New "My Fair Lady"

[canbelto]

Yes, I think for the story to have any resonance (despite what Shaw would always insist -- and I think in this case the lady doth protest too much), Higgins has to be somewhat likable, despite his obnoxiousness. Leslie Howard near well ruins GWTW too -- I just find him a very cold actor. Although more age appropriate than Harrison technically, Harrison has a kind of joie de vivre that makes him seem younger and jauntier in spirit. Stanley Holloway is also a favorite and saves much of My Fair Lady.

A musical that desperately needs a remake is "Carousel." The 1950s movie was inhibited by the strict codes of the time, which prevented much of the darker themes to surface. Gordon MacRae was handsome but couldn't act, and the slashing of the score to ribbons was unjustifiable.

[dirac]

Higgins has to be somewhat likable, despite his obnoxiousness. Leslie Howard near well ruins GWTW too -- I just find him a very cold actor.

Well, Higgins is a rather brutal man. It’s part of the reason Shaw felt so strongly against Eliza winding up with him romantically, although it’s the best ending for a movie or a musical. (It will be interesting to see what Emma Thompson does with this in the new version.)

I happen to think Howard is likable, but I’ll allow it’s a matter of taste. As for Gone with the Wind – Howard took the role under duress, disliking both character and book and feeling also that he was too old for it, which was quite correct. I thought he did well given the circumstances.

The first shot of Hepburn dressed for the ball at the top of the staircase alone justifies her casting.

Very clever of Cecil Beaton to cover up those dicey upper arms, too.

A musical that desperately needs a remake is "Carousel." The 1950s movie was inhibited by the strict codes of the time, which prevented much of the darker themes to surface. Gordon MacRae was handsome but couldn't act, and the slashing of the score to ribbons was unjustifiable.

The new version of “My Fair Lady” isn’t going to be a musical, one gathers.

[papeetepatrick]

I liked Stanley Holloway, but maybe Wilfred Lawson even better. Mainly, I thought 'A Little Bit of Luck' was more effective than 'Get Me to the Church..' except for those divine barmaids...

The first shot of Hepburn dressed for the ball at the top of the staircase alone justifies her casting.

That's the thought of someone who always has ballet in mind. Hepburn brought a sense of ballet to many of her performances.

A musical that desperately needs a remake is "Carousel." The 1950s movie was inhibited by the strict codes of the time, which prevented much of the darker themes to surface. Gordon MacRae was handsome but couldn't act, and the slashing of the score to ribbons was unjustifiable.

I never thought much of it either, but didn't think it bad exactly. But refresh me, please, on this slashing of the score, because I thought it had been mostly intact (I may never have seen it but once, and many years ago.) It's not one of my favourite musicals, but it is a lot of people's, including Rodgers. But please, please, if you haven't, see the old Fritz Lang 'LILIOM" with Charles Boyer, on which the musical was based. Ferenc Molnar was said to like Carousel, but I never liked it as much as the non-musical version. Boyer is young and swaggering in the part, and he can definitely act, and Madeleine Ozeray is exquisite as Julie, much more the fragile birdlike creature than the musical shows. You also get to see Antonin Artaud, the mad French actor, as the knife-grinder. Anyway, I'm a Fritz Lang freak, and think he is one of the greatest directors that ever lived (not an uncommon thought.)

[canbelto]

Many of the more "complex" recitatives are cut (including the enchanting intro to "If I Loved You") as well as several songs, including "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan."

Gordon MacRae was not the first choice for Billy -- it was Frank Sinatra, but that for some reason didn't work out.

Back to MFL -- I wonder who would be Higgins.

[carbro]

Gordon MacRae was not the first choice for Billy -- it was Frank Sinatra, but that for some reason didn't work out.

I'm not crazy about MacRae in the R&H films -- or Shirley Jones, for that matter -- but Sinatra? Sinatra??? His "Soliloquy" is one of his most embarrassing undertakings.

Back to MFL -- I wonder who would be Higgins.

Why did Pierce Brosnan's face just flash before me? But perhaps, like sexy Rexy in the film, too old.

[dirac]

It's going to be Day-Lewis - at least that's the current plan, which can always change.

[papeetepatrick]

I found a bunch of sites that describe it as a remake of the musical. Various other details, all of it sounds vulgar to me--maybe Day-Lewis, maybe he's not available because of 'Nine'. This should make it possible to remake Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind, and Intolerance--all of it solidest corporate product, but new and improved, post-modern, dessicated duplication. Might as well just Xerox it.

[dirac]

The original article I posted was ambiguous, but this item from Playbill does indeed make it clear it’s a musical. Cameron Mackintosh is involved, which pretty much seals it.

A “My Fair Lady” done on location actually sounds quite promising. The older version certainly left some room for improvement. I wonder if Knightley can sing -- that is, really sing? Eliza demands a real voice.

And, producer Kenworthy said, "When George Cukor shot his wonderful film entirely on sets inside Warner's Burbank soundstages, Lerner and Loewe's smash hit musical had been running on Broadway for seven years, and the film was appropriately reverential and inevitably theatrical. With forty years of hindsight, we're confident that by setting these wonderful characters and brilliant songs in a more realistic context, and by exploring Eliza's emotional journey more fully, we will honor both Shaw and Lerner at the same time as engaging and entertaining contemporary audiences the world over. The casting of Eliza is crucial, and we are currently in discussion with a major international star to play the role."

[sidwich]

Incidentally, Ms. Andrews was more than gushy about Hepburn's Eliza during the period ("Oh yes, Audrey was just soooo wonderful in it"), and only retracted it after Audrey's death. She then said, in a PBS retrospective of her own career, 'Well, at the time I understood why they did it; but now, looking back on it, I really do wish I had put the stamp on that role'.

While don't agree with many of Ms. Andrews' actions in recent years, I don't think there is anything inconsistent in saying that: 1) she enjoyed Ms. Hepburns' performance, and 2) she wished that she could have played the part onscreen. I think both are very possible.

In "That Entertainment! III," Lena Horne says almost exactly the same thing of the Julie role in "Showboat" which she had been considered for and passed over because of the racial issue; she loved Ava Gardner as Julie, but she still wished she could have played the role.

Gordon MacRae was not the first choice for Billy -- it was Frank Sinatra, but that for some reason didn't work out.

It's actually very interesting. There was this story that I always thought was legend about Sinatra getting out of his car on the first day of shooting, took one look at the Cinemascope cameras (which would require two takes), and walked out because he didn't want to effectively shoot the film twice. But I saw an interview with Shirley Jones a few years ago where she confirmed that that was exactly what happened. In fact, they had already recorded the songs for the soundtrack.

A musical that desperately needs a remake is "Carousel." The 1950s movie was inhibited by the strict codes of the time, which prevented much of the darker themes to surface. Gordon MacRae was handsome but couldn't act, and the slashing of the score to ribbons was unjustifiable.

Hugh Jackman has already bought the rights to do the remake, so stay tuned. I saw him do the concert with Audra MacDonald at Carnegie Hall a few years ago, and while I usually like a fuller voiced Billy, he would probably do a very good job onscreen.

[dirac]

While don't agree with many of Ms. Andrews' actions in recent years, I don't think there is anything inconsistent in saying that: 1) she enjoyed Ms. Hepburns' performance, and 2) she wished that she could have played the part onscreen. I think both are very possible.

Andrews can certainly be pardoned for thinking she could have done better and for wishing her portrayal could have been preserved on film – anyone with a healthy performer’s ego would have felt the same way, I'm sure.

[papeetepatrick]

Incidentally, Ms. Andrews was more than gushy about Hepburn's Eliza during the period ("Oh yes, Audrey was just soooo wonderful in it"), and only retracted it after Audrey's death. She then said, in a PBS retrospective of her own career, 'Well, at the time I understood why they did it; but now, looking back on it, I really do wish I had put the stamp on that role'.

While don't agree with many of Ms. Andrews' actions in recent years, I don't think there is anything inconsistent in saying that: 1) she enjoyed Ms. Hepburns' performance, and 2) she wished that she could have played the part onscreen. I think both are very possible.

In "That Entertainment! III," Lena Horne says almost exactly the same thing of the Julie role in "Showboat" which she had been considered for and passed over because of the racial issue; she loved Ava Gardner as Julie, but she still wished she could have played the role.

They aren't the same. Lena Horne and Ava Gardner were close friends. They adored each other.. I recently saw 'That's Entertainment III', and remember the scene you describe very vividly. No matter. Ms. Andrews didn't get to do Eliza onscreen and some of us are glad. Also, 'putting the stamp on that role' definitely means she thinks she had the authoritative Eliza for the musical and would have done it better; and that 'she understood why they did it at the time' surely means she doesn't so much any more. Many agree with her, but it doesn't matter.

Maybe she can do Mrs. Pierce or Mrs. Higgins in the remake. Jane Greer was very effective in 'Against All Odds', although she was too old to play the part she'd originated in 'Out of the Past.'

[dirac]

There was this story that I always thought was legend about Sinatra getting out of his car on the first day of shooting, took one look at the Cinemascope cameras (which would require two takes), and walked out because he didn't want to effectively shoot the film twice.

Off topic, but I’d believe that even without independent confirmation from Jones. Sinatra became positively tyrannical about one-take-only when he was professionally secure enough to get away with it.

[Quiggin]

My sister saw the touring production some years ago starring Richard Chamberlain ("looks good in a cardigan," was her reaction). Doolittle was played by Holloway's son, Julian.

I imagine Chamberlain as a sort of a Phlegmatic version of Henry Higgins. How sweet though that the Alfred Doolittle role was passed down to Holloway's son. I would have liked to have seen that. (But not Noel Harrison's HH...)

Regarding Audrey Hepburn, she did get tepid, so-what reviews when My Fair Lady came out. In a way Julie Andrews' career was built on the loss of that part. I think if someone had equaled her stage performance (Andrews may now have not been able to translate it to film) she may have had fewer vacillating regrets.

As far as Cinemascope and Carsousel were concerned, Carousel was filmed in an experimental version called Cinemascope 55, which was devised to compete with VistaVision. (In VistaVision, the film ran sideways, as in a still camera, and the scratches ran sideways as well--an affect that iMovie and Final Cut Pro has yet too offer.)

I assume Sinatra wasn't afraid of a second take (it would seem impossible to make any film without at least a second, protection take), as much as the big bad new cameras and the possibilites of technical glitches. Or maybe he was in a bad mood that day.

Carousel link

Old Cinemascope Boys site

Maggie Gyllenhaal for Eliza? Or any of a dozen of fine actresses from one of many British acting companies--and some do Shaw on a regular basis. You could probably chose a great Eliza blindfolded. Perhaps a young Diana Rigg?

[PeggyR]

The discussions here about My Fair Lady and Pygmalion got me interested enough to do a little research. Here are some other versions of Pygmalion, some with 'interesting' casting choices (except as noted, all information from IMDb; accuracy not confirmed):

1963 - no production credits listed, but apparently made for U.S. TV

James Donald (Higgins)

Julie Harris (Eliza)

Gladys Cooper (Mrs. Higgins)

Cooper played Mrs. Higgins again in the 1964 MFL.

1981 - produced by Yorkshire Television:

Robert Powell (Henry Higgins)

Twiggy (Eliza)

Ronald Fraser (Pickering)

Mona Washbourne (Mrs. Higgins)

Arthur English (Alfred Doolittle)

Fraser and Washbourne both appeared in the 1981 Brideshead Revisited. Washbourne played Mrs. Pearce in the 1964 MFL. English was a well-known stage comedian and later, a regular in Are You Being Served.

1983 - co-produced by Margot Kidder:

Peter O'Toole (Higgins)

Margot Kidder (Eliza)

There are also TV productions listed from 1948 (BBC with Margaret Lockwood as Eliza); 1968 (Swedish TV with the great Harriet Andersson as Eliza), 1974 (the Netherlands), 1980 (West Germany).

I've ordered a dvd from Netflix with credits as follows (this one doesn't show up on IMDb):

1985 production:

James Villiers (Higgins)

Lynn Redgrave (Eliza)

Ronald Fraser (Pickering)

[4mrdncr]

Thank you, canbelto, for summing up my thoughts on Howard-vs.-Harrison so well. I never understood Leslie Howard's appeal. I've always found him a bit offputting. Harrison manages the delicate balance of making Higgins a self-centered boor and yet somehow charming, attractive.

The first shot of Hepburn dressed for the ball at the top of the staircase alone justifies her casting.

Stanley Holloway was great as Alfred Doolittle . . .

My sister saw the touring production some years ago starring Richard Chamberlain ("looks good in a cardigan," was her reaction). Doolittle was played by Holloway's son, Julian.

I agree with almost all the above.

I've had limited viewing of Howard, (R&J, GWTW, 1/2 of Pygmalion), but I totally agree with what carbro says about Audrey Hepburn wearing that ballgown & jewels at the top of the stairs. I've always watched MFL for one reason only--to see a princess playing a peasant. And I could never wait until she turned into a princess.

I, too, saw the touring production with Chamberlain. And though it was pleasant enough experience, my strongest memory is the Ascot scene, where the lords & ladies attending the races were lowered from above and positioned haphazardly: hanging in space against the backdrop/sky like that famous Maigritte painting. I've never forgotten it.

[dirac]

Interesting info, PeggyR. Margot Kidder as Eliza. Ahem.

[sidwich]

Interesting info, PeggyR. Margot Kidder as Eliza. Ahem.

Kidder's name comes up when lists of favorite Elizas come up, so I imagine she must have been better than you might think. I confess I haven't seen any recording of this production, but some people do seem to consider her better than Hiller, Andrews AND Hepburn.

I assume Sinatra wasn't afraid of a second take (it would seem impossible to make any film without at least a second, protection take), as much as the big bad new cameras and the possibilites of technical glitches. Or maybe he was in a bad mood that day.

I imagine Sinatra must have done some multiple takes at some point in his career, but it is pretty well-known that he really was very averse to them. If you watch "Manchurian Candidate" there are scenes that are out-of-focus, and director John Frankenheimer has said publicly that they are because Sinatra refused to reshoot the scenes to correct the focus.

[cubanmiamiboy]

OK, everyone seems to agree that we don't want to see Keira Knightley in the role, but if there has to be a remake, who'd be a good candidate?

Winona Ryder...(too old..?) Well..mmm...Anne Hathaway maybe...?

[canbelto]

Kate Winslet a few years ago might have been able to do it. Maybe she still can. She can do anything.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Kate Winslet a few years ago might have been able to do it. Maybe she still can. She can do anything.

Winslet must be around Ryder's age, right...? I thought of Ryder because she had always such charm and elegance...she was my favorite back on the days, and i can see how keira knightley is now being promoted by Hollywood almost like a former Ryder's copycat...(they even look alike). I would love to see Winona back on those types of roles again....(She was great in Period movies...)

[PeggyR]

Kate Winslet a few years ago might have been able to do it. Maybe she still can. She can do anything.

Now there's the best idea yet. She's got the dramatic ability, she can be screamingly funny, she's beautiful, and I don't think she's much older than Hepburn was in the original. Do you think Hollywood might respond to pressure from Ballettalk? Plus, of course, she's English.

[dirac]

It's Keira. They could have done worse, I guess.

While My Fair Lady will mark Knightley's musical debut, it isn't her first time singing onscreen. She also sang in the recent biopic The Edge of Love.

[dirac]

My sister saw the touring production some years ago starring Richard Chamberlain ("looks good in a cardigan," was her reaction).

I like your sister's critical instincts, carbro.