After the success of "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music" did Hollywood ever worry about what they might do with the hottest property on the planet? Did anyone ever doubt that Julie Andrews could act or that she was more than just a voice, even if that voice seemed limited in its range? The 'big' Hollywood musical did seem to be on the way out, (even "Camelot" went with Vanessa Redgrave and not Julie, who was the stage Guinevere), but Miss Andrews was still holding her own in such non-musicals as "Hawaii" and "Torn Curtain" and she would prove a splendid Gertrude Lawrence in "Star" and for a time she would continue in roles that allowed her a certain dramatic or comedy license while also giving her the chance to sing.
In 1970, cast in "Darling Lili" she had the role of a music hall entertainer who also happened to be a German spy during the years of World War One. It was a frivolous epic, part romantic comedy, (though never a particularly funny one), and part spirited action flic with some splendid aerial sequences as well as being a mildly engaging spy yarn with perhaps the least likely German spy in all of movies. Of course, if Julie is to change her allegiance it's going to take the right man to do it and I suppose who better than Rock Hudson, still flaunting his hunk status almost 20 years after first baring his chest on screen. Unfortunately for Rock, (not looking very happy here), Jeremy Kemp is there to steal his every scene. The director was Blake Edwards and if it isn't one of his finest films let's just say it has its moments.
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