"There: as the girl very properly says, 'Gaaaaaahhhhhhhnnn.'"

In honor of Liza Doolittle Day, a brief tribute to my beloved My Fair Lady.

Because Y'AAALLLLLL.  This movie gives me literal life.


It's bursting with color and showmanship. 

There's a positively superfluous extravagance of outrageous costumes. 

There's a gorgeous tribute to flowers in the midst of grimy urbanity. 

It's one of those movies that you could watch dozens of times and never run out of new layers to uncover.  (How do I know this, you ask?  Experience, my dear, experience.)

It's got one of the most immensely satisfying and fascinating relational dynamics I've ever seen: that of Eliza and Higgins.  Every time I watch it I find new insights into their relationship.  I love looking for hidden glances and subtle eyerolls and silent giggles.  I love watching Eliza's character develop and reveal her true identity as someone much more self-possessed and forceful than Higgins had bargained on dealing with.  I love to watch his arrogance come tumbling down.  

Because come tumbling down it most certainly does. 

My Fair Lady 1964 Rex Harrison Image 3

The whole movie is one big validation of the dignity of Eliza Doolittle, even though it doesn't appear to be at first.  

It's about a woman who's willing to seek professional help to improve her life, who puts up with a bunch of nonsense from a giant man-child who thinks his education gives him the right to treat everybody as if they don't matter except insofar as they are useful to him.  But then, once she realizes that they are on a much more equal plane than she initially thought ⎼ once they've been working together for a long, hard time and coming into more of a relationship with each other ⎼ she recognizes his antics for what they are, and she refuses to sit there and take it anymore:

"I know I'm only a common, ignorant girl and you're a book-learned gentleman, but I'm not dirt under your feet."

He's gotta shape up or they are done.  Whatever their dynamic is ⎼ romantic or platonic ⎼ it will be nonexistent if he doesn't get his act together. 

In the end, the professor is defeated by the flower girl, and we get a frabjous movie into the bargain, and I couldn't be happier. 

£1.25 GBP - Hepburn, Audrey [My Fair Lady] (50489) 8X10 Photo #ebay #Collectibles

Comments

  1. Eeeks, this is one of my favorite movies!! The costumes are simply gorgeous.

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  2. This movie is so nostalgic! I remember that I used to hate it (I have no idea why), but now I love it. It is fabulous!

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    1. Haha, at least now you've seen the light, eh? ;) It is indeed!

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  3. I really, really want to see this soon!!!

    Also, I tagged you. :) https://classicsandcraziness.wordpress.com/2019/05/20/the-fantastical-and-felicitous-fictional-character-blog-tag/

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    1. Eva, I'll be interested to see what you think of it if/when you do! It seems to be one of those shows that people tend to have a strong-ish reaction to, so it'll be neat to see what yours is. ;-P

      Ahhh, thank you! I can't wait to do it. :)

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  4. As a tween/early teen, I was NOT happy with this because (mainly) the ending, Higgins was so old to me then (I'm not sure how much I understood plus had a severally underdeveloped/non existent sense of humor plus was young). I still think he's too old for her, but I'm better able to understand and appreciate the wit and the plot (although in Pygmalion, the play, she ended up with Freddie, I believe another sore point previously). Also, the costumes, especially the one you pictured at the end.

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    1. I get that. I personally think they probably do "end up together," and I'm cool with that (with conditions), so I like that Alan Jay Lerner changed the ending when adapting Pygmalion into My Fair Lady. BUT, I totally get why it runs other people the wrong way. ;D

      But anyway, yes, I love the cleverness and color of it all.

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  5. I mildly prefer the ending to the original play, Pygmalion, but Hepburn and Harrison are so dashed awesome I mostly just don't care. Plus, Jeremy Brett, all young and gawky, singing!

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    1. Ah, you're one of those, are you?? ;-P Hehe, just kidding. Aren't they all great? I haven't seen Brett in anything else but I really like his voice. :D

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  6. The dresses are really quite something! I love that drawing you included at the top *grins*

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    1. Aren't they? Saaaame, I love when artists Disney-fy non-Disney things. ;)

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  7. This is so good, Olivia. xD Now I want to watch it again!!
    Also Higgins is DEFINITELY a man-child. What an accurate thought! Bravo!

    And yay for the flower girl! We were rootin' for ya all along, Eliza! :D

    Also, I must agree with Hamlette... I mildly always rooted for dear, silly Freddy. (I always liked Freddy the most when I watched it as a little girl. xD) And I've only seen Jeremy Brett in one other role - as Sherlock Holmes - and I much prefer him as a youth, with a fine voice. ;)
    But all the same, Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison are GOLD together.

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    1. Aww, thanks! Haha, yep--definitely a man-child. Maturity-challenged. ;-P

      :D :D

      I don't root for Freddy for Eliza--at least, not with the little bit of development that I get for him in the movie--but I do like him. :) And yes, he DOES have a fine voice. ;) Yes! That is, I think so. ;)

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