather than scenes or visuals that show the ugliness and horror of war, the audience instead gets large speeches of Charlie's philosophy. He says that the blame for war rests on the good people who build statues and monuments to honor their dead and heroes. It's the good people who start the wars and are the cause of wars. So Charlie says.

The film focuses on that to the point of ideology. Charlie says that good people should not go to war. So, when Hitler invaded Poland, Norway, France and other countries, apparently the good people of those countries should not have fought back. Nor should the Chinese have fought the Japanese who invaded and wrought the rape of Nanking. And, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the U.S. should have acceded the islands to Japan.

In a way, Charlie was saying the same thing that the Axis propaganda machine was cranking out. Tokyo Rose over the radio urged American GIs to lay down their arms and not resist the Imperial Japanese. If England and France and the U.S. hadn't gone to war over Europe, there wouldn't have been all that death and destruction - except, of course, for the extermination of the Jews. And everyone would be able to live safely under the tyranny of Nazism. Well, maybe most. Maybe a little bit.

By 1964, when this film came out, the world had a good example of the Western nations not going to war with communism and the Soviet Union. Instead, we let the Soviets occupy and suppress the peoples of Eastern Europe (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the Balkan states, the Baltic states, and East Germany). This movie is anti-war, but in its fervor to avoid war at all costs, it seems also to be anti-freedom and anti-human rights.

An Absolute Classic

[Judger · 10/10 · 13 March 2000]

Unlike most WWII movies of this era, this movie wasn't afraid to take a dark but witty look at military establishment.

James Coburn character takes seriously a delusional Admiral (the great Melvin Douglas) who conceives of a "Tomb of the Unknown Sailor" Coburn assigns a devoutly un-heroic James Garner to storm Normandy Beach to film and retrieve the body of the first sailor killed on D-Day. In an unforgettable scene, a very intoxicated Keenan Wynne is assigned to the project and responds by saying "I may be drunk, but I'm not THAT drunk!".

The writing and dialog are some of the most intelligent and clever that you will ever see in a movie. Near the end of the movie, Julie Andrew gives a brilliant speach that takes Garner's anti-heroic philosophy and spins it back to him in a clever and unexpected way.

Mary Poppins meets Rockford in an unusual approach to war

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 12 March 2020]

War is one of the most controversial topics. An argument in favor is that it's necessary to protect freedom and democracy (and then there's there responsibility to protect, also known as R2P). An argument against is that it inevitably results in civilian casualties. But we rarely hear of the potential humor that can arise in it. "The Americanization of Emily" focuses on just that. The relationship between a US officer (James Garner) and a UK driver (Julie Andrews). The humor here is closer to what we saw in "What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?" than to "Catch-22": nothing biting or cynical, just zany. And they do a good job with it, while also prompting us to question the overall purpose of war. In the end, worth seeing. Not surprising, considering that the screenwriter is none other than Paddy Chayefsky (of "Network" fame).

Watch for "Laugh-In" co-star Judy Carne as one of the unnamed girls, and an uncredited Sharon Tate as one of the many babes.

Intellectual black comedy

[ryancm · 9/10 · 21 May 2005]

Get ready for a well written, directed and acted film about a very cowardly man in service. He's played by James Garner in an incredible performance. It has been said EMILY is his favorite film and I agree. Along with Garner is an amazing performance by Julie Andrews who looks terrific. A great character study and movie that makes you think. So unlike todays films where the special effects and fancy camera movement take the place of good old fashioned writing and acting. Superb also in support roles are Melvyn Douglas and James Coburn. The only flaw is that the women, including Andrews, don't have that "1945" look. Much too modern looking, especially the hair styles.

Good except for a few boring parts

[Marie-62 · 7/10 · 22 April 2003]

As long as you have this movie on tape, where you can rewind through some of the long, boring war-talk parts, you'll enjoy this movie. James Garner plays a cowardice army man (so what is he doing in the army?) who doesn't ever want to see fighting but uses his position to meet and woo women. Emily Barnham is (Julie Andrews at her prettiest) is his girlfriend, attracted to Charlie (Garner) because she believes that he really can pull off not being caught in World War II. What would make the movie interesting unless Garner went to war? So of course Emily's torn to bits, one of Julie's finest screen moments. I suppose a 7/10 was fair, only because I got bored in a few places. It's definitely worth seeing though, especially if you're a Garner or Andrews fan.

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

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 18 August 2005]

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.

Pretty good - if you don't mind speeches

[Hang_All_Drunkdrivers · 6/10 · 6 August 2009]

This is an anti-war movie and that's fine with me, but they really hit you over the head with their moralizing. James Garner is great as the coward but goes on and on about how smart he is to be a coward and how stupid the rest of us are to go along with all the war jingoism.

Julie Andrews is the co-star and very attractive but her character also feels the need to explain herself in oral essays. People don't act like that in real life. Not now and not in 1964.

Paddy Chayefsky wrote the script and deserves most of the blame for the preaching. Still - it's a good movie though i wish they'd made it in color.

More Than a Woman

[cb2369 · 9/10 · 27 January 2015]

As a Chayefsky fan, I sorta held off on this movie because it was presented to me as a mere anti-war film. I'm a little bit tired of anti-war films. I think we all are... But here I am, finishing my second viewing of this movie on back-to-back nights, and with great pleasure I can say that The Americanization of Emily is not a simple anti-war film. True to the Chayefsky name, this is one of the most original, well-crafted movies you will ever see. This is screen writing at its best: where conventional romances and gags are turned into a statement on the human condition, and you can laugh and, at the same time, hear your own thoughts put more eloquently than you could ever manage.

The Americanization of Emily is not content to stop at anti-war. It moves on and on, sometimes so quick it may be a little jarring at first or seem a little preachy, and maybe it is, but, for all it's flaws (the love song is eerily similar to Spartacus's love theme), this film could easily enter a top ten list. I don't want to hype it up too much, though. I may only like it because I agree. I also don't want to neglect director Arthur Hiller's great contribution (keep an eye out for the 3 minute take in the hotel room.) If you're a Chayefsky fan (which should be just about everyone), however, or if you enjoy the absolute mastery of craft exhibited by Hollywod during its Golden Age, you'll love this film. I highly suggest it. I really do.

While James Garner and Julie Andrews deliver powerful performances the movie falters most when it is trying to be funny at moments that just feel inappropriate.

[logicpopcorn · 7/10 · 3 December 2019]

The Americanization of Emily - Report Card

1964s The Americanization of Emily, based on the 1959 book of the same name, is a rare piece. It's not often you see such a cynical look at the military and war in the context of World War II. How well does the movie hit its points? Does The Americanization of Emily hold up?

PLOT (Spoiler Free)

Lt. Commander Madison is a self-described coward; he is in the military but does everything he can to avoid combat, while on assignment working in London for an admiral he meets the titular Emily. After heated debates and well executed dialog the two fall hard for each other and discuss the real costs of war while attempting to find a way out of Madison's dangerous upcoming assignment.

The Americanization of Emily is slow to start, focusing much of the first half on the main characters learning to love each other and discussing their views. The dialog though saves the beginning of the movie, the cynical discussions on American involvement, war heroes, and clashing views were enough to keep me engaged until any real conflict takes place. Once the conflict is introduced, Madison being given an arguably trivial suicide mission, the plot kicks into high gear. There were genuinely shocks and twists that were unexpected and well placed making the last hour of the movie fly by.

Plot Grade - B+ 89/100

Character & Performance

James Garner, playing Lt. Commander Madison, plays an excellent coward. Unrepentant and proud to have survived thus far. Garner gives several longer monologs and never of them overstay their welcome, Garner's performance allows his character to have both an character arc, yet emotionally ending at the exact same place as he started.

Julie Andrews, the titular Emily, is given the most dynamic arc. The entire film is about "Americanizing" her stereotypical British attitude. Emily's character traits slowly and brilliantly morph throughout the film and it is all beautifully performed by Andrews, proving she was more than just the singing babysitter and singing nun from her two most recognizable performances from the era.

Where the characters falter most is in its supporting characters. James Coburn's Lt. Commander Cummings is constantly flipping motivations and ideals with little to no provocation. Melvyn Douglas' Admiral Jessup, while shines towards the end of the movie, depicts mental illness and stress in such a disappointing way it does not invoke the humor I believe it was meant to.

Characters & Performances Grade - B- 82/100

Cinematography

The Americanization of Emily is well blocked and beautiful to look at when it put forth the effort. Scenes early in the film are well blocked and show the sets are interesting when the characters do not do as much. Towards the latter half of the movie though the production was forced to use stock footage to save on budget and it shows, while this does not ruin the movie by any means the jump between stock footage and actual movie jarred me more than once.

Bonus points to a wonderful and awkward shot of James Garner being the only man on an undisturbed Omaha beach moments before the DDay invasion begins. (+5)

Cinematography Grade - B 86/100

Again, The Americanization of Emily is rare piece. It tackles concepts and ideas that wouldn't be touched again for maybe a decade. The film introduces both sides of controversial topics and handles them in adult, well-spoken ways. While James Garner and Julie Andrews deliver powerful performances the movie falters most when it is trying to be funny at moments that just feel inappropriate. Despite the comedy falling short in this comedy / drama / war film there are more than enough interesting moments and ideas to keep most anybody entertained.

FINAL GRADE - B 86/100 (257/300)

Please remember that Film, Television, and all art is 100% subjective. Do not let this, or any review or rating stop you from enjoying or seeking out any product.

Simply atrocious

[cutter-12 · 4/10 · 11 February 2006]

Save for James Coburn's scenery chewing performance, and James Garner's eternal likability factor, this dog wouldn't even rate a chicken bone. The nearly unanimous favorable comments here just makes me ponder my sanity. First of all, it's a Vietnam era satire that craps all over the sacrifice of D-DAY veterans, noble in its intentions but hopelessly missing the mark on what it is trying to say.

Second of all, the story is set in 1944 but almost every sensibility from hairstyles to evening gowns to the much later than 1940's jazz playing on Coburn's bedroom radio is totally early 60's. Julie Andrews had almost the same hairstyle Maureen O'Hara had in The Parent Trap. This kind of inept attention to detail fools only viewers who really haven't got a clue what they're looking at.

Thirdly, the screenplay must be Paddy Chayefsky's worst - a self indulgent, preachy and fluffy satire that hasn't the faintest idea what it is exactly...a romantic comedy, a romantic drama, a farce or an anti war statement. None of this meshes into a cohesive whole. A rambling mess.

Just awful. Mind numbing. After 90 minutes I was just desperate for it to end. Possibly the worst film of Garner's I've ever seen. Julie Andrews made two or three films that were nearly or equally bad as this. Darling Lili anyone? People who love this film should open their eyes. It's an unauthentic WW2 movie, a misguided - and unfunny - Vietnam era satire, and a driveling attempt at a romance. When James Coburn steals a film out from under the likes of Garner and Andrews you know it's bad.

Satire which bites, but still an extremely enjoyable well written comedy of attitudes

[bbhlthph · 2 May 2006]

This is a true comedy which is both excellent and enjoyable - unfortunately today too many of them are only one or the other - and we will not even think about all those that are neither the one nor the other. It is a comedy of attitudes but these are mainly brought out in the form of sharp and incisive dialogue. The scriptwriter Paddy Chayefsky must be given most of the credit for this, but both Julie Andrews and James Garner give superlative performances. The story takes place during World War 2, and Julie plays the part of Emily, a British war widow who has also lost her brother in conflict, but who remains very aware of the necessity of destroying Hitler and all that he stands for. She is a motor pool driver for, and develops an unlikely attraction to, Charles (James Garner), a U.S. naval officer who had seen active service in Guadalcanal in the Pacific, and then pulled some strings to get transferred to duties as an aide to Rear-Admiral Jessup working in London on the planning of D-day.in 1944. Although Germany declared war on America, Charles is not too interested in Europe and does not feel as involved as he did with the war against Japan. His philosophy is to promote cowardice because the making of heroism into a major virtue promotes wars with all their ugly consequences. The dialogue between this ill-matched pair simply sparkles and anyone who can appreciate irony will enjoy the film..

The pay-off comes when Jessup, who is mainly interested in the political issues of raising awareness of the role of the navy, and increasing Senate appropriations for his service, conceives the idea of filming naval personnel involved in the Omaha Beach D-day landing and subsequently creating a humongous memorial to the first naval casualty. As a former cameraman Charles is allocated to this duty, but despite Emily's disdain tries hard to wriggle out of the commitment. He fails and is later reported to have been the first casualty of the landing. Jessup is delighted and activates his plans to build a memorial. His superior turns up and laughs at them as futile - then it transpires that Charles is alive and the superior is thrilled. He can present Charles to the senate as the first man ashore - which he feels would be much more effective than just creating a memorial. Plans are made to fly Charles back to the USA for this presentation until he declares that he will not play ball, he would rather expose the whole ridiculous plan to the media. The top brass are nonplussed until Emily joins the group and finally persuades Charles to go along with the plan. This is all in good fun, but there is very real and sharp satire in the way the military brass are only interested in building up their service and regard all their lower ranks as expendable for this purpose.

This is not really either an anti-war or a pro-war film. It recognises that there may ultimately be no alternative to fighting, but points sharp barbs at military thinking that does not begin to understand the consequences involved. Seen with a film such as "Dr Strangelove - or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb", it provides a salutary lesson about the absurdity of the concept of total mutual destruction as an effective deterrent for war. When it was first released its reception in the USA was influenced by the politics of the Vietnam war which was then entering its most bloody phase. Subsequently VHS copies of it almost disappeared, but finally a DVD version was released last year. I was very happy to discover this recently, and I recommend anyone who has not seen it to rent or buy a copy.