This beloved adaptation of the Broadway stage hit stars, Audrey Hepburn, as Eliza Doolittle, a sassy, working-class London street vendor, and Rex Harrison as the elitist Professor Higgins, who attempts to turn Eliza into a sophisticated lady through proper tutoring. But, when the humble flower girl blossoms into the toast of London society, her teacher may have a lesson or two to learn himself.
Audrey Hepburn stars as Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney working-class flower girl that Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins transforms into an outwardly formal woman who can pass for a member of British high society in the 1964 film “My Fair Lady.” With the ultimate outcome never in doubt, the songs, story, and sets must necessarily carry the day, which they certainly do. The familiar and uplifting tunes will surely brighten any mood.
Winner of eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director, it was the second-highest-grossing film after “Mary Poppins” that year. Though Hepburn’s high-pitched screeching voice grates more than a bit early on, she eventually settles into her formidable charm as the story progresses, not unlike the princess she played in “Roman Holiday” years before. Director George Cukor compiled a long list of successful films using female leads during his storied career, and his work here with Hepburn is no exception.
Noteworthy supporting performances include Stanley Holloway as Eliza’s father, Wilfrid Hyde-White as Colonel Hugh Pickering, and Gladys Cooper as Mrs. Higgins. Interestingly, though Rex Harrison and Stanley Holloway reprised their Broadway roles for the Hollywood version, Julie Andrews – little-known at the time – was replaced by Hepburn. In a surprise twist, Andrews won Best Actress that same year for “Mary Poppins,” while Hepburn wasn’t even nominated because Marni Nixon dubbed the singing parts for her.
Lavish production design, elaborate costumes, sparkling cinematography, score, and sound mixing also garnered well-deserved Academy Awards. The movie version was adapted from the 1956 stage musical by Lerner and Lowe, originally based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play entitled “Pygmalion.” Witty, acerbic dialog between Hepburn and Harrison keeps the narrative lively throughout. Interspersed with an array of catchy tunes, the pacing feels just right. Scenes where Eliza momentarily slips out of character are particularly delightful.
Noblesse oblige and British class differences are on full display throughout. Grubby faces and soiled clothes donned by working folks contrast with the top hats, tails, and elegant dresses of the upper crust. Higgins fits the bill of the latter perfectly as an arrogant, snobby old know-it-all, lecturing Eliza incessantly. On a bet with Colonel Pickering that Higgins can’t transform the coarse Eliza, the professor immerses himself into the challenge with remarkable results. Invariably pedantic and condescending, Higgins continually fails to see how his treatment of Eliza is as a project, or an object, rather than as a living, feeling person, simply because she happens to come from modest means.
Despite its nearly three-hour runtime, the film adaptation of the Broadway hit never flags for a moment. The memorable songs and score retain their relevance even today – the acid test of a true classic. Wonderfully transferred to 4K Ultra HD format with special features, “My Fair Lady” shines like never before – with the possible exception of its celebrated big-screen debut way back in 1964.
Available on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo for the first time ever May 25th
