The origin of the 1964 film My Fair Lady goes back to George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (1912), which was subsequently adapted into a Broadway musical by the successful team of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe (Gigi, Camelot). The play debuted in 1956. It wasn’t until seven years later that the movie, produced by Jack Warner, and directed by George Cukor (The Philadelphia Story, Let’s Make Love) began filming. There had been controversy even before the first shot was committed to celluloid. While Rex Harrison was quickly brought on board to recreate the role of Professor Henry Higgins, Jack Warner was concerned that Stanley Holloway, 73 at the time, was too old, and not a big enough star to reprise his role as Alfred P. Doolittle, Eliza’s father. Holloway was cast only after James Cagney declined the role. The biggest controversy involved the casting of Eliza Doolittle, played in the Broadway production by a then little-known Julie Andrews, was given to Audrey Hepburn.

My Fair LadyProfessor Henry Higgins (Harrison), a linguistic expert and insufferable know-it-all makes a bet with his colleague, Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White), that he can take a lowly cockney flower girl and turn her into a Duchess within six months. Eliza Doolittle (Hepburn) is a tough flower seller from the slums with a thick cockney accent. Determined to rid her of the accent, Higgins puts her on a rigorous course of practicing her vowels. Higgins wants to prove that proper language is the key to smart society; any woman who has proper command of language can be accepted anywhere, even Buckingham Palace. Needless to say, Eliza winds up teaching Professor Higgins as much about life and about himself as he teaches her about how to be a proper lady.

Rex Harrison is so convincing in the role one would think he were the Professor in real life. In Shaw’s play, the final status of the relationship between Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle is left ambiguous. However, the musical is more romantic and hints at a more serious relationship. Though Harrison was twenty-one-years older than Hepburn, the energy with which he plays the role makes that easy to forget. Higgins’ most notable songs are “Why Can’t the English?,” “I’m an Ordinary Man,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”

Ms. Hepburn’s portrayal of Eliza is simply charming. In spite of her insistence that she do her own singing, Hepburn’s voice was dubbed over by uncredited singer Marni Nixon, who had previously done the singing dubs in the movie versions of West Side Story and The King and I. I have read that Audrey remained somewhat bitter about that decision for years. I will admit that as much as I love Ms. Hepburn, every time I watch My Fair Lady, I can’t help but wonder what the film would have been like with Julie Andrews in the lead.

For my money, Stanley Holloway steals the show with his two cockney music hall numbers, “With a Little Bit of Luck” and “Get Me to the Church on Time.” In other notable parts, fans of English television’s Sherlock Holmes will be pleased to see Jeremy Brett playing Eliza’s young, lovesick, high-society admirer, Freddy Eynsford-Hill, and singing “On the Street Where You Live” (uncredited singing voice courtesy of Bill Shirley). Gladys Cooper plays the Professor’s mother; and Theodore Bikel plays the sycophantic Zoltan Karpathy.

Simply put, the songs, cast, dialogue (script), direction, costumes, and set design combine to make “My Fair Lady” one of the all-time great movie musicals in Hollywood history.

While the 2.35:1, 1080p transfer look substantially better than any previous DVD release, when thinking in terms of HD, the transfer is merely adequate. Maybe a 50th Anniversary Edition is on the way in three years, because a classic like this deserves better treatment than a transfer that was remastered in the ‘90’s. Fine detail is strong, but not perfect. Faces and clothes look quite good, but can’t come close to recent Blu-ray releases of the same vintage, such as Ben-Hur. Most viewers will notice some moments of softness throughout.

The DTS HD 7.1 Master Audio track is fine, though there are a few moments which sound a bit pinched. The mix is occasionally a little clunky, to; the dubbed vocal performances occasionally seem a shade loud in contrast to the music. The average viewer probably won’t even notice, but audiophiles may find it a little distracting.

English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles are available.

The following special features are available:

  • Audio Commentary: Gene Allen, Marni Nixon, Robert A. Harris, and James C. Katz offer a track that discusses a lot about the restoration process, both video and audio. It’s a bit technical, but honest. It also delves into the history of the production which makes for a more traditional commentary. Marni Nixon chimes in from time to time, recorded separately and discussing her work on the film as Hepburn’s singer.
  • More Loverly than Ever: The Making of My Fair Lady Then & Now (480p, 57:53): Jeremy Brett leads a look back at the movie’s classic moments and music, its reception and acceptance, the history of its story and production, leading all the way through to its restoration by Robert Harris and James Katz.
  • 1963 Production Kick-Off Dinner (480p, 23:19): Vintage black-and-white footage features cast and crew interviews and speeches.
  • George Cukor Directos Baroness Bina Rothschild (Audio Track Only with Stills) (480p, 2:36): The My Fair Lady director improves a performance.
  • The Fairest Fair Lady (480p, 9:33): This vintage color piece breezes through the basics of the production.
  • Los Angeles Premiere 10/28/1964 (480p, 4:51): Inside access to the film’s glamorous premiere for a look at the arriving stars.
  • Rex Harrison Golden Globe Acceptance Speech (480p, 0:43): The actor delivers a prerecorded speech from Europe.
  • Academy Awards Ceremony Highlights 4/5/1965 (480p, 0:25): This is a single and all-too-brief clip from the prestigious event.
  • Alternate Audrey Hepburn Vocals (1080p): Show Me (2:38) and Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? (4:26).
  • Galleries: Sketches (1080p, 1:12), B&W Stills (1080p, 1:02:43), Color Production Stills (1080p, 6:56), Documents and Publicity (1080p, 5:20), and Poster Cards with Rex Harrison Radio Interview (480p, 1:03).
  • Comments on a Lady (480p): Andrew Lloyd Webber (1:06) and Martin Scorsese (1:19).
  • Trailers (480p): 1964 ‘My Fair Lady’ (5:04) and 1994 ‘My Fair Lady’ Re-Release (3:46).