‘My Fair Lady’ 60th anniversary: Reflecting on the beloved movie musical (and that infamous casting controversy)
From the mid-1950s through the early 1970s, many lavish Broadway musicals were successfully adapted to film, from “The King and I” to “West Side Story” to “Cabaret.” One of the most successful and enduring of all time premiered on October 21, 1964, when “My Fair Lady” hit the theaters after much anticipation, drawing people to the box office in droves despite its lengthy near-three-hour run time. Read on for more about the “My Fair Lady” 60th anniversary.
The origin of “My Fair Lady” dates back farther than the 1956 Tony-winning play. Music collaborators Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe were inspired by George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play “Pygmalion,” the tale of Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins in order to pass as a “proper lady.” The two men thought it would be “loverly” to turn the story into a musical, and wrote the book for “My Fair Lady,” which went on to win several Tonys in 1957, including Best Musical, and became the longest-running Broadway musical up to that time. It’s not surprising that Hollywood was soon looking to make a film, and Warner Bros. secured the rights, but caused an uproar when selecting the lead actress.
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In one of the most infamous casting controversies of all time, Jack L. Warner passed over the then-unknown Julie Andrews, who had earned a Tony nomination for her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle, and instead cast a “bigger name.” Audrey Hepburn had established herself as one of the premier leading ladies of her day, having won the Best Actress Oscar a decade prior for her first major film, “Roman Holiday” (1953), and following that with a series of box office hits. Warner chose Hepburn, knowing her name would be a box office draw, and received more criticism when he had her singing voice dubbed by Marni Nixon. Despite any initial displeasure about Hepburn’s casting, she received praise for her portrayal and it became one of her signature roles. As for Hepburn’s “competition” for Eliza, Andrews did all right that year herself, and set off one of the most buzzed-about awards-season competitions of all time.
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Although Warner was hesitant to risk a “newbie” in a big production, Walt Disney knew he had found his “Mary Poppins” in Andrews. “My Fair Lady” debuted two months after “Mary Poppins,” and the two musicals battled to dominate the box office, with “Mary Poppins” ranking number one and “My Fair Lady” number two at year’s end. The two acclaimed musicals also faced off against each other throughout the awards season, with the two leading ladies often in competition, and tongues continually wagging about Hepburn being cast over Andrews.
Both leading ladies were nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Comedy/Musical Actress, which Andrews won. In her speech, she famously thanked “a man who made a wonderful movie, and who made all this possible in the first place … Mr. Jack Warner.” Then, much ado was made about the academy snubbing Hepburn for Best Actress, and Andrews claimed Oscar victory as well. Despite any manufactured rivalry between the two, Hepburn was at the ceremony, supporting her film and fellow actresses.
Although the film adaptation had a different Eliza, Rex Harrison reprised his role of the brilliant but socially inept phonetics professor who coaches the unsophisticated flower girl into becoming an elegant lady and, much to his own surprise, falls in love with her. Harrison became one of the few performers to earn a Tony and an Academy Award for the same role when he won Best Actor on Oscar night. In a twist of irony, Hepburn presented her movie leading man with the award, at which time he offered his thanks to all involved with the production, and ended with a reference to both his leading ladies by saying, “Deep love to, well, to fair ladies, I think.”
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Although “Mary Poppins” won the box office at year’s end, and garnered 13 Academy Award nominations to “My Fair Lady’s” 12, the fair lady won eight Oscars to the magical nanny’s five. At age 65, “My Fair Lady” director George Cukor finally won his Oscar on his fifth nomination, setting a record as the oldest winner in that category, which held until 2003. Stanley Holloway repeated his Tony-nominated role as Eliza’s father Alfred P. Doolittle, earning an Oscar nomination in supporting, and veteran screen actress Gladys Cooper also earned a nod in supporting for her role as Henry’s mother Mrs. Higgins.
The famed Cecil Beaton was a double-nominee and winner that night, earning statues for Best Art Decoration (shared) and Best Costume Design. His dresses for Hepburn, including her black-and-white Ascot dress, her white ball gown and her pink chiffon gown are considered icons of cinema. “My Fair Lady” also captured Best Cinematography and Sound, as well as Scoring Adaptation for Andre Previn.
The evening ended with “My Fair Lady” declared Best Picture champ; however, both have gone on to become two of the most beloved and highly regarded musicals of all time, and have both been selected by Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.
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