My Fair Lady is the luminous film adaptation of the musical theatre adaptation of the original play by George Bernhard Shaw. It centres around two characters. The first is Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), a working-class flower girl with a grubby appearance, a highly hysterical manner and an ear-bleedingly ghastly cockney accent. The second is Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), an arrogant, hard-hearted language scholar who finds anything other than heightened received pronunciation an offence to the English tongue. In a moment of hubris, Higgins makes a bet with a fellow professor that he can convince the most esteemed members of society that Eliza is in fact a lady of the highest breeding all by teaching her how to speak proper---ly. Upon hearing Higgins' boast, Eliza gladly volunteers to be a guinea pig to this scheme and thus the challenge is set: Higgins must get to work quickly in order to convert his cockney protege into a lady.
Yet, in their newly established relationship, there are unforeseen obstacles which go far beyond just teaching Eliza elocution. Firstly, there is Eliza's father, Alfred (Stanley Holloway), who feels entitled to recompense seeing that his daughter has been spirited away by the professor. Another more serious obstacle relates to the development of feelings between the eccentric Eliza and the cold, logical Higgins. It seems this odd couple relationship may have the potential to extend beyond teacher and pupil, and this development threatens to set both individuals on a path neither could ever have predicted.
Very much deserving of its status as one of the great musicals of the 20th century, My Fair Lady is an enthralling and highly engaging cinematic experience. One of the film's chief strengths is its plot. As an ugly-duckling tale in which an overlooked woman blossoms into a fully-fledged lady it provides fascination in its focus on transformation. This transformation is at times shown in painstaking detail, most notably when Higgins has Eliza constantly repeating her phonemes with the use of techniques such as filling her mouth with marbles and having her speak in front of an exposed flame. In scenes such as this, the extent of the challenge that Higgins has taken on becomes apparent and his exasperation slowly develops into pure exhaustion, feelings, of course, which are more than matched by poor Eliza. The latter point is a key detail, as the film is not designed as a celebration of Higgins and his ability to transform Eliza, it is, rather, a critique of a person, in the character of Higgins, and a society which is unable to see Eliza's worth until she starts to sound and behave the way that they do. Eliza is so keen to take Higgins up on his offer because she sees it as a way out of the drudgery society would otherwise have her consigned to. Thus there is an element of complexity in the plot which fleshes out what could otherwise easily be interpreted as a very conservative and potentially offensive message.
Another strength the film possesses is evidenced in its array of simply wonderful songs written by Frederick Loewe and André Previn. This includes standout classics such as "Wouldn't It Be Lovely" and "I Could've Danced All Night", along with the hilarious "With A Little Bit Of Luck" and the timeless "On The Street Where You Live". The music abounds with humour, joy and romance and, rather than operating as a drag on the film's pacing, the numbers inject the film with sumptuous energy.
The set design is an aspect of the film which also works particularly well. Unlike some classic Hollywood musicals, it is restrained and deliberately stagey. There's very little focus on spectacle as dance numbers centre much more on physical character work and physical comedy as opposed to choreographed largesse. This helps to maintain a consistent mood and tone to the film and provides for a more intimate experience. This is particularly the case for the scenes which take place in Higgins' abode, of which there are many. My Fair Lady is every inch a musical but its modus operandum is not escapism, it is comedy.
Turning to the comedy then, so much of what works on this level comes from the performances. Most notably Audrey Hepburn and Stanley Holloway, who has a relatively small but highly impactful role. Hepburn revels in playing completely against type as a screeching, highly-strung oddball, desperately in need of reform if Higgins is to win his bet. Typically, Hepburn would usually play roles which were closer to the "straight woman" in her comedic performances in films such as Funny Face and Love in the Afternoon, but here she fully embraces the largeness and ebullience of her character and plays her quite exceptionally. Hepburn reaches the apotheosis of her skill for comedic acting during a scene set at the Ascot horse race. It represents something of a crossroads moment in Eliza's transformation and, for my money, provides one of the most hilarious moments in cinematic history. The one criticism that was labelled at Hepburn in this film was that she didn't do her own singing. This is a shame, especially as her voice was certainly much better than her co-star's, who famously couldn't sing a note and therefore talked his way through his musical numbers. Marnie Nixon (the woman who would famously dub around 90% of Hepburn's singing) absolutely had the classically trained voice but I think the film would've benefited from a less perfect yet more authentic singing voice *ahem, Hepburn's*. Nonetheless, Hepburn is responsible for so much undeniable quality in the performance that it seems churlish and, ultimately, nit-picking to focus on a dubbing decision that was taken out of her hands.
As to Holloway, he shines in every moment that he is on the screen. Playing the epitome of the lovable rogue archetype, his character is unashamedly venal and idle, in fact, he venerates his personal faults to the point of philosophic profundity. Holloway's physical mannerisms and off-the-cuff delivery also add touches of brilliance to a truly remarkable character display. All the other cast members put in stellar efforts too. Harrison has understandably become synonymous with his role as Henry Higgins as he invests his character with conviction, energy and just the right level of callousness, and Wilfrid Hyde-White balances Harrison's harshness with a compassionate, avuncular tenderness that just about allows Eliza to survive her professor's training.
All in all, this is a brilliant piece of film making which still maintains its full capacity to entertain almost 60 years after its release. Its subject matter may be dated and its fundamental premise questionable to some but its story still resonates. After all, from classic stories such as Cinderella and The Ugly Duckling to reality TV shows such as America's Next Top Model and Queer Eye, makeover stories have been, and will continue to be, told for time immemorial, and My Fair Lady is certainly among the best of them.
Yet, in their newly established relationship, there are unforeseen obstacles which go far beyond just teaching Eliza elocution. Firstly, there is Eliza's father, Alfred (Stanley Holloway), who feels entitled to recompense seeing that his daughter has been spirited away by the professor. Another more serious obstacle relates to the development of feelings between the eccentric Eliza and the cold, logical Higgins. It seems this odd couple relationship may have the potential to extend beyond teacher and pupil, and this development threatens to set both individuals on a path neither could ever have predicted.
Very much deserving of its status as one of the great musicals of the 20th century, My Fair Lady is an enthralling and highly engaging cinematic experience. One of the film's chief strengths is its plot. As an ugly-duckling tale in which an overlooked woman blossoms into a fully-fledged lady it provides fascination in its focus on transformation. This transformation is at times shown in painstaking detail, most notably when Higgins has Eliza constantly repeating her phonemes with the use of techniques such as filling her mouth with marbles and having her speak in front of an exposed flame. In scenes such as this, the extent of the challenge that Higgins has taken on becomes apparent and his exasperation slowly develops into pure exhaustion, feelings, of course, which are more than matched by poor Eliza. The latter point is a key detail, as the film is not designed as a celebration of Higgins and his ability to transform Eliza, it is, rather, a critique of a person, in the character of Higgins, and a society which is unable to see Eliza's worth until she starts to sound and behave the way that they do. Eliza is so keen to take Higgins up on his offer because she sees it as a way out of the drudgery society would otherwise have her consigned to. Thus there is an element of complexity in the plot which fleshes out what could otherwise easily be interpreted as a very conservative and potentially offensive message.
Another strength the film possesses is evidenced in its array of simply wonderful songs written by Frederick Loewe and André Previn. This includes standout classics such as "Wouldn't It Be Lovely" and "I Could've Danced All Night", along with the hilarious "With A Little Bit Of Luck" and the timeless "On The Street Where You Live". The music abounds with humour, joy and romance and, rather than operating as a drag on the film's pacing, the numbers inject the film with sumptuous energy.
The set design is an aspect of the film which also works particularly well. Unlike some classic Hollywood musicals, it is restrained and deliberately stagey. There's very little focus on spectacle as dance numbers centre much more on physical character work and physical comedy as opposed to choreographed largesse. This helps to maintain a consistent mood and tone to the film and provides for a more intimate experience. This is particularly the case for the scenes which take place in Higgins' abode, of which there are many. My Fair Lady is every inch a musical but its modus operandum is not escapism, it is comedy.
Turning to the comedy then, so much of what works on this level comes from the performances. Most notably Audrey Hepburn and Stanley Holloway, who has a relatively small but highly impactful role. Hepburn revels in playing completely against type as a screeching, highly-strung oddball, desperately in need of reform if Higgins is to win his bet. Typically, Hepburn would usually play roles which were closer to the "straight woman" in her comedic performances in films such as Funny Face and Love in the Afternoon, but here she fully embraces the largeness and ebullience of her character and plays her quite exceptionally. Hepburn reaches the apotheosis of her skill for comedic acting during a scene set at the Ascot horse race. It represents something of a crossroads moment in Eliza's transformation and, for my money, provides one of the most hilarious moments in cinematic history. The one criticism that was labelled at Hepburn in this film was that she didn't do her own singing. This is a shame, especially as her voice was certainly much better than her co-star's, who famously couldn't sing a note and therefore talked his way through his musical numbers. Marnie Nixon (the woman who would famously dub around 90% of Hepburn's singing) absolutely had the classically trained voice but I think the film would've benefited from a less perfect yet more authentic singing voice *ahem, Hepburn's*. Nonetheless, Hepburn is responsible for so much undeniable quality in the performance that it seems churlish and, ultimately, nit-picking to focus on a dubbing decision that was taken out of her hands.
As to Holloway, he shines in every moment that he is on the screen. Playing the epitome of the lovable rogue archetype, his character is unashamedly venal and idle, in fact, he venerates his personal faults to the point of philosophic profundity. Holloway's physical mannerisms and off-the-cuff delivery also add touches of brilliance to a truly remarkable character display. All the other cast members put in stellar efforts too. Harrison has understandably become synonymous with his role as Henry Higgins as he invests his character with conviction, energy and just the right level of callousness, and Wilfrid Hyde-White balances Harrison's harshness with a compassionate, avuncular tenderness that just about allows Eliza to survive her professor's training.
All in all, this is a brilliant piece of film making which still maintains its full capacity to entertain almost 60 years after its release. Its subject matter may be dated and its fundamental premise questionable to some but its story still resonates. After all, from classic stories such as Cinderella and The Ugly Duckling to reality TV shows such as America's Next Top Model and Queer Eye, makeover stories have been, and will continue to be, told for time immemorial, and My Fair Lady is certainly among the best of them.