My Fair Lady Discussion

[PrincePhillipFan]

From what I searched so far, I couldn't find any topic about this movie specifically, so I guess I'll just go and create this thread. If there has been one, please feel free to correct me. Anyway, just a few days ago I managed to purchase a copy of the My Fair Lady two disc special edition. I know it's been out for a while, and I always kept meaning to buy it, but was always was saving my money up for something else, but one day I just finally saw it and bought it.

I'm amazed at how many special features were included on the second disc, especially the vintage pomotion material on the making of the film. I really loved the main featurette as well on the making of the film and found it interesting just how much went into the restoration.

I'm so thrilled that I finally broke down and managed to buy this, since to me this has always been my favorite movie musical. I love every one of the songs, the beautiful orchestrations, the costumes, the art direction, everything about it is perfect to me. And it has the best blend to me of what makes a great musical: humor, wit, romance, drama, and fun and beautiful songs.

I think my personal favorite song and number in the entire film to me is Ascot Gavotte. I love something about the waltz-like Victorian sound to the song, and how ironic in general the lyrics are to the stone faced spectators and the way they sing it. Overall, I also love the black and white costumes, choregraphy, and just the whole deadpan expressions of the actors in the scene. I think they mentioned it best on the making of feature, that it's like a stiff and proper Victorian portrait come to life.

Sorry for the geek-like rambling, I'm just so happy to finally have this version now. Does anyone else have this as one of their favorite movie musicals or any favorite particular songs or scenes?

[SpringHeelJack]

Ev'ry duke and earl and peer is here
Ev'ry one who should be here is here...

I concur, the DVD set is excellent. Warner Bros. can really make some awesome two-disc sets when they put their minds to it. Also, it has perhaps my favorite DVD cover art.

My favorite moment in the film? Any time Audrey says "AOOW!". It's amazing how often I use that line in everyday conversation.

[Flanger-Hanger]

This is my favorite movie of any kind. It's just amazing how I can't find fault with it, just wonderful. I agree about the Ascot Grave scene, but my personal favorite is..I can't pick. BTW Bill Shirley is the singing voice of Freddy, I think that's cool (what with him being the voice of Prince Phillip and all).

I will say something about the DVD though. There is allot of edge enhancement in the earlier scenes. just look at Col. Pickering's coat. hopefully they will fix these problems for Blu-ray, but considering the restoration was done in 1994, it is very good.

[Flanger-Hanger]

My favorite moment in the film? Any time Audrey says "AOOW!". It's amazing how often I use that line in everyday conversation.

"AOOW!", I ask you sir what kind of word is that?

I like it when she says "COME ON DOVER! Move your bloomin' 'arse!"

[PrincePhillipFan]

I love all of Eliza's early cockney lines as well, especially her "Garn!" in Why Can't The English. I don't know why, but that always makes me laugh too, especially the way Higgins repeats it back. "Gaaaaarn! I ask you sir, what sort of word is that?"

I think that it's really neat that Shirley did the singing as well, Flanger-Hanger. I've been trying a lot to find information on him for a while, but there isn't much known about him. I always thought he had an incredible singing voice and I loved his voice for Phillip. It's a shame that not much else is now about him considering, besides doing dubbing, he was on Broadway, and appeared in a lot of small musicals of the 40s. There's also a movie called I Dream Of Jeanie, a biopic about the life of Stephen Foster, in which he stars as Foster in the film. I know it's on DVD, but I haven't been able to get it yet to see.

I haven't noticed the edge enchancement before while watching it. I'll have to see if I can spot it next time while watching it. Speaking of Blu-Ray, I wonder if WB will ever have plans to release it sometime on the format. I'm stubborn in getting a Blu-Ray player, but when Sleeping Beauty comes out in October I'll probably have to break down and buy one.

[littlefuzzy]

I had the earlier disc (in the snapper, I think), and sold it off a few years ago. I just recently picked up the two-disc, but haven't watched it yet...

I only have 4 Audrey Hepburn DVDs... I need to get more...
I have: Charade, My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and The Lavender Hill Mob.

I probably will get Roman Holiday and/or Sabrina next, and then work my way down the list...

[Lazario]

This movie always used to put me to sleep as a child. But I haven't seen it in well over a decade. There is one hilarious part though. I always quote it (probably incorrectly) - "Aahm'ma good girl I ahm an' I won' haaf be takin' a bath!!"

[Flanger-Hanger]

"It 'aint right, it 'aint decent!"

[Prudence]

Oho, I love many productions of this! What are your opinions on how Professor Higgins views Eliza throughout the course of the movie?

[PrincePhillipFan]

Lazario wrote:

This movie always used to put me to sleep as a child. But I haven't seen it in well over a decade.

That's actually how I felt as well for a long while. I had often seen it on television as a kid, but my young mind always got bored with it quick because of how long it was.

I didn't see it again until 10th grade when our British literature teacher played it for us after reading Pygmalion, and I fell in love with it. After that, it instantly became my favorite musical of all time.

Prudence wrote:

Oho, I love many productions of this! What are your opinions on how Professor Higgins views Eliza throughout the course of the movie?

I love listening to all the different productions and takes as well. Right now, I have the original Broadway and London cast recordings, and recently just ordered the 2001 London revival cast with Jonathan Pryce as Higgins. I'm looking forward to listening to that, as well as the 20th Anniversary one whenever I get the chance to find it.

As for Higgins, I always felt that he just saw Eliza as the way he saw everybody else. A lot of people tend to term Higgins as a misogynist, because of his treatment towards Eliza, and in some ways Mrs Pearce and his mother. But I think his exchange between Eliza rings true as to how he really feels.

Higgins: My manners are exactly the same as Colonel Pickering's!
Eliza: That's not true. He treats a flower girl as if she were a duchess.
Higgins: And I treat a duchess as if she were a flower girl.
Eliza: Oh, I see. The same to everyone.
Higgins: The great secret is not the question of good manners, or bad manners, but having the same manner for all human souls. The question is not whether I treat you rudely, but whether you've heard me treat anyone better.

I think that Higgins pretty much has a general view and disdain in some ways on the entire human population and treats everybody in the same way. However in the end, I think we see that he slowly starts to evolve and realize that he's beginning to think of Eliza more than anyone else before. I think one little poignant turn is when before they leave for the ball, he's about to walk out the door, but then stops and turns and offers his arm to Eliza. Also when he sings I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face shows just how much of an effect that she has had on him. He doesn't outright say he's in love with her, but it's obvious that he's starting to like Eliza more than anyone else he has met with before.

[tsom]

Okay, so this movie is one of my favorites. It takes a while to appreciate it though. I remember when I use to watch it when I was little, and I didn't understand it and it felt kind of boring. But, as I grew up, it gradually grew on me. It's one of those movies that you have to think in order for it to make sense (at least when you are young).

[UmbrellaFish]

Thought it might be of some interest that the DVD rights to "My Fair Lady" have reverted to CBS and Warner Bros. has discontinued their releases, including the 2-disc DVD.

There's already a new release scheduled for October 6, 2009, but it's a one disc DVD-



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... eimprovemz

[TheSequelOfDisney]

I guess I better snatch up the 2-disc set before it completely disappears. I wonder if this will affect the sure-to-be-upcoming-maybe-in-a-year-or-two-or-three Blu-ray release?

[Escapay]

Thought it might be of some interest that the DVD rights to "My Fair Lady" have reverted to CBS and Warner Bros. has discontinued their releases, including the 2-disc DVD.

There's already a new release scheduled for October 6, 2009, but it's a one disc DVD-

One disc? That sucks...and is a bit confusing as BBFC were re-classifying most of the bonus features from the existing set, along with a new one ("Design for a Lady", which runs 11:33).

albert

[SpringHeelJack]

Good thing I already own the excellent two-disc edition... with, might I add, far superior cover art.

[Lazario]

Lazario wrote:

This movie always used to put me to sleep as a child. But I haven't seen it in well over a decade.

That's actually how I felt as well for a long while. I had often seen it on television as a kid, but my young mind always got bored with it quick because of how long it was.

I didn't see it again until 10th grade when our British literature teacher played it for us after reading Pygmalion, and I fell in love with it. After that, it instantly became my favorite musical of all time.

Well- I have a history with falling asleep during musicals. I have always felt that it is tedius to watch live human people dancing around and jumping over each other while boring up-tempo piano-driven foot-tapper show-tunes play in the background. I mean- I kind of have a thing for surrealism, but... within reason. And of course, that being said, I remember My Fair Lady was one of the much less obnoxious musicals I've seen. That and Gigi, but with that too it's been many many years.

[Black pearl]

Apparently there making a remake of my fair lady If anyone cares.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1243945/

I heard a rumour on the radio awhile ago that Brad pitt & George Clooney had an argument because they both wanted to play Henry Higgins.

[UmbrellaFish]

Apparently there making a remake of my fair lady If anyone cares.

We certainly did. About a year ago.

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... =fair+lady

Thanks, anyway.

[Lazario]

I heard a rumour on the radio awhile ago that Brad pitt & George Clooney had an argument because they both wanted to play Henry Higgins.

That is profoundly pathetic. Not to mention neither are right for the part. Clooney's grey hair makes him better suited for the Colonel Pickering role. And Pitt is (last I saw him, anyway) too thick to play Henry Higgins. And lacks the voice for it. He's too intense and brooding, too edgy. He needs to be more stuffy and authoritative. More old-world. I didn't even buy him as in-period when he was a vampire. And that was like the Shakepeare of 1990's-Hollywood.

[Cordy_Biddle]

Why would Paramount even bother releasing a single disc edition of MY FAIR LADY, when Warners pretty much topped themselves with their gorgeous double set? Better yet, why don't Paramount wise up and release a Blu-ray instead?