My Fair Lady

"My Fair Lady" is often regarded as the most outstanding musical ever written, and certainly the greatest of the 1950s. Based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play "Pygmalion," the story revolves around Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons to pass as a lady. Throughout the narrative, despite his cynical nature and struggle to understand women, Higgins becomes emotionally attached to her. The plot draws inspiration from a Greek myth in which Pygmalion wished for a bride who would be "the living likeness of my ivory girl." When he returned home, he kissed his ivory statue and found that its lips felt warm. The Goddess Aphrodite granted Pygmalion's wish, bringing the ivory sculpture to life as a woman. Similarly, Doolittle undergoes a transformation. This storyline has also influenced other works, including "Pretty Woman," "Pinocchio," and various short stories and operas. The musical features a story (book and lyrics) by Alan Jay Lerner, with music composed by Frederick Loewe. Its score includes some of the most famous songs in American musical theater, such as "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?", "With a Little Bit of Luck," "The Rain in Spain," "I Could Have Danced All Night," and "On the Street Where You Live. This film won eight Academy Awards in 1964, including Best Picture. It stars Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle, a spirited, working-class street vendor from London, and Rex Harrison as Professor Higgins, who tries to transform Eliza into a sophisticated lady through his tutoring. One minor criticism is that Hepburn cannot sing, so all her songs are dubbed, except for one brief stanza where she begins to sing quietly. It leaves one to wonder how wonderful the performance would have been if Julie Andrews, the original choice for Eliza, had been cast in the role. It's definitely a great and must-have addition to any home’s music collection.

So much has been said already about this beloved iconic musical film, so the main point to make here is that the new 2015 restoration available on blu-ray is nothing short of mesmerizing. Oh heck, for the die-hard fans anxious about how it would look after years of teasing and release date delays, it's downright orgasmic. Forget about the reviews of the blu-ray from a few years ago, the 2015 version is at last the real deal!!! From the moment the action began after the title credits, I knew we were in for quite a treat. After managing to pick up my jaw from the floor, I put in the blurry DVD from the late 90's for comparison, and there was none. The 2015 restoration looks and sounds nearly like a new modern film. Robert Harris and his team deserve high praise indeed for this masterpiece of technical and artistic achievement. From a long time avid fan's perspective, I can genuinely and honestly say that seeing this movie again in such crazy good quality literally brought me to tears, it's that satisfying. It's like falling in love with Audrey Hepburn all over again. She looks thoroughly ***STUNNING*** in her many dresses throughout the film. I must have paused the playback a couple dozen times just to stare at the crisp and colorful imagery now available with this new blu-ray. For those with a 4K TV, you're in for a "loverly" bonus as the new version upscales very nicely to reveal details you've never been able to see before. Equipment: Sony XBR-65X900A 4K TV Sony BDP-S6200 Blu-ray player Yamaha RX-A3030 AVR B&W Speakers - 600 series REL T9 subwoofer Audioquest Carbon HDMI cables Audioquest X2 speaker wire Audioquest NRG-4 power cable for AVR Audioquest NRG-2 power cable for subwoofer Audioquest Boxer subwoofer cable While you certainly don't need expensive components to appreciate the drastic quality improvement with this restoration, I wanted to share my "entry level audiophile" system specs so that other movie lovers may better appreciate how I saw and heard this new version of the film. I salute and humbly thank everyone who worked on this magnificent restoration and beg of you to share your knowledge so that others may benefit from your mastery. THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

Super Classic!! They Should take some pointers from this kind of Quality production!!

Although Julie Andrews was a better singer, Audrey Hepburn was a far much better actress with a wide range of acting abilities. Mrs. Hepburn was very funny as well as dramatic. Nobody could have portrayed the feelings and expressions of Eliza Doolitle with such a heart-felt emotion and honesty from beggining to end. Only a flower girl as portrayed by Mrs. Hepburn could have been the cause for Professor Higgins, a recalcitrant bachelor, to say "...I have grown accustomed to her..." at the possibility of a life without her. My Fair Lady is one of the best movies ever made. It is better than West Side Story, and Sound of Music because of its extraordinary and unique storyline. It is a superb movie that happens to be a musical. Besides its beautiful music, lyrics, actors, costumes, period sets, and any other categories of production, the viewer is captivated because of the most exquisite romantic comedy story ever written, with its intricate and witty dialogue. Only after several viewing one may capture the delicacies and nuances of the story and its characters. Every single line is as valuable as any other, and it has a meaning as profound as any other, and they are so engaging that once the movie is over one would not believe that 3 hours has elapsed. Stage musicals brought into the silver screen should not be judged with an emphasis on their music and vocal abilities, but rather on their storylines, and the messages thus portayed. I definitely recommend the reading of both reviews by James Berardinelli and Roger Ebert from the movie database here at amazon. They have it right on the money and so well written. Here is a quote from James Berardinelli: "Consider this possibility: a romantic comedy with no nudity, no sex, and no kissing. In fact, there aren't even any declarations of love. The closest the female character comes to admitting her feelings is saying that she could have danced all night with the man; the closest he gets is remarking that he is grown accustomed to her face. Could such a project lift off the pad in today's cliamte? One would be very cynical if he or she has not seen the movie before, as it happened to me until I saw it in this restored DVD.

Great movie!

My Fair Lady stands as one of the great musicals of the post-MGM era, largely on the strength of the original play and it's cast. And it has aged well. This is the role for which Rex Harrison will always be remembered. And if he's a bit old for the part, we are still lucky to be able to see the brilliance or his "original" Henry Higgins. He's obnoxious, prejudiced, and insufferably full of himself and the importance of the English language. Yet, he is touched and changed by Eliza. Stanley Hollaway also reprises his role of Alfred Doolittle with the deft touch of the music hall veteran that he was. Audrey Hepburn, the Julia Roberts of her day, is radiant, vulnerable, and finally regal as Eliza. It is one of her best performances, and a wonderful use of her talents as an actress, dancer, and star. The only drawback to using her is that she is primarily a dancer rather than a singer - and Eliza is a singer's role. A problem that was famously (infamously?) solved by dubbing much of her singing. I disagree with those who find the dubbing obvious - all movie musicals are dubbed. The only difference is that most actors lip-synch to their own voice rather than someone else's. (If you want to be picky - Barbra Streisand has a much greater problem with syncing to a pre-recorded track in "Funny Girl" that Hepburn does here.) As for the issue of Julie vs. Audrey - I think we are all lucky to have had the enjoyment of seeing (or hearing) both actresses play the role. I really wouldn't want to be without either. Just as different actors bring their own qualities and point of view to new interpretations of "Hamlet" - Eliza is a part that demands the best of a performer. The team behind the camera makes great contributions. Harry Stradling Sr.'s cinematography is great mainstream sixties camera work. What it lacks in invention it makes up for in the beauty of the lighting and compositions. Cecil Beaton reprises his Broadway role of costume and production designer (along with Gene Allan). He designed for the previous Lerner and Lowe film "Gigi", and he set a new standard in this film - particularly with the costumes. As a matter of fact, George Cukor pretty much gives him the Ascott scene as a costume set piece. (Hepburn's dress alone is a testament to how costume builders can take a few squiggly lines from a designer and turn them into a real work of art in fabric and feathers.) It seems, however, that director George Cukor clearly does not have much of a hand for musicals - he films the action very conservatively and with few cuts and camera movements. He treats the legendary Broadway show pretty much as if he was filming Shaw's play. This gives the film a stiffness and stodginess that sometimes makes you wonder why all this is taking so long. Contrast this work with Robert Wise's "Sound of Music" which opened a year later. "Lady" is clearly the stronger source material, yet "Music" floats on the energy of its score and Ernest Lehman's script. But while Cukor's vision does not add much to the property, he gets out of the way and lets his actors and production team put on a first class rendition of the show. My Fair Lady is still a wonderful evening's entertainment. The cast, the score, the story, the design are all first rate. If it lacks a little in imagination and pace, well that's a small price to pay for a piece of theatrical legend.

A delightful DVD of the classic film filled with great bonuses and extras. There is a marked improvement in sound and video quality than previous DVD versions.

Last week I watched “My Fair Lady” for perhaps the 50th time since I first saw it in a theater way back in 1965. This film has always ranked very high on my “Top 10” list of favorite movies, and places an extremely close second to “The Sound of Music” on my list of favorite musicals. I have watched “My Fair Lady” in many home video formats: Betamax and VHS tape cassettes, DVD, and Blu-ray. When I watched this film last week, there was one major difference: I was watching the 50th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray, which is an all-new 4K restoration of the film. The difference between it and all previous versions I’ve seen was so dramatic that it seemed like I was watching the movie for the very first time. For those not familiar with “My Fair Lady,” the film is based on George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion,” Set in early 20th century London, it’s a musical comedy about a lowly flower girl named Eliza Doolittle, who has a chance encounter with a linguistic professor named Henry Higgins. Professor Higgins makes a bet with a friend that he can teach Eliza to speak such perfectly proper English that he can pass her off as royalty at an embassy ball. “My Fair Lady” stars Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, and Wilfrid Hyde-White. It has some of the best acting and most entertaining musical numbers I’ve ever seen in a movie. I always found earlier home video editions of “My Fair Lady” disappointing. Video quality always seemed grainy and colorless, and showed many of the flaws and anomalies inherent in the aging source material. The versions on Betamax and VHS videocassette were particularly bad. Later releases on DVD and Blu-ray were better, although they still showed many of the same flaws. What was needed was a complete restoration. When the 50th Anniversary Edition was released in 2015, it was immediately evident that “My Fair Lady’s” restoration team had done things right. The new 4K scan shows astounding video quality from the very first frame! Colors are perfect, images are sharp and detailed, and film grain is natural but unobtrusive. I didn’t see any banding, crushing, dirt, speckles, or other anomalies anywhere. The lossless DTS Master Audio soundtrack completely filled my viewing space with gorgeous 5.1 surround audio. The 50th Anniversary edition of “My Fair Lady” is a two-disc “combo-pack” that contains the 4K restoration of the film on one Blu-ray disc, and a plethora of bonus features on the other. If you’ve never seen “My Fair Lady” in true high definition/surround sound, or if you’re simply looking to upgrade to the 4K restored version, this 50th Anniversary edition is the one to get. Most highly recommended.

Estupenda versión en Blu-Ray. Se ve sensacional. Muy buena compra.

This is one of the absolute all time great Hollywood musicals, one of those that grew in being translated from stage to screen. So what's especially right? The story's right. It's rags to riches with a twist - no riches. Lerner and Loewe are true to Shaw's play (apart from the ending - which would not have pleased the author!). That play is itself an adaptation of the Greek myth of the sculptor who falls in love with his own creation. The casting's right. Audrey Hepburn is the perfect Eliza Doolittle, the cockney flowergirl who aspires to the voice and manners of a perfect lady. Rex Harrison (who created the role on Broadway) is totally convincing as the intellectual who sees a different project of fooling high society into accepting an "ungrateful, wicked girl" as one of their own. Jeremy Brett (Holmes in later years) is the slightly silly but totally sincere young man who falls in love with the girl behind the mask, even before the mask is complete. The songs are right. They are very much the songs of the production, not merely songs that happen to be in the production, and "The rain in Spain", "I'm getting married in the morning", "Show me" and others are classics. Hepburn doesn't sing her character's most demanding numbers, but this is good judgement. Just as the Professor's songs gain from Harrison's not particularly tuneful renditions, Eliza's prettiest songs demand pretty perfect rendition. Finally the look is right. The fashionable dress and elegant photographic conception comes from Cecil Beaton, that quintessential society photographer. The only thing that has dated is the stylised 'Ascot Opening Day' where a somewhat cartoon-like set is inhabited by elegant poseurs, but overall the look is stunning and effective. What's my one gripe? This DVD has of course, a wonderful restoration of the feature film. But the opportunity to add interesting additional content is lost, which is a very great shame. It's a five star video, and I can't bring myself to downgrade it as a DVD, but perhaps a future version could set this rose of a film in a more tasteful vase.

My Fair Lady kreeg voor een film uit het zieltogende Hollywood van de sixties, een astronomisch budget. 70mm, technicolor, een cast met de ravissante Audrey Hepburn en een (ongeïnspireerde) R.Harrison, vlotte deuntjes... Deze George Cukor's adaptatie van G.B Shaw 'Pygmalion' is op -de keper beschouwd-, een houterig geacteerde en tergend trage musical. Voor de 'die hards' eigenlijk

Beautiful classic reproduced in stunning colors. Highly recommended!

Sono rimasto scioccato dalla qualità di questo film del 1964, il comparto video è strepitoso mentre un po' deludente il comparto audio (mono). Comunque devo confermare quello che già si sa, ossia contenuti extra assenti! Mi chiedo il perché di questa gravissima lacuna, dato che i dischi sono due (4K + Br) potevano accludere i contenuti extra nel disco Blu-ray cosa che non è stata fatta! Io però, rispetto al quesito: qualità o contenuti extra? preferisco qualità, sarà follia ma un film di tale pregevole bellezza non può essere visionato in Blu-ray ma è necessario il 4K a mio modo di vedere! Poi amo tutti i film del genere Mary Poppins, Tutti Insieme Appassionatamente, My Fair Lady e La La Land! Trovo molto coinvolgenti i film cantati perché non è più la solita storia che può risultare alle volte un po' stucchevole ma hanno una marcia in più! E' quel tocco di magia che rende un film unico e imprevedibile, bello e commovente, esaltante e brillante, insomma se non fosse cantato, un film, finirebbe nel dimenticatoio cinematografico dove vanno a finire tutti i film banali e noiosi ma un film cantato è tutt'altra storia! Intanto la trama del film è davvero avvincente, ma non la racconto perché presumo che la conosciate tutti, vi dico solo che c'è Audrey Hepburn nel ruolo di Eliza Doolittle e Rex Harrison nel ruolo del professor Henry Higgins. Il film è stato premiato con ben 8 Oscar!!! E li vale tutti!!! Se dovessi consigliarlo? Lo consiglierei ad occhi chiusi! C'è tanta immondizia cinematografica in giro che quando vedi un film girato con così tanta grazia non sai resistere alla tentazione di averlo e rivederlo sempre! L'unica cosa che mi lascia scontento è l'audio... dovendo rifare un film del 1964 in 4K si sono persi in un bicchiere d'acqua quando hanno dovuto rimasterizzare anche la traccia audio italiana... un vero peccato... Se siete indecisi, vi dico che questa qualità 4K in un film tanto vecchio non la troverete facilmente, questo è un colossal hollywoodiano che raramente vi capiterà di trovare nuovamente in questa magnifica edizione 4K HDR! Poi oltretutto è una edizione limitata, finita questa edizione o esaurita difficilmente la ritroverete e allora in voi resterà solo il rammarico... questo film non può assolutamente mancare nella collezione di un vero cinefilo!