My Fair Lady (1964)

Written by Alan Jay Lerner

Directed by George Cukor

Of this list of 90+ films, there’s few I’m more familiar with than 1964’s My Fair Lady. I’ve seen two different productions of it (one of which was a dinner theater), and I’ve seen the film countless times. It’s strange, because I don’t even consider it to be all that great. Nonetheless, I enjoy it because I grew up with it: the film is one of my dad’s favorites, and I have a lot of memories of the film (and score) in my life. It does feel a little weird to criticize the film, since I grew up with it and look back fondly on it. But, we all know that’s why I’m here, so let’s get started:

Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins

The biggest issue with the film, especially today, is Henry Higgins. His treatment of everyone else, including (and especially) Eliza, is horrific. He’s the kind of man that would not tolerated in today’s society. He’s apathetic, misogynistic, and downright mean to...well, everyone. It almost makes his number “I’m an Ordinary Man” seem silly, as it expressly describes who he THINKS he is, not who he is in reality. I say almost, because it’s hard to laugh at the number, because he is an awful person. As an audience, we’re given no reason to root for him, and while the antagonist of the story is set up to be the threat of Eliza being discovered at the Embassy Ball, it’s really Higgins that becomes the antagonist of the story. An attempt at the end for him to justify his feelings for her (“I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”) is, sadly, too little, too late, and he never gets to have a true character arc.

While a lot of the problems with Higgins can be traced back to his writing, I have to also find fault with Rex Harrison’s portrayal. Harrison nails the nasty parts of the character, but never really wavers from that line. In addition, Harrison isn’t a singer, and he spends most of his numbers speak-singing (or, more accurately, shout-singing), which grows tiresome after nearly three hours. SOMEHOW he managed to win a Best Actor award, which baffles me.

Wilfrid Hyde-White as Pickering and Audrey Hepburn as Eliza in the “Ascot Gavotte” sequence

The standout performance is Audrey Hepburn as Eliza, the Cockney flower girl who is the central figure in the Embassy Ball bet. Her singing is barely heard in the film, being dubbed by the ubiquitous Marni Nixon, which is a close match, but there are moments where it doesn’t quite meet up. Hepburn has moments of boundless joy (“I Could’ve Danced All Night”) or extreme despair, and she plays these nearly perfectly. Her loud “AAAAAAAAOOOOOOHHHHH”’s become a bit annoying after a while, but once she suddenly starts speaking in perfect Edwardian Upper Class English after a 30-sec pep talk from Higgins (this, after four-and-a-half months of lessons), those noises become few and far between. The other two principle performances, Col. Pickering and Alfred P. Doolittle, are hit and miss; Doolittle is spot-on, but grating after a bit, and Pickering really isn’t given much to do.

Higgins’ study

The design of the film, particularly the costumes, is gorgeous, and the film is more stylistic than some of its counterparts on this list (I thoroughly enjoy the (intentional) discrepancy between faces and lyrics in the “Ascot Gavotte” sequence (and those hats!!)). The majority of the film takes place in Higgins’ study, a great library complete with circular stairs and comfy chairs. The film rightly won Academy Awards for both Costume Design and Art Direction.

At the end of the day, the problem with My Fair Lady is simply changing times: a film about a woman who takes her destiny into her own hands, but ONLY with the assistance of a verbally abusive man, doesn’t really play well anymore. Eliza has the ability to be a strong character, a force who can stand up to Higgins’ diatribes, but here, she spends a lot of the first half of the film in hysterics from his treatment. Her leaving is the best decision her character makes, and it makes for a strong third act as Higgins tries to bring her back, but she stands her ground, a triumph in the face of overbearing male tyranny...AND THEN GOES BACK TO HIM AT THE VERY END OF THE FILM. It’s maddening, and feels a lot like my issue with Grease: Girls, change everything about who you are for a man, and he’ll like you. Here, Eliza is pretty clear that she doesn’t want romance from Higgins, but there is still 100% NO reason to go back to him.

Out of context, the numbers in the film are great, and there are individual moments of greatness in the film, but it’s a film that, today, doesn’t really hold up. It’s a hold over from a different time, not necessarily a better one. It may have been the Best Picture for its year (although it was nominated against Mary Poppins and Dr. Strangelove), but like others on this list, it doesn’t quite hold its weight now. I’d be curious how a remake today would fare, but only if it maintained the visual splendor of this original.

And get a better singer for Higgins.

FINAL GRADE: B-