Julie (1956)

Director:

Andrew L. Stone

Writer:

Andrew L. Stone (written by)

Release Date:

17 October 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Run JULIE Run, Run For Your Life!

Plot:

A terrified wife tries to escape from her insanely jealous husband who is bent on killing her.

Plot Keywords:

Stewardess | Stewardess Flies Airplane | Aviation | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Doris Day	...	Julie Benton
Louis Jourdan	...	Lyle Benton
Barry Sullivan	...	Cliff Henderson
Frank Lovejoy	...	Det. Lt. Pringle
Jack Kelly	...	Jack (co-pilot)
Ann Robinson	...	Valerie
Barney Phillips	...	Doctor on Flight 36
Jack Kruschen	...	Det. Mace
John Gallaudet	...	Det. Sgt. Cole
Carleton Young	...	Airport control tower official
Hank Patterson	...	Ellis
Ed Hinton	...	Captain of Flight 36
Harlan Warde	...	Det. Pope
Aline Towne	...	Denise Martin
Eddie Marr	...	Airline Official

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #18224) | West Germany:16 | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, USA

Company:

Arwin Productions

Trivia:

This film is listed among The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Shadow of boom mike visible in hotel lobby and police office scenes.

Soundtrack:

Julie

Boy, is this damsel in distress!!

Doris Day had a few "damsel in distress" roles in her movies, but none requiring her to be quite as stressed out as "Julie". Trouble is the film is a bit too overwrought for comfort with Miss Day being pursued throughout by a maniacal husband (Louis Jourdan) whose only problem is he loves her to death--literally!! And not a single supporting character to give us a few laughs.

The last half-hour aboard an airliner where her husband has managed to become one of the passengers, is the best part of this neat little suspenser. Although all the usual cliches are present in the script, the terrified Doris manages to look convincingly cool and confident as she handles the controls of the airliner for the story's somewhat pat climax.

Louis Jourdan makes the husband look like a really jealous and possessive heel, aside from being a maniac--and since Doris Day reveals in her autobiography that she married a couple of these early on in her career--perhaps that helped her give a very credible performance. Not that she was any slouch in the acting department on a few of her other "damsel in distress" roles--STORM WARNING, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH and LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME. Let's forget the phony, overly fabricated MIDNIGHT LACE. Here she gives a strong and sincere performance as a terrified woman.

Barry Sullivan gives excellent support as a friend who tries to help her when the police admit they can't do anything. Frank Lovejoy is also fine as a detective.

I can't say much for the title tune, "Julie", heard only during the credits and then quickly forgotten by me. To my surprise, it was nominated for a Best Song Oscar--so what do I know??

If you're a Doris Day fan, you'll find this suspenseful even though it takes itself much too seriously. There's not a hint of humor throughout the entire proceedings, not a single moment of relief. It's all very, very intense, whereas some humor would have helped.

Of course, there are always those who will laugh at the plot itself. It is, after all, a bit unbelievable by the time stewardess Day takes over the controls. It's to her credit that she makes it look real.