DVD Review: Lackluster Edition of ‘My Fair Lady’ Disappoints

CHICAGO – Can anyone explain to me why there are lavish, bonus-laden, beautifully transferred versions of so-so musicals like “Gigi” and “South Pacific” on Blu-Ray but the beloved “My Fair Lady” languishes in standard definition? It’s completely illogical, a decision made even more frustrating by a grainy, flat picture and mediocre audio track. Eliza deserves an upgrade.

DVD Rating: 2.5/5.0

To be “fair” (slight pun intended), this multiple Oscar winner hasn’t exactly stood the test of time like I remembered. Many of the musical numbers still resonate like they did when I was a child (“On the Street Where You Live” is still one of my favorite movie musical songs of the era) but the film is undeniably bloated, running almost three hours long and dragging as often as it zips.

My Fair Lady was released on DVD on October 6th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount Home Video

But that’s not the point. Questionable “classic” status aside, there are legions of fans of “My Fair Lady” who know this movie by heart. And not just the songs. “My Fair Lady” has been a major part of the musical movie landscape for decades, since it took viewers hearts on its initial 1964 release, a year in which it won an amazing EIGHT Oscars, including Best Picture. Audrey Hepburn was arguably never more radiant and the great work of Rex Harrison, who won Best Actor, is often overlooked.

So, explain to me again why films like “Spring Breakdown” and “Trick r Treat” get Blu-Ray releases but not an eight-time Oscar winner. It would be one thing if the standard DVD edition of “My Fair Lady” at least did the film justice within its own constraints, but that’s not the case. The video transfer of “My Fair Lady” is flat, dull, and colorless, not even looking as good as it should on this format, much less how good I imagine it would look in HD. The audio mix in Dolby Stereo is similarly TV broadcast caliber.

The special features on “My Fair Lady” help a bit. The release includes an audio commentary, vintage featurettes, footage, and audio, alternate Audrey Hepburn vocals, posters and lobby cards with Rex Harrison radio interview, “Comments on a Lady,” and trailers. Hopefully, all of these excellent features will be imported when this release finally gets the HD upgrade it so richly deserves.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com