Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»1960s Movies»Movies 1964
    Movies 1964 Movies M 3 Mins Read

    My Fair Lady (1964)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    This sumptuous adaptation of the smash Broadway musical version of George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion won eight well-deserved Academy Awards in 1964 – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Rex Harrison), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Music.

    Rex Harrison reprised his signature stage role as the egotistical and misogynistic phonetics expert, Professor Henry Higgins who makes a bet with a fellow academic that he can transform cockney flower-girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) from a gutter-dwelling flower girl into a refined lady – whose ‘common’ origins would not be spotted – in time for a prestigious society ball at the Embassy.

    Higgins succeeds but omits to give Eliza any of the credit for their success. She storms off, threatening to accept the proposal from one of her new young beaux. Can Higgins undo the mistakes he has made?

    This beautifully-staged musical was Warner Brothers most expensive film to date ($17 million). Hepburn’s casting as Eliza was also controversial, as she was picked over Julie Andrews, who had played the part on Broadway.

    Hepburn was thrilled to get the role and was confident that she could learn to sing it, after singing in Funny Face (1957).

    She set about voice lessons with dedication, only to be told after months of hard work – and her songs already recorded –  that musical director Andre Previn had decided to hire Marni Nixon – who also did Natalie Wood’s vocals in West Side Story (1961) – to dub the famous numbers, thus inflicting a bitter blow to Hepburn’s professional pride.

    Harrison is impeccable, as is Wilfrid Hyde-White as Colonel Pickering, with Jeremy Brett well-cast as luckless Freddy Eynsford Hill.

    myfairlady_005

    But the enterprise is marred by some obviously artificial ‘staginess’ and an occasional disjunction between the admirable Miss Nixon’s voice and Hepburn’s personality.

    And even Hepburn’s most ardent fans had to concede that as a cockney flower seller her efforts at authenticity simply failed to convince.

    However, from the moment of her transformation into a lady, all the Hepburn magic is intact: grace, dignity, charm and vulnerability. Her appearance at the top of the stair in the white Beaton ball gown must surely be one of the iconic images of female beauty in the modern cinema.

    The movie includes such monumental musical numbers as The Rain in Spain, Wouldn’t It Be Luvverly?, I Could Have Danced All Night, All I Want Is A Room Somewhere and Get Me To The Church On Time.

    Eliza Doolittle
    Audrey Hepburn
    Professor Henry Higgins
    Rex Harrison
    Colonel Pickering
    Wilfrid Hyde-White
    Freddy Eynsford Hill
    Jeremy Brett

    Director
    George Cukor

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Roustabout (1964)
      Roustabout (1964)
      Charlie Rogers (Presley) is a leather-clad carnival singer, general handyman, embittered orphan and karate expert (with a very large motorcycle)…
    • Mississippi Burning (1988)
      Mississippi Burning (1988)
      Feisty British director Alan Parker takes on the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi Burning as two white FBI agents head up a…
    • Midnight Lace (1960)
      Midnight Lace (1960)
      American housewife Katherine 'Kit' Preston (Doris Day) lives with Tony (Rex Harrison), her husband of three months, in London. On…
    • Master of the World (1961)
      Master of the World (1961)
      Master Of The World is a crazy implausible and wholly fascinating film. Although it is not in the front rank of…
    • Girl With Green Eyes, The (1964)
      Girl With Green Eyes, The (1964)
      Innocent Irish country lass Kate Brady (Rita Tushingham) leaves her father's Co Clare farm to work as a grocery clerk…
    • Viva Las Vegas (1964)
      Viva Las Vegas (1964)
      The annual Grand Prix brings racing driver Lucky Jackson (Elvis Presley) to Las Vegas. To meet expenses and buy an…
    • Hard Day's Night, A (1964)
      Hard Day's Night, A (1964)
      The Beatles first feature film was a surprisingly sensational comedy, which revolved around a fictional 36 hours in their hectic schedule…
    • Man in the Moon (1960)
      Man in the Moon (1960)
      William Blood (Kenneth More) is a carefree - and exceptionally healthy - playboy who earns his living as a human…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleMy Brilliant Career (1979)
    Next Article My Name Is Nobody (1973)

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • Yellow Rolls-Royce, The (1964)
      Yellow Rolls-Royce, The (1964)
      This anthology movie is the story of a luxuriously upholstered vehicle - at once witty, romantic, plush, glamorous and dreamy…
    • Incredible Mr Limpet, The (1964)
      Incredible Mr Limpet, The (1964)
      It's 1941 and meek and mild-mannered bookkeeper Henry Limpet (Don Knotts) would love to join the Navy but has been…
    • Creeping Terror, The (1964)
      Creeping Terror, The (1964)
      Written by the director of a 3-D softcore porno, directed by a conman and starring its own investors (parts in…
    • Midnight Lace (1960)
      Midnight Lace (1960)
      American housewife Katherine 'Kit' Preston (Doris Day) lives with Tony (Rex Harrison), her husband of three months, in London. On…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.