Frederick Loewe wrote the music and Alan Jay Lerner the lyrics and
the screenplay, based on a play by George Bernard Shaw.
As the movie opens, we meet Henry Higgins, a phonetics professor who
reviles the sloppy speech of the common folk (which, admittedly, bothers
me, as well, although I tend to be more forgiving than Henry). We also
meet Eliza Doolittle, a poor Cockney flower girl. Their paths cross,
and Henry is naturally repelled by her way of speaking. He makes a bet
with a colleague that he can turn her into a cultured lady within a
certain number of weeks.
For Eliza, this seems like a great opportunity to see how the other
half lives. Little does she know she will exchange the relative leisure
of sitting on a corner selling flowers for a grueling regime of speech
exercises and etiquette lessons.
Not surprisingly, Eliza begins to hate Henry and his demands, as she
expresses in the song, "Just
You Wait, Henry Higgins" (by the way, this video mistakenly
attributes Hepburn's singing voice to Julie Andrews, when she was in
fact dubbed by Marni Nixon, who also dubbed Maria in West Side Story).
The audience likely shares Eliza's view: misogynistic Henry treats Eliza
as an object, beneath contempt, like he might a common farm animal.
He yokes her, teaches her the paces, and sees her only as a means to
an end.
Naturally, this being a musical — and a nearly four-hour one at
that — the relationship grows more complex, especially after Eliza's
successful introduction into society. Could this fractious relationship
really have evoked tender feelings in the boorish snob Henry? Goodness
knows he's the one who can truly use some training in manners.
Shot on sound stages with lavish costumes and scenery, the film has
a classical movie musical feel, complete with elaborate dance numbers
and dozens of chorus members. Truly, there are some gems in the score,
such as "I
Could Have Danced All Night" and "I've Grown Accustomed
to Her Face." Some songs, however, go on about two verses two long,
such as "I'm
an Ordinary Man," where Henry complains about what he sees
as the vices of women.
Hepburn is entertaining as Eliza, although she received much criticism
from her contemporaries for both her attempts at a Cockney accent and
for the fact that she won the part over Julie Andrews, who originated
the role on the stage. But Hepburn sinks herself so completely into
the role that she's virtually unidentifiable as a crude-sounding flower
girl. Then, as she transforms, she manages to appears, at the same time,
cultured and graceful, while also secretly surprised at herself.
Undoubtedly, Hepburn's performance is aided immeasurably by Nixon's
vocals, who reinforces the transformation. Incidentally, if you're interested
in hearing Hepburn's actual singing voice, watch this
video of "I Could Have Danced All Night," with the vocals
taken from a rehearsal tape. The choice to use Marni Nixon becomes crystal
clear. Snatches of Hepburn's original vocals do appear in the movie,
such as the first verse of "Just You Wait, Henry Higgins,"
a brief reprise of the song, and the sing-talking parts in "The
Rain in Spain."
If Lerner had had his way, Andrews would have played Eliza, but Warner
Brothers didn't want to cast a stage actress in such an important film.
The producer, Jack L. Warner, reportedly also voiced concern that she
wasn't attractive enough.
Harrison as Henry is such an insufferable snob that the viewer wishes,
like Eliza, to call "Off with his head." He is the perfect
foil for Eliza, and their interactions are both humorous and a deft
commentary on both the cultural divide and the gender gap. It's no surprise
Harrison played the role so well: he originated it on Broadway, opposite
Julie Andrews. However, before he was selected, Peter O'Toole, Cary
Grant, Noel Coward, Michael Redgrave and George Sanders were reportedly
all considered for the role. The only reason Harrison was initially
not considered was that producer Warner had seen him in Cleopatra
and felt he looked to old to play Hepburn's love interest. However,
new publicity photos showing him without his Cleopatra makeup
convinced Warner.
Although My Fair Lady is set in Victorian England, the themes
of class warfare and gender stereotypes are still relevant. If for Harrison,
Hepburn (and Nixon's) remarkable work alone, this film is well worth
watching.
