Actors - Lili

	Actors - Lili

Lili is a musical film which opened in March, 1953. Considered one among many "classic MGM musicals," it stars Leslie Caron as a touchingly naïve French girl, whose emotional relationship with a carnival puppeteer is conducted through the medium of four puppets.

The motion picture is by far the best-known version of a story by Paul Gallico which has had at least four, possibly five, incarnations.

As a story by Paul Gallico entitled "The Man Who Hated People," which appeared in the October 28, 1950 issue of The Saturday Evening Post;
As the 1953 motion picture whose screenplay was written by Helen Deutsch, adapted from "The Man Who Hated People"
As a novella by Paul Gallico entitled "The Love of Seven Dolls," published as a book in 1954;
As a 1961 Broadway musical, Carnival!, starring Anna Maria Alberghetti
, credited as "Book by Michael Stewart; based on material by Helen Deutsch; originally based upon a story entitled 'The Seven Souls of Clement O'Reilly' by Paul Gallico."

The short story (or stories) and novella are mostly of interest in relation to the movie are described here, because they are of interest mostly in relation to the movie. For the musical, see its separate article.

Lili (the film)

The movie was based on a story by Paul Gallico, considerably adapted by Helen Deutsch, and was later made into a stage musical, Carnival!.

It won the Academy Award for Original Music Score and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Leslie Caron), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color, Best Cinematography, Color, Best Director (Charles Walters) and Best Writing, Screenplay.

Leslie Caron and Mel Ferrer's rendition of "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" was released as a record, and became a minor hit, reaching a respectable #30 on 1953's charts.

The New York Times included it in their 2004 Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, as did Angie Errigo and Jo Berry in a 2005 compilation of Chick Flicks: Movies Women Love.

Bosley Crowther, reviewing the movie at it opening, had nothing but praise for the movie, rejoicing that "at last" Leslie Caron's "simplicity and freshness... have been captured again in the film." He showers other encomia on Caron, calling her "elfin," "winsome," the "focus of warmth and appeal," praising her "charm," "grace," "beauty," and "vitality." He said screenwriter Helen Deutsch had "put together a frankly fanciful romance with clarity, humor, and lack of guile," and admires the choreographer, sets, music, and title song.

The movie is not universally liked, though; Paulene Kael called it a "sickly whimsy" and refer to Mel Ferrer's "narcissistic, masochistic smiles."

Since the puppets are almost Caron's co-stars, it is odd that few reviews of the film even mention puppeteers Walton and O'Rourke, famous in puppeteering circles. They mostly did cabaret work, did not appear on television, and Lili is the only known filmed record of their work. For the film, Walton and O'Rourke made the puppets; George Latshaw manipulated Carrot Top; Wolo manipulated Golo the Giant; and Walton and O'Rourke manipulated Marguerite and Reynardo.

Audrey Hepburn, according to biographer Alexander Walker, was fascinated by the movie, and identified with the heroine; the movie was a direct cause of her becoming attracted to Mel Ferrer.

The movie inspired an interest in puppets in then-seven-years-old John Waters, who proceeded to stage violent versions of Punch and Judy for children's birthday parties. Biographer Robert L Pela says that Waters' mother believes the puppets in Lili had the greatest influence on Waters' subsequent career (though Pela believes tacky films at a local drive-in, which the young Waters watched from a distance through binoculars, had a greater effect).

Story summary

Lili, rendered homeless by circumstances, contemplates suicide and is dissuaded by the friendly intervention of four puppets in a carnival puppet theatre. In her naïve simplicity, she relates directly to the puppets, seemingly unaware of the existence of a puppeteer. She becomes a part of the show. Her simple, direct interaction with the puppets, and their improvised responses in return, are a great success with audiences.

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Actors - Lili

Lili (the film)

Story summary

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