The 1968 movie that almost derailed Julie Andrews’ career: “A huge failure”

Julie Andrews, who achieved iconic status with Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, saw her career nearly derailed by two consecutive film failures in the late 1960s. The first was the 1968 musical "Star!", a critically-acclaimed but commercially disastrous film about Gertrude Lawrence that lost substantial money at the box office. Andrews herself attributed much of her subsequent career decline to this film, combined with changing Hollywood tastes away from big-budget musicals. The second failure, "Darling Lili" in 1970, compounded matters, forcing Andrews to step away from the screen entirely for several years.

Beyond these films, Andrews points to broader industry shifts and her personal decision to focus on her family life after marrying director Blake Edwards. The landscape of cinema was transforming as smaller, grittier productions gained favour following the demise of the Hays Code; lavish musicals like those Andrews excelled in were falling out of favour. Though "Star!" earned several Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Massey and Best Cinematography, the box office losses overshadowed any critical respect. Andrews eventually rebuilt her career through further collaborations with Edwards, most notably securing an Oscar nomination for "Victor/Victoria" in 1982.