Chichester Cinema at New Park
My Fair Lady
FREE OPEN AIR SCREENING
FREE outdoor pre-Festival screening on the Chichester Cathedral grounds
Hollywood's legendary "woman's director," George Cukor, transformed Audrey Hepburn into street-urchin-turned-proper-lady Eliza Doolittle in this film version of the Lerner and Loewe musical. Based on George Bernard Shaw's play ‘Pygmalion’, ‘My Fair Lady’ stars Rex Harrison as linguist Henry Higgins, Jeremy Brett, is quite electric as Eliza's determined suitor.
Stanley Holloway the great English trouper takes the basically "thin" and repetitious, "With A Little Bit O'Luck" and makes it stand up as gaiety incarnate. Again and again his theatrical authority clicks. Mona Washbourne is especially fine as the prim but compassionate housekeeper.
Wildred Hyde-White has the necessary proper gentleman quality as Pickering and makes a good foil for Harrison. Gladys Cooper brings aristocratic common sense to the mother of the phonetics wizard, and the Hungarian charlatan speech expert who nearly upsets the masquerade at the high style ball is comically handled by Theodore Bikel.
It's really the star wattage that keeps this film exciting with Cecil Beaton's extravagant and yet, somehow, chic costumes and sets, which form a perfect setting. Extremely witty, a swish script, and gorgeous costumes, and such great classic songs as "On the Street Where You Live" and “I Could Have Danced All Night," make for the perfect entertaining evening out... Bring your parasol, picnic basket and cushions!
The film commences at dusk (8.30 approx), but is preceded from 7.30 by the CHI JAZZ BAND. We would kindly request that our patrons offer a donation, large or small, towards the cost of this expensive outdoor operation.
FREE outdoor pre-Festival screening on the Chichester Cathedral grounds. NO NEED TO BOOK
USA · 1964 · George Cukor · 165min
