Pygmalion

Pygmalion 1938

• Director: Anthony Asquith, Leslie Howard
• Based on the play by George Bernard Shaw
• Cast: Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller, Wilfred Lawson, Marie Lohr, Scott Sunderland, Jean Cadell, David Tree
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Leslie Howard – Gone with the Wind
• Wendy Hiller – The Comedy of Errors, Richard II, A Man for All Seasons, Sons and Lovers
• Wilfred Lawson – Tom Jones
• Why? A classic
• Seen: Once before. Now 5 October 2019 with Hal and YW in our read-book-watch-film group      

       For all its faults My Fair Lady remains one of my favourite films. The only serious objection is the ending, when Eliza Doolittle comes back to Henry Higgins.

       This black and white version is beautiful in its way. Howard is nastily charming, Cadell is a good Mrs Pearce, Lawson reminds me of Jack Sparrow, Hiller is enjoyable as Eliza.  But - !

       What is this? All these years I have remembered that this film ends with Eliza walking out on Henry. But here too she comes back. Just like in My Fair Lady! What a bitter disappointment. How could I have remembered so wrong?

       What to do now?

       Until the ending I liked it quite a lot. But there’s the difference. I like this. I love My Fair Lady. So?

3 ½ * of 5. (Hal says 4, YW 3 ½)