My Fair Lady (1964)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Alan Jay Lerner (book)
George Bernard Shaw (play)
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The loverliest motion picture of them all!

Plot:

A misogynistic and snobbish phonetics professor agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society.

Plot Keywords:

Flower Girl | Professor | Wager | Linguist | High Society

Awards:

Won 8 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Audrey Hepburn	...	Eliza Doolittle
Rex Harrison	...	Professor Henry Higgins
Stanley Holloway	...	Alfred P. Doolittle
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Colonel Hugh Pickering
Gladys Cooper	...	Mrs. Higgins
Jeremy Brett	...	Freddy Eynsford-Hill
Theodore Bikel	...	Zoltan Karpathy
Mona Washbourne	...	Mrs. Pearce
Isobel Elsom	...	Mrs. Eynsford-Hill
John Holland	...	Butler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elizabeth Aimers	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Helen Albrecht	...	Ascot extra (uncredited)
John Alderson	...	Jamie (uncredited)
Mary Alexander	...	Cockney (uncredited)
LaWana Backer	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Elegant bystander (uncredited)
Lois Battle	...	Second Maid (uncredited)
Brittania Beatey	...	Daughter of elegant bystander (uncredited)
William Beckley	...	Footman (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Cockney with Pipe (uncredited)
Oscar Beregi Jr.	...	Greek Ambassador (uncredited)
Betty Blythe	...	Lady at Ball (uncredited)
Diana Bourbon	...	Ascot extra (uncredited)
Iris Bristol	...	Flower Girl (uncredited)
Sue Bronson	...	Toff (uncredited)
Meg Brown	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Buddy Bryant	...	Prince of Transylvania (uncredited)
Walter Burke	...	Bystander who warns Eliza (uncredited)
Bea Marie Busch	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	...	Ascot Gavotte (uncredited)
Jeannie Carson	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Paulle Clark	...	Ad lib at Ascot (uncredited)
Natalie Core	...	Ascot extra (uncredited)
Tom Cound	...	Footman (uncredited)
Jennifer Crier	...	Mrs. Higgins' Maid (uncredited)
Maurice Dallimore	...	Selsey Man (uncredited)
Allison Daniell	...	Ad lib at Ascot (uncredited)
Henry Daniell	...	Ambassador (uncredited)
Donna Day	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Roy Dean	...	Footman (uncredited)
Thomas Dick	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Brendan Dillon	...	Leading Man (uncredited)
Anne Dore	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Pauline Drake	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Harvey B. Dunn	...	Ascot extra (uncredited)
Sandy Edmundson	...	Toff (uncredited)
Joe Evans	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Kai Farelli	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Raymond Foster	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Raymond Foster	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Stanley Fraser	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Charles E. Fredericks	...	King George V, in fantasy sequence (uncredited)
Lea Genovese	...	Toff (uncredited)
Ayllene Gibbons	...	Fat Woman at Pub (uncredited)
Jack Goldie	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Jack Greening	...	George (uncredited)
Beatrice Grenough	...	Grans Lady (uncredited)
Clive Halliday	...	Costermonger (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Guest at Ball (uncredited)
Marjory Hawtrey	...	Ad lib at Ascot (uncredited)
Eric Heath	...	Costermonger (uncredited)
Monika Henreid	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Eugene Hoffman	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Samuel Holmes	...	Cockney (uncredited)
James W. Horan	...	(uncredited)
Clyde Howdy	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Kendrick Huxham	...	Elegant bystander (uncredited)
Lillian Kemble-Cooper	...	Lady Ambassador (uncredited)
Phyllis Kennedy	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Goldie Kleban	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Peter Ladefoged	...	Voice of linguistics lesson (uncredited)
Alma Lawton	...	Flower Girl (uncredited)
Queenie Leonard	...	Cockney Bystander (uncredited)
William Linkie	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Moyna MacGill	...	Lady Boxington (uncredited)
Laurie Main	...	Hoxton Man not Hoston (uncredited)
Sidney Marion	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Eric Martin	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Owen McGiveney	...	Man at Coffee Stand (uncredited)
John McLiam	...	Harry (uncredited)
Shirley Melline	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Carol Merrill	...	Toff (uncredited)
Gigi Michel	...	Toff (uncredited)
Lenore Miller	...	Cockney (uncredited)
John Mitchum	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Barbara Morrison	...	Ascot extra (uncredited)
Marlene Morrow	...	Toff (uncredited)
Alan Napier	...	Gentleman escorting Eliza to the Queen (uncredited)
Nick Navarro	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Marni Nixon	...	Eliza Doolittle (singing voice) (uncredited)
James O'Hara	...	Costermonger (uncredited)
Patrick O'Moore	...	Man (uncredited)
Richard Peel	...	Costermonger (uncredited)
George Pelling	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper	...	Doolittle's Dance Partner (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright	...	Bystander (uncredited)
Jack Raine	...	Extra (uncredited)
Olive Reeves-Smith	...	Mrs. Hopkins (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	Suitor at Ball (uncredited)
David Robel	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Dinah Anne Rogers	...	First Maid (uncredited)
Victor Rogers	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Corinne Ross	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Baroness Rothschild	...	Queen of Transylvania (uncredited)
Wendy Russell	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Kenny Salvatt	...	Racegoer in 'Ascot Gavotte' Sequence (uncredited)
Miriam Schiller	...	Landlady (uncredited)
Buddy Shea	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Orville Sherman	...	Ascot extra (uncredited)
Bill Shirley	...	Freddy Eynsford-Hill (singing voice) (uncredited)
Jacqueline Squire	...	Parlor Maid (uncredited)
Michael St. Clair	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Geoffrey Steele	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Sandy Steffens	...	Toff (uncredited)
Grady Sutton	...	Ascot Extra / Guest at Ball (uncredited)
Henry Sweetman	...	Cockney (uncredited)
William Taylor	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Joy Tierney	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Gwendolyn Watts	...	Cook (uncredited)
Ron Whelan	...	Algernon / Bartender (uncredited)
Elzada Wilson	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
Nick Wolcum	...	Ad lib at Church (uncredited)
James Wood	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Ben Wright	...	Footman at Ball (uncredited)
Ben Wrigley	...	Costermonger (uncredited)

Directed by
George Cukor

Writing credits
Alan Jay Lerner		(book of musical play)
George Bernard Shaw		(play) (as Bernard Shaw)
Alan Jay Lerner		(screenplay)

Produced by
James C. Katz	....	producer (1994 restoration)
Jack L. Warner	....	producer

Original Music by
Frederick Loewe

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(director of photography) (as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
William H. Ziegler		(as William Ziegler)

Production Design by
Cecil Beaton
Gene Allen		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Gene Allen
Cecil Beaton		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Costume Design by
Cecil Beaton
Michael Neuwirth		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Jean Burt Reilly	....	supervising hair stylist
Dean Cole	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Frank McCoy	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Marvin G. Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Sergei Petschnikoff	....	unit manager
Rudi Fehr	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Hall	....	assistant director

Art Department
Cecil Beaton	....	scenery designer

Sound Department
David Behle	....	sound recordist: restoration
Douglas Greenfield	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (restoration)
Brian Kane	....	transfer supervisor (restoration)
Jack Keller	....	sound recordist: restoration
Robert J. Litt	....	sound mixer (restoration) (as Robert Litt)
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound
Murray Spivack	....	sound
George Groves	....	sound recordist: studio (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jay Cox	....	optical and title (1994 restoration)
Tetsuo Kawano	....	optical and title (1994 restoration)
Brad Kuehn	....	digital supervisor (1994 restoration)
Kevin Lingenfelser	....	digital artist: Cinesite (1994 restoration)
Alan G. Markowitz	....	optical and title (1994 restoration) (as Alan Markowitz)
Jerry Pooler	....	digital artist (1994 restoration)
P. Christopher Reyna	....	optical and title (1994 restoration) (as Christopher Reyna)
Thomas J. Smith	....	digital artist (1994 restoration)

Camera and Electrical Department
Gerald Perry Finnerman	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Frank Flanagan	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Michael A. Jones	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)
Mel Traxel	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eleanor Abbey	....	costumer (uncredited)
Dave Berman	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)
Geoffrey Brown	....	costumer (uncredited)
Norma Brown	....	costumer (uncredited)
Betty Huff	....	costumer (uncredited)
Anne Laune	....	costumer (uncredited)
Bob Richards	....	costumer (uncredited)
Gerda Robinson	....	costume design coordinator (uncredited)
Joe Wiatt	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Joe Gonzalez	....	negative cutter (restoration)
William Pine	....	color timer (restoration) (as Bill Pine)
Boyd Steer	....	negative cutter (restoration)
John F. Burnett	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator
Frederick Loewe	....	composer: additional music
André Previn	....	conductor (as Andre Previn)
André Previn	....	music supervisor (as Andre Previn)
Robert Tucker	....	vocal arranger
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator (as Al Woodbury)
Bill Shirley	....	singing voice: Jeremy Brett (uncredited)

Other crew
Gil Gagnon	....	production coordinator (restoration)
Robert A. Harris	....	restoration
Michael Hyatt	....	technical assistant
Joanne Lawson	....	assistant: Mr. Harris (restoration)
Greg Leigy	....	technical assistant (restoration)
Herman Levin	....	stage producer: musical play
Hermes Pan	....	choreographer
Leah Barnes	....	milliner (uncredited)
Max Bercutt	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Carl Combs	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)
Peter Ladefoged	....	advisor: phonetics (uncredited)
Mort Lichter	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Sergei Petschnikoff	....	production administrator (uncredited)
Susan Seton	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Thanks
Gene Allen	....	special thanks (restored version)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1964) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Films (1964) (Finland) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• CBS/Fox (1990) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• CBS/Fox (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• CBS/Fox (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1994) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Fox Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• CBS Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Encore Entertainment (1998) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Oy Fox Films (1977) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM/CBS Home Video (1980) (USA) (video)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1995) (Finland) (VHS)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (1999) (Finland) (DVD)
• Showtime (????) (Finland) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1980) (1982) (1991) (1996) (2002) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  65mm preservation interpositive by
• Warner Bros. Studio Services  re-recording facilities: restoration (as Warner Hollywood Studios)
• Goldwyn Sound Facility  re-recording facilities: restoration
• Cinesite  main title and additional scenes digitally restored at
• Imagica USA Inc.  optical and title restoration by
• I.C.E. Negative Cutting  negative cutting: restoration
• Pacific Title  titles: restoration
• Eastman Kodak  restoration produced on film by
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Archive, The  special thanks: restoration
• Boston Light & Sound  special thanks: restoration
• Four Seasons Hotel, Bevely Hills, LA  special thanks: restoration
• Panavision  special thanks: restoration
• Pro-Tek Film Preservation Vault  special thanks: restoration
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes

Runtime:

170 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | DTS (re-release) | Dolby Digital (re-release) | Mono (16 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (RCA Sound Recording) (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Approved (PCA #20570) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1970) | South Korea:All | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG (video rating) | New Zealand:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Gladys Cooper, who plays Mrs. Higgins (Henry Higgins' mother) in this film, played the same role in the 1963 Hallmark Hall of Fame television production "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Pygmalion (#12.3)" (1963), the play on which this film is based.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Higgins and Eliza are on the way out to the ball, the head maid is in the line with the other maids, but in the next shot she is again going into the line.

Quotes:

Eliza Doolittle: I ain't dirty! I washed my face and hands before I come, I did.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Masters of Production: The Hidden Art of Hollywood (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face

The character of Henry Higgins is greatly misunderstood by many and so is the film.

I have read in a great many places (including the IMDb) that Henry Higgins is a misogynist. It has also been said that the film is a misogynist's fairy tale. Anyone saying this has clearly not watched this film too closely.

First, Higgins is not a misogynist. A misogynist hates women. What Higgins is, in reality, is a misanthrope. A misanthrope basically dislikes and distrusts everyone! Watch the film and you'll notice that Higgins treats everyone with the same disregard-Col. Pickering, Eliza's father, his own mother-everyone receives his rather cynical disdain. Some of the minor characters come off being treated worse than the principals do. It's simply more noticeable with Eliza because it's more frequent, it's newer with Eliza because the other principal characters have known Higgins longer and thus take it in stride. The myth that Higgins is a misogynist is perpetuated by the song, "Why Can't A Woman Be More Like a Man?".

Second, it can hardly be called a misogynist's fairy tale. If that were the case, I doubt Alfred Doolittle would have cause to sing, "Get Me To the Church On Time", as he'd hardly be getting married. His life is just as "ruined" as Eliza's by his encounters with Higgins, just as altered as her life has been.

This is a great musical, a good movie and it was even better as the original play by Shaw. Well worth seeing. Recommended.