My Fair Lady was just the ticket for George Cukor, the aging talent pigeonholed as a 'women's director' yet possessing what it took to keep this oversized show on the rails. Jack Warner would not be an easy boss to work for, and with 12 million in 1963 money invested it's clear that anything short of knockdown success wouldn't do. The production rounded up the irreplaceable Rex Harrison (who sang his songs live instead of to playback) and cornered the right leading lady to guarantee success, igniting the biggest on-going debate ever about a Broadway star's replacement in a musical's movie version.

As it is, the film goes 80% of the way toward sublime perfection, and there's only a hint of canned singing to Hepburn's role ... and really only because we know she was totally dubbed by Marni (I sing for 'em all) Nixon. Otherwise Hepburn is every bit as appropriate to the role as Natalie Wood was for West Side Story, probably moreso.

There's not that much more to be said. The bigger this film gets, the more small-scale are its pleasures. We aren't as impressed by the stylized racetrack as we are the spot-on acting battles between Hepburn and Harrison, and even the bit roles become endearing. Warner wisely imported Stanley Holloway as well, and the grand old actor helps the show retain the spark of its satirical roots. Cukor is said to have shown a volcanic personality to everyone but his actors, but he keeps what could have been an overproduced monster of a movie light and frolicsome.

It's not the kind of picture that needs an introduction.

Warner's 2-disc DVD Special Edition of My Fair Lady builds on the bounty of an earlier disc release. On most sets, the hi-def transfer isn't going to seem much of an improvement. The quality probably benefits from improved encoding, considering that the feature has a disc to itself and doesn't have to share information space with the extras. The audio is where the real improvement can be heard, as this disc sounds much clearer than the first DVD. Although I understand some of the grousing from fans who now feel compelled to repurchase the show, it is noticeably different. It's also been over five years since the previous disc; only diamonds are forever. Don't worry, in 2009 or so it'll come back on HD DVD and we can go around the carousel a third time.

The first disc bears commentary from disputed creative contributors Gene Allen and Marni Nixon, along with much comment from restoration producers Harris and Katz.

Also included are takes of the songs Show Me and Wouldn't It Be Lovely? synchronized to original unused Audrey Hepburn recordings, and a selection of theatrical trailers.

All of the above material is from the older special edition disc. Most of the following should be exclusive to this new set:

There's a wealth of unedited (and possibly rejected) newsreel footage. A production kickoff dinner shows a tired-looking Hepburn and Harrison listening patiently while Jack Warner blathers on at the microphone. In between self-styled Groucho Marx-like quips, Warner blames Europe for the lowering of moral standards in American movies. Of course, two Europeans are his guests of honor, looking on with grim faces.

The audio of George Cukor directing is mainly him coaxing a few lines out of an aged actress. A set of posters and other art has some Harrison radio spots behind it, but is marred with big time-code numbers. Another rescued clip shows Jack Warner accepting his producing Oscar. Harrison is alternately pained-looking and funny in a flubbed outtake of a clip meant to be shown in lieu of a personal acceptance of his Golden Globes win. There are also extended comments from Martin Scorsese & Andrew Lloyd Webber, who already are represented in the '94 docu.

On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, My Fair Lady rates:
Movie: Excellent
Video: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
Supplements: Disc 1: Commentary by art director Gene Allen, Marni Nixon and Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz. Disc 2: Docu, More Loverly Than Ever: The Making of My Fair Lady. Vintage Featurettes and clips: 1963 production kickoff dinner raw newsreel footage; Audio of George Cukor directing, Posters and Lobby Cards with Rex Harrison Radio Interview, The Fairest Fair Lady making-of featurette, Rex Harrison's Golden Globe Acceptance Speech, 37th Academy Awards clip with Jack Warner, LA Premiere Footage, Galleries: Production Stills/Production Documents/Cecil Beaton Costume Sketches/Architectural Drawings/Poster and lobby cards, Audrey Hepburn's alternate vocals for Wouldn't It Be Loverly and Show Me, Comments by Martin Scorsese & Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trailers
Packaging: Folding plastic and card case in card sleeve.
Reviewed: February 13, 2004