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My Fair Lady Overview:

My Fair Lady (1964) was a Drama - Family Film directed by George Cukor and produced by Jack L. Warner.

The film was based on the musical of the same name written by Alan Jay Lerner performed at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, NY, & Broadhurst Theatre, NY & Broadway Theatre, NY from Mar 15, 1956 - Sep 29, 1962.

SYNOPSIS

Lerner and Loewe's Broadway success comes to the screen with a ravishing Hepburn in the title role made famous onstage by Julie Andrews and Harrison repeating the character of Dr. Henry Higgins. The now-familiar story of the Cockney market girl who conquers society as well as her mentor's heart is beautifully realized by Cukor, assisted by sets and costumes designed by famed photographer Cecil Beaton (the Ascot Races sequence is a virtual runway fashion show of Beaton's glamorous handiwork), and the invisible Marni Nixon as Hepburn's singing voice. Memorable songs include: "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," "The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly in the Plain," and "You Did It!" among many others. This quintessential film musical was based on Shaw's 1913 play, Pygmalion. The 30th anniversary video includes a fully restored print, the original theatrical trailer, promotional film, and CBS news footage of the star-studded premiere.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1964 --- Ceremony Number 37 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorRex HarrisonWon
Best Supporting ActorStanley HollowayNominated
Best Supporting ActressGladys CooperNominated
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Gene Allen, Cecil Beaton; Set Decoration: George James HopkinsWon
Best CinematographyHarry StradlingWon
Best Costume DesignCecil BeatonWon
Best DirectorGeorge CukorWon
Best Film EditingWilliam ZieglerNominated
Best Music - ScoringAndre PrevinWon
Best PictureJack L. Warner, ProducerWon
Best WritingAlan Jay LernerNominated
See More Oscar Winners

My Fair Lady BlogHub Articles:

Silver Screen Standards: Eliza’s Voice in My Fair Lady (1964)

By Jennifer Garlen on Aug 10, 2021 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Silver Screen Standards: Eliza’s Voice in My Fair Lady (1964) The socio-economic and geographical markers of dialect loom large in George Bernard Shaw’s influential play, Pygmalion, its 1938 film adaptation, and the splashy musical version that stars Audrey Hepburn as the fair lady of its ti... Read full article

Win Tickets to see “TCM Big Screen Classics: My Fair Lady” (Giveaway runs now through Feb 2)

By Annmarie Gatti on Jan 21, 2019 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Win tickets to see “My Fair Lady” on the Big Screen! In Select Cinemas Nationwide Sun Feb 17 and Wed Feb 20 “Aowh, wouldn’t it be lover-ly.” CMH continues with our 4th year of our partnership with Fathom Events - with the 2nd of our 14 movie ticket giveaways for 2019, courtesy of F... Read full article

My Fair Lady (1964)

By Beatrice on Apr 29, 2018 From Flickers in Time

My Fair Lady Directed by George Cukor Written by Alan Jay Lerner from a play by George Bernard Shaw 1964/USA Warner Bros. Repeat viewing/Netflix rental One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Beautiful music, great acting, gorgeous production values.  Who could ask for anything more? Prof... Read full article

31 Days of Oscar Blogathon 2015 (Week 3: The Crafts) : My Fair Lady and the Outstanding Costumes of Cecil Beaton

By The Wonderful World of Cinema on Feb 18, 2015 From The Wonderful World of Cinema

I have to say that Cecil Beaton is my favourite photographer, but he was also an incredible costume designer. He created the costumes of 14 movies: Kipps, Dangerous Moonlight, On Approval, The Young Mr. Pitt, Anna Karenina (1948), An Ideal Husband, Beware of Pity, Dandy Dick, The Truth about Women... Read full article

My Fair Lady (1964)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 19, 2014 From 4 Star Films

Adapted from the play Pygmalion, originally written by George Bernard Shaw, My Fair Lady stars Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. It follows a speech therapist (Harrison) as he tries to win a bet with an old acquaintance that he can pass off a poor flower girl as a duchess. He takes Eliza Doolitt... Read full article

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My Fair Lady Quotes:

Eliza Doolittle: I ain't dirty! I washed my face and hands before I come, I did.
Eliza Doolittle: I'm a good girl, I am!
Professor Henry Higgins: Eliza, you are to stay here for the next six months learning to speak beautifully, like a lady in a florist's shop. If you work hard and do as you're told, you shall sleep in a proper bedroom, have lots to eat, and money to buy chocolates and go for rides in taxis. But if you are naughty and idle, you shall sleep in the back kitchen amongst the black beetles, and be wolloped by Mrs. Pearce with a broomstick. At the end of six months you will be taken to Buckingham Palace, in a carriage, beautifully dressed. If the king finds out you are not a lady, you will be taken to the Tower of London, where your head will be cut off as a warning to other presumptuous flower girls! But if you are not found out, you shall have a present... of, ah... seven and six to start life with as a lady in a shop. If you refuse this offer, you will be the most ungrateful, wicked girl, and the angels will weep for you.
Colonel Hugh Pickering: I'll have you know, Doolittle, that Mr. Higgins' intentions are entirely honorable!
Alfred P. Doolittle: Oh, 'course they are, guv'nor. If I thought they wasn't, I'd ask fifty.
Professor Henry Higgins: [shocked] You mean to say you'd sell your daughter for fifty pounds?
Colonel Hugh Pickering: Have you NO morals, man?
Alfred P. Doolittle: Nah. Nah, can't afford 'em, guv'nor. Neither could you, if you was as poor as me.
Eliza Doolittle: I could have danced all night.
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My Fair Lady Facts
According to actress Nancy Olson, who was married to lyricist Alan Jay Lerner at the time he was writing the musical, Lerner and Frederick Loewe had the most trouble writing the final song for Henry Higgins. The two writers had based the whole concept of the musical around the notion that Higgins was far too intellectual a character to emotionally sing outright, but should speak his songs on pitch, more as an expression of ideas. However, both composer and lyricist knew that Higgins would need a love song towards the end of the story when Eliza has abandoned him. This presented an obvious problem: how to write an emotional song for an emotionless character. Lerner suffered bouts of insomnia trying to write the lyrics. One night, Olson claims, she brought him a cup of tea to soothe his nerves. As she entered his study, Lerner thanked her and said "I guess I've grown accustomed to you...I've grown accustomed to your face." According to Olson, his eyes suddenly lit up, and she sat down and watched him write the entire song in one sitting, based on the idea that although Higgins couldn't "love" Eliza in the traditional sense, he would surely notice the value she represented as part of his life.
The original choice to direct the film was Vincente Minnelli but when his salary demands were too high, the job went to George Cukor.
U.S. television viewers had something of a Rex Harrison film-fest on Thanksgiving Week, 1973. Doctor Dolittle aired on Thanksgiving Eve on ABC-TV, followed by My Fair Lady on NBC-TV on Thanksgiving Day. This was the U.S. commercial TV premiere of both films, and was probably not a coincidence.
Audrey Hepburn announced the assassination of Pres. John F. Kennedy to the devastated cast and crew immediately after filming the number "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" on the Covent Garden set on 22 November 1963.
27A Wimpole Street in London (Higgins' address) does not exist (there is a 27 Wimpole Street).
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