Julia
Short description
Julia is a 1977 American drama directed by Fred Zinnemann, arriving after The Day of the Jackal in his filmography. The story centers on the playwright Lillian Hellman, who lives with the writer Dashiell Hammett on the American East Coast between the two world wars. She has lost touch with Julia, a childhood friend from a wealthy Jewish family, who went to study in Europe and later committed herself to the anti-Nazi cause. When Julia asks for help, Lillian agrees to carry funds into Nazi Germany, a courier mission that puts her at serious risk. The screenplay is by Alvin Sargent, and the film is based on Hellman's autobiographical writing.
Jane Fonda plays Lillian Hellman, with Vanessa Redgrave as Julia and Jason Robards as Dashiell Hammett. Maximilian Schell, Hal Holbrook and Rosemary Murphy also appear among the 23 credited cast members.
Made by 20th Century Fox for a budget of 8 million dollars, the film took 21 million dollars worldwide, a solid return. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7 out of 10 from around 11,000 votes; on TMDB it stands at 6.5 out of 10 from a much smaller pool of 173 votes. The gap reflects a modest but clearly appreciative audience response over time.
What's left behind the scenes
- Barbra Streisand received an invitation to play Lillian Hellman, but declined it.
- Actresses Faye Dunaway and Julie Christie turned down the role of Julia.
- Initially, Jane Fonda was supposed to play Julia, but after producers struggled for a long time to find a suitable candidate for the role of Lillian, they changed their plans and gave that more important role to an actress.
- The role of Dashiell Hammett could have gone to Jack Nicholson, and he was generally willing to play it in the film. However, the director later withdrew his offer, citing that it would take too much time for the actor to familiarize himself with the script.
- During the early stages of the film's production, director Fred Zinnemann seriously considered casting a then-completely unknown Meryl Streep in the role of Julia. It was precisely for this reason that he didn't take such a risky step, ultimately inviting Vanessa Redgrave. In return, Meryl Streep received a less significant supporting role, which became her acting debut in film.
- During initial casting, Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave were considered for the leading roles, but were rejected by the producers at the advice of the public relations department due to their overly radical political views at the time. Ultimately, after much hesitation and the refusal of a number of other actresses, they received the roles, and the film became a major success.
- The shadowy figure sitting in a fishing boat at the beginning and end of the film belongs to the real Lillian Hellman. Jane Fonda only provided the voice-over.
- A screen adaptation of Lillian Hellman's autobiographical novel "Pentimento."
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
