My Fair Lady (1964)

Director: George Cukor

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Wilfried Hyde-White, Stanley Holloway

In 1910s London, snobbish phonetics professor Henry Higgins agrees to a wager that he can make a crude flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, presentable in high society.

According to Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) one’s accent determines who you are. The film therefore also explores the life of the wealthy, and all the pretense brought upon by money. (Oh, do Royalty and Aristocrats even realize how terribly theatrical they are?! Henry Higgins even remarks “Silly people don’t even know their silly business”.)

When Henry overhears the ‘common’ accent of a young woman, Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), he boasts that will be able to pass her off as a Duchess within 6 months. She sells flowers and has never even taken a proper bath, and her Dad, Alfie – whom she doesn’t really get along with – is a drunk with no ambition. She decides to take lessons from Henry, who insists she stays with him for six months.

Eliza’s quest to speak properly and introducing her to high society offers many hilarious moments. Eliza can be a bit annoying at times, but either way well portrayed by Audrey Hepburn. I thought Rex Harrison was fabulous as Henry. Phonetics expert Colonel Pickering (Wilfried Hyde-White) also stays with Henry for the six months, and offers to pay for the lessons.

The film boasts stunning costumes and good sets, and funny lyrics with clever rhyming. Intentional or unintentional, the film manages to mock the pretentiousness of the rich. I wonder if the writers – and actors – realize who gay this movie is? And I mean gay as in homosexual. Think about it; both Henry and Pickering are unmarried and staying together. In the words of Henry “Why can’t woman be more like a man?”, “I don’t want a woman in my life”, “A Man makes a better companion”, “Men are so pleasant. So easy to please”, and off course “Neither myself of Pickering are the marrying kind”… Well, I rest my case.

Interestingly, there’s not even a hint of romance between Henry and Eliza, which is unusual for this type of film considering when it was made – in a time when romance was the order of the day for these big movie releases. One generally expects a romantic interest to develop between the characters, but here it never does. Interesting indeed.

‘My Fair Lady’ was a huge success, earning $72 million at the box office on a budget of $17 million, and received 12 Oscar nominations, winning 8 (Best Picture, Best Lead Actor, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Music).

Would I watch it again? I doubt it.