2023學年完整公開課版BOOK8-Unit4Pygmalion【全國一等獎】

MyFairLady

MyFairLadyisanAcademyAward-winning1964filmadaptationofthestagemusical,MyFairLady,basedinturnontheplayPygmalionbyGeorgeBernardShaw.ThefilmwasdirectedbyGeorgeCukorandstarsAudreyHepburnandRexHarrison.

Plot

HenryHiggins(RexHarrison),anarrogant,irascibleprofessorofphonetics,boaststoanewacquaintance,ColonelPickering(WilfridHyde-White),thathecanteachanywomantospeakso"properly"thathecouldpassheroffasaduchess.ThepersonwhomheisshownthusteachingisoneElizaDoolittle(AudreyHepburn),ayoungwomanwithahorrendousCockneyaccentwhoissellingflowersonthestreet.Afteroverhearingthis,Elizafindsherwaytotheprofessor'shouseandofferstopayforspeechlessons,sothatshecanworkinaflowershop.PickeringisintriguedandwagersthatHigginscannotbackuphisclaim;HigginstakesElizaonfreeofchargeasachallengetohisskills.

Eliza'sfather,AlfredP.Doolittle(StanleyHolloway),adustman,arrivesthreedayslater,ostensiblytoprotecthisdaughter'svirtue,butinrealitysimplytoextractsomemoneyfromHiggins,andisboughtoffwith￡5.Higginsisimpressedbytheman'sgenuineness,naturalgiftforlanguageandespeciallyhisbrazenlackofmorals(Doolittleexplains,"Can'tafford'em!").

Elizagoesthroughmanyformsofspeechtraining,suchasspeakingwithmarblesinhermouthandtryingtorecitethesentence"InHertford,Hereford,Hampshire,hurricaneshardlyeverhappen"withoutdroppingthe'h',andtosay"TheraininSpainstaysmainlyintheplain"ratherthan"Therineinspinestiesminelyinthepline".Atfirst,shemakesnoprogress(duetoHiggins'sharshapproachtoteaching),butjustasshe,Higgins,andPickeringareexhaustedandabouttogiveup,HigginssoftenshisattitudeandgivesaneloquentspeechaboutthebeautyandhistorybehindtheEnglishlanguage.Elizatriesonemoretimeandfinally"getsit";sheinstantlybeginstospeakwithanimpeccableupperclassaccent.

HigginstakesheronherfirstpublicappearancetoAscotRacecourse,whereshemakesagoodimpressionwithherstilted,butgenteelmanners,onlytoshockeveryonebyasuddenandvulgarlapseintoCockney;"C'monDover,moveyourbloomin'arse!".Higgins,whodislikesthepretentiousnessoftheupperclass,partlyconcealsagrinbehindhishand,asiftosay"IwishIhadsaidthat!"

ThebetiswonwhenElizasuccessfullyposesasamysteriousladyofpatentlynoblerankatanembassyball,despitetheunexpectedpresenceofaHungarianphoneticsexperttrainedbyHiggins.Higgins'scalloustreatmentofElizaafterwards,especiallyhisindifferencetoherfutureprospects,leadshertowalkoutonhim,leavinghimmystifiedbyheringratitude.Whensheisgonehowever,hecomestothehorrifiedrealizationthathehas"grownaccustomedtoherface".Puttingasidehisresentmentabouttheintrusiononhislifeandtowardwomeningeneral,HigginsfindsElizathenextdayandattemptstotalkherintocomingbacktohim.Duringatestyexchange,Higgins'egogetsthebetterofhim,andhisformerstudentrejectshim.

Higginsmakeshiswayhome,stubbornlypredictingthatElizawillberuinedwithouthimandcomecrawlingback.However,hisbravadocollapsesandheisreducedtoplayingoldphonographrecordingsofhervoicelessons.ToHiggins'greatdelight,Elizachoosesthatmomenttoreturntohim.Thisdiffersfromtheoriginalplay'sresolution.

Production

AndrewsversusHepburn

ItwasneverassumedthattheleadroleinthefilmwouldgotoJulieAndrews,whohadplayedElizainthestageversiontogreatcriticalacclaim.AudreyHepburnwascastinstead(despitelobbyingfromscreenwriterAlanJayLerner),becauseJackWarnerofWarnerBrotherswantedaboxofficestar,andatthetimeAndrewswasanuntestedscreenpresence.ElizabethTaylorreportedlyfoughtlongandhardfortheroleaswell.ThecastingcontroversydidlittletohurtHepburn'scareer,perhapspaintingherinanegativelightintheconsiderationofsomefans.Andrews'subsequentAcademyAwardforMaryPoppins-andthelackofanominationforHepburn-wasseenbymanyasvindicationforJulieAndrews,thoughbothactressesdeniedthattherewaseveranyanimositybetweenthem.Yearslater,whenWarnerBros.offeredAndrewstheroleofGuinevereinthefilmadaptationoftheLerner&LowemusicalCamelot(whichshealsooriginatedtogreatacclaimonBroadway),Andrewsaskedforacool$7million,andasaconsequence,politelydeclinedtheoffer.VanessaRedgravetooktherole,althoughshewasquotedassayingthat,hadJulieAndrewswantedtoplaytherole,shecertainlywouldhave.

Dubbing

Hepburn'ssingingwasjudgedinadequate,however,andshewasdubbedbyMarniNixon.FilmofsomeofHepburn'soriginalvocalperformancesforthefilmwasreleasedinthe1990s,affordingfansoftheactresstojudgewhetherthedubbingwasnecessary.LesswellknownisthedubbingofJeremyBrett'ssongs(asFreddy)byBillShirley.

NodubbingwasdoneforRexHarrison,eventhoughhissingingvoicewasclosertospeakingonpitchandrhythmthantotruesinging.Inaddition,theactordeclinedtopre-recordhismusicalnumbersforthefilm,explainingthathehadneversungthesongsthesamewaytwiceandthuscouldn'tconvincinglylip-synctoaplaybackduringfilming(asmusicalstarshadbeendoinginHollywoodsincethedawnoftalkingpictures).InordertopermitHarrisontosinghissongsliveduringfilming,theWarnerBros.StudioSoundDepartment,underthedirectionofGeorgeGroves,implantedawirelessmicrophoneinHarrison'sneckties,markingthefirsttimeinfilmhistorythatonewasusedtorecordsoundduringfilming.AndréPrevinthenconductedthefinalversionofthemusictothevoicerecording.ThesounddepartmentearnedanAcademyAwardforitsefforts.

CopyrightIssues

TheheadofCBSputupthemoneyfortheoriginalBroadwayproductioninexchangefortherightstothecastalbum(throughColumbiaRecords).WhenWarnerboughtthefilmrightsforthethen-unprecedentedsumof$5million,itwasagreedthattherightstothefilmwouldreverttoCBSsevenyearsafteritsrelease.Warnerownedthefilm'soriginalcopyright,butitwasrenewedbyCBSduetothe1972rightsreversion.Currently,WarnerownstheDVDrightstothefilm(underlicensefromCBS),whileCBScorporatecousinKingWorldnowownsthetelevisionrights.AVHSreleasebyParamountPicturesin2001iscurrentlyout-of-p