MY FAIR LADY

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: innuendo, language

Rated:

Hailed as one of the most romantic epic productions ever produced, it seems highly ironic that the on-screen pair never even touch one another. In fact, their romance is made up of memorable and often humorous moments in which each is planning the demise of and/or berating one another. In as much, My Fair Lady is both a charming and witty film and an excellent musical picture that will successfully win over even the hardest heart. The story is Cinderella-like in many ways, except our Cinderella, the figure of Eliza Doolittle, must work to become a Duchess. An unwashed Cockney plucked from Covent Garden as an experiment, she worms her way into our hearts... as does her staunch teacher and often verbally abusive tutor, Professor Higgins.

The film opens upon a rainy evening in London in which Eliza's basket is overturned and her flowers strewn out into the street by an unwary Freddie Enysford-Hill (Jeremy Brett). Loud in her protests and with an unmistakably thick accent, Eliza (Audrey Hepburn) voices her concerns to one and all, little knowing behind the pillar a strange man is taking down every word she says. This troublesome gentleman turns out to be the eccentric Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), a master linguist with a Sherlock Holmes-like instinct to place a person within three miles of their birthplace merely due to the nature of their accent and tone of their voice. 

Another such gentleman, a similar student of languages from India, Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White), has come to London to seek out Higgins in the hope they might compare notes. Although causing a commotion in the Gardens and insulting Eliza due to her horrible Cockney accent, Higgins unknowingly attracts her interest by proudly proclaiming in a mere few months he could take her from the gutter to the highest court in the land and pass her off as a Duchess. Several days later Eliza seeks him out to offer him "not more than a shilling" to teach her how to speak properly. At first Higgins is far from interested, but the Colonel, a man of betting nature and a genuine liking for the girl, wagers he can't do it. Unable to resist such temptations, Higgins procures the use of Eliza for six months' time, the end of which being her presentation at the grand ball. If she succeeds, it will be a triumph and she may go on to better things. If she fails, he'll toss her out into the gutter.

Bulldozing the girl, who's suddenly in over her head, into accepting these terms, Higgins begin to meticulously instill in her a proper pronunciation of the English language, with the Colonel as his staunchest ally and Eliza's only comfort when his insults become increasingly hard to bear. To Higgins, she is merely an experiment... a doll to be dressed up and taught to speak properly. Pickering regards her somewhat like a daughter, but Eliza is growing increasingly resentful of her mistreatment. Quoting sonnets around a mouthful of marbles, reciting her alphabet into all hours of the night, and generally putting up with Higgins' arrogance soon lends itself to a keen desire for revenge.

As the film unfolds, revenge begins to turn into admiration and perhaps even love. Still, the satire and irony of the production cannot be overlooked. There is a lot to dance and sing about in My Fair Lady, even though it plays itself less than seriously and is sometimes downright obtrusive. Eliza is both charming and civilly evil from time to time, and we hugely empathize with her all the while groaning at the irony of the servants' concern with Higgins' health for "working so hard" while she's slaving away. Audrey shines, even if her singing voice is obviously dubbed. Her two most memorable songs are plotting her revenge on Higgins in "Just You Wait," and then memorably singing of that moment when he took her in his arms in "I Could Have Danced All Night."

Higgins is utterly despicable in his treatment of her and yet strangely likable when all is said and done, even though his final closing line to the film generally leaves audiences in shock. It seems never to occur to either character -- or the filmmakers! -- that the pair should be in one another's arms. It's fun to watch Higgins at first sing of his reasons why he will never marry, then to recant "Why Can't Women Behave Like Men?" and finally admit "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." Harrison at first seems awkward in the role, but soon assumes the perfect mixture of bad traits and endearing moments that make his character so much fun. The third wheel, a confidante to Eliza and someone to argue with for Higgins, in Colonel Pickering is a delight, if only to see him wander about the screen proclaiming, "Well, I'm dashed!" when shocked or to hear him stammer and stutter and finally berate a policeman over the phone when he fails even to recall to mind Eliza's hair color.

Humor-wise, the film takes great pleasure in British satire. The irony of a gathering of perfectly-dressed gentry gathered at the races singing in a languid, bored tone, "Oh, look, how thrilling... the race has begun," is inescapable... as is Eliza's momentary lapse into street-wise enthusiasm as she breaks character and to Higgins and Pickering's horror screams for the horse Dover to "move your bloomin' arse!" Production wise the film is breathtaking with gorgeous and original costuming, cleverly designed sets, and a magnificent musical score. Content-wise, even for an early musical production, there are a few suspicious pricks behind the glittering hairpins. Viewers should go in aware that several of the songs are sprinkled with innuendo, cleverly hidden as they may be. Eliza's father has one song, "With a Little Bit of Luck" that makes fun of "middle class morality," marriage, fidelity to one woman, and drinking. It's implied many times he's not married to Eliza's "stepmother," and on the morning before they tie the knot he's out chasing girls and drinking. This can be overlooked since it's played for laughs but some mildly suggestive banter intrudes several times thereafter. Eliza several times informs Higgins in a roundabout way that she's not to be had merely for the taking ("I'm a good girl, I am!"). Yet she concludes later "What else have I to sell, now that you've made me a lady?"

Pickering asks Higgins if he's a man of honor where women are concerned. Later it's implied a policeman makes an indecent remark over the phone, to which the audience must snicker at Pickering's retort of "Never mind what she's doing here, you just get her back so she can continue doing it!" When he learns his daughter is staying at Higgins' home; Alfred P. Dolittle's natural idea is that she's become the man's mistress and he goes to blackmail Higgins out of five pounds. While other concerns are mild, language also intrudes in the dialogue. The most common insult is "d-mn," which Higgins aims toward Eliza. (Humorously, it's also a twelve-second lead-in to one of his musical numbers.) But there are a few minor abuses of deity and a lot of British slang ("bloody," "bloomin'," etc). Higgins behaves abominably toward Eliza, but never abuses her more than verbally. The characters take great pleasure in insulting one another; most of the dialogue is written this way, which might concern some parents. For slightly older audiences, lovers of period costuming and musicals, My Fair Lady is a pleasure to behold.