#1964movies

[adamwatchesmovies]

My Fair Lady (1964)

I want to say that My Fair Lady is too long at 170 minutes… but I can't think of what I'd take out. besides, the movie’s got an intermission so it earns that running time. The songs, performances, costumes, camerawork, and story are so good making any alterations would just be wrong.

In London, poor flower girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) overhears a bet between phonetics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) and his friend Colonel Hugh Pickering (Wilfried Hyde-White). Higgins says he could transform Eliza so dramatically she’d fit right in with the high-class. Intrigued, Eliza approaches Higgins and accepts to partake in the challenge.

Like many films from this long ago, My Fair Lady has been often imitated but along the way, the story has mutated so much the original feels like a revisionist's approach. Later iterations turn it into a romance that begins with the male lead deceiving the woman into becoming a beautiful swan. Eliza Doolittle isn’t being tricked. She sees the bet as an opportunity. Being a poor flower-seller with a thick “undesirable” accent, her prospects are about as bright as her no-good father’s (Stanley Holloway). Higgins is a firm bachelor, uninterested in women and eager to show that his arrogance is well-earned. There’s a certain chemistry between them but it's not romantic. You can tell despite their frequent arguments they’re growing fond of each other but this movie won't end with a kiss.

The characters have so much personality they're impossible to forget. Higgins is unbelievably self-important. You’re not sure you like him… but it’s hard to argue with his methods and results. Eliza is often crass, more than a bit foolish, and magnetic. A lot of it is due to Audrey Hepburn’s impeccable performance. In other versions, the leading lady is just a pair of glasses and a ponytail away from being a head-turner. Here, it’s about more than what’s on the outside, and you can actually see the internal changes happening. The dashing wardrobe and brilliant cinematography help accentuate Hepburn’s beauty but that’s just the start. It’s also the songs, the way her voice changes, her mannerisms, and the way others react to her.

My Fair Lady is often funny. The musical numbers are strong, with the best ones coming from the most unlikely of characters. Eliza’s father Alfred should’ve been cut but his dance scenes, and the way his songs tell you so much about him - and by extension, Eliza - I wouldn’t dream of it. Despite its legacy, My Fair Lady often goes in ways you don't expect, which makes it fly by like it’s nothing.

This is the definition of the word “classic”; a film with universal appeal that shows everyone at their very best, whose influence is impossible to miss. The musical numbers are memorable, the performances so good you almost have to take a step back to remember these are actors to notice. It’s visually striking and a joy to watch. I'll bet My Fair Lady becomes your new favorite. (August 6, 2021)

[michael-myers1978-non-nocere]

#ThrillerMovie #RoddyMcDowall #ShockTreatment #GoodEnding #iWannaBeSedated #FunnyFarm #1964Movies “The Nightmare World of the Mad ...” #YouWontBeTheSame When You Come Out Of Shock Treatment

[michael-myers1978-non-nocere]

#ThrillerMovie #RoddyMcDowall #ShockTreatment #GoodEnding #iWannaBeSedated #FunnyFarm #1964Movies