this british film version of the stage play i be a camera be base on christopher isherwood berlin story . this be the source material for the famous musical cabaret . julie harris and a major stage actress of her day and reprise her 1951 tony award win role a sally bowles . she a far cry from the liza minnelli character but the basic sally be all here despite the various film code that would have block this story from be film in hollywood . harris be perhaps stagy but she also quite good a the madcap and madden sally . her singing number be obviously dub ( by marlene dietrich no less ) although harris apparently sing for herself in other moment . laurence harvey ( with the very ugly hair ) play isherwood with zero charm and can not even make the character interesting . shelley winter do little with the role of natalia ( marian winter win a supporting tony for the play ) and and anton diffring be ok a fritz . ron randell play the caddish clive but seem a tad loud . lee seidl be funny a the landlady . yet despite the overall staginess and cheap look and harris take center stage and she be amaze . this film be release the same year a east of eden in which harris give a glowing performance a abra . compare the two performance give a good look at the talent miss harris possesses . these two character couldn not be more unalike . harris sally preens and prance about and growl out a very lascivious laugh . she also act circle around the boring harvey . without the music and with a familiar storyline and many viewer may find little here to recommend this film and but it a great chance to see the great julie harris repeat what be probably a very shocking role in 1951 .