This past Friday I was lucky enough to finally see My Fair Lady on the big screen. The Academy (you know, the ones who hand out the Oscars) was holding a special 70mm screening of the restored original print, and apparently the 70mm version hasn't been screened since the film was first released 45 years ago. After seeing it for myself, I have to say it's downright tragic. The colours were fantastic, especially the flower segments during the opening credits, and I could just see so much more than I ever have before. You could actually read the elocution cards tacked all over Eliza's bedroom walls, and the more subtle facial expressions were just divine. The mix of emotions that came over Rex Harrison's face in that final scene was incredible. It actually brought tears to my eyes.I've said it before when I've caught other Audrey films being screened, but if you can ever catch any of her movies on the big screen, GO. Not only is it a totally different experience than watching at home, but the audience reaction and interaction is fabulous. The small theatre was packed, and many of the people there had never seen My Fair Lady before. Shocking, no? But it was great. They laughed hysterically at Henry's colourful insults and Eliza's childish antics, and groaned when Henry wondered why women couldn't be more like his perfect self. It was fantastic.There was also a small costume and design sketch exhibit in the lobby:
Forgive the darkness and the glare, but the costumes were protected by thick glass and absolutely no flash photography was allowed.
And please forgive my raccoon eyes, but I'd come straight from an unusual photoshoot and my makeup wouldn't come off! I kept my Wayfarers on as long as possible. :)Lastly, but most importantly, I'd like to give a very huge thank you to Ellen, who performed nothing short of magic to get us tickets to this sold out event. Whatever she wants I will gladly give her as a thank you for this great night!
While I still haven't heard anything set in stone and announced officially, it seems to be a widely assumed fact that Keira Knightley is signed to play Eliza Doolittle in the upcoming film remake of My Fair Lady. Information is still scarce, and no other cast has been announced (though wildly speculated on), but now IMDb has a development page up for the film, with a release date of 2010. You have to have a Pro account to see any details, and I don't really feel like paying to get one piece of information, but Keira's page also has one developing project on it, which I'm betting is MFL.
While doing some wandering on the Internet, I found that Wikipedia has collected some more information. Supposedly, actress Emma Thompson will be writing the screenplay (longhand, with a fountain pen), and it's to be a somewhat updated version of the classic film and play. Even more startling is the persistent rumor that Brad Pitt and George Clooney were looking to produce the movie together, as they have worked together many times before, but had a huge falling out over the fact that they both wanted the plum Henry Higgins role. What's more, some are saying that Brad wanted partner Angelina Jolie as Eliza! I'd say to take all these rumors with a grain of salt or two, but it still makes for interesting news, no?Hopefully we'll get some more concrete news before too long, and can then focus on the long wait 'til production photos, trailers, and the film itself. Has this new information made anyone feel better -- or worse -- about the remake? Also, what are your views on redoing this role so famously? Audrey herself wasn't immune to criticism when she was cast, despite the fact that Warner Bros. thought Julie Andrews was too unknown to star in the last great film musical, so how will Keira and her career hold up after trying to fill the shoes of two such memorable women and their versions of Eliza Doolittle?
Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? I apologize again and again, it's all my fault and my lack of a good regular Internet connection. Did everyone have a fun Halloween? Did you flood the streets with Holly Golightlys? :) It seems the costume guide from last year held up pretty well, and while I didn't receive any complaints, can you think of any way to expand or improve it? I'd love to eventually do a costume guide for a number of Audrey costumes, but since Holly Golightly is the most easily recognizable and easiest to shop for, I figured that was the safest bet.
Speaking of being easy to recognize in costume, I found myself without a costume the morning of Halloween, due to a fabric malfunction the night before. On short notice I ran out and got a black turtleneck and borrowed some loafers, and hit Hollywood as Jo Stockton (Funny Face). There were loads of people there, but through the whole night I only heard 10 people (not counting my two companions) realize it was an Audrey costume! I guess I should have tried that outfit the year that Gap commercial came out. Anyway, at a party later on in the night Holly Golightly, Eliza Doolittle and Jo met up:
It sounds like the setup to a joke, but no punchline comes to mind. (By the way, Eliza is played by Kendal, well known on our forums as well as the audrey1 forums.) Anyway, did anyone else dress up as Audrey and meet a twin?
Moving on, I've got some odds and ends to share. First, I've been slowly catching up with the site's email, and had a request that's really stumped me. Hopefully, someone out there can help! Tracey wrote in after seeing a gorgeous poster in a Flor catalogue, and the customer service people had no idea as to where it came from. I've never seen it before, but would sure like a copy! Here's the picture:
You can click on the picture for the full-sized version. Unfortunately, the chandelier obscures all the text, but I'm fairly sure that's French. Does anyone have any ideas as to where this came from? It may be a reprint of a vintage poster, though one I've never seen before. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
Next up, this year is the 50th anniversary of Breakfast at Tiffany's. The book, that is. The movie's birthday won't come up for another three years. The book is due to be released soon, with the vague publication date of November 2008, though I can't seem to find it on Amazon yet. Since B@T is short, a novella really, it's matched up with three other short stories under this stylish cover:
And lastly, speaking of reissues, curse Paramount Studios! Just as I'm starting to catch up on my Audrey DVDs, they have to go and re-release nearly all their Audrey films. *sigh* The worst part is that you know I'll buy them all. You probably will, too! Well, if you're trying to save on space and don't see the point of owning multiple versions of one film, you can always go the Audrey route and donate or give away your older versions. I like senior centers, myself, since they're always in need of entertainment and would definitely appreciate some Audrey Hepburn in their lives. Coming November 11th, just in time for the holidays, is Roman Holiday
and Sabrina
. Marketed under the Centennial Collection, both films feature all of the extras from previous DVD releases, plus some new featurettes and goodies that will hopefully make it worth your while. Just after the holidays, due out January 13th, comes Funny Face
and Breakfast At Tiffany's
-- yes, again. Both just celebrated anniversaries and had special editions come out, but now it comes in more dramatic packaging, also under the Centennial Collection. There's no additional information on these, so I don't know if there's anything new, but there'd darn well better be. People are starting to think I'm crazy, with three copies of every movie on my shelves!
There have been rumors swirling for years that Keira Knightley was in talks to do a big-screen biopic of Audrey Hepburn, and while nothing has ever come of those, a different rumor seems to have taken root. There were whispers that Keira might also star in a West End revival of My Fair Lady, and while those talks fell through, it looks as though a film remake of the musical will come to pass -- with Keira as Eliza Doolittle. The film is currently being looked at by Columbia Pictures, and will be "updated" by mixing the original George Bernard Shaw play script and Lerner & Loewe's adaptation that became the film we know and love. This remake also promises to improve on the 1964 film by filming on location in Coventry Garden and other spots around London.
While this still may be just an idle rumor, this is definitely the most I've heard on the remake to date, which makes me think it's picking up speed and may actually happen. Should My Fair Lady be remade for film? Also, does any one know if Keira can sing? It'd be a bit silly to claim a remake as superior when Eliza's still dubbed. Either way, you can read more about the rumored production through Variety.
Have you ever dreamed of succeeding Audrey Hepburn in the coveted role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady? That just might be in your future soon. According to The Sun, a British tabloid, the 50 year old musical might possibly be the next in a line of recent successful reality casting shows where average Joes and Janes like you and me compete to be the lead in a big Broadway musical. (You may be familiar with "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" which was a casting show for The Sound of Music revival.) Nothing is set in stone yet, but BBC executives are also looking at Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to appear on the show. So if you're in the UK and have absolutely no stage fright whatsoever at the thought of singing on TV in front of millions for the chance to be the next Audrey Hepburn, start warming up those vocal cords now! Read more here.
