Expert: Mel - 9/10/2008

Question
Hi Mel,

I'm about to become one of those annoying people with vague and indistinct information that makes you want to shut down the computer. I'm a busy enough person to appreciate anybody's time, so if you don't think this is worth yours...just make up something that sounds like you tried so it will look good on the blog. :-) I remember watching a movie with my grandparents on TV in 1997. I assume it was on TCM, but can't say for certain. It was black and white; I'd place it in the 50's, but again, can't say for certain. It had a definite "B-movie" quality to it, I don't know that it had any notable actors, and the grown-ups were all quite underwhelmed. I know it was a love story between a young woman, kind of the abused Cinderella type, and, well, a man. The setting was a circus, and I think he was a puppeteer. Any ideas??? I know, it's awful. I'm sorry. ;-)

Answer
Hello Erika,

That sounds very much like a 1953 MGM film called "Lili", which starred Leslie Caron, Mel Ferrer and Jean Pierre Aumont. The only problem is that you remember it in black & white, but it was in colour.

STORY OUTLINE: Following the death of her father, Lili, a poor young French girl, has nowhere to go. She meets Marc, and follows him home, which turns out to be a carnival where he is the magician.  Marc already has romantic entanglements and thinks of her as a little girl. Who can she turn to but the puppets, singing to them of her troubles. The only friends Lili makes are the puppets in the puppet show and she sings to them of her troubles, forgetting that there is a puppeteer working them. She does not like the carnival owner, but he is the puppeteer!

Here are a couple of links:

http://www.classicfilmguide.com/index.php?s=other_reviews&item=273

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b4eiPvoLfA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlaImubUDdU&feature=related


Glad to be of help. Cheers........Mel.