Pygmalion - Essential Art House

Charles Laughton was Shaw's first choice for this film, gratefully; he was talked out of it. Leslie Howard delivers one of his great performances as Higgins. He captures the snide sarcasm, without hitting it with a hammer. Howard was famous for underplaying and even taught this to his friend, Humphrey Bogart. Bogart's second child is named in his honor. The problem with Harrison is that he is far too old for the part and even older for the film. It is hard to suggest a romance under those conditions. Howard is in his early 40s and looks a bit younger. Shaw did not consider this a love story but it clearly becomes that, more than the social satire that was intended. Harrison also declaims the role, as if he was a bit hard of hearing. One can understand this approach on stage but it gets tiresome on film, where subtlety is appreciated. Howard explores the nuances of the role without over-blowing the emotion. He mines it for every comic twist. His timing is infallible and Hiller is the perfect foil for his tyranny. Watch his eyes, he has some of the most expressive peepers in the business and knew how to use them for the camera. (Ronald Colman was also famous for his ability to act through his eyes.) Howard was nearsighted and loved playing roles that allowed him to wear his glasses. There are several such parts in his catalogue. Suggest you check out `The Stand In," with Bogart. Of course the "Scarlet Pimpernel," is a must. "Pimpernel Smith," a wonderful remake of his original film. Many films can be found on Amazon and other sites and are worth having. "Pygmalion," is beautifully restored and there is a wonderful new Shaw box with Wendy Hiller in "Major Barbara," featuring a younger and better suited Rex Harrison. "Caesar and Cleopatra," with Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains. There are many more great films out there and his real genius, is tragically unappreciated in GWTW. It was his least favorite role, and the one for which he is best remembered. A shame..... "Pygmalion," only suggests the realization of a romance at the very end and that was as intended. We are confident that they get together but Shaw leaves us wondering how and when. For those who only know Leslie Howard from GWTW, this film is a revelation. He hated "Wind..." and only did it as a favor in return for staring in and producing Ingrid Bergman's first American film, "Intermezzo." Howard returned to England where he directed and starred in several fine films during the war. He also did a great deal of documentary work for the war effort. He was killed in 1943 while on a trip to Portugal, when his plane was shot down by the Germans. The exact nature of that trip is still in question. He was just 50. It is not generally known that Howard was Jewish, of Hungarian extraction. He married out of the faith and was not very concerned about religion but his hatred of the Nazis is obvious from his work. Had he lived, he might have developed into a fine actor/director, such as Wells or Eastwood or Chaplin. Even so, the work that he leaves is a testament to his great talent. A lesser known fact is, that despite a wife and two kids, he was one of the most insatiable ladies' men in Hollywood. Joan Blondel said that he could sit between two women and flirt with both and make them believe it. Bette Davis remembered that she held him at arm's length for three films. One of his children wrote that he could never avoid the female temptations of Hollywood but always came home to his family. Ironic, for a man who cultivated the exact opposite image. He was also an amazing polo player and loved horses. Surprising, that he did not play more roles that took advantage of his skills as a horseman. Actor, Director, Stud, Athlete, inside the shell of a shy, romantic, poetic, scholar.

A pretty wonderful film of the great George Bernard Shaw play. Both Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller are terrific in the leads, and this production brings out both the fun and wit of Shaw's words, without losing the sharp, complex, and sometimes paradoxical political and social observations underneath the playful extrtior. Dated in style, yes, and it could be argued Hiller comes off a bit older than ideal for the character's innocence. And some of the supporting performances are too stagy (although some are very good indeed). But overall this is a lot of fun, and quite thought provoking, with a nicely ambiguous ending. Note, this "Essential Art House' version is the same excellent transfer as the Criterion (which owns both labels) the only difference is cost and extras.

This a perfect film - perfect script, both leads are perfect, direction is perfect, I can go on and on... I loved the ending, of course, she should stay with Higgins. Eliza is the intelligent girl, remember, and what woman in her right mind would choose a dull and helpless Freddie (mediocrity itself) over a genius and success, as charming as Leslie Howard?! She is smart and brave, she won't be frightened by his manners, she'll learn how to deal with him. Has anybody noticed that at Higgins' mother reception, professor is the only one really interested in what Eliza is telling, not how she is telling it? They are true equals, and there is a great chemistry between them. The quality of the DVD leaves a lot to wish for - some scenes haven't been digitally redone, no extras, no subtitles.

Arrived on time and was as advertised

Bottom line: Wonderful acting throughout. Certainly Pygmalion is a worthy addition to a collection and a very family friendly movie night movie. But on reflection the awarding of misogyny makes the Janus Film’s version of Pygmalion something other than consistent with the original intent of G B Shaw. Given an earlier reviewer comment about the pricy versions, my copy was bought at a nearby big –box as part of a ½ price sale. So -not Amazon Verified but I did get a deal. In terms of performances and as related to the much later musical: This version of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is in every respect a great version of the play. There are parts when you can hear the singing and the dancing from the musical and throughout most of Shaw’s words and intent ring clear. The point is that Shaw did not write a musical and he did not regard Henry Higgins as a hero. It bothers me that the Professor gets to make it clear that he will be abusive, including violent if so moved and Liza, gets to serve as a besotted assistant. It is never clear that they will be husband and wife. I also suspect that the Prof’s idea of romantic does not include time spent with a woman. He is clearly happier, more relaxed and more respectful around men. Did Shaw intend for Professor Higgins to be gay? Certainly not in any obvious cross dressing or heaven forbid lisping way, but the character is clearly incapable of acting humanely towards a woman.

"Pygmalion", George Bernard Shaw's astringent satire of the British social class system, is British cinema at its best. Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller are perfectly matched in this "comedy of manners", in which pompous Professor Henry Higgins (Howard) displays all the bad manners. Higgins bets his more gracious colleague Col. Pickering (Scott Sunderland) that he can transform Eliza Doolittle (Hiller), a sassy and spirited cockney flower girl from the London slums, into a "society lady" in a mere six months. He gets more than he bargained for when she arrives at his apartment the next day to take him up on his offer. Higgins can't resist because he views Eliza as "deliciously low, so horribly dirty." Henry's mother, Mrs. Higgins (Marie Lohr) is particularly appalled by the situation, scolding Higgins and Pickering for being "a pair of pretty babies playing with your live doll." Wendy Hiller as Eliza is far from a "shrinking violet", however, and she more than holds her own against the often intolerable Higgins. Wilfred Lawson also shines in the supporting role of Eliza's jovial but drunken dad Alfred Doolittle. If the prickly relationship between Higgins and Eliza remains unresolved, it is because Shaw himself didn't have a clue how to have a satisfying, normal adult relationship. In the end, Higgins is nothing more than an upper-crust, upper-class twit, which Leslie Howard plays brilliantly. The world knows this story better from its musical adaptation "My Fair Lady." With such songs as "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?", "A Little Bit Of Luck", "I Could Have Danced All Night" and " I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", the musical elevated Shaw's play to greater glory without (necessarily) violating it. But the Academy Award winning 1964 film version of "My Fair Lady" does not elevate the musical to the heights it deserves. George Cukor's direction is sluggishly slow, to the point where the film has no impetus. Rex Harrison is allowed to be cold, calculated and cruel, (without a hint of the humor Leslie Howard brings to Higgins) while Audrey Hepburn strives to do her best under extremely stressful circumstances. Harrison and Hepburn pail in comparison to Howard and Hiller here. "My Fair Lady" feels and plays like a sterile, overproduced by-product of the Warner Brothers backlot. This "very British" 1938 "Pygmalion", however, crackles with more heart, intelligence, speed, wit and grit, and is altogether more authentic.

"My Fair Lady", is obviously the musical version of Shaw's Pygmalion, but the actors really seem to be channeling Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller from this film between the musical numbers in that musical from about 25 years later. Howard is the epitome of pompousness and callous (dis)regard for others' feelings that Rex Harrison could only hope to get close to in MFL and Hiller's Eliza is the equal or better of Audrey Hepburn. This movie is really a treat and I feel is much better quality in acting and cinematography than other films I have seen of it's era (late 1930's).

I teach an intro to theatre class at Indiana University South Bend, and my students read the play -- it's good to let them see this (non-musical) version of the play, which was adapted by Shaw himself for the screen and maintains most of the original play's dialogue and intent. My students see this and can then make comparisons to the Lerner & Leowe Musical version. The play is a comedy but has much to say (quite charmingly) about classism and sexism. Wendy Hiller is a less romantic Eliza than Audrey Hepburn was later, but her performance is phenomenal, as is Leslie Howard's.