On October 21, 1964, “My Fair Lady,” starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, premiered in New York City. Based on the wildly successful 1956 Broadway musical, the film won eight Academy Awards in 1965, including Best Picture. “My Fair Lady” was one of Audrey Hepburn’s most popular movies, further solidifying her place as one of Hollywood’s greatest actresses.
Set in 1912 London, the premise of “My Fair Lady” is Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), a Cockney flower girl, who wishes to pass as a lady. To accomplish this goal, she takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison). The musical and film contain many songs that are classics in the American songbook, including “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “The Rain In Spain.” From a 2017 lens, the gender dynamics and lyrics from Professor Henry Higgins’ character are misogynistic. In “Hymn To Her,” he sings, “Why is thinking something women never do?/Why is logic never even tried? Straightening up their hair is all they ever do/Why don’t they straighten up the mess that’s inside?” However, although fighting the patriarchy is an uphill battle, Doolittle has her share of musical numbers that are empowering in their own right, like “Show Me” and “Just You Wait.”
Despite Julie Andrews’ performance as Doolittle on the Broadway stage, she was replaced with Hepburn for the film. Studio executives felt the more popular and glamorous Hepburn would attract more moviegoers. She was a major celebrity, especially after her iconic role as Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Hepburn initially refused to take the role and insisted that Andrews get the part. However, when studio executives informed her that Elizabeth Taylor would play Eliza Doolittle if she didn’t accept it, Hepburn decided to take the job. Although the actress was admired for her girl next door beauty and classy composure, her singing voice proved subpar for the film. Filmmakers dubbed the musical numbers with a stronger singer, Marni Nixon, for Hepburn’s parts. Some Hepburn fans still believe that they should have kept her recordings in the film.
Born Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston on May 4, 1920 in a town near Brussels, Belgium, unlike her character, she was born into a patrician family. Her mother was a Dutch baroness and her father was an English businessman. During World War II, she and her mother were forced to live in a Nazi Germany-occupied Netherlands. Ironically, they had been living in England, but had moved to the Netherlands to avoid the war. Her uncle and cousin were executed, while her brother was sent to work in a labor camp. Hepburn suffered from malnutrition during the war, once revealing in an interview that she and her mother were forced to subsist on tulip bulbs.
An emaciated Hepburn returned to London with her mother after the war. She attended ballet school and took up acting to help her family make ends meet. In her first film, “Secret People” (1951), she played a ballerina. After a successful leading role in the NYC Broadway play, “Gigi” (1951), Hepburn was picked to play opposite Gregory Peck in “Roman Holiday”(1953). She won the Best Actress Oscar for her breakout performance in the film and became a household name. Her other classic films aside include “Sabrina” (1954), “Funny Face” (1957), “Love in the Afternoon” (1957), and “The Nun’s Story” (1959). She also became an iconic fashionista, wearing the latest styles from her friend and eventual business partner, Hubert de Givenchy.
Hepburn retired her acting career in the late 1960s, yet still made room for an occasional on screen cameo. Her last on screen moment was in “Always” (1989). She replaced acting with philanthropy when she became the Special Ambassador to UNICEF in 1988. After enduring much suffering during World War II, she wanted to help others in need. In an interview she explained, “I just decided to do as much as possible in the time that I’m still up to it.” Although she died on January 21, 1993, Hepburn’s spirit lives on in her activism and endearing film roles like Doolittle in “My Fair Lady.”