Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)

Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)
Oh, to be in England...

Sunday, December 2, 2012

My Fair Lady- Will it be remade?


There have been rumours for a few years now of attempts to have My Fair Lady remade. Imagine if you will Hugh Grant or Colin Firth as Henry Higgins. Or Keira Knightley or perhaps Carey Mulligan as Eliza Doolittle. Apparently Emma Thompson is behind it all by writing a new screenplay and if my instincts are correct, she will have a little role in it for herself. Mrs. Higgins, Henry's mother, if I am not mistaken would be the part she would inhabit as she is quite a delightful character who gets to tell Henry what she thinks of him. Although Emma Thompson is much too young for Mrs. Higgins. Perhaps Mrs. Pearce the housekeeper?


So, assuming this is a good idea, what do we think of Colin Firth as Henry Higgins? I think he is too nice to play the self-absorbed professor. You have to be a bit of a misogynist  to play Higgins, don't you? I don't know if Colin Firth has the ability to access that part of his personality. Now Hugh Grant, oddly enough, fits the part a little better. He is a bit of a recluse...self-absorbed...can't commit to a woman...

Nononono...it has to be Hugh Laurie, doesn't it? And he can sing and play the piano! Yes!



Who do we have for our dear Eliza Doolittle? She must be able to sing, as we couldn't have any more of that dubbing disaster that poor Audrey Hepburn had to suffer through. And she must be able to do both the accents impeccably. Maybe Carey Mulligan could pull it off. Any ideas? Surely we have seen enough of Keira Knighley lately.



And who do we have in mind for good old Colonel Pickering? I admit I am stumped here. A kindly very proper English gentleman. Who, who, who? Help me out here friends!

Olga from Ottawa gets credit for suggesting that if we have Hugh Laurie as Higgins, we have to have Stephen Fry as the Colonel. Brilliant! I have just posted our suggestions to the IMDb board. Let's hope the producers read the IMDb board for My Fair Lady (????)
 


Although I said I though Emma Thompson might covet the role of Mrs. Higgins for herself, wouldn't it be wonderful irony to have Julie Andrews play her? I mean, it would only be fair after she was denied the role of Eliza in the original even after she owned the part of Eliza onstage opposite Rex Harrison.



I think I have a good suggestion for Eliza's father Alfred P. Doolittle. Michael Caine would be able to pull of both the accent and be enough of a ham for this juicy role. Yup, that's it!

Now the last thing that I would like to propose is that this not be a musical but be more of a remake of the original Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. I mean, we are almost in 2013 here. Can the public handle a musical almost 50 years after the original? I think if you left the music out, it would be different enough to be a success. Or is the music what people love and it would suck the life out of the story not to have it?

Discuss amongst yourselves and post your opinions below please. I would love to know what you all think!


Did you know that Pygmalion was a figure in Greek mythology who carved a woman out of ivory and then fell in love with her? He apparently asked Venus for a bride who would be "the living likeness of my ivory girl" and the statue came to life when he kissed it.

Also, did you know that the words My Fair Lady do not exist in either the play or the film? It is apparently how Mayfair Lady sounds in a Cockney accent. Mayfair is my fave place in London (v. posh, just north of Green Park and Buckingham Palace) even though my great-grandfather was a Cockney from the East End of London. No wonder I love this story so much!

24 comments:

  1. Oooohhh!!! You just made my day. Musical or not, I can't wait. All I want to know is where's the petition to cast Hugh Laurie as Henry Higgins. And of course I want to see Stephen Fry as Pickering. As for Eliza, I'm not sure who I would pick, but Lilly Collins, who was in Mirror Mirror, last year, might not be a bad idea if, like her dad Phil, she can sing. I just checked imdb, and they have an entry for that project, but no date. Thanks Jenny. Keep up posted on any new developments.

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    1. Hi Olga! Of course you are right. If we have Hugh Laurie as Henry Higgins, we HAVE to have Stephen Fry as Col. Pickering. Brilliant. I think I will start a thread on the IMDb to suggest the pair of them!

      Oh, by the way, I just found out that Austenland is premiering at The Sundance Film Festival in January. Let's hope it doesn't take too long to get to Canada!

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  2. Thanks Jenny. I've been looking forward to Austenland as well. Have you read the book? I haven't, but how can you go wrong with JJ Feild!
    ps. I watched the Boat That Rocked last week. Very funny.

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  3. OK. You've got my brain ticking...Freddie Einsford Hill, should be played by Ewan Mcgreggor. We already know he can sing! Wouldn't it be Lovely (no pun intended) to hear him sing "The Street Where you Live."

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    1. Oh, I luuuuurve Ewan McGregor! Do you know that George Bernard Shaw had decided that in the end, Eliza married Freddie and sets up her own flower shop with money from Colonel Pickering? He didn't write it into the play, but that is how he figured they ended up!

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    2. Now wouldn't that serve Henry Higgins right for being so insensitive! Mabye that would be the way to make the story more appealing to a modern audience. No only have Eliza declare her equality, but follow through and establish her independence from Higgins. After all there are wose things than bing married to Ewan Macgreggor,...um...I mean Freddie.

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  4. i see we are looking forward to an 'all favorite star' cast. i was thinking the same about Keira (recurrently seen). love the way you put out options for Higgins and then came up with a totally different but ideal suggestion. i wouldn’t mind seeing more of Stephen Fry too but if not possible what about Bill Nighy for the kindly Colonel? whatever the role, I’m certain that Emma will shine. Ditto on the non musical - less singing more storey, Caine for Mr Doolittle and Julie for Mrs Higgins.
    although in a well written/directed piece, new or unfamiliar talents may pleasantly work too. a well taught lesson from North and South.

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  5. Hi Mommbsta,
    I too agree that an unknown cast may be even better. Alas, if only they had taken that route with Mama Mia. Yes, Meryl can sing, OK...but I would have rather have seen a musical with singers who can act, than with actors who can sing. But it is fun to imagine various personalities inhabiting such well know roles. Bill Nighy would be a hoot as Pickering!

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  6. oh Olga it would be 'precious' if we could get all these marvelous actors in a favorite movie, even in our dreams. soo many talents and so many possibilities for more beloved movies.
    thank you guyls for apprising us of these gems.

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  7. You two have me convinced about Bill Nighy as Col. Pickering. After seeing him in Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and then recently re-watching Love Actually, he is such a great talent. Oh, he was in Pirate Radio/Boat that Rocked too. Glad you liked it Olga.

    And in reference to an unknown cast, I think the recent BBC Sense and Sensibility did a good job of that too. And of course, North and South gave us the lovely Richard Armitage. I can't believe that I am champing at the bit to see The Hobbit. All over one 6'2" dwarf!

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  8. Already have my advanced Hobbit tickets for opening night!!! Will be surprising the kids just before we go. Can't wait.

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  9. At the JASNA fall meeting in Phoenix, I met Marnie Nixon who dubbed Audrey Hepburn's voice for My Fair Lady. I was practically jumping up and down like a teenage groupie. She also dubbed Natalie Wood's voice in Westside Story.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mary

      That is so cool. I bet Marnie Nixon had a whole bunch of groupies around her. Lucky you! I didn't know that she also did West Side Story. I love that one too.

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  10. Wow! That is so neat! I think she sang for Deborah Kerr in the king and I as well.

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  11. Did you ever see Bright Star with lovely Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish? Wondered what you thought...Just watched it tonight on Demand.

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    1. Hi BNW

      I loved Bright Star when I saw it in the theatre. It was a much harder watch at home as I get interrupted frequently in my house. If you can see this when you are in a contemplative mood and not likely to be interrupted, it is awesome. I cannot believe I did not review Bright Star when I saw it. Stay tuned over the holidays. I will watch it again and review. Cheers!
      By the way, I bawled my eyes out with Abby Cornish.

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  12. it was very tasking to imagine RA as a dwarf but after reading about the largeness:)of the character i found it a most appropriate role.
    how about Kelly Macdonald for Eliza? - "The Girl In The Cafe:)" "Nanny McPhee:)" "Decoy Bride"

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    1. Hi Mommbsta,
      Kelly Macdonald sounds interesting, and makes me wonder about Johnny Lee Miller as Higgins! He's doing such a great job as Sherlock at the moment, that Henry Higgin's wouldn't be much of a stretch. Both are antisocial and hard to get along with.

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  13. Kelly Macdonald is charming but she can't do accents at all -- except her own lovely Scottish one. I agree with Jenny's notion of a NON-musical My Fair Lady this time. The play is strong enough by itself. Jonny Lee Miller is far too young and sexy, in my view, for Higgins. I love the idea of Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry reunited! I hope someone is posting this to IMdB and I wonder if British producers take it as seriously as we do over here? They need to know!

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  14. a Romantic 2013 for all - in life and distractions.
    hi Olga and bakingnotwriting - i love Kelly's Scottish lingo and if only she could do a passable accent for the transformation it would be just going along the storyline. Jonny does snobbish well doesn't he? i have no qualms to having a 'young and sexy' (Jonny) or a 'sexy' (Hugh) Higgins.
    i'm also enjoying Elementary but i'm not quite getting the Sherlock Watson relationship - they seem to be at odds a lot.

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    1. Hi mommbsta. I agree with you. If Jonny can do Mr. Knightley he could probably do Prof Higgins. And Kelly Macdonald's voice in Gosford Park is a dream. "Meeeeery Maceeeeeachran". A Happy and Romantic New Year to you too!!!

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  15. Anne Hathaway would make a killer Eliza!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV7ZD9Gvf_Q

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    Replies
    1. I love Anne Hathaway, but her accent was a little on-and-off in One Day, although I really enjoyed the film. No doubt she could sing it! She was awesome in Les Mis!

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