16 Apr The Americanization of Emily
(1964) What a surprise for me! I’m not sure what I expected … perhaps a Julie Andrews musical. Not at all. Julie Andrews plays a prim and proper British widow who is working as a motor pool driver and falls for Charlie Madison (played by James Garner) … a Navy “dog robber.” I had no idea what a “dog robber” was. It is the Navy term for the officer who scrounges together all the rare items that might please the Admiral (and/or other superior officers) that he is currently working for. Examples would be liquor, food, silk stockings, and women. Well, Charlie Madison is the best. And he is not embarassed to explain that the best part of his job is that he doesn’t have to risk his life in combat.
The Americanization of Emily, WWII Movie starring James Garner and Julie Andrews
In a 2002 interview of James Garner, Charlie Rose asked Garner, “What role was most like you?” and the answer was “Charlie Madison.” Garner also admitted that this movie was his and Julie Andrew’s favorite of all they had done. I did love watching this young James Garner in action.
The tone of this satire is definitely anti-war, as was par for the course during the 1960’s. Parts of it that were suppposed to be funny, to me, were not very. I’m sure the Navy wasn’t laughing either nor any of our WWII veterans who were actually there on D-Day.
Julie Andrews pulls it together in the end.
The Americanization of Emily at amazon.com
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