Darling Lili

Darling Lili is set during World War I and centres on Lili Smith, a British music hall singer whose patriotic songs have made her a favourite with troops and audiences alike. Unknown to her public, she is half German and works as a spy for the German secret service. Her supposed Swiss uncle, who accompanies her, is in fact Colonel Kurt Von Ruger, her contact with German military intelligence and occasionally her lover. Von Ruger sends her to Paris to win the confidence of an American major, William Larrabee, who holds plans for Allied air attacks. She carries out the assignment easily, but her feelings complicate matters, and Allied counter-intelligence agents soon approach her for help.

Blake Edwards directed, produced and co-wrote the film with William Peter Blatty. It was the tenth of the twenty-seven features he directed, made between The Party and Wild Rovers. Julie Andrews plays Lili opposite Rock Hudson as Major Larrabee, with Jeremy Kemp as Von Ruger and a credited cast of twenty-one.

The production had a budget of 25 million US dollars but took only about 5 million worldwide, a severe shortfall. On IMDb it holds 6.1 out of 10 from roughly 2,600 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.6 from 38 votes. The audience response, then and since, has been modest rather than enthusiastic.