All I want is Audrey somewhere
When I was a kid, I had a crush on Audrey Hepburn because of My Fair Lady, the Lerner and Loewe musical based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. My seventh grade English teacher made us read the play, watch the film and then write an additional act for the play. My extension of the story had Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins in a lousy marriage, and Colonel Pickering getting killed on the Titanic. Since I first saw it and fell in love with Audrey, it’s been restored to its original beauty. Warner Brothers released a pretty decent DVD in 1998, and they are following up that release with a 40-year-anniversary edition that contains the wonderful 1994 restoration of the picture and sound. It’s no secret to fans of the film that Hepburn’s singing was dubbed by another voice. This two-disc set includes footage of Hepburn actually singing the tunes “Loverly” and “Show Me.” She sounds wonderful, and it’s a shame that her voice wasn’t allowed to be the one of record. No, she’s doesn’t have Marnie Nixon’s beautiful soprano voice, but the kick of hearing Hepburn singing is a great joy that the film should’ve had. It’s still a great musical, and Hepburn shines, but she should’ve taken home an Oscar for this movie (seemingly, everyone else in the film did). Had she been allowed to sing, she might’ve done just that.
Special Features: Lots of stuff from the initial DVD release is retained, including a making-of documentary. There’s some great footage of the film’s premiere, including the likes of Frank Sinatra and Rock Hudson showing up for the unveiling. God, this disc makes me miss Hepburn. The above mentioned alternate Hepburn tracks justify this purchase.
Movie: A+
Special Features: B+
Geek Factor: 9