Movie Review: Pygmalion

This is the movie (play) on which "My Fair Lady" was based. Let's just say I'm glad they made "My Fair Lady." "Pygmalion" was fine, and a good deal "My Fair Lady" was taken straight from this script. But Leslie Howard is not Rex Harrison, and of course, in "Pygmalion" you miss all the songs (but still have Alfie P. Doolittle, which is a shame). Wendy Hiller was fine as Eliza, and I think would have done better if she had had more to work with ("Pygmalion" is half as long as "My Fair Lady"). And of course I knew it wasn't a musical, so that was fine (though I prefer musicals in general). Really the biggest problem was Leslie Howard. Whoever told that man he could act (even in the 30s)...I just don't know. He was always so wooden. And if you're going to be Professor Henry Higgins, you have to have life in you. It's such a great role (and I think it would be so fun to play, but I'm a girl, so I'll have to be Eliza when I finally get to perform it). I know it's not fair to compare him to Rex Harrison, but even if someone else had played the role in "My Fair Lady," I still would very much not like Leslie Howard as Henry Higgins. And poor guy didn't even get to say the best realization of love line ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HroAq_E075Y (Though he couldn't have pulled it off anyway.) So sad.