MY FAIR LADY 4K restoration completed! Dec. 9th release announced (Post #299) (1 Viewer)

[WilliamMcK]

I would welcome an alternative Hepburn track, but I happen to very much appreciate Nixon's contributions to MY FAIR LADY, WEST SIDE STORY and especially the seamless work she did with Deborah Kerr in THE KING AND I.

 

[Alan Tully]

I believe Warner Bros. has the Bluray rights to MY FAIR LADY and will do a 50th anniversary box set this fall along the lines of THE NUTTY PROFESSOR and BEN HUR sets. It should make everyone very happy. Warner Bros. is (IMHO) the best game in town when it comes to Bluray treatment of classics.

Ooo, is that a scoop? It would make a lot of business sense to have this come out for the Christmas market.

 

[warnerbro]

I agree with you about Marni Nixon. I think she is outstanding at what she did. Her ability to match the actor's voice and character is uncanny. These actresses did not have the adequate singing voices to perform those songs. However, I believe they were perfectly cast. I LOVE Julie Andrews and I think she would have been wonderful as Eliza Doolittle in the film version. However, we wouldn't have her in Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music if she had done MY FAIR LADY. Also, Audrey Hepburn is perfect and we are lucky to have had her in this role. She was very gracious about her treatment by Hollywood and rebuffed their scorn with grace. We have video and kinescope records of Julie Andrews performing WOULDN'T IT BE LOVERLY and I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT from the Ed Sullivan Show and we can see her performance there.

 

[Rick Z.]

Hello, everyone,

I was wondering, was the original negative scanned at 8k and downrezzed to 4k? or was it 4k since day one?

Can´t wait for that DCP.

 

[Ryan Talbot]

Final touches still going in. It will be a safe purchase.A very safe purchase.RAH

Amazing news!Now if only Universal would be willing to do the same with "Spartacus". Or they could re-license the film to Criterion, cause we all know Criterion would do a proper job with the film. That Blu-Ray looks even worse than "My Fair Lady" does.

 

[John Skoda]

I would welcome an alternative Hepburn track, but I happen to very much appreciate Nixon's contributions to MY FAIR LADY, WEST SIDE STORY and especially the seamless work she did with Deborah Kerr in THE KING AND I.

Absolutely. Also, I believe the thinking of the filmmakers at that time was that the vocals in the MY FAIR LADY film needed to match, at least in quality of voice and musical proficiency, those on the famous Broadway cast recording. That album (along with the later London cast stereo recording with almost the same cast) was almost umpreceded in its popularity. I'm a record collector, and I can tell you based on how many copies I still see in the used bins, it must have been a rule that if you were alive in the 1950s, you had to own a copy of this album. People knew this album by heart. Warners thought that any problem with the quality level of the vocals in the film would be immediately noticed and critcized, even by those many people who would be seeing MY FAIR LADY for the first time via the film.So, it's not a question of whether Audrey Hepburn could hit the notes. She could, with work and editing, and she could even be dramatically effective doing it. But I don't think Warners would ever have released the film without dubbing her voice with that of a professional singer. Nixon did an amazing job.

 

[GlennF]

It was just more accepted back then to dub voices. Great musical performers like Cyd Charisse and Vera-Ellen were always dubbed. Some of Rosalind Russell in Gypsy by Lisa Kirk. Many people in West Side Story, The Sound of Music, South Pacific and so on. There are a few films I wish they had dubbed - Peter O'Toole was great in Goodbye Mr. Chips but the singing...not so hot. Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia...ugh. Marlon Brando in Guys and Dolls..sorry can't listen to it. Albert Finney in Scrooge (Partly the character, but still a little painful). So, although I found it interesting to hear Audrey's voice...can't say I would like hear her sing the full score. Acting - great. Singing -fair to middling.The amazing feat for Nixon was singing the songs after the filming of My Fair Lady and having to make it fit Audrey's mouth movements and timing.

 

[ahollis]

I believe Warner Bros. has the Bluray rights to MY FAIR LADY and will do a 50th anniversary box set this fall along the lines of THE NUTTY PROFESSOR and BEN HUR sets. It should make everyone very happy. Warner Bros. is (IMHO) the best game in town when it comes to Bluray treatment of classics.

It would be a miracle if it came from Warner's. 1. RAH said earlier that it was not handled buy Warner's restoration unit2. The film belongs to CBS and not Paramount. The last time CBS leased the film to Warner was before they were acquired by Viacom. 3. CBS has only released their titles through Paramount. In fact those have been the only DVD titles released by Paramount recently. None of the CBS titles have been released by Warner or Olive. If CBS is putting up the funds for MFL, then more than likely it will be released by Paramount. I could be wrong but I just don't see Warner involved with this.

 

[Robert Harris]

My fantasy wish would be to get ALL of the Audrey Hepburn vocals and get them integrated into the film on an alternate track -- that we have the option of watching the film that way. I actually think the Audrey vocal on WOULDN'T IT BE LOVERLY is appropriate for that point in the film. However, they do need Marni on SHOW ME and I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT!

Cannot be done.

With all of this discussion regarding Ms Hepburn's vocal tracks, one point is forgotten.

No one is giving proper respect to those who made the film, and the decisions made half a century ago. These people worked very hard with Ms Hepburn to try to get workable tracks, and it could not be done. Her tracks survive and I've listened to them all.

There are notes that could not be hit.

What anyone would come away with after listening her attempts is not only her obvious professionalism, but her respect for all of those working around her, as she tried again and again to create something usable. What her raw tracks exude, is what a truly lovely and extraordinary person she was, in the face of extremely hard work. Every time she would fail at the perfection she desired, she would laugh and apologize to those around her. Never a prima donna. Just a very hard-working professional.

Full tracks do not exist, as they were never completed.

I would suggest that the question of whether her tracks might have been used, come to an end. Those that could be used, were. Others could not. Mr. Warner, Mr. Cukor, and those around them, had done this before, and came to the correct decision.

Let's not continually question their perspective.

RAH

 

[warnerbro]

I would love for all those Audrey Hepburn vocal tracks to be included as a bonus so we can hear all of her personality like they did on THE WIZARD OF OZ with Judy Garland's raw vocal recordings.

 

[GlennF]

How nicely put, Mr. Harris. I always thought Ms. Hepburn appeared to be a classy lady and your comments only help to confirm that.

 

[warnerbro]

Robert Harris is also a class act and we are very blessed to have him here.

 

[rsmithjr]

Let me also say something about Marnie Nixon.

I have met her and heard her in concert, and also have her book. She is an extremely talented and very gracious person.

It takes a very special kind of person to use your voice to give song to someone else, to do it so well that it is indistinguishable from what you would hope the other person would sound like when singing. And yet to not feel that your own personality has been taken away from you.

Marnie did this as well or better than anyone else, and there were quite a few very talented voice-over singers in the golden age.

Another class act!

 

[Mark-P]

Let me also say something about Marnie Nixon.

I have met her and heard her in concert, and also have her book. She is an extremely talented and very gracious person.

It takes a very special kind of person to use your voice to give song to someone else, to do it so well that it is indistinguishable from what you would hope the other person would sound like when singing. And yet to not feel that your own personality has been taken away from you.

Marnie did this as well or better than anyone else, and there were quite a few very talented voice-over singers in the golden age.

Another class act!

And don't forget that Ms. Nixon also had to sign contracts with gag clauses promising not to reveal her dubbing work to the public. I'm glad that many years after the fact she was finally given proper credit for her wonderful work.

 

[Alan Tully]

I love Marni Nixon's voice. There was a really good documentary on BBC4 (UK) some months back all about the singers that sung for the actors in musicals (I think it was an American doc). I do understand people wanting to hear Ms Hepburn singing, it's the same as wanting to see that sequence that was cut out, or the very long cut of a film, & it is interesting, but only that. To see a film looking as good as it possibly can is all you can really ask for, & of course you never get extras at the cinema.

 

[ShellOilJunior]

How nicely put, Mr. Harris. I always thought Ms. Hepburn appeared to be a classy lady and your comments only help to confirm that.

Miss Hepburn has some great quotes. I also enjoy reading what others say about her. Here's one from Van Johnson:

She`s a lady. When she participates in the Academy Awards, she makes all those starlets look like tramps. Thank you for your class, Audrey, you`re quite a lady. If anyone said anything derogatory about her, I`d push them in the river.

 

[Michael1]

"I would suggest that the question of whether her tracks might have been used, come to an end. Those that could be used, were. Others could not. Mr. Warner, Mr. Cukor, and those around them, had done this before, and came to the correct decision."

Agreed. I was going to write something similar earlier in this thread. I believe Hepburn's actual singing voice as heard in the completed film amounts to two lines at the beginning of "I Could Have Danced All Night" ("Bed, bed, I couldn't go to bed" and "Sleep, sleep, I couldn't sleep tonight") and all of "Just You Wait" except for the center section. She sounds fine in those moments, and I do agree that, in this case, it's wrong to second guess the filmmakers for not using more of her actual singing voice in the completed film.

P.S. Marni Nixon spells her first name without an "e" at the end.

 

[haineshisway]

Cannot be done.

With all of this discussion regarding Ms Hepburn's vocal tracks, one point is forgotten.

No one is giving proper respect to those who made the film, and the decisions made half a century ago. These people worked very hard with Ms Hepburn to try to get workable tracks, and it could not be done. Her tracks survive and I've listened to them all.

There are notes that could not be hit.

What anyone would come away with after listening her attempts is not only her obvious professionalism, but her respect for all of those working around her, as she tried again and again to create something usable. What her raw tracks exude, is what a truly lovely and extraordinary person she was, in the face of extremely hard work. Every time she would fail at the perfection she desired, she would laugh and apologize to those around her. Never a prima donna. Just a very hard-working professional.

Full tracks do not exist, as they were never completed.

I would suggest that the question of whether her tracks might have been used, come to an end. Those that could be used, were. Others could not. Mr. Warner, Mr. Cukor, and those around them, had done this before, and came to the correct decision.

Let's not continually question their perspective.

RAH

But that's the world in which we live and you've hit the nail on the head. Everyone thinks they should have everything, every foot of film shot, every long assembly that no one was EVER meant to see - completely negating the filmmakers and what they strove for and what perfection they sought. I don't even think cut scenes should be included as extras most of the time because they just end up ruining the experience of the film. I don't want to know everything - I want the result. The King of Comedy being a perfect example - having watched those disgustingly bad cut scenes I just like the film less than I used to. Miss Hepburn would not want her less than optimal vocals used - nor would Mr. Cukor or Mr. Previn. I don't think they should ever have seen the light of day.

 

[Robert Harris]

"I would suggest that the question of whether her tracks might have been used, come to an end. Those that could be used, were. Others could not. Mr. Warner, Mr. Cukor, and those around them, had done this before, and came to the correct decision."

Agreed. I was going to write something similar earlier in this thread. I believe Hepburn's actual singing voice as heard in the completed film amounts to two lines at the beginning of "I Could Have Danced All Night" ("Bed, bed, I couldn't go to bed" and "Sleep, sleep, I couldn't sleep tonight") and all of "Just You Wait" except for the center section. She sounds fine in those moments, and I do agree that, in this case, it's wrong to second guess the filmmakers for not using more of her actual singing voice in the completed film.

P.S. Marni Nixon spells her first name without an "e" at the end.

No "e" in Marni.

You're thinking of "my m'leg..."

RAH

 

[Rick Thompson]

Regarding Marni Nixon, I think she did sterling work in all three. The only problem I had was West Side Story. I didn't quite believe that voice came from Natalie Wood. Still, I let it pass because I liked the rest of it so much.

As for the "Julie or Audrey" comments, let Rex Harrison have the last word. He accepted his Oscar by thanking "BOTH of my fair ladies."