Two Excellent Movies You Could See Over and Over and Not Miss a Beat

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