My Fair Lady (Two-Disc Special Edition)

I enjoyed this movie and am glad that it was rentable. I am not sure I would want to own it, as I do not think I will watch it again, but I did enjoy renting it. A movie like this would never be possible to make today. First, because of the story line and the script would never be approved to be made by any studio. I liked how it told the story though because we can not erase history and it tells what life may have been like at the time it was cast to be in high society. The acting was good and the story line was original, I did not know what was going to happen or where the story was going. It was funny and the cinematography of the way they filmed it was also really neat. The equipment they used to film this had I believe a short window as you see few films this old that are filmed this well and the new equipment can not capture the colors and look that the equipment used to make this movie did for it. That is a art in and of itself. The movie as a whole was like a fairytale or dream in that it captures what takes you to another world, another time or a parallel universe in which a story like this was told. A film like this is rare, very rare. If you take offense to a story line that is politically incorrect you will likely not enjoy this movie and it may trigger you, but if you can watch it from history and observe and not allow another time and another world to trigger you, then this is a wonderful movie. I am not sure I would allow younger kids to watch this though, this is not like Mary Poppins or the Sound of Music, it is for a older audience.

Good girl movie. Classic

Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, My Fair Lady has never ceased to delight audiences since its debut in the 1960s. Three generations in our family have enjoyed this classic. The story of a flower girl turned into a "duchess" through the arts of speech correction in the hands of a misogynistic languages professor, the story tracks the ups and downs of emotion as the poor girl is removed from her lower class environment into genteel society.The music is enthralling as are the lyrics. For all of us raised in the 1950s and 1960s this was a movie that provided great entertainment with little or no filters needed. In today's world with its decorum and proprieties, some may find the 1940s story and the 1960s worry some. Our 32 year old daughter enjoyed the movie as a classic.

A video

Singing by a young Jeremy Brett, sans Watson. If you like to watch and discuss movies this is a great one. The story is timeless and challenges assumptions on many levels. It is a commentary on the 1910 London social life and their assumptions, the story experiencing depictions and revisions from the 19 'teens, untill this century--too many to list, stage and film, and this version filmed in '64. A Lerner and Lowe musical, broadwayed, hollywooded, and finally digitally remastered. 8 academy awards, Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn, a great cast of familiar faces as supporting cast and of all people, Jeremy phreaking Brett singing! Julie would have been great as Eliza, but then would have missed being great as Mary. Worth it.

I did the stage play and meet Barbara Strilin in pursin

My Fair Lady stands as one of the great musicals of the post-MGM era, largely on the strength of the original play and it's cast. And it has aged well.This is the role for which Rex Harrison will always be remembered. And if he's a bit old for the part, we are still lucky to be able to see the brilliance or his "original" Henry Higgins. He's obnoxious, prejudiced, and insufferably full of himself and the importance of the English language. Yet, he is touched and changed by Eliza. Stanley Hollaway also reprises his role of Alfred Doolittle with the deft touch of the music hall veteran that he was.Audrey Hepburn, the Julia Roberts of her day, is radiant, vulnerable, and finally regal as Eliza. It is one of her best performances, and a wonderful use of her talents as an actress, dancer, and star. The only drawback to using her is that she is primarily a dancer rather than a singer - and Eliza is a singer's role. A problem that was famously (infamously?) solved by dubbing much of her singing. I disagree with those who find the dubbing obvious - all movie musicals are dubbed. The only difference is that most actors lip-synch to their own voice rather than someone else's. (If you want to be picky - Barbra Streisand has a much greater problem with syncing to a pre-recorded track in "Funny Girl" that Hepburn does here.)As for the issue of Julie vs. Audrey - I think we are all lucky to have had the enjoyment of seeing (or hearing) both actresses play the role. I really wouldn't want to be without either. Just as different actors bring their own qualities and point of view to new interpretations of "Hamlet" - Eliza is a part that demands the best of a performer.The team behind the camera makes great contributions. Harry Stradling Sr.'s cinematography is great mainstream sixties camera work. What it lacks in invention it makes up for in the beauty of the lighting and compositions. Cecil Beaton reprises his Broadway role of costume and production designer (along with Gene Allan). He designed for the previous Lerner and Lowe film "Gigi", and he set a new standard in this film - particularly with the costumes. As a matter of fact, George Cukor pretty much gives him the Ascott scene as a costume set piece. (Hepburn's dress alone is a testament to how costume builders can take a few squiggly lines from a designer and turn them into a real work of art in fabric and feathers.)It seems, however, that director George Cukor clearly does not have much of a hand for musicals - he films the action very conservatively and with few cuts and camera movements. He treats the legendary Broadway show pretty much as if he was filming Shaw's play. This gives the film a stiffness and stodginess that sometimes makes you wonder why all this is taking so long. Contrast this work with Robert Wise's "Sound of Music" which opened a year later. "Lady" is clearly the stronger source material, yet "Music" floats on the energy of its score and Ernest Lehman's script.But while Cukor's vision does not add much to the property, he gets out of the way and lets his actors and production team put on a first class rendition of the show.My Fair Lady is still a wonderful evening's entertainment. The cast, the score, the story, the design are all first rate. If it lacks a little in imagination and pace, well that's a small price to pay for a piece of theatrical legend.

One of my all time favs

J'avais vu ce film la 1ère fois au cinéma en 1957 et j'avais adoré: l'histoire est écrite par George Bernard Shaw comme pièce de théâtre en 5 actes. My Fair Lady devenu comédie musicale avec Audrey Hepburn et Rex Harrison est une des meilleures comédie des années 50. L'actrice a été doublée dans les chansons par Marni Nixon en VO et par Martine Sarcey en français. Quant à Rex Harrison il a obtenu le prix Anthony Award en 1957. C'est un chef d'oeuvre a avoir dans sa bibliothèque DWD. Il dure 166 minutes au total.

Great to see this wonderful film once again... Thanks for speedy dispatch and arrival!

My Fair Lady kreeg voor een film uit het zieltogende Hollywood van de sixties, een astronomisch budget. 70mm, technicolor, een cast met de ravissante Audrey Hepburn en een (ongeïnspireerde) R.Harrison, vlotte deuntjes... Deze George Cukor's adaptatie van G.B Shaw 'Pygmalion' is op -de keper beschouwd-, een houterig geacteerde en tergend trage musical. Voor de 'die hards' eigenlijk

オードリーヘプバーンの有名なミュージカル映画です。学生の頃、映画館でサウンドオブミュージックを観てミュージカルが好きになり、色々な作品を観てきたなかの一つです。当時はレーザーディスクを購入しましたが、プライムセールで4kULTRAHD版を発見！迷わず購入しました。4K対応TVとブルーレイレコーダーが揃うまで、ブルーレイ通常版を買わずにいて良かったと思いました。ハードルは高いですが、綺麗な画質にこだわりをお持ちの方にはおすすめです。

Beautiful classic reproduced in stunning colors. Highly recommended!