My Fair Lady

The Broadway premiere of the musical took place on March 15, 1956. The statement in which the main role was played by Julie Andrews, immediately became wildly popular, the tickets were sold out six months ahead, "My fair lady" was played on Broadway 2717 times.

When it was decided that the musical "My fair lady" will become a film, his fans were disappointed, hoped to see in the role of Eliza Julie Andrews (wanted and Rex Harrison), and it was eventually played by Audrey Hepburn. But Rex Harrison, who played Higgins on Broadway, replacement is not found, and eccentric Professor successfully moved from the theatre stage to the big screen, and subsequently received the Oscar.

Specifically for the role Audrey Hepburn worked hard and took vocal lessons, but all her songs eventually duplicated Marnie Nixon.

First, the role of Alfred Doolittle was offered to James Cagney. When he abandoned her at the last minute, the role went to Stanley Holloway, who played Alfred on Broadway.

Before it was decided that Rex Harrison will play Professor Higgins in the movie, this role was seen Cary Grant, Peter O'toole, Noel Coward, Michael Redgrave and George Sanders.

In his autobiography "Tis Herself" in 2004 Maureen O'hara wrote that producer Jack L. Warner asked her to sing for Audrey Hepburn in the film.

Jeremy Brett, who during filming was 30 years old, was very surprised when I learned that in music it duplicated a 42-year-old American Billy Shirley.

Jack L. Warner paid for the rights to $ 5.5 million in February 1962. Then, this purchase was a record, no one has previously acquired the original idea of the setting for many a large sum. Only in 1978, Columbia paid $ 9.5 million for the movie rights to "Annie" (1982).

Actress Gladys Cooper, who plays the mother of Professor Higgins, played the same role in a television production of "Pygmalion" 1963 "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Pygmalion (#12,3)".

The title of the film not to appear in any dialog, nor in the song.

When Cary Grant was asked why he refused the role of Henry Higgins, Grant said that his manner of speaking is much closer to Eliza Doolittle.

The film is set in 1912.

27A Baker street in London — the address of Professor Higgins, such street actually exists, there are 27 new Cavendish-street.

Shirley Jones was one of the Actresses, of which Jack L. Warner planned to offer the role, if Audrey Hepburn refused. The candidacy of Julie Andrews have been rejected, as the producers believed it was not well known. Eliza also really wanted to play Elizabeth Taylor.

Audrey Hepburn later admitted that he would never have accepted the role of Eliza Doolittle if he knew that Jack L. Warner will want to duplicate all of her songs. In addition, she once said of Julie Andrews in person that she was supposed to play Eliza in her place. During his speech at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2008, Julie Andrews confirmed this fact.

Rex Harrison was very disappointed when I learned that the role of Eliza went to Audrey Hepburn as he wanted it played his partner on the Broadway production of Julie Andrews. But on the set of Harrison and Hepburn became friends, and when the actor received an Oscar for "My fair lady" in 1964, he dedicated it to his "two fair lady", Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews both who had played Eliza Doolittle with him.

In the musical, Eliza is 21, Freddie 20, Audrey Hepburn at the time of filming was 34 years (this fact was also angered fans of the Broadway production), and Jeremy Brett 30 years.

The film should have been called "Lady Liza".