My Fair Lady (1964)

Audrey Hepburn & Rex Harrison

This is a classic that I had yet to watch but knew I needed to.  Oddly I'd owned the movie for two years before I got around to actually watching it.  This was also the very first Audrey Hepburn movie I'd ever watched and I am now obssessed with her!

The movie is a longer movie, 2 hours and 50 minutes long to be exact! But, I did not find it at any point to be slow or dull. It kept me thoroughly entertained from start to (almost) finish.

The movie follows Prof. Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) as he follows through on a bet with a friend that he can turn the poor, dirty and disheveled flower peddler Eliza Doolitle (Audrey Hepburn)  into a true lady.  The professor is a brash, self centered, and all together insensitive man who jumps into the task with no regard for Eliza's feelings what-so-ever.  He does, however, win the bet and is successful in trasforming her into a beautiful and graceful Lady.  So much so, that upon taking her out to "test his work" she attracts the attention of a young upper society fellow named Freddy Eynsford-Hi. He continues to pine for her and becomes quite infatuated with Eliza.

After the bet has been won and settled, Prof. Higgins sets to praising himself and his talents with absolutely no thought or kind words for Eliza and her accomplishments during this challenge, forcing her to leave the Professor's house and go back to the neighborhood that he'd originally found her selling flowers on the corner. However, upon her return she's faced with the realization that she no longer belongs or fits in there either.

As I intend for my posts here to get you, the reader, interested in the movie - I will not spell out the ending. But, I will say for me, the ending was slightly disappointing. I wanted more. If you've seen it or watch it after reading this, than you will understand what I mean by that.

Ending aside, I loved the movie. It was beautiful to look at. The sets, costumes and style in general were amazing to say the least. I particularly loved the gown Eliza wore in the scene at the racetrack.

 

 

Although this is a period musical, I see a spark of 60's flare in this gown! It looks as though it was made for Audrey's figure and looks amazing on her.