Claim: Julie Christie is a person.

Billy Liar is a 1963 British black-and-white CinemaScope comedy-drama film based on the 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse . Directed by John Schlesinger , it stars Tom Courtenay -LRB- who had understudied Albert Finney in the West End theatre adaptation of the novel -RRB- as Billy , and Julie Christie as Liz , one of his three girlfriends . Mona Washbourne plays Mrs. Fisher , and Wilfred Pickles plays Mr. Fisher . Rodney Bewes , Finlay Currie and Leonard Rossiter also feature . The Cinemascope photography is by Denys Coop , and Richard Rodney Bennett supplied the score .   The film belongs to the British New Wave -LRB- or `` kitchen sink drama '' -RRB- movement , inspired by the earlier French New Wave . Characteristic of the style is a documentary/cin éma vérité feel and the use of real locations -LRB- in this case , many in the city of Bradford in Yorkshire -RRB- .   The film opened at the Warner Theatre in London 's West End on 15 August 1963 .