My Fair Lady is the famed musical version of Pygmalion, but both films have garnered their share of praise. (SPOILERS)
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Pygmalion (1938) vs. My Fair Lady (1964)
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| Pygmalion |
The rap sheet.
Pygmalion has a 94% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. It received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing, Screenplay (which it won). My Fair Lady has a 95% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. It won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.
Winner: My Fair LadyThe setup.
In My Fair Lady, Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) makes a bet that he can pass a young Cockney woman named Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) off as a sophisticated lady to society. In Pygmalion, the setup is the same, except for the actors (Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller) and, of course, the lack of musical numbers.
Winner: My Fair Lady |
| My Fair Lady |
The execution.
Naturally, both films are somewhat even in their execution. Pygmalion is full of wit, playing on the friction between Higgins and Doolittle. My Fair Lady relies on this too, but it also uses songs to great effect.
Winner: My Fair LadyThe ending.
In My Fair Lady, Eliza chooses to stay with the professor after some conflict that follows the bet. In Pygmalion, the bet is won, conflict arises, and Eliza ends up staying with Henry. Since they are the same endings, I'll give Pygmalion points for being the first to do it.
Winner: PygmalionThe wild card.
Pygmalion features Wilfrid Lawson (who appeared in Room at the Top and Tom Jones) as Eliza's father. My Fair Lady features the great Stanley Holloway in an Oscar-nominated, scene-stealing performance as her father. Both films make good use of the character, but one does it better.
Winner: My Fair Lady
Winner: My Fair Lady beats Pygmalion 4-1
Ratings, by the way: Pygmalion - ***1/2, My Fair Lady - ***
Note: This is the first time a film with a lower rating has won.
I've definitely seen My Fair Lady which I love although I think have seen Pygmalion but don't remember it that well. I was just more into My Fair Lady for its performances, its music, it's costumes, the art direction, and everything else.
ReplyDeleteI think Pygmalion is a slightly better film, but I prefer My Fair Lady in terms of how this story is told. Plus, my ratings are very close on them. In letter grades, I'd give Pygmalion a B+ and My Fair Lady a B.
DeleteI adore My Fair Lady but have yet to see Pygmalion. I should give that a watch just to compare. I've only seen Leslie Howard in Gone With the Wind so far.
ReplyDeleteI like them both, but I think Pygmalion is the better film overall. If I had to choose one to watch, I'd probably go with My Fair Lady though.
DeleteI thought you switched their ratings at first but now I understand why My Fair Lady won. It seems like it being a musical gave it sort of an edge. Still, I haven't seen either films. Which do you think is worth checking out first?
ReplyDeleteI'd say go with whichever one you feel is more interesting. I saw My Fair Lady first, so I prefer it, even though I consider Pygmalion a better film.
DeleteWell, My Fair Lady has Audrey Hepburn. Everything else be gone, in my books she ALWAYS wins. :D
ReplyDeleteHaha. That's an excellent point. I should've just put that. ;)
DeleteI have never seen Pygmalion, but My Fair Lady is my father's favorite film! I think I've seen it 100 times in my youth. I loved it. I recently watched it as an adult (about two years ago) and found it below par. It just didn't excite me like I remembered it to. I'd still give it a B-, and it is a technical marvel. I think it wins Fistis for Costume, Art Direction, Sound and Makeup. It's beautiful to look at, that's for sure, and I loved Hepburn's performance! Shame that she was snubbed an Oscar nomination, despite being dubbed vocally.
ReplyDeleteYeah, technically My Fair Lady is great, but I'd give it a B overall. Still, I'd only give Pygmalion a B+, so they're very close.
DeleteHepburn is wonderful! I'd watch it for her alone.
I love both of these films, and I think you've done a great job with this comparison. I'm a big fan of George Bernard Shaw's original play, so Pygmalion has the edge in my book. I find that My Fair Lady feels a bit overlong, though the scene at the races is probably my favorite from either film. Pygmalion tells the story more efficiently, and I just love Leslie Howard's performance as Higgins.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Good point. Pygmalion is more efficient in telling the story, but I love the crafts and songs in My Fair Lady. Plus, it has Audrey Hepburn in the lead role, which is always a plus for me. I think My Fair Lady's length hurts it, so I'd rank it slightly below Pygmalion overall.
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