Lili
“You'll fall in love with...”
Synopsis
Members of a circus troupe "adopt" Lili Daurier when she finds herself stranded in a strange town. The magician who first comes to her rescue already has romantic entanglements and thinks of her as a little girl. Who can she turn to but the puppets, singing to them her troubles, forgetting that there are puppeteers? A crowd gathers around Lili as she sings. The circus has a new act. She now has a job. Will she get her heart's desire?
Top Cast
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Leslie Caron
Lili Daurier
Mel Ferrer
Paul Berthalet
Jean-Pierre Aumont
Marc
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Rosalie
Kurt Kasznar
Jacquot
Amanda Blake
Peach Lips
Alex Gerry
Proprietor
Ralph Dumke
M. Corvier
Wilton Graff
M. Tonit
George Baxter
M. Enrique
Eda Reiss Merin
Fruit peddler (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson
Workman (uncredited)
George Davis
Workman (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis
Concessionaire (uncredited)
Fred Walton
Whistler (uncredited)
Jeannine Ducasse
French Girl (uncredited)
Claude Guy
French boy (uncredited)
Richard Grayson
Flirting vendor (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 10, 1953
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.4M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$5.4M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
3.99x
+$4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Charles Walters
- Screenplay & Story
- Helen Deutsch
- Original Score
- Bronislau Kaper
- Original Title
- Lili
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 21m
- Production Budget
- $1.4M
- Worldwide Gross
- $5.4M
- Production Studios
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Charles Walters
Helen Deutsch, Paul Gallico
Bronislau Kaper
Robert H. Planck
Ferris Webster
Edwin H. Knopf
Department Leadership Roster
Edwin H. Knopf
Producer
Robert H. Planck
Director of Photography
Ferris Webster
Editor
Charles Walters
Director
Helen Deutsch
Screenplay
Mary Ann Nyberg
Costume Design
Bronislau Kaper
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Lili.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Lili.
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Watched
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Musicals
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Cult Classics
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list_Music
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Golden Globes - Best Screenplay Winners 1947-2025
Golden Globes winners archive (Best Screenplay Winners 1947-2025)
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Frequently Asked Questions About Lili
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Lili about?
Members of a circus troupe "adopt" Lili Daurier when she finds herself stranded in a strange town. The magician who first comes to her rescue already has romantic entanglements and thinks of her as a little girl. Who can she turn to but the puppets, singing to them her troubles, forgetting that there are puppeteers? A crowd gathers around Lili as she sings. The circus has a new act. She now has a job. Will she get her heart's desire?
Who directed Lili?
Lili was directed by Charles Walters.
Who stars in Lili?
The principal cast of Lili includes Leslie Caron, Mel Ferrer, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Kurt Kasznar.
When was Lili released and how long is it?
Lili was released in 1953 with a total runtime of 1h 21m.
What was the box office and production budget of Lili?
Lili had a reported production budget of $1.4M and grossed $5.4M at the worldwide box office (3.99 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Lili?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Lili was composed by Bronislau Kaper.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Lili?
Lili holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).