My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady My Fair Lady (1964) this musical is about Eliza Doolittle's magical change from a lower class flower girl into a fine lady. My Fair Lady became a highly successful movie. It received 12 Academy Award nominations in 1964 and won eight Academy’s. It is a comedy but the movie has romance and heartbreak. There are romantic songs like ‘I could have danced all night’ and humorous ones like ‘I’m just an ordinary man’ Meeting Eliza Doolittle, Colonel Pickering & Professor Higgens In the opening scene of My fair Lady we meet the main characters, Professor Henry Higgens (Rex Harrison) a professor of phonetics, Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) a lower class flower girl and colonel Pickering a student of Indian dialects. They are in the convent gardens. Professor Higgens hears Eliza, the flower girl speaking and begins to take notes. Eliza finds this suspicious and she assumes she is in trouble.

She objects and says she has done nothing wrong, but the professor keeps taking notes. Henry Higgen then insults Eliza Doolittle’s English and sings ‘Why can’t the English learn to speak?’ The song attracts Colonel Pickering who, as it turns out, has come from India to meet Professor Higgens. The Professor and colonel Pickering then talk about their shared interest in speech. She listens to the professor and colonel Pickering talking and she then starts to desire to become a lady. Colonel Pickering and Professor Higgens sing ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely?’ The song ‘Why can’t the English learn to speak?’ is about people like Eliza that don’t speak correctly. The orchestra in the background accompanies the song.

‘Wouldn’t It be lovely?’ is a song about their lives if they were more wealthy. They would have a nice place to stay and would be able to eat thing like chocolates.

Higgens at Work Professor Higgens and Colonel Pickering are discussing about phonetics when Eliza makes an entrance at the Higgen’s house. She tells them she wants to become a lady and have lessons to become one. Professor Higgens thinks it is a ridiculous idea and tells her to leave. Colonel Pickering convinces him it would be an interesting challenge and says he will have a bet with Higgens. Colenel Pickering says he will pay for the expenses if he is able to turn Eliza in to a proper lady. Higgens, then sends Eliza upstairs to be dressed and have a shower to look more presentable. Professor Higgens expresses his feelings about women and sings ‘Let A Woman In Your Life’ Eliza’s father hears about Eliza living at Professor Higgnen’s place. He show’s up at Higgen’s place and earns a few dollars ‘With a Little Bit of Luck’. After intensive English lessons. Eliza is able to pronounce her words correctly. She was able to pronounce and sing ‘The Rain In Spain’ and ‘I could have danced all Night’ ‘Let a woman in your life’ is a song that Professor Higgens sings. It’s about him, he does what he likes and he wouldn’t let a woman into his life.         ‘The Rain In Spain’ This is a song they sing because this is what Eliza learns how to say. Colonel Pickering and Professor Henry Higgens are happy because they have finally succeeded.

‘I could have danced all night’ this is a song Eliza sings. She is excited by the fact of being able to know how to say The Rain in Spain. This is a joyful song.

The orchestra accompanies all these songs.

Eliza’s Debut The Setting is at the Ascot Opening Races. Eliza charmed Higgen’s mother and her friends until she started speaking about the weather. We then see that she need more that vocabulary to be a lady. She shouted “Move your blooming arse!” to a horse during the race. In spite of these incidents she manages to win the heart of Freddie who instantly falls in love with her.

All the people at the Ascot Races sing ‘Ascotte Gavotte’ they sing about the horse race. The way they are singing is very elegant.

The Street Where Eliza Lives Freddie admits his devotion to Eliza, by singing ‘On the Street where you Live’ outside her doorstep, however Freddie wasn’t able to see Eliza because of the maid would not let him in because Eliza was embarrassed by her performance at the Ascot racetrack to see him.

‘On the street where you live’ Freddie Eynsford-Hill sings this. It’s a romantic song about his love for Eliza Doolittle.

Eliza’s Test Colonel Pickering and Professor Higgens challenge is presenting Eliza at the ball for the queen. Eliza astounds everybody with her beauty, grace.

The queen was bewitched by Eliza’s charm & the Prince requested a dance with Eliza. Eliza is now a lady. When They return home, Eliza is only to be ignored by Professor Higgens and Colonel Pickering. They sing ‘You Did It’ Eliza decides to leave, She is confused by her anger. Professor Higgens sings ‘Why Can’t A Woman Be More like A man’         The song ‘You did It’ is about how Eliza is really a proper lady now. It’s a happy song however Eliza is upset due to Professor Higgens and Colonel Pickering because the Professor is only by the reason of having won the bet with Colonel Pickering. She is also worried about what will become of her because Professor Higgens won’t need her anymore.

        The Confrontation Eliza rejects Freddie. She decides to return to the Convent Garden but no one recognises her and with no place to go, Eliza goes to Mrs Higgen’s place. Mrs Higgens agrees that her son is an inconsiderate person. Mrs Higgens then leaves Eliza to confront Professor Higgens when he makes his entrance. Eliza tells him that she can do without him. She sings ‘I can do without You’ and asks him to leave. Professor Higgen leaves, he is happy with the success of turning Eliza into a lady. However later, on the way home he realises that he will miss Eliza. He sings ‘I’ve grown accustomed to her face.’ In the end thay are reunited and they realise they can’t live without each other.

The song ‘I’ve grown accustomed to her face’ is a song he sings because he realizes he was use to having Eliza around. It wouldn’t be the same if she left. It’s a sad song he realizes he’ll miss her.