7 December 2015
My Fair Lady 1964
- Director: George Cukor
- Based on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
- Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, Jeremy Brett, Theodore Bikel, Mona Washbourne
- Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in
- Audrey Hepburn – Wait until Dark, Charade, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Unforgiven, The Nun’s Story, Green Mansions
- Rex Harrison – Dr Doolittle, The Yellow Rolls Royce, Cleopatra, The Ghost and Mrs Muir
- Stanley Holloway – Hamlet, Brief Encounter
- Gladys Cooper – Rebecca and older TV series
- Theodore Bikel – All in the Family, The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming, I Want to Live, African Queen and many TV series
- Mona Washbourne – Oh Lucky Man!, The Collector
- Why? A classic
- Seen: about a hundred times. Now: 4 December 2015
The soundtrack to the Broadway play was one of the first ones my parents bought in the 60’s – 50’s? and I promise you, I know the songs by heart.
I love this film. The lyrics, the costumes, the music. Everything.
Except the ending. It should have ended after Eliza sings ‘Without You’ and leaves the room with great dignity. That’s how the play ends.
But, hey, this is a musical. And the 60’s happy love ending and all that.
Never mind. I love it.
7 ½ * of 10
Revisited this one tonight. Unbelievably boring. I don't know how I survived almost three hours of this crap. I guess only a monstrous dose of sentimental value can save it.
ReplyDeleteThe ending is stupid, of course, but it's the least of my problems. It was the same, alas, in the 1938 movie (vastly superior in every way!) when Shaw himself wrote the script. But even he, it seems, couldn't oppose the mass desire for silly melodrama. How could lesser creatures?
But the music - really incredible! Not a single memorable tune. Lots of bland recitatives and pedestrian lyrics. What do they add to the characters? Nothing. Rather the reverse. They subtract from them.
Oh, well, it has its good sides. Nice colours, cool production, the young Jeremy Brett is dazzlingly handsome. Rex and Audrey do a fine job. But if you've seen Leslie and Wendy, well...
Oh, Alexander, please do tell us what you really think! Haha, the harmony of the universe is restored, we are in nearly complete disagreement on this one. Having just watched 'Pygmalion' now I must say 'My Fair Lady' is quite stellar, while 'Pygmalion' is merely enjoyable. But they both have a dreadful ending!
ReplyDelete