Film: The Americanization of Emily
James Garner, Julie Andrews & James Coburn Star in 1964 Movie
A wayward admiral (Melvyn Douglas) sends one of his playboy officers (James Garner) to film the D-Day invasion in director Arthur Hiller's The Americanization of Emily.
Paddy Chayefsky wrote the screenplay and Arthur Hiller directed in this sterling adaptation of the William Bradford Huie novel, The Americanization of Emily. James Garner and James Coburn play a pair of Navy dog-robbers, providing the creature comforts for their admiral in World War II London while romancing the local girls, including Julie Andrews.
William Bradford Huie's Novel
The Americanization of Emily began life as a novel by Alabama-born William Bradford Huie (1910-1986), who had served as a naval officer and war correspondent in World War II. Published by E.P. Dutton in 1959, The Americanization of Emily -- a serious satire of wartime London punctuated by black humor and pointed jabs at the top Navy brass -- generally garnered good reviews.
Emily's lead character, Lt. Commander James Monroe Madison, had first appeared in a previous Huie novel, The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1951). Huie's other books included Mud on the Stars (1942), The Execution of Private Slovik (1954), Hotel Mamie Stover (1963) and Three Lives for Mississippi (1965).
Filming Locale
MGM's The Americanization of Emily was filmed from October to December 1963, with Mandalay Beach in Oxnard, California, serving as the setting for the D-Day landings at bloody Omaha Beach. William Wyler had been the first director on the production, but was replaced by Arthur Hiller when he made an attempt to deviate from Paddy Chayefsky's screenplay.
Set in 1944 Wartime London
The movie follows the adventures of Lt. Commander Charles E. Madison (Garner), a Navy officer whose job in wartime London primarily consists of providing luxuries to his boss, Admiral William Jessup (Douglas), and other high-ranking brass. Aiding Madison in his work is Lt. Commander "Bus" Cummings (Coburn), whose love for battlefield heroics is only matched by his passion for young English women.
Serving as Madison's driver is Emily Barham (Andrews), who has already lost a husband, father and brother to the war. Emily's mother (Joyce Grenfell) copes with the loss as best she can, pretending that her dead son will some day return home to England.
Despite his restive, playboy nature, Charlie Madison falls in love with Emily. A self-confessed coward, Charlie is aghast when a slightly daffy Admiral Jessup, who is drinking heavily and emotionally upset about his wife, orders him to accompany a combat film crew on the D-Day landings in France.
"The first dead man on Omaha Beach must be a sailor," the unbalanced admiral proclaims, trying to grab some battlefield glory for the Navy in the person of deceased "hero" Charlie Madison.
Release and Reviews
The Americanization of Emily hit movie theaters on October 27, 1964. "Under Arthur Hiller's brisk direction and Mr. Chayefsky's script...The Americanization of Emily comes out a spinning comedy that says more for basic pacifism than a fistful of intellectual tracts. It also is highly entertaining, and it makes a good case for pure romance," reported Bosley Crowther of The New York Times (10/28/64).
James Garner's Favorite Movie
The Americanization of Emily, which snagged two Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration B&W and Best Cinematography B&W, remains James Garner's personal career favorite.
Sharon Tate, who was murdered by Charles Manson's "family" in 1969, appears briefly in the film as Beautiful Girl. Others in the cast include Edward Binns, Keenan Wynn, Liz Fraser, William Windom, John Crawford, Alan Sues and Judy Carne.
"My country's at war and we're doing without chocolates for a while. And I don't want oranges or eggs or soap flakes, either. Don't show me how profitable it will be to fall in love with you, Charlie. Don't Americanize me," Emily tells her American suitor.
Now you know where the title comes from...
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