| Copyright � 2006 Ed Bagley | | | | us an absolutely heartwarming story. |
| | | | |
| My Fair Lady � 4 Stars (Excellent) | | | | See My Fair Lady with your children at home, |
| | | | and give them a wonderful introduction to |
| The 1964 musical My Fair Lady is one of the | | | | culture and breeding in the process. One of |
| best movies ever made, earning 12 Oscar | | | | the great tragedies of our time is a dearth |
| nominations and winning 8 Oscars, including | | | | of musicals; thank goodness for the arrival |
| Best Picture, Best Director (George Cukor) | | | | of Chicago in 2002. |
| and Best Actor (Rex Harrison) among major | | | | |
| awards. | | | | The Phantom of the Opera � 4 Stars |
| | | | (Excellent) |
| Only Mary Poppins (with 5 Oscars) and Chicago | | | | |
| (with 6 Oscars) has had more nominations (13) | | | | The release of The Phantom of the Opera in |
| than My Fair Lady, and only West Side Story | | | | 2004 was such an exciting event, bringing |
| has more Oscars (10) with 11 nominations. | | | | this great play to film so millions could see |
| Cabaret earned 8 Oscars with 10 nominations. | | | | the excellence of this masterpiece, which |
| Outstanding company to say the least. | | | | garnered only 3 nominations and no Oscars at |
| Personal favorites of mine also include | | | | the Academy Awards. No matter. |
| Camelot and Fiddler on the Roof. | | | | |
| | | | Perhaps the earlier success of Andrew Lloyd |
| My Fair Lady finds a professor of phonetics, | | | | Webber's musical composition of The Phantom |
| Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), entering into a | | | | of the Opera, based on the novel The Phantom |
| wager that he can take an illiterate, | | | | of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, was too |
| uneducated flower girl from the wrong side of | | | | successful to give the movie version much |
| town and make her into a sophisticated lady, | | | | acclaim. |
| and does by correcting her speech, grammar, | | | | |
| carriage, bearing and charm to create a | | | | Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical opened in |
| perfect lady for London society. | | | | London in 1986 and in New York in 1988 and |
| | | | still runs today as the longest running |
| My Fair Lady is a must see with some of the | | | | Broadway musical of all time. It has become |
| best lyrics and music ever written by Alan | | | | the highest-grossing entertainment event of |
| Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. This Broadway | | | | all time, selling 80 million tickets and |
| musical by Lerner and Loewe would become a | | | | generating a worldwide gross of $3.3 billion, |
| movie with Audrey Hepburn as the Cockney | | | | topping the best-grossing film of all |
| flower girl Eliza Doolittle alongside Rex | | | | time-Titanic-by $1.3 billion. |
| Harrison. | | | | |
| | | | This Phantom of the Opera movie has it all: a |
| When the professor gloats over his triumphant | | | | story line, plot, great writing, great |
| victory, his perfect lady walks out on him, | | | | presentation, and even better music and |
| leaving the professor mystified by her | | | | lyrics. |
| ingratitude. In the end, he realizes his | | | | |
| feelings for Eliza, and she tentatively | | | | A cast of unknowns was used; there is no |
| returns, a happy ending that was not part of | | | | headliner, but the female lead (Emmy Rossum |
| George Bernard Shaw's original play | | | | as Christine) is attractive and, much more |
| Pygmalion. | | | | important, an opera singer who can actually |
| | | | sing without having her voice dubbed in. |
| The Broadway play, My Fair Lady, opened in | | | | |
| 1956 in New York with Rex Harrison and Julie | | | | Some reviewers panned this movie because the |
| Andrews in the role of Eliza Doolittle, and | | | | bad guy (Gerard Butler as The Phantom who |
| ran for 2,717 performances, a Broadway record | | | | lives under the opera house) is not ugly |
| at the time. | | | | enough. With this mentality, the actress who |
| | | | wins the next Oscar for female lead will have |
| With such a great heritage and Rex Harrison | | | | to have a perfect body and perfect face to |
| in the movie (he did win the Oscar for Best | | | | win. Sometimes, common sense prevails, |
| Actor), this is a truly great film with a | | | | otherwise, Meryl Streep would never have |
| marvelous score, and great acting that gives | | | | garnered 12 nominations and two Oscars. |