1964, USA
Comedy, Drama, Musical, Romance
It is hard to resist the charm of a movie that allows Audrey Hepburn to blurt out, "Move your bloomin' arse!" George Cukor's 1964 classic, My Fair Lady, does just that. The film was painstakingly restored in 1994 and finally released as a fantastic double-disc set in 2004.
Torn from the pages of Greek mythology, scribed by playwright George Bernard Shaw, and brought to its ultimate musical conclusion by Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe -- the evolution of this tale does not loose anything in translation. Unforgettable songs such as "On the Street Where You Live" and "I Could Have Danced All Night" drive the emotional levels of a tale that could otherwise be quite disheartening. Cukor shapes this story of an overbearing professor and his challenging pupil through memorable performances by his talented cast.
Though previously on Broadway with a much acclaimed Julie Andrews, Warner Bros. decided to enroll movie star Hepburn in the part of Eliza Doolittle, and her lack of singing skills meant the hushed enlistment of Marni Nixon (who had previously dubbed starring roles in West Side Story and The King and I). Hepburn had intended to sing two of the easier numbers, but the studio insisted on replacing her voice. Jeremy Brett, who portrayed Doolittle's romantic pursuer, was also secretly dubbed much to his chagrin. Rex Harrison, who reprised his role as Professor Higgins from Broadway, was told to "talk on pitch" to avoid the singing dilemma. As this was less difficult than singing a perfect performance, he insisted on being recorded as he acted, resulting in the use of one of the first portable microphones used on film (and also the difficulty of dubbing the other players' voices in the same scenes).
Hepburn's portrayal as the lower class flower girl is initially intentionally grating (with a voice worse than fingernails on a chalkboard), and ultimately heart wrenching. The foil against Doolittle's naked human kindness is met in the form of Higgins, whose mechanical need for research rather than an understanding of respect is portrayed in true coldness by stage and screen actor Harrison. Wilfrid Hyde-White rounds out the leads as fellow phoneticist and gambler, Col. Pickering. Though his acting is warm and gentle, his small singing part is the one that should have been dubbed. Doolittle's side-story father is gleefully performed by Stanley Holloway, who had also played the same part on Broadway.
Cecil Beaton is credited as the reason this film has been lauded for its dramatic style. Fantastically apparent in both the race track and ballroom scenes, dresses and hats are brilliantly alive with the influence of the 60s, yet they maintain the regality required. The hats of the races are gloriously showy and ostentatious, to the extreme that one appears to mimic a giant mascara wand. Hepburn could not be more dazzling in both scenes, with the embassy scene finding her in a dress befitting her natural grace and splendor. Her hair is upswept much like a show pony's, appropriate for the subservient role she is playing.
The restoration of this film is beautiful, as colors snap when they should and are subtle when necessary, and the sound is crisp yet full. The first disc includes commentary by the restorers, Robert Harris and James Katz, accompanied by original art director Gene Allen (who gives credit to Beaton), and voice-over queen Nixon. The second disc includes a very detailed making-of feature, discussing both the original production and the recent restoration process, narrated by Brett. Also included is a short production series of silent reels, an audio recording of Cukor giving direction, and photo galleries. Other extras include awards related material, short commentary by Martin Scorsese and Andrew L. Webber, and trailers for other collaborations of Lerner and Loewe. This is a fantastic set, not to be missed by appreciators of the Hollywood musical.