Film Adaptation
An Oscar-winning film version was made in 1964, directed by George Cukor and with Harrison again in the part of Higgins. The casting of Audrey Hepburn instead of Julie Andrews as Eliza was controversial, partly because theatregoers regarded Andrews as perfect for the part and partly because Hepburn's singing voice had to be dubbed (by Marni Nixon). Jack Warner, the head of Warner Brothers, which produced the film, wanted "a star with a great deal of name recognition", but since Julie Andrews did not have any film experience, he thought a movie with her would not be as successful. Andrews went on to star in Mary Poppins that same year and won the Oscar over Audrey Hepburn, and it later became Disney's most successful movie of all time. Lerner in particular disliked the film version of the musical, thinking it did not live up to the standards of Moss Hart's original direction. He was also unhappy that the film was shot on the Warner Brothers backlot rather than, as he would have preferred, in London. Rex Harrison went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor, while George Cukor took home the Best Director prize.
Read more about this topic: My Fair Lady
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