My Fair Lady
#1
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My Fair Lady
I've watched this movie since I was just a kid --- to show how young, I saw it for the first time on HBO, but after the first hour-and-a-half there was a 15-minute intermission. Not 15 minutes filled with commercials or anything visual, no! A marquee sign that said "Intermission!" And, least I forget, a big buzz sound throughout it all. Sheesh!
I'm not a gay man (I swear) - but I love this movie. I once read that you're a gay man if, a) you have a picture of your cat in a frame; b) if you have a favorite musical. F-you, mo'fo's! I have both a) and b), thank you very much. I have my cat Rocky framed, and I love My Fair Lady.
The ending gets me particularly. Higgins returns to his home (apparently void of Pickering and various housekeepers, unless they're asleep), missing Eliza Dolittle immensely. He sulks in the room, puts on the old victrola with Eliza's voice when she first met him, and sits to listen. Behind him walks in the lovely Eliza (Audrey Hepburn), unseen. She mutters something, out of tune with the victrola, and Higgins (Rex Harrison) raises his head, ready to reel towards her. He wants to grip her, hold her, hug her, kiss her, embrace her and whisper and shout sweet nothings to her --------- but he conducts himself appropriately, and in a dignified manner, demands to know where his slippers are.
I believe that this is the most cinematic perfect ending there ever was, mainly because it is the most unexpected ending there ever was! You see, true love is not like it is in the movies (we all know that), and this movie shows you that this is so. By Higgins acting like his regular self, holding back his emotions, it shows that he is being "regular." Real life, men act "regular." Most women expect the dashing, "Freddie"-type, to fawn over them, to shower them with emotion, and the such, but in reality, men act just like Professor Higgins -- brash, critical, but solid. You know that his bark is worse than his bite, and such are the beings called Men. We are Higgins, true-and-true, and good women like Eliza Dolittle recognize that.
Bravo! My one and only question................why didn't Julie Andrews reprise her role as Eliza Dolittle in the film version of My Fair Lady, since she did the role in the theater before the film version? Was she committed elsewhere?
I'm not a gay man (I swear) - but I love this movie. I once read that you're a gay man if, a) you have a picture of your cat in a frame; b) if you have a favorite musical. F-you, mo'fo's! I have both a) and b), thank you very much. I have my cat Rocky framed, and I love My Fair Lady.
The ending gets me particularly. Higgins returns to his home (apparently void of Pickering and various housekeepers, unless they're asleep), missing Eliza Dolittle immensely. He sulks in the room, puts on the old victrola with Eliza's voice when she first met him, and sits to listen. Behind him walks in the lovely Eliza (Audrey Hepburn), unseen. She mutters something, out of tune with the victrola, and Higgins (Rex Harrison) raises his head, ready to reel towards her. He wants to grip her, hold her, hug her, kiss her, embrace her and whisper and shout sweet nothings to her --------- but he conducts himself appropriately, and in a dignified manner, demands to know where his slippers are.
I believe that this is the most cinematic perfect ending there ever was, mainly because it is the most unexpected ending there ever was! You see, true love is not like it is in the movies (we all know that), and this movie shows you that this is so. By Higgins acting like his regular self, holding back his emotions, it shows that he is being "regular." Real life, men act "regular." Most women expect the dashing, "Freddie"-type, to fawn over them, to shower them with emotion, and the such, but in reality, men act just like Professor Higgins -- brash, critical, but solid. You know that his bark is worse than his bite, and such are the beings called Men. We are Higgins, true-and-true, and good women like Eliza Dolittle recognize that.
Bravo! My one and only question................why didn't Julie Andrews reprise her role as Eliza Dolittle in the film version of My Fair Lady, since she did the role in the theater before the film version? Was she committed elsewhere?
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: My Fair Lady
Originally posted by Buttmunker
...
Bravo! My one and only question................why didn't Julie Andrews reprise her role as Eliza Dolittle in the film version of My Fair Lady, since she did the role in the theater before the film version? Was she committed elsewhere?
...
Bravo! My one and only question................why didn't Julie Andrews reprise her role as Eliza Dolittle in the film version of My Fair Lady, since she did the role in the theater before the film version? Was she committed elsewhere?
BTW, another heterosexual male here who also loves this movie. One of the greatest musicals ever.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Fair_Lady
The lead role in the film was originally intended for Julie Andrews, who played Eliza in the stage version. Hepburn was cast, despite lobbying from Lerner, because Warner Brothers didn't want to cast a stage actress. Opera singer Marni Nixon was cast to dub Hepburn's songs. Julie Andrews in fact became a screen star in her own right that same year in Mary Poppins.
Last edited by movielib; 09-11-03 at 10:18 PM.
#3
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Re: My Fair Lady
Originally posted by Buttmunker
I once read that you're a gay man if, a) you have a picture of your cat in a frame; b) if you have a favorite musical.
I once read that you're a gay man if, a) you have a picture of your cat in a frame; b) if you have a favorite musical.
B) West Side Story is not only my favorite musical, but my favorite movie. Don't worry, MFL is in my top 10 musicals.
Now tell me where you read that so I can hit the writer with my purse.
Honk!
#4
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Thread Starter
Re: Re: My Fair Lady
Originally posted by movielib
Audrey Hepburn wasn't even nominated for MFL (again, I think the Academy was "punishing" her for taking Julie's part because Audrey certainly deserved at least a nomination).
Audrey Hepburn wasn't even nominated for MFL (again, I think the Academy was "punishing" her for taking Julie's part because Audrey certainly deserved at least a nomination).
#5
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Re: Re: Re: My Fair Lady
Originally posted by Buttmunker
Audrey Hepburn wasn't nominated for the Oscar because she didn't sing. Someone else sang while she lipsynced. Rex Harrison did sing his own songs, that was why he was considered for the Oscar, and ultimately, won.
Audrey Hepburn wasn't nominated for the Oscar because she didn't sing. Someone else sang while she lipsynced. Rex Harrison did sing his own songs, that was why he was considered for the Oscar, and ultimately, won.
Deborah Kerr's singing in The King and I was also dubbed by Marni Nixon and Kerr was nominated. I stand by my opinion that many members of the Academy snubbed Hepburn for taking the part they felt belonged to Andrews. I think Andrews deserved the role but that was no reason to hold it against Hepburn for taking it.
#6
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Audrey Hepburn wasn't nominated for the Oscar because she didn't sing. Someone else sang while she lipsynced. Rex Harrison did sing his own songs, that was why he was considered for the Oscar, and ultimately, won.
Yes I know, he was "talking in pitch", and performed it himself, and yes, created the definitive Henry Higgins in perhaps his most endearing role, and... crap, here comes Soda Monkey.
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I LOOOOVE this film.
#9
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
I also like My Fair Lady very much and I'm not a gay person. I think there are people who think one is gay just because they enjoy certain type of movies. For example, once I told a person that I enjoyed the movie, Dirty Dancing. He then said I must be gay because the only male who enjoy the movie are gay.
#11
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by mookiemeister
I also like My Fair Lady very much and I'm not a gay person. I think there are people who think one is gay just because they enjoy certain type of movies. For example, once I told a person that I enjoyed the movie, Dirty Dancing. He then said I must be gay because the only male who enjoy the movie are gay.
I also like My Fair Lady very much and I'm not a gay person. I think there are people who think one is gay just because they enjoy certain type of movies. For example, once I told a person that I enjoyed the movie, Dirty Dancing. He then said I must be gay because the only male who enjoy the movie are gay.
Sure hope all this doesn't make people think I'm straight.
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This is one of my favorite musicals (mainly because of Harrison's great performance..) It does drag towards the end though. Also, I don't understand this ending. Is it saying that Henry will never change and will always treat Eliza so poorly?
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Re: Re: Re: My Fair Lady
Originally posted by Buttmunker
Audrey Hepburn wasn't nominated for the Oscar because she didn't sing. Someone else sang while she lipsynced. Rex Harrison did sing his own songs, that was why he was considered for the Oscar, and ultimately, won.
Audrey Hepburn wasn't nominated for the Oscar because she didn't sing. Someone else sang while she lipsynced. Rex Harrison did sing his own songs, that was why he was considered for the Oscar, and ultimately, won.
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you rented the dvd right? its pretty good. full commentary, a song with audreys original voice and other special features
good stuff! and the transfer is quite good to boot! i saw it the first time on dvd and was happy i didn't watch it on one of those horrible pan and scam tv broadcasts
its amazing how good these old 70mm restored movies look on dvd and in their original aspect ratio
and yes i'm hetero. i dont' really like any other audrey movies either., but this ones good. i even bought it after i rented it. its ussually priced pretty good for a feature filled dvd too.
its quite nice seeing old movies on good feature filled dvds. lets you understand the movies in the context of their time and stuff thanks to the special features/ commentary.
good stuff! and the transfer is quite good to boot! i saw it the first time on dvd and was happy i didn't watch it on one of those horrible pan and scam tv broadcasts
its amazing how good these old 70mm restored movies look on dvd and in their original aspect ratio
and yes i'm hetero. i dont' really like any other audrey movies either., but this ones good. i even bought it after i rented it. its ussually priced pretty good for a feature filled dvd too.
its quite nice seeing old movies on good feature filled dvds. lets you understand the movies in the context of their time and stuff thanks to the special features/ commentary.
Last edited by Aihyah; 09-13-03 at 03:10 AM.
#16
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Originally posted by seisui
As I understand it, Audrey sang but the producers/director/whatever higher up *******s decided to dub her voice over.
As I understand it, Audrey sang but the producers/director/whatever higher up *******s decided to dub her voice over.