Gabriel Pascal's production of G.B Shaw's acclaimed play is an excellent film adaptation, staying true to it's source material and Shaw's original intentions. It's a lot more faithful to Shaw's vision and less romantic and 'Hollywood' than the later re-working, 'My Fair Lady', which is probably the better known of the two films.
This succeeds because the casting is perfect. Leslie Howard was never better as Higgins, he seems to be really enjoying his role here. Wendy Hiller makes a great Eliza, much better than Audrey Hepburn, in my opinion. Hepburn was simply too glamorous for the role, and when she played the Cockney flower girl (with THAT accent) it is thoroughly unconvincing. Hiller's unconventional beauty and air of the natural, the normal, suits the role. She is very believable, as is Howard.
It also succeeds because it is kept so...how can I put it...English! I'm not English myself (a proud Aussie, thank you), but when these sorts of plays and novels are committed to the screen, they should be as faithful as possible, and that includes the casting and sets. 'Pygalmion' succeeds in looking, and feeling, very English indeed.
Shaw's interest in phonetics and the 'science of speech' is interestingly conveyed, as is Eliza's position. Do these two men (Higgins and Pickering) have any claim on this lowly guttersnipe flower-girl? No, you say. But who does, and does anyone care either way? It's an intriguing play and a very good film.
Highly recommended 9/10.
This succeeds because the casting is perfect. Leslie Howard was never better as Higgins, he seems to be really enjoying his role here. Wendy Hiller makes a great Eliza, much better than Audrey Hepburn, in my opinion. Hepburn was simply too glamorous for the role, and when she played the Cockney flower girl (with THAT accent) it is thoroughly unconvincing. Hiller's unconventional beauty and air of the natural, the normal, suits the role. She is very believable, as is Howard.
It also succeeds because it is kept so...how can I put it...English! I'm not English myself (a proud Aussie, thank you), but when these sorts of plays and novels are committed to the screen, they should be as faithful as possible, and that includes the casting and sets. 'Pygalmion' succeeds in looking, and feeling, very English indeed.
Shaw's interest in phonetics and the 'science of speech' is interestingly conveyed, as is Eliza's position. Do these two men (Higgins and Pickering) have any claim on this lowly guttersnipe flower-girl? No, you say. But who does, and does anyone care either way? It's an intriguing play and a very good film.
Highly recommended 9/10.