Julie Andrews - The Last Great Star

Discussion of the actors, directors and film-makers who 'made it all happen'
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precoder
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Post by precoder »

Thanks for the Julie thread John ... Love all the pictures ... Wonderful ...

"Thoroughly Modern Millie" is a fave. It's Julie Andrews in the roaring twenties caught between trying to be 'a modern' and trying to get married. The film is a zany romantic spoof of the flapper days and is more of a comedy than a musical, but still has some good songs and staged routines. Won an Oscar for its original musical score by Elmer Bernstein and I must agree with that. The incidental musical accompaniment is indeed outstanding ...

Plenty of fun and rousing original show songs and some recollected tunes from the 1920s as well. A good cast for a fun movie. Julie Andrews is fabulous ... She occasionally interupts the follies and comedically faces the audience with silent title cards expressing her thoughts. And finally costumes that look the times. OMG her hat fit right ... Also with Carol Channing, James Fox, Beatrice Lillie, John Gavin and Mary Tyler Moore ... And produced by Ross Hunter ...

I enjoyed it (especially the comedy) most of the way through. I found myself laughing much of the time. It's way overlong though. You'll need a two hour eighteen minute block of time to sit through it. I have the VHS so I usually watch it in halves because it has an intermission included. The movie premiered as a 'road show' Easter Sunday 1967. Miss Andrews protested in Robert Windeler's book "A Life On Stage And Screen" how hard she tried to get Ross Hunter to cut out some musical scenes and shorten the film, but MCA/Universal head Lew Wasserman saw a chance to cash in on the current popularity of road shows (at a higher ticket rate), and they listened to none of her suggestions. "They blew it too far out of proportion from it's original conception." Julie said ...

Still fun for me. Cute costumes, some funny comedy and lotsa dialect interjected from the twenties ... Beatrice Lilllie, who can't sleep until she sprays the bedroom air with (something ?) and Carol Channing as Muzzy, both have good performances. And I don't really think I've ever seen Julie Andrews have more fun and look prettier ...

Image

Loved the elevator ordeal ... It doesn't function unless it's occupant tap dances in it ... :lol:
Last edited by precoder on August 7th, 2007, 11:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
I absolutely adore movies. Even bad ones. I don't like pretentious ones, but a good bad movie, you must admit, is great. ~ Roddy McDowell
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precoder
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Post by precoder »

JohnM wrote:Wasserman was unable to secure the rights to <b>The Boyfriend</b>, which he wanted to make with Julie.
Well in a way I'm glad that didn't work out, because I love love love the Ken Russell production with Twiggy just as it is ...

Wouldn't change a thing ...
I absolutely adore movies. Even bad ones. I don't like pretentious ones, but a good bad movie, you must admit, is great. ~ Roddy McDowell
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precoder
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Post by precoder »

JohnM wrote:A great guitarist and 2 great singers.

Thanks for the Bonfa video link. WoW that was quite excellent ...

John what's the song Julie and Steve sing? That was just lovely. I've never heard that song before ... That was very good ...
I absolutely adore movies. Even bad ones. I don't like pretentious ones, but a good bad movie, you must admit, is great. ~ Roddy McDowell
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precoder
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Post by precoder »

Thanks for the quick info on that ... yes, I'm familiar with both songwriters but never heard that combination before. One forgets that Steve Lawrence was really an excellent singer. It was Edie Gorme that I didn't really like much except for her one poppy tune "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" ...

"Feed The Birds" is my favorite song from "Mary Poppins". The bird lady I believe is Jane Darwell ...
I absolutely adore movies. Even bad ones. I don't like pretentious ones, but a good bad movie, you must admit, is great. ~ Roddy McDowell
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precoder
Posts: 59
Joined: May 21st, 2007, 6:54 pm
Location: Missouri

Post by precoder »

JohnM wrote:Steve Lawrence <i>is</i> my favorite male singer.
Interesting ... yes, he's quite good ... For me, Bobby Darin occupies that spot followed immediately thereafter by Roy Orbison ...

John, your putfile 22 isn't coming up. It will load and go ready, but it isn't there ...
I absolutely adore movies. Even bad ones. I don't like pretentious ones, but a good bad movie, you must admit, is great. ~ Roddy McDowell
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