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Title: Pygmalion - starring Shannon Cochran and Nicholas Pennell (Audio Theatre Series) by George Bernard Shaw, Nicolas Pennell, Shannon Cochran, L.A. Theatre Works, Nicholas Rudall, Nicholas Pennell, Roslyn Alexander, Denise du Maurier, Kenneth Northcutt ISBN: 1580810322 Publisher: L. A. Theatre Works Pub. Date: 30 December, 2000 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.14
Rating: 5
Summary: Holds Up Astoundingly Well! See It!
Comment: Just in case you didn't know it, both Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller were heavy weight British acting talents. Howard was even a major star in American movies and is mainly remembered for playing Ashley Wilkes in "Gone With The Wind." This is a very different role for him from that role. Wilkes and Hiller were both perfect for the roles of Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins, the cockney flower girl who is tutored by the linguistics expert to turn her into a lady. Many people don't like watching the original play because it doesn't end happily with the two together as it does in its musical version, "My Fair Lady." However, the filmmaker saw the writing on the wall here, even before the musical came out, and makes one change only to the Bernard Shaw play, that ending. So here too we have the happy ending. This is as fresh and perfect as the day it was made. Every word of dialogue counts and is perfect in this satire of the British class system. Every character is superb and I especially loved every moment Alfred Doolittle, the epitome of the lower classes kicked into the middle class, was onscreen. Hubby watched it with me and remarked several times, "I can't believe how good this is." Frankly, even I was surprised that this black and white film from the 1930s, set then as well, is in no need of a remake whatsoever. A true classic that no one should miss.
Rating: 5
Summary: Wonderful! It has stood the test of time -- and triumphed!
Comment: It started out as a play by George Bernard Shaw based on the Greek myth of a man who created a statue and then fell in love with it. The play, which was a spoof on the British upper class, was an immediate success and several movie versions followed. This 1938 version, in black and white, was nominated for four academy awards in 1939 and won an Oscar for best screenplay. Later, it was adapted to the musical hit, "My Fair Lady." The rest, as they say, is history. But Pygmalion should certainly not be forgotten.
The cast is excellent. Leslie Howard is perfect as Henry Higgins, the professor of dialects who transforms a flower girl into a lady. And Wendy Hiller is sensational as Eliza Doolittle. There's a certain regal freshness and her British authenticity comes across beautifully. Even though "the rain in Spain" is spoken, rather than sung, it still keeps the same quality. And there is music throughout as background, lively original music created especially for the film. The supporting cast was excellent too. I particularly loved the performance by Wilfrid Larson as Eliza's father. The film moved fast and kept me totally captivated. The costumes were wonderful and the timing for the comedic moments perfect. I found myself laughing out loud in places and smiling to myself throughout. Certainly, this film has stood the test of time and even though it will always be compared to the musical we all know and love, I must say that Pygmalion can definitely stand on its own. Give yourself a treat and check it out. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Wonderful Film -- the Drama of My Fair Lady
Comment: This is an enchanting film for which George Bernard Shaw won an Oscar (which I believe he displayed proudly) for best screenplay after adapting the play "Pygmalion." It is true that the movie lacks the grand production values of "My Fair Lady," but it is much closer to the drama that Shaw had in mind. The dialogue is much richer than "My Fair Lady," which still managed to keep much of the language of the play and some of the movie.
Like many of Shaw's plays, it is built around his pet ideas -- here (in a simple form) the notion that class distinctions are not genuine and could be overcome through education. Unlike some of Shaw's plays which read like socialist tracts, this one has very human characters who keep your interest throughout (in contrast to "Major Barabara" which was a rather tedious movie).
For me, Wendy Hiller make a marvelous Eliza Doolittle. Although Leslie Howard is very good (and presumably what Shaw had in mind), it is hard to forget the bluster Rex Harrison -- a great actor himself -- brought to the role of Professor Higgins. Hiller brings a wonderful dignity and pathos to the role of Eliza Doolittle. The rest of the cast is very good and the sets are very authentically set in Edwardian England.
This is definite buy if you like Shaw, theatre in general, good movies from the 30s, or want to see a richer version of "My Fair Lady."
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Title: Importance of Being Earnest (Dover Thrift Editions) by Oscar Wilde ISBN: 0486264785 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: January, 1991 List Price(USD): $1.00 |
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Title: Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Diane Johnson ISBN: 0553212478 Publisher: Bantam Classics Pub. Date: 01 June, 1984 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: A Doll's House (Dover Thrift Editions) by Henrik Johan Ibsen ISBN: 0486270629 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: February, 1992 List Price(USD): $1.00 |
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Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde ISBN: 0375751513 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: June, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Hamlet (Shakespeare Made Easy: Modern English Version Side-By-Side With Full origiNal Text) by William Shakespeare, Alan Durband ISBN: 0812036387 Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Pub. Date: February, 1986 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
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