battlebeast
Senior HTF Member
531 Films, 365 Days: Day 31, Film #39 - My Fair Lady
View Date: 1/31/16
Warner Bros., 1964
Genre: Musical
Rated: G
Director: George Cuckor
Starring: Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn, Marni Nixon, Stanley Holloway, Gladys Cooper
Run Time: 2h 70m
Best Quote: “Yes, you squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language, I could pass you off as the Queen of Sheba!” – 'enry 'iggins
Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), studies language and dialects. When he meets cockney flower-girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), he makes a wager that he can turn her into a lady and make her speak properly.
Having just watched Pygmalion, it is hard not to compare the two films. Pygmalion is the simple adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw stage play, while this picture, My Fair Lady, is the lavish Hollywood musical adaptation of the musical stage play of the same name, also based on Shaw's play.
My Fair Lady keeps almost all of the stage play's dialogue, thus, it is very close to Pygmalion. Verily, nearly word for word, both films even have some of the same basic sets. But My Fair Lady is the more lavish production; its costumes are beautiful, set design is terrific (despite being shot entirely on the backlot), and George Cuckor's direction superb.
I love the way both Leslie Howard in Pygmalion and Rex Harrison here in My Fair Lady deliver Shaw's prose. As I listed in my review of Pygmalion, lines like "Draggle-tailed Guttersnipe!" and "Wilted cabbage leaf" kill me. Both actors deliver these lines in a way that I can't describe, but I love nonetheless.
I like Pygmalion because I can "feel" the characters in their roles. I "feel" Rex Harrison in his role, but I just don't see Audrey Hepburn in her role. What if Eliza Doolittle had been played by Julie Andrews? Would she have won for Mary Poppins? Probably not; I would think she probably would have won for this (or at least been nominated), and not nominated for Poppins. It's a good thing that Audrey wasn't nominated because I found her miscast, and I didn't like that her vocals were dubbed by Marni Nixon. In fact, I don't like how you can see that Eliza's songs don't match her mouth movements precisely. It's off-putting, distracting. I found NOTHING wrong with Audrey's singing; the new 50th anniversary Blu Ray has two of her songs as bonus features, and she sings phenomenally well both times.
While this is a lavish production filled with great costumes, great songs and terrific acting, I don't like it as much as Pygmalion. As grand as the songs are, to me, they just aren't memorable (except for "Loverly", the one song I do like). Audrey Hepburn is miscast, and I don't like the "sound stage" feeling to the whole thing. I know this is a popular and much beloved film, but I prefer Pygmalion. It's the same thing in half the time.
The Blu Ray
The picture and sound of the new 50th Anniversary Blu Ray is nothing short of perfection. Painstakingly and "loverlingly" restored by our own Robert Harris, I have not one complaint about either sound or picture. If there was one complaint, it would be that he won't tell us which scene he thinks isn't perfect!
Bonus Features
There are many bonus features on this 3-disc set, including a making of documentary; highlights from the production kickoff dinner, LA and London premiers; Production tests, alternate Hepburn vocals, Photos, sketches and trailers; Rex Harrison's Golden Globe acceptance speech and Oscar highlights; 3 theatrical featurettes and BFI honoring Rex Harrison, as well as a radio interview with Harrison.
A plethora of features to keep one busy for hours. Terrific slate to complement the film.
Blu Ray: 5/5
Audio/Video: 5/5
Bonus Features: 5/5
Film: 4/5 Bonus Features: 5/5