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
.

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 title.... 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 Fathom Events... 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? Profe... 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 Doolittle (H... Read full article


See all My Fair Lady articles

Quotes from

Professor Henry Higgins: I've grown accustomed to her face.


Mrs. Higgins: Where's the girl now?
Professor Henry Higgins: She's being pinned. Some of the clothes we bought her didn't quite fit. I told Pickering we should have taken her with us.


Professor Henry Higgins: Marry Freddy! What an infantile idea, what a heartless, wicked, brainless thing to do. She'll regret it. She'll regret it! It's doomed before they even take the vow.
[sings]
Professor Henry Higgins: I can see her now, "Mrs. Freddy Einsford-Hill," in a wretched little flat above a store. I can see her now! Not a penny in the till, and a bill-collector beating at the door! She'll try to teach the things *I* taught her... and end up selling flowers instead! Begging for her bread and water! While her husband has his breakfast in bed! In a year or so, when she's prematurely gray, and the blossom in her cheek has turned to chalk, she'll come home, and lo! He'll have upped and run away with a social climbing heiress from New York! Poor Eliza! How simply frightful! How humiliating! How *delightful*!


read more quotes from My Fair Lady...

Facts about

Because of the way Rex Harrison talked his way through the musical numbers, they were unable to prerecord them and have him lip-sync, so a wireless microphone (one of the first ever developed) was rigged up and hidden under his tie. However, this meant that his mouth and words were completely in sync and everyone else's looked off, since they were lip-syncing (when everyone is lip-syncing, it's not that noticeable). The studio thought that this was too obvious so they altered Harrison's soundtrack, lengthening and shortening notes in various places so that his synchronicity is slightly off like all the other actors.
Audrey Hepburn apparently believed that Julie Andrews should have played Eliza Doolittle in the film, but was told by Jack L. Warner that Julie wouldn't be cast even if Audrey turned the role down. 'Julie Andrews' said that she "threw a few tantrums" when she learned that she wouldn't be playing Eliza in the film, and yet, she got along very well with Audrey Hepburn, without holding a grudge against Audrey whom she knew was an innocent party in the whole thing.
Stanley Holloway was nominated for the 1957 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actor in a Musical for "My Fair Lady" for the role of Alfred P. Doolittle and recreated the role in the movie version.
read more facts about My Fair Lady...
Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
book or play



See All Film Adaptations >>
Best Picture Oscar 1964






See more Best Picture awards>>
Also directed by George Cukor




More about George Cukor >>
Also produced by Jack L. Warner




More about Jack L. Warner >>
Related Lists
Create a list



See All Related Lists >>
Also released in 1964




See All 1964 films >>
More "Book-Based" films



See All "Book-Based" films >>
More "Rags to Riches" films



See All "Rags to Riches" films >>
More "Teachers" films



See All "Teachers" films >>
More "Based on Play" films



See All "Based on Play" films >>