I had no idea the girl from the frozen North performed as Eliza in this. Kidder was superb. And, wasn't she so very attractive? This compared to Superman, Superman is a B movie. Whoever you are, the world owes you thanks for posting this.
Peter O’Toole was absolutely brilliant in this role. The big surprise was Margot Kidder as Eliza Doolittle. She was absolutely amazing! She was spot on with the accent, and she was so amazing with the emotion. Thank you for putting this on UA-cam!
When I heard of Ms. Kidder's death just a few hours ago I immediately thought of her performance here, which I've watched many times. On paper it doesn't sound right, Margot Kidder as Liza Doolittle, but she's absolutely brilliant. She's entirely compelling, you can't take your eyes off of her., and she genuinely tugs at your heartstrings. She's clever, she's nuanced and for me she now owns this role. I'll miss her. A true one of a kind. I hope she's now at peace.
This is Marvellous 👍🏽👏🏾👏🏾❣️ I thought I'd read and seen every version of Pygmalion, but this is a revelation . I've always and still loved O'Toole, And Margot Kidder, yet I never knew of this presentation. It's so much more Real, certainly than the Disney-esque version which was all Acting. THIS is B.EING🎭. Grateful to you for finding aand sharing it. I've been trapped in a Txxzz nursinghome almost 2 years, and there's very little joy. Thank you so much❣️
@@wiseonwords Me too! (LOL) Peter O'Toole was a brilliant actor but here he overdid it. A similar case was Rod Steiger's over-the-top performance as Napoleon at "Waterloo" (1971). We cannot expect wonderful performances all the time. Regards!
O'Toole is masterful and immensely satisfying. Kidder, a perfect jewel. Excellent sound and staging, especially considering the limitations of TV studio production.
OMG, I saw this at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1984, during my first visit to London! Loved it to pieces, but never thought it possible in my wildest dreams that I could get a vid of the show one day. Thanks so much for posting, Andy Luk! I'm forever indebted to you. Gosh, I could dance with joy :-D!!!
I was lucky to see it when it came to New York in 1987. I absolutely loved it, but I don't remember Peter being quite so over-the-top as he is here. He was always compelling to watch, of course.
A great actor in movies Peter O Toole was good in theater too....!!! And Margot Kidder is very surprizing here...she was Lois in Superman movie with Christopher Reeve....Thanks for that Pygmalion , with such a greats actors...!!!!!!!!:******
I just noticed something... UNDER THAT BIG HAT WAS MARGOT KIDDER!! On top of that mind blowing realization, she actually produced this teleplay for Showtime!!! Not only do I think that she captured the essence of our friendly street urchin marvelously, but managed a convincing Cockney dialect, as well. She was surprisingly good in the role. Ms. Kidder had a rather sad ending, filled with personal and financial woes. But her life experiences and full body of work reveal a woman rich in talent, ethics, living, and caring. It was a life well-lived. RIP, Margot Kidder.
Nobody is responsible for either mental illness or a propensity towards addiction, and sensitive, performative, expressive people who work in high-pressure surroundings suffer worst of all. Why we insist on blaming people for the demons that torment them is a mystery to me.
My favorite moment of that production was O'Toole watching Eliza the first time she visited Mrs. Higgins. He was so still, and so focussed that he became the most interesting person on the stage.
Yes, Margot Kidder. Precisely perfect. This is the greatest presentation of the relations of men and women since The Taming of the Shrew. And Shaw also presents the ridiculousness of arbitrary class distinctions beautifully. A tour de force by all.
I remember watching this over 30 years ago on First Choice (cable network) - I have always wanted to see it again. I remember Margot Kidder's wonderful performance as Eliza - I can still hear her delivery of certain lines - very memorable, but this great production hasn't been available for a long time!
8 років тому+33
What a surprising and wonderful version of "Pygmalion" with one of my favourite actors, Peter O'Toole. And Margot Kidder was flawless as Eliza Doolittle. One can forget the beautiful Audrey Hepburn's performance watching Margot's. I think this has more of the British theater kind of flavour than the Hollywood film, although I liked that one too. Thank you for uploading this, I truly enjoyed watching it.
While others here give great and deserving praise to Kidder and O'Toole,I feel that John Standing has always been a magnificent protagonist to the lead actor in many of his roles. Be it comedy or high drama,to see his name in the first few of the cast guaranteed a fine film.
I've always loved My Fair Lady, Harrison was a brilliant Higgins and Hepburn could not be faulted. Margot Kidder was the big surprise here, it is so hard to pull off the accent, I've lived in London for many years and still can't do it, she is so much more than just Lois Lane
@@ancamgI learned recently that they had an affair while making a film together. Audrey for once cheated on her husband, the serial adulterer Mel Ferrer. May they both rest in peace.
A joy to watch from beginning to end! Wonderful casting. I had almost forgotten that I had seen this many years ago. Peter O"'toole and Margot Kidder were superb.
Same here! I haven't seen since it was first on tv in the early 80's - just a great production - I can't wait to see it here on UA-cam (I can still hear Margot Kidder's delivery as she says ''When I think of myself crawling... when all I had to do was lift my little finger... I could just kick myself!'' - that was just imprinted indelibly in my mind for 35 years. This is her best performance in my opinion.
Beg to Disagree with some of you. O toole is really good in this. His pacing is magnificent. His momentum keeps the whole cast moving. Very spirited performance. The supporting roles are all fun to watch
Leslie Howard love him. Howard is oh so quick as a wick. Like Peter O'Toole, as well. One play, the other movie. They're both quite good. Of course there's going to be some difference. I'm parcel to Leslie Howard. However, I still think O'Toole did a great job as well. No one is quite as witty as Leslie Howard. Then again, Peter O'Toole is quite witty himself. I think Kidder and Hiller were excellence, as Eliza. Brilliant play! Different opinions. To each his own. I think they're both brilliantly played.
Talk about being in the moment! Perfect, and a real treat to watch it here. I think this is the best take on the play, with such energy, and everyone shared it, a real joy and so refreshing!
Thank you for this, Mr. Luk. I have watched My Fair Lady for years, and love it, but it was so good to see this play. Amazing that so many whole scenes were lifted right out of this film for that production. Thank you, again, dear friend.
My goodness Lord. The lines are amazing. I am straight but this man's delivery of these lines, the sound of his voice, his accent. Goodness grace, I am having feelings I shant should have.
Wow. I never new about this version. Incredible. So different than the musical. Absolutely love Peter O'Tool and I never seen Margot Kidder in anything else except Loise Lane. How wonderful to see her in a different role. They gone too soon but this film here to stay.🎉🎉🎉 Thank you for this incredible experience.
This is terrific. Good casting all around. Peter O'Toole is incredible, what a performance. I noticed he slid from Shaw's text just a few times, but his improv' was seamless. Wonderful. Thanks for posting.
I found him so much better than Rex Harrison and his cold-hearted version of the character. Not as good as Leslie Howard, but still great in his own right.
If only MFL hadn't chopped out so much dialogue from the book! The same for the 1938 version of Pygmalion. I've seen several versions of Pygmalion/MFL & find this version the most faithful to the book.
***** I prefer My Fair Lady myself, but I do love Peters performance here, regardless of what others say, the guy was one of THE top ten actors in the world. Watch The Lion in Winter or Goodbye Mr. Chips.
Margot can act. Audrey only trots out her set of cute poses, rinse and repeat. O'Toole has a marvelous voice, pleasing tone, terrific diction and inflection.
Why do you need to decry one actress in order to praise another? Both were brillant is this part, as were a few other, and one should be able to enjoy all different takings and nuances of this inmortal story.
You’re comparing a performance in a musical with one in a play. Very different. There wasn’t even the same amount of dialog in the two. There’s also the direction to be considered. My Fair Lady was directed by the great George Cukor. This movie is a mess. O’Toole overacts, and Higgins is made into a foppish clown, which has got to be the director’s choice. Harrison, as directed by Cukor, was far better. Also, Eliza’s use of the word “bloody” should have caused absolute horror among the ladies at Mrs. Higgins’ house, in 1912. The other young woman would never have copied it, certainly not in front of her mother. Compare with the Leslie Howard version, made in the 1930s, when people would have remembered the manners of the 1910s. Also, in this version, Eliza throws her arms around both Higgins and Pickering when she’s about to see her new clothes. Absolutely wouldn’t have happened. She’d just made a point of being a “good girl” - hugging was reserved for close relatives and spouses only, if that.
Actually, I was glimeringly wondering whether Peter O´Toole or Richard Harris had not dared to play also the role of our liguistic professor role.... And Honorable British Empire Knight Sir Peter did it...when the rain in Spain kept pouring in the plaine, good grief. Ravishing, old´boy, ravishing and all that kind of stubborn English speech. Good show.
Lovely. I enjoyed watching this play very much indeed, for I was able to hear the story how it was meant to sound on a life stage. Thank you for shearing.
Peter played his character superb, I've would have stood,applauded for several minutes. Think of an old professor, who's tired of living, here's a new challenge for him,notice how he wakes up when she says good bye? He has to think fast and say,"buy me a tie with such-and-such ". She brings new life into his life. A genuine laugh at very end. He is now happy. The focus is on her.
What a treat - and LIVE. UA-cam is a universe of delightful surprises. O’Toole does screech a bit occasionally, but who cares when so much is so fresh. And this Eliza - so genuine and so much innate dignity when she first comes to the house. And THE BEST visit to Mrs Higgins EVER, Convincing as no other.
I'm a half hour into this and O'Toole isn't bad. He shines above the rest so far. I'm flipping back and forth between this and Masada. I don't think O'Toole is capable of doing a bad movie.
@@harryflowers3433 O'Toole was terrifying in Caligula, a merge between Henry Higgins above, and Adolf Hitler. He must really have drawn upon his legendary Hitlerphobia to bring that particular character to life.
wow. margot kidder was amazing. i really liked this production very much like watching a play. much more dialog included than the 37 version, revealing more of shaw’s philosophy, and peter o’toole’s henry higgins was a hilarious interpretation.
@@robfriedrich2822. Yes! Shaw originally wrote Eliza as an independent woman who chooses neither Higgins nor Freddy at the end but he had to bow to pressure ultimately and write a “Happy End”.
@@mubislevent4215 Shaw wrote the "Happy End" only for the 1938 film version of PYGMALION, but although he included a number of scenes from the screenplay as optional for the stage in later printings of the play, he never allowed the final scene of Eliza returning to Higgins to be included in any published edition. Instead, he included a long essay explaining why Eliza and Higgins would not have ended up together.
Thanks for posting, I enjoyed that and don't remember seeing it when it was made - perhaps it wasn't shown in the UK. It's a bit stagy, O'Toole is a little over the top at times and Kidder's 'posh' accent slips slightly occasionally but I did enjoy it. It's interesting that Kidder has a co-producer credit - I guess I tend to forget that she didn't simply appear fully formed in Superman - and she is very beautiful. It was nice to see Frances Hyland as well - I think she and John Standing actually delivered the best performances.
Thank you LOADS for sharing this! I've been trying to find my old VHS copy of it that I taped off A&E years ago, with no luck. At last I finally have it again thanx to you. :) :) :)
Peter O' Toole is little more theatrical than I would like him to be, but I find Margot Kidder as Eliza in this version of Pygmalion the best of all I've seen, and I've seen all of them. Congratulations
I have never seen Margo Kidder in any show, movie, program which comes close to Pygmalion. Here her acting skills are compelling. She is amazing in this performance. Her accent is perfect.
I never heard of this film until just now in youtube. I know Peter O'Toole was considered for the movie of My Fair Lady, so it makes sense to have him in it. It would have been nice to have the cast of My Fair Lady do the original play without the songs as written by Shaw, but this is pretty good too.
what a revelation!!!! Margott Kidder is a fantastic!!!! bravo!!!! I'm looking at the scrpt of Pygmalion and shes amazing xx I know people will disagree. but that's what makes opinions great xx please debate, but don't be crude xx
I think people who give high praise to this version of Pygmalion, may not have seen the Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller version of - I believe - 1938. Their Pygmalion even earned praise from playwright G.B.S. himself.
I've seen both as well as numerous other film and stage versions and am pretty impressed with the O'Toole/Kidder version. O'Toole is so engaged with this character and raises him to boorish so well and with such joy and flounce that he's the best Higgins ever. G.B.S. should have lived to see this version.
@@Swedlow : Yes, but I missed love for Eliza, there was less spark also from her to him. They become just friends here, but should fall in love, at least start to. His pride and ungentle manners didn't feel as right as Leslie H's mixture of gentleman and free , easy man. And he loved Eliza more. Pickering too was much warmer and convincing in that film than here, . I wanted to see Elizas performance and victory too...O'Toole played very well, but looks worn out and too old for her old, not healthy. mr Dolittle was good. . Although I prefer him in the other film.More jovial, warm.
I just saw the 1938 version... I cannot say anything about the Peter O'Toole version... but the 1938 war really good... I am not sure anymore how the play ends usually, but I was kind of suprised at the end...
The cruelty of the role could be problematic in the hands of anybody less dashing than O'Toole but he brings the callous debonair off with incredible panache. One needs to be an actual prince to pull off being this much of a bastard and there are no princes left.
Andy,, thank you SO much for making this film available, I've watched it many times with great pleasure. As Ms. Kidder has now left us could you possibly change your title to include her name so more people will find it? She's so superb here, there was so much more to her than Lois Lane and yet so very few people know of this performance. It's a little jewel. Again, MANY THANKS!
Oh my! Did not know O'Toole acted in Pygmalion, Cant wait to see. i feel, he was probably one of the two or three greatest (British) actor. I am going to watch my surprise finding. Thanks Andy, I subscribed!!!!
To see Kidder in Superman and Jessica Lang in King Kong you'd never know what great performers they were in their own right. This was a remarkable performance.
I love this version of Pygmalion.. I had a VCR tape that I made off a Stage broadcast from the old A&E Broadcast and wore it out showing it to my introduction to literature classes. :-) It has nearly all of the Shaw text. It is so good to have Peter O'Toole offer us a different version than the classic one portrayed by Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady. I confess that I often were here alone in this version and no it is a queuing to some wonderful song from the musical.
Doolitle is played by John Thaw. Never saw him on stage before. Just loved him as Inspector Regan in "The Sweeney" and Inspector Morse on the screen. It's great fun to see him as Elisa's old cockney father. There is a John Thaw biography around on UA-cam, where Peter O'Toole says, he adored Thaw's dialect in this play.
It's seems the comments mainly focus on comparing this to the 1938 film version, there is a flaw with that comparison, this is Televised it's going to be different, my other annoyance is that people forget that the 1938 film also focused on what Shaw didn't wish for which was the romance between Eliza and Henry. None the less we have a good cast with good costumes so overall a fair production
Every version of this play is great, and each actress excelled in the role of Eliza each of them differing in Eliza's personality, I love all of their characterizations of Eliza, Wendy Hiller, Audrey Hepburn, Lynn Redgrave, and Margot Kidder, each is compelling.
The tragedy In this particular adaptation is that the actors saw Leslie & Wendy's film version first before doing the roles themselves....... Roles in which Leslie & Wendy owned. Here The players merely rent from what came before. The only glory here is O'Toole for the sake of O'Toole, his presence & personality & the love for acting & theatre itself for the sake of acting & theatre. Nevertheless I will always Love Pygmalion & both Howard & O'Toole.
What needs to be noted is that this is about the one filmed production of PYGMALION that seems to closely follow the original script as written - for those who have read the original play, of course… But we were cheated of an important part of the movie: that part when Eliza was presented to society, and succeeded in winning Higgins’s bet for him. Additionally: did Peter O’Toole really have to overscream at certain points in order to make his lines understood?
I was going to ask if anyone knew about the script they used here. Seems to me they made some cuts. E.g., doesn't a vicar come to Mrs. Higgins's "at home"? In the last scene Eliza mentions a Hungarian--obviously a reference to Zoltan Karparthy--but there's been no mention of him prior in this acting version. Did they maybe combine the original play with the early film version and then make cuts? Seems to me there's something missing from the first scene and perhaps some of Pickering's dialogue...(?)
@@user-bc9mn7gq2c …more than missing. Obviously we two have read (and rather thoroughly remember) Shaw’s original script. Shame they had to make such drastic cuts. Kind of kills the authenticity of this being the one FILMED production that followed the script as written… I remember watching a not-many-years-ago filmed production of Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST a few years back. It also followed the original play rather closely…but there were noted omissions in some scenes. It is understood that time (and some budget) constraints are a factor when producing period pieces such as these; but it still can be rather disappointing for purists (such as we both seem to be) to have to watch them while remembering what’s missing… As a postscript, I must add that although this was originally the one supposedly authentic version of PYGMALION (as I first stated), I didn’t enjoy it at all. I’m still besotted with the 1938 straight acting version (Wendy Hiller, Leslie Howard) and the 1964 musical film (renamed MY FAIR LADY and starring Audrey and Rex), although those two didn’t closely follow the original play. Somehow or another, Peter O’Toole and Margot Kidder didn’t convince me of their being English enough to carry off their roles well. But that’s my own opinion, of course…
Actually I quite enjoy O'Toole's performance here. I love the play and have read it several times , I find O'Toole's Higgins convincible because Higgins is a very phisical man and quite quite boyish(Shaw's own words), you can tell that from the original text. Surely one can argue that he was a bit overacting … he was a theatrical actor after all, and I loved him for that.
Wow, thanks so much for sharing this gem! Didnt even know it existed! Loved "My Fair Lady" but have been IN love with Peter O'Toole since the first time I laid eyes on him in "Whats New Pussycat"?!!! Where did this production emanate from? BBC? It looks "live" and a different type of film. Definitely wasnt expecting to see Margot Kidder as Eliza Doolittle!
Growing up watching My Fair Lady was my only reference to Pygmalion. How wonderful to know the whole story! I had to give up watching MFL, as Higgins became so despicable in my eyes as I grew older. Here, there is a deeper look at him, and how she deals with him at the end. His justifications for his own behavior only heighten his incredible audacious arrogance; and her discernment of character and the strength to make independent choices he wants to claim, but are not his to claim. Really dislike his character, but really makes for an interesting play, not just about the ways between men and women, but how really important good behavior towards others is as it develops one's own character. Shaw is great.
Thank you! Margo Kidder is an excellent Eliza. Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard are the best. Peter O'Toole's health problems and broad over-playing are unfortunate. Otherwise, it would be inspired casting. I was fortunate to see Rex Harrison on stage and in top form at 72 years old, co-starring with Christine Ebersole, who was Wendy Hiller's equal in every way. I've only heard Julie Andrews on the British MFL soundtrack, and Hollywood cheated her of the opportunity of capturing her Eliza for posterity. This 1983 version is curious, to me, because it completely skips the ball sequence where Eliza fools Zoltan Karpathy. The 1938 film includes this, as does My Fair Lady. I forget whether the 1938 film includes the Ascot races episode. But this 1983 version feels truncated at the end, with his remarks about Freddie, and then the credits roll! I haven't read Pygmalion in decades, and this makes me want to watch the Leslie Howard film again for comparison.
This production IS the play, which is broken down into five acts, or scenes: -Covent Garden (where the characters are introduced) -Higgins' Study (where Eliza comes to Higgins for help, Pickering makes the bet, and Alfred comes to strike a deal of his own) -Mrs. Higgins' Home (Eliza's tutoring happens off-stage, so this is the first time we see her since Higgins took the bet, and it is here at Mrs. Higgins' at-home tea party that they first test her out) -Higgins' Study (the ball also happens off-stage, and this act opens with Higgins, Pickering, and Eliza returning home, triumphantly, though Eliza is not so joyous and departs after her confrontation with Higgins) -Mrs. Higgins' Home (Pickering and Higgins show up in search of Eliza, who has paid Mrs. Higgins' a call; the play concludes here, with Alfred also showing up and announcing he's getting married, and Eliza and Higgins' have their last confrontation) When Shaw adapted his play for the 1938 film, he fleshed out the story to include scenes that only happened off-stage in the play (e.g. Eliza's tutoring, the ball, meeting up with Freddy after she leaves Higgins' house), and he also added the ending with Eliza returning to Higgins and the closing line "Where the devil are my slippers?" The musical borrowed heavily from that film than the actual play. To answer your question, the Ascot Race is not included in the 1938 film, which still uses Mrs. Higgins tea party. The Ascot scene, which replaced the tea party, was added for the musical, but the dialog is almost verbatim, just the setting is different. Furthermore, the endings to the original PYGMALION play, the 1938 movie, and the musical all sucked! The former, because it left everything ambiguous. The play ends with Eliza stating she's marrying Freddy and storms out, and Higgins laughing it off. The 1938 film has Eliza returning to Higgins, implying a happy ending and romance, which the musical copied. Terrible, terrible, all around! I much prefer the ending Shaw rewrote for the 1920 revival, in which the final scene plays out as before, with Higgins pleading Eliza to return to Wimpole Street, and Eliza brushing him off, intent on marrying Freddy and forging her own life. But instead of merely laughing it off, Higgins ponders a moment, then goes out to the balcony to watch Eliza's departure. After a moment, he exclaims "Galatea!" (meaning the statue has come to life at last), and then the curtain falls. That is the point of the play. Eliza (Galatea) was a lump of clay that Higgins (Pygmalion) molded into a refined lady, but she didn't 'come alive' until that very moment, when she becomes independent of Higgins. But he's not mocking her when he smiles and makes the exclamation (as in the original play ending), nor is he despondent that she won't come back , until she does (as in the film/musical). He has succeeded with the transformation (it wasn't complete before then, despite their success at the ball) and done his duty. Thus, Eliza has no further use for him anymore. There's no need for the two of them to be romantically linked, since Eliza only saw him as a father figure. The play works better with an EDUCATING RITA ending. In that play/movie, the professor and student also don't get romantically involved and part ways. BTW: The "Galatea!" exclamation from the 1920 revival was also the only time that the PYGMALION & GALATEA myth was referenced, which I like. In the original production, only the title makes the reference, but not within the text, and, of course, MY FAIR LADY never does at all.
Wow! I had no idea Pygmalion was re-done in the 80s. I only recently watched the original with Leslie Howard. And, of course, I saw the version with Audrey Hepburn when I was a kid. This is a nice surprise.
Thanks for uploading this! Honestly I don't like that they took out the ball, the Karpati guy, Freddy...Thank God, at least Eliza did not get back. The text is also quite different than the other Pygmalion ('38), and My Fair Lady.
I enjoyed this story even without the scene with the big meeting where Elizer is shown off and other scenes were not included but this is strong story to work very well in every version. I like My Fair Lady and there may be others versions. I also particualry like the 1930's and Educating Reita versions.
Peter O'Toole was not at his best in this production and apparently was very off-hand about the project and had to be dragged to the set every morning. He played Higgins a few times and I saw him in 1987 on stage and he was much better but struggled to get through the play due to his health. Many thought O'Toole always sounded slightly drunk, but this was actually his normal voice sober, kippered through his heavy cigarette consumption.
I had no idea the girl from the frozen North performed as Eliza in this. Kidder was superb. And, wasn't she so very attractive? This compared to Superman, Superman is a B movie. Whoever you are, the world owes you thanks for posting this.
Absolutely brilliant, what a fantastic cast, I’ve never laughed so much, what a treat for a rainy afternoon
As David Niven said of Robert Newton, one could say of O’Toole’s performance that he is a ham, but a succulent one!
Peter O’Toole was absolutely brilliant in this role. The big surprise was Margot Kidder as Eliza Doolittle. She was absolutely amazing! She was spot on with the accent, and she was so amazing with the emotion. Thank you for putting this on UA-cam!
His delivery is a bit shouty, as if for the stage, rather than the screen.
I couldn’t agree with you more. She was splendid
@@Simpaulme I think his delivery in all of his films was shouty-watch “Becket” and compare him with Richard Burton
@@gloriamontgomery6900 He was very noble and kind in Man of La Mancha.
, l
Lovely to see the wonderful John Standing as Pickering, also a great actor.
Peter O’Toole was wonderful in anything he chose to do❤
How time flies!
I went to see Rex and Julie at the King's Theatre, Glasgow Scotland. 1964-5
It was indelible!!!
wow nice
Oh this is GREAT.. what a treat. Both Margot and Peter the tops..together and separately. I cannot believe we never heard of this. Thanks so much.
When I heard of Ms. Kidder's death just a few hours ago I immediately thought of her performance here, which I've watched many times. On paper it doesn't sound right, Margot Kidder as Liza Doolittle, but she's absolutely brilliant. She's entirely compelling, you can't take your eyes off of her., and she genuinely tugs at your heartstrings. She's clever, she's nuanced and for me she now owns this role. I'll miss her. A true one of a kind. I hope she's now at peace.
edfou5
Amen 🙏 • Margot Kidder See you again dear , you will now be with Superman ‘
Namaste 🙏 And so it is
What a beautiful sentiment
Yes, truly clever, nuanced and owned the role. If O'Toole hadn't hammed his performance, this would have been a perfect Pygmalion.
@@kingstonnine2393 He is a ham after all! 🤣😂
@@cristineconnell7803 A professional ham for sure 😂
This is Marvellous 👍🏽👏🏾👏🏾❣️
I thought I'd read and seen every version of Pygmalion, but this is a revelation . I've always and still loved O'Toole, And Margot Kidder, yet I never knew of this presentation. It's so much more Real, certainly than the Disney-esque version which was all Acting. THIS is B.EING🎭. Grateful to you for finding aand sharing it. I've been trapped in a Txxzz nursinghome almost 2 years, and there's very little joy.
Thank you so much❣️
My God. Peter O'Toole was such a talented and skilled actor.
And absolutely gorgeous, too.
What. ??? He looked like he was over acting.
Is he really your god!
@@Stand663 - I thought I was the only one who noticed!
@@wiseonwords Me too! (LOL) Peter O'Toole was a brilliant actor but here he overdid it. A similar case was Rod Steiger's over-the-top performance as Napoleon at "Waterloo" (1971). We cannot expect wonderful performances all the time. Regards!
O'Toole is masterful and immensely satisfying. Kidder, a perfect jewel. Excellent sound and staging, especially considering the limitations of TV studio production.
Limitations? It's a totally different media to screen productions. What you get is a stage production & we are the audience.
OMG, I saw this at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1984, during my first visit to London! Loved it to pieces, but never thought it possible in my wildest dreams that I could get a vid of the show one day. Thanks so much for posting, Andy Luk! I'm forever indebted to you. Gosh, I could dance with joy :-D!!!
I saw this on stage in '84 as well. Met the brilliant Mr O'Toole after the matinee!
I was lucky to see it when it came to New York in 1987. I absolutely loved it, but I don't remember Peter being quite so over-the-top as he is here. He was always compelling to watch, of course.
What a gem. Thank you so much for uploading this. Wish we could watch this in HD but so grateful that you brought it here at all.
“A lady is not how she speaks , but how she is spoken to” thank you Mrs Pierce , my 10th grade English teacher.🙏🙏🙏
What a nice version...thank you for posting such a gem!
A great actor in movies Peter O Toole was good in theater too....!!! And Margot Kidder is very surprizing here...she was Lois in Superman movie with Christopher Reeve....Thanks for that Pygmalion , with such a greats actors...!!!!!!!!:******
I just noticed something... UNDER THAT BIG HAT WAS MARGOT KIDDER!! On top of that mind blowing realization, she actually produced this teleplay for Showtime!!! Not only do I think that she captured the essence of our friendly street urchin marvelously, but managed a convincing Cockney dialect, as well. She was surprisingly good in the role. Ms. Kidder had a rather sad ending, filled with personal and financial woes. But her life experiences and full body of work reveal a woman rich in talent, ethics, living, and caring. It was a life well-lived. RIP, Margot Kidder.
Nobody is responsible for either mental illness or a propensity towards addiction, and sensitive, performative, expressive people who work in high-pressure surroundings suffer worst of all. Why we insist on blaming people for the demons that torment them is a mystery to me.
Her cockney accent was awful.. Thank God she didn't need it for long. However, everything else about her was good.
She no worse than Hepburn.
nice..
@@steerpike66Who's blaming anyone?
I saw Mr. O'Toole perform this on Broadway. I was sitting in the front row...not to be believed! Amanda Plummer was Eliza.
My favorite moment of that production was O'Toole watching Eliza the first time she visited Mrs. Higgins. He was so still, and so focussed that he became the most interesting person on the stage.
Yes, Margot Kidder. Precisely perfect. This is the greatest presentation of the relations of men and women since The Taming of the Shrew. And Shaw also presents the ridiculousness of arbitrary class distinctions beautifully. A tour de force by all.
Thank you for posting this wonderful movie. TTRULY ENJOYED IT.
I remember watching this over 30 years ago on First Choice (cable network) - I have always wanted to see it again. I remember Margot Kidder's wonderful performance as Eliza - I can still hear her delivery of certain lines - very memorable, but this great production hasn't been available for a long time!
What a surprising and wonderful version of "Pygmalion" with one of my favourite actors, Peter O'Toole. And Margot Kidder was flawless as Eliza Doolittle. One can forget the beautiful Audrey Hepburn's performance watching Margot's. I think this has more of the British theater kind of flavour than the Hollywood film, although I liked that one too. Thank you for uploading this, I truly enjoyed watching it.
A musical will present differently from a play, they’re not the same thing even when they’re about the same story.
While others here give great and deserving praise to Kidder and O'Toole,I feel that John Standing has always been a magnificent protagonist to the lead actor in many of his roles. Be it comedy or high drama,to see his name in the first few of the cast guaranteed a fine film.
I've always loved My Fair Lady, Harrison was a brilliant Higgins and Hepburn could not be faulted. Margot Kidder was the big surprise here, it is so hard to pull off the accent, I've lived in London for many years and still can't do it, she is so much more than just Lois Lane
Ok! BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND
@jett woodward No, but he was better than Harrison. I really would have liked O'Tool instead of Harrisson. Peter and Audrey had great chemistry.
@@ancamgI learned recently that they had an affair while making a film together. Audrey for once cheated on her husband, the serial adulterer Mel Ferrer. May they both rest in peace.
A joy to watch from beginning to end! Wonderful casting. I had almost forgotten that I had seen this many years ago. Peter O"'toole and Margot Kidder were superb.
WOW... I haven't seen this since 1983! I think Margot Kidder is fantastic, one of her best roles. Thank you for posting this gem!
Same here! I haven't seen since it was first on tv in the early 80's - just a great production - I can't wait to see it here on UA-cam (I can still hear Margot Kidder's delivery as she says ''When I think of myself crawling... when all I had to do was lift my little finger... I could just kick myself!'' - that was just imprinted indelibly in my mind for 35 years. This is her best performance in my opinion.
I am very fond of Leslie Howard but it is always lovely to see Mr O'Toole and hear his lovely voice.
Anne Roy
Leslie Howard?
He died in a air battle during the Second World War.
Jan Olsen haven’t you seen Becket?
@@mindakahn9964 "Pygmalion", Leslie Howard and Anthony Asquith, 1938.
Anne Roy Leslie Howard will always be my favorite Higgins, but O’Toole is indeed always a pleasure.
Lovely production! Margot is the surprise here for me. She is perfect! O'Toole is fab!
An extraordinary rendering of the play. Both Margot Kidder and Peter O'Toole are simply perfect..
I enjoyed every minute of this. Thanks for posting, what a gem!
this is the best play with peter otoole and margo I have ever seen thank you to up loaded it I bow to you god bless,and keep it up lad
You're most welcome
Yes it seems closer to the actual play than some other versions.
@@andyluk1218 morning to
Beg to Disagree with some of you. O toole is really good in this. His pacing is magnificent. His momentum keeps the whole cast moving. Very spirited performance. The supporting roles are all fun to watch
Leslie Howard love him. Howard is oh so quick as a wick. Like Peter O'Toole, as well. One play, the other movie. They're both quite good. Of course there's going to be some difference. I'm parcel to Leslie Howard. However, I still think O'Toole did a great job as well. No one is quite as witty as Leslie Howard. Then again, Peter O'Toole is quite witty himself. I think Kidder and Hiller were excellence, as Eliza. Brilliant play! Different opinions. To each his own. I think they're both brilliantly played.
@@jazzysophie9943 what about rex harrison version
@@dancingtrout6719 I'd have to recall. But, I imagine he would have been great, as well.
@@jazzysophie9943 Hi,, incase you dont know 'my fair lady' was the big production musical with Rex Harrison
Never understood her talent until today. Of course Peter O'Toole; priceless as always. To top it all the language of Shaw...a good day !
Talk about being in the moment! Perfect, and a real treat to watch it here. I think this is the best take on the play, with such energy, and everyone shared it, a real joy and so refreshing!
Thank you for this, Mr. Luk. I have watched My Fair Lady for years, and love it, but it was so good to see this play. Amazing that so many whole scenes were lifted right out of this film for that production. Thank you, again, dear friend.
My Fair Lady is just Pygmalion with a bunch of mediocre songs tacked on.
@@weemissile Sacrilege!
@@kennethwayne6857You know I'm right. The songs completely derail things.
My goodness Lord. The lines are amazing.
I am straight but this man's delivery of these lines, the sound of his voice, his accent. Goodness grace, I am having feelings I shant should have.
My mother saw this in London with my father whom I don’t remember before I was born ! Always had a soft spot for this movie !
Peter O'Toole brings life and colorful character to Henry Higgins. I appreciate the Pygmalion version, as written by George Bernard Shaw.
Enjoyed watching very much. Thanks for posting.
Wow. I never new about this version. Incredible. So different than the musical. Absolutely love Peter O'Tool and I never seen Margot Kidder in anything else except Loise Lane. How wonderful to see her in a different role. They gone too soon but this film here to stay.🎉🎉🎉 Thank you for this incredible experience.
Hello dear 👋 am warren nice to meet you
This is terrific. Good casting all around. Peter O'Toole is incredible, what a performance. I noticed he slid from Shaw's text just a few times, but his improv' was seamless. Wonderful. Thanks for posting.
I found him so much better than Rex Harrison and his cold-hearted version of the character. Not as good as Leslie Howard, but still great in his own right.
*****
I like Rex H's performance too though it's not as flamboyant & eccentric as O'Toole's
If only MFL hadn't chopped out so much dialogue from the book! The same for the 1938 version of Pygmalion. I've seen several versions of Pygmalion/MFL & find this version the most faithful to the book.
***** I prefer My Fair Lady myself, but I do love Peters performance here, regardless of what others say, the guy was one of THE top ten actors in the world. Watch The Lion in Winter or Goodbye Mr. Chips.
Linda McDonald Mr Chips... excellent film!
thank you for uploading this film brings tears to an old man
Peter O'Toole a beautiful human being ... gorgeous Irish man
English, actually, despite his Irish name.
Grace Gorman ha ha
Despite being born in Leeds🤣
@jett woodward Irish father, Scottish mother, born in Northern England.
@jett woodward Peter O'Toole was raised in Leeds, Yorkshire, and that was his original accent. He developed the plummy received accent as an actor.
Margot can act. Audrey only trots out her set of cute poses, rinse and repeat. O'Toole has a marvelous voice, pleasing tone, terrific diction and inflection.
Why do you need to decry one actress in order to praise another?
Both were brillant is this part, as were a few other, and one should be able to enjoy all different takings and nuances of this inmortal story.
How small-souled of you.
I don't agree with you about the radiant Ms. Hepburn, but yes, Margot and Peter are quite marvelous in this.
You’re comparing a performance in a musical with one in a play. Very different. There wasn’t even the same amount of dialog in the two. There’s also the direction to be considered. My Fair Lady was directed by the great George Cukor. This movie is a mess. O’Toole overacts, and Higgins is made into a foppish clown, which has got to be the director’s choice. Harrison, as directed by Cukor, was far better. Also, Eliza’s use of the word “bloody” should have caused absolute horror among the ladies at Mrs. Higgins’ house, in 1912. The other young woman would never have copied it, certainly not in front of her mother. Compare with the Leslie Howard version, made in the 1930s, when people would have remembered the manners of the 1910s. Also, in this version, Eliza throws her arms around both Higgins and Pickering when she’s about to see her new clothes. Absolutely wouldn’t have happened. She’d just made a point of being a “good girl” - hugging was reserved for close relatives and spouses only, if that.
Actually, I was glimeringly wondering whether Peter O´Toole or Richard Harris had not dared to play also the role of our liguistic professor role.... And Honorable British Empire Knight Sir Peter did it...when the rain in Spain kept pouring in the plaine, good grief. Ravishing, old´boy, ravishing and all that kind of stubborn English speech. Good show.
Lovely. I enjoyed watching this play very much indeed, for I was able to hear the story how it was meant to sound on
a life stage. Thank you for shearing.
Thank you for uploading this gem.
Thank you SO MUCH! I absolutely adore Peter and this is a real gem.
The production is rather tedious. But O'Toole is a delight to watch. He elevates it all.
Peter played his character superb, I've would have stood,applauded for several minutes.
Think of an old professor, who's tired of living, here's a new challenge for him,notice how he wakes up when she says good bye? He has to think fast and say,"buy me a tie with such-and-such ".
She brings new life into his life. A genuine laugh at very end. He is now happy. The focus is on her.
Thank you for that, gilbert!
Peter now and eternally my favourite actor!
Watched several times and just don’t get tired because it’s just so entertaining. Excellent!
What a treat - and LIVE. UA-cam is a universe of delightful surprises.
O’Toole does screech a bit occasionally, but who cares when so much is so fresh.
And this Eliza - so genuine and so much innate dignity when she first comes to the house. And THE BEST visit to Mrs Higgins EVER,
Convincing as no other.
Great movie. Thank you for sharing!
I recently watched the version with Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller, and I loved it.
I'm a half hour into this and O'Toole isn't bad. He shines above the rest so far.
I'm flipping back and forth between this and Masada. I don't think O'Toole is capable of doing a bad movie.
@@harryflowers3433 O'Toole was terrifying in Caligula, a merge between Henry Higgins above, and Adolf Hitler. He must really have drawn upon his legendary Hitlerphobia to bring that particular character to life.
Very enjoyable I love all the actors work, in this production that Ms Kidder produced. 😋😁
😁😁😂😬😬😬😬😬
wow. margot kidder was amazing. i really liked this production very much like watching a play. much more dialog included than the 37 version, revealing more of shaw’s philosophy, and peter o’toole’s henry higgins was a hilarious interpretation.
And no "Happy End" where the prince gets his princess and they live happily ever after.
@@robfriedrich2822. Yes! Shaw originally wrote Eliza as an independent woman who chooses neither Higgins nor Freddy at the end but he had to bow to pressure ultimately and write a “Happy End”.
@@mubislevent4215 Shaw wrote the "Happy End" only for the 1938 film version of PYGMALION, but although he included a number of scenes from the screenplay as optional for the stage in later printings of the play, he never allowed the final scene of Eliza returning to Higgins to be included in any published edition. Instead, he included a long essay explaining why Eliza and Higgins would not have ended up together.
@@oliverbrownlow5615 Thanks for the clarification. I’ll look for that essay.
Thanks for posting, I enjoyed that and don't remember seeing it when it was made - perhaps it wasn't shown in the UK. It's a bit stagy, O'Toole is a little over the top at times and Kidder's 'posh' accent slips slightly occasionally but I did enjoy it. It's interesting that Kidder has a co-producer credit - I guess I tend to forget that she didn't simply appear fully formed in Superman - and she is very beautiful. It was nice to see Frances Hyland as well - I think she and John Standing actually delivered the best performances.
Thank you LOADS for sharing this! I've been trying to find my old VHS copy of it that I taped off A&E years ago, with no luck. At last I finally have it again thanx to you. :) :) :)
Peter O' Toole is little more theatrical than I would like him to be, but I find Margot Kidder as Eliza in this version of Pygmalion the best of all I've seen, and I've seen all of them. Congratulations
I think the word is 'drunk', "Peter O'Toole is a little more 'drunk' than i would like him to be"
Wendy Hiller in the 1938 version is superb too.
I have never seen Margo Kidder in any show, movie, program which comes close to Pygmalion. Here her acting skills are compelling. She is amazing in this performance. Her accent is perfect.
My oh my, Ms. Kidder was such a beautiful lady
Thank you! Peter O'Toole will always be A+. ¬ Janet Thompson Deaver
I never heard of this film until just now in youtube. I know Peter O'Toole was considered for the movie of My Fair Lady, so it makes sense to have him in it. It would have been nice to have the cast of My Fair Lady do the original play without the songs as written by Shaw, but this is pretty good too.
what a revelation!!!! Margott Kidder is a fantastic!!!! bravo!!!! I'm looking at the scrpt of Pygmalion and shes amazing xx I know people will disagree. but that's what makes opinions great xx please debate, but don't be crude xx
I think people who give high praise to this version of Pygmalion, may not have seen the Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller version of - I believe - 1938. Their Pygmalion even earned praise from playwright G.B.S. himself.
Don't know about GBS, but Hiller earns all the praise she could want from me.
I've seen both as well as numerous other film and stage versions and am pretty impressed with the O'Toole/Kidder version. O'Toole is so engaged with this character and raises him to boorish so well and with such joy and flounce that he's the best Higgins ever. G.B.S. should have lived to see this version.
@@Swedlow : Yes, but I missed love for Eliza, there was less spark also from her to him. They become just friends here, but should fall in love, at least start to. His pride and ungentle manners didn't feel as right as Leslie H's mixture of gentleman and free , easy man. And he loved Eliza more. Pickering too was much warmer and convincing in that film than here, . I wanted to see Elizas performance and victory too...O'Toole played very well, but looks worn out and too old for her old, not healthy. mr Dolittle was good. . Although I prefer him in the other film.More jovial, warm.
One with the Wendy Hiller is my favourite above all other versions ! Mr. O'Toole shouted unnecessarily and overacted as usual.
I just saw the 1938 version... I cannot say anything about the Peter O'Toole version... but the 1938 war really good... I am not sure anymore how the play ends usually, but I was kind of suprised at the end...
GOD DAMN IT!!!! i've been looking for this for more than two decades - only thought to check youtube now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain ♡ God bless you
The cruelty of the role could be problematic in the hands of anybody less dashing than O'Toole but he brings the callous debonair off with incredible panache. One needs to be an actual prince to pull off being this much of a bastard and there are no princes left.
MUCH better than the musical. I love musicals, but this is what I want my grandchildren to to see first.
the 1938 Pygmalion (Leslie Howard) is much better than this one. I loved Peter O Tool and all the actors but not the production.
It was heartbreaking when she said she wanted kindness.Thank you, I enjoyed it.
Thank you for putting this on UA-cam. Excellent!
Andy,, thank you SO much for making this film available, I've watched it many times with great pleasure. As Ms. Kidder has now left us could you possibly change your title to include her name so more people will find it? She's so superb here, there was so much more to her than Lois Lane and yet so very few people know of this performance. It's a little jewel. Again, MANY THANKS!
Great idea to credit Ms Kidder.
Peter O' Toole, is such a great, Actor! Wish Hollywood, would have given him, an OSCAR for "Lawrence of Arbia", in the 60's. He truly, deserved it!
Oh my! Did not know O'Toole acted in Pygmalion, Cant wait to see. i feel, he was probably one of the two or three greatest (British) actor. I am going to watch my surprise finding. Thanks Andy, I subscribed!!!!
Thank you for immortal Bernard Shaw,for the actors in thi
s version of Pygmalion.2024.Thank you
Very well done! I'll always see Leslie Howard's version as the best film production, but this has to be the best stage like version.
To see Kidder in Superman and Jessica Lang in King Kong you'd never know what great performers they were in their own right. This was a remarkable performance.
I love this version of Pygmalion.. I had a VCR tape that I made off a Stage broadcast from the old A&E Broadcast and wore it out showing it to my introduction to literature classes. :-) It has nearly all of the Shaw text. It is so good to have Peter O'Toole offer us a different version than the classic one portrayed by Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady. I confess that I often were here alone in this version and no it is a queuing to some wonderful song from the musical.
Two minutes in and Kidder's accent - or lack of one - conquered me. ¡No max!
Doolitle is played by John Thaw. Never saw him on stage before. Just loved him as Inspector Regan in "The Sweeney" and Inspector Morse on the screen.
It's great fun to see him as Elisa's old cockney father. There is a John Thaw biography around on UA-cam, where Peter O'Toole says, he adored Thaw's dialect in this play.
P.Corazon
It’s Donald Ewer.
No he isn’t. It’s Donald Ewer.
what ever may be said in favor of the classic film version AT LEAST THIS ONE HAS THE COURAGE TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL ENDING!!!!
It's seems the comments mainly focus on comparing this to the 1938 film version, there is a flaw with that comparison, this is Televised it's going to be different, my other annoyance is that people forget that the 1938 film also focused on what Shaw didn't wish for which was the romance between Eliza and Henry. None the less we have a good cast with good costumes so overall a fair production
Every version of this play is great, and each actress excelled in the role of Eliza each of them differing in Eliza's personality, I love all of their characterizations of Eliza, Wendy Hiller, Audrey Hepburn, Lynn Redgrave, and Margot Kidder, each is compelling.
We studied this Pygmalion book as part of our Literature subject back in lower Secondary School days. Ages ago.....
The tragedy In this particular adaptation is that the actors saw Leslie & Wendy's film version first before doing the roles themselves....... Roles in which Leslie & Wendy owned. Here The players merely rent from what came before. The only glory here is O'Toole for the sake of O'Toole, his presence & personality & the love for acting & theatre itself for the sake of acting & theatre. Nevertheless I will always Love Pygmalion & both Howard & O'Toole.
Kind story - treats soul and brain well when black thougths approach. Like Figaro! Thanks all.
What needs to be noted is that this is about the one filmed production of PYGMALION that seems to closely follow the original script as written - for those who have read the original play, of course…
But we were cheated of an important part of the movie: that part when Eliza was presented to society, and succeeded in winning Higgins’s bet for him. Additionally: did Peter O’Toole really have to overscream at certain points in order to make his lines understood?
I was going to ask if anyone knew about the script they used here. Seems to me they made some cuts. E.g., doesn't a vicar come to Mrs. Higgins's "at home"? In the last scene Eliza mentions a Hungarian--obviously a reference to Zoltan Karparthy--but there's been no mention of him prior in this acting version. Did they maybe combine the original play with the early film version and then make cuts? Seems to me there's something missing from the first scene and perhaps some of Pickering's dialogue...(?)
@@user-bc9mn7gq2c …more than missing. Obviously we two have read (and rather thoroughly remember) Shaw’s original script. Shame they had to make such drastic cuts. Kind of kills the authenticity of this being the one FILMED production that followed the script as written…
I remember watching a not-many-years-ago filmed production of Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST a few years back. It also followed the original play rather closely…but there were noted omissions in some scenes. It is understood that time (and some budget) constraints are a factor when producing period pieces such as these; but it still can be rather disappointing for purists (such as we both seem to be) to have to watch them while remembering what’s missing…
As a postscript, I must add that although this was originally the one supposedly authentic version of PYGMALION (as I first stated), I didn’t enjoy it at all. I’m still besotted with the 1938 straight acting version (Wendy Hiller, Leslie Howard) and the 1964 musical film (renamed MY FAIR LADY and starring Audrey and Rex), although those two didn’t closely follow the original play. Somehow or another, Peter O’Toole and Margot Kidder didn’t convince me of their being English enough to carry off their roles well. But that’s my own opinion, of course…
Actually I quite enjoy O'Toole's performance here. I love the play and have read it several times , I find O'Toole's Higgins convincible because Higgins is a very phisical man and quite quite boyish(Shaw's own words), you can tell that from the original text. Surely one can argue that he was a bit overacting … he was a theatrical actor after all, and I loved him for that.
Wow, thanks so much for sharing this gem! Didnt even know it existed! Loved "My Fair Lady" but have been IN love with Peter O'Toole since the first time I laid eyes on him in "Whats New Pussycat"?!!! Where did this production emanate from? BBC? It looks "live" and a different type of film. Definitely wasnt expecting to see Margot Kidder as Eliza Doolittle!
Growing up watching My Fair Lady was my only reference to Pygmalion. How wonderful to know the whole story! I had to give up watching MFL, as Higgins became so despicable in my eyes as I grew older. Here, there is a deeper look at him, and how she deals with him at the end. His justifications for his own behavior only heighten his incredible audacious arrogance; and her discernment of character and the strength to make independent choices he wants to claim, but are not his to claim. Really dislike his character, but really makes for an interesting play, not just about the ways between men and women, but how really important good behavior towards others is as it develops one's own character. Shaw is great.
Thank you! Margo Kidder is an excellent Eliza. Wendy Hiller and Leslie Howard are the best. Peter O'Toole's health problems and broad over-playing are unfortunate. Otherwise, it would be inspired casting. I was fortunate to see Rex Harrison on stage and in top form at 72 years old, co-starring with Christine Ebersole, who was Wendy Hiller's equal in every way. I've only heard Julie Andrews on the British MFL soundtrack, and Hollywood cheated her of the opportunity of capturing her Eliza for posterity. This 1983 version is curious, to me, because it completely skips the ball sequence where Eliza fools Zoltan Karpathy. The 1938 film includes this, as does My Fair Lady. I forget whether the 1938 film includes the Ascot races episode. But this 1983 version feels truncated at the end, with his remarks about Freddie, and then the credits roll! I haven't read Pygmalion in decades, and this makes me want to watch the Leslie Howard film again for comparison.
This production IS the play, which is broken down into five acts, or scenes:
-Covent Garden (where the characters are introduced)
-Higgins' Study (where Eliza comes to Higgins for help, Pickering makes the bet, and Alfred comes to strike a deal of his own)
-Mrs. Higgins' Home (Eliza's tutoring happens off-stage, so this is the first time we see her since Higgins took the bet, and it is here at Mrs. Higgins' at-home tea party that they first test her out)
-Higgins' Study (the ball also happens off-stage, and this act opens with Higgins, Pickering, and Eliza returning home, triumphantly, though Eliza is not so joyous and departs after her confrontation with Higgins)
-Mrs. Higgins' Home (Pickering and Higgins show up in search of Eliza, who has paid Mrs. Higgins' a call; the play concludes here, with Alfred also showing up and announcing he's getting married, and Eliza and Higgins' have their last confrontation)
When Shaw adapted his play for the 1938 film, he fleshed out the story to include scenes that only happened off-stage in the play (e.g. Eliza's tutoring, the ball, meeting up with Freddy after she leaves Higgins' house), and he also added the ending with Eliza returning to Higgins and the closing line "Where the devil are my slippers?" The musical borrowed heavily from that film than the actual play. To answer your question, the Ascot Race is not included in the 1938 film, which still uses Mrs. Higgins tea party. The Ascot scene, which replaced the tea party, was added for the musical, but the dialog is almost verbatim, just the setting is different.
Furthermore, the endings to the original PYGMALION play, the 1938 movie, and the musical all sucked! The former, because it left everything ambiguous. The play ends with Eliza stating she's marrying Freddy and storms out, and Higgins laughing it off. The 1938 film has Eliza returning to Higgins, implying a happy ending and romance, which the musical copied. Terrible, terrible, all around!
I much prefer the ending Shaw rewrote for the 1920 revival, in which the final scene plays out as before, with Higgins pleading Eliza to return to Wimpole Street, and Eliza brushing him off, intent on marrying Freddy and forging her own life. But instead of merely laughing it off, Higgins ponders a moment, then goes out to the balcony to watch Eliza's departure. After a moment, he exclaims "Galatea!" (meaning the statue has come to life at last), and then the curtain falls.
That is the point of the play. Eliza (Galatea) was a lump of clay that Higgins (Pygmalion) molded into a refined lady, but she didn't 'come alive' until that very moment, when she becomes independent of Higgins. But he's not mocking her when he smiles and makes the exclamation (as in the original play ending), nor is he despondent that she won't come back , until she does (as in the film/musical). He has succeeded with the transformation (it wasn't complete before then, despite their success at the ball) and done his duty. Thus, Eliza has no further use for him anymore. There's no need for the two of them to be romantically linked, since Eliza only saw him as a father figure. The play works better with an EDUCATING RITA ending. In that play/movie, the professor and student also don't get romantically involved and part ways.
BTW: The "Galatea!" exclamation from the 1920 revival was also the only time that the PYGMALION & GALATEA myth was referenced, which I like. In the original production, only the title makes the reference, but not within the text, and, of course, MY FAIR LADY never does at all.
Yes it does want to make u want to watch again
@@musicaltheatergeek79 Thank you, interesting comment about the closing word, "Galatea".
Please read the original script. It’s fabulous!
Excellent movie! Thank you so much ❤
Peter O'Toole, whom I adore, is great as Harry Higgins. The whole cast and setting was superb for this perrenially interesting story.
Wow! I had no idea Pygmalion was re-done in the 80s. I only recently watched the original with Leslie Howard. And, of course, I saw the version with Audrey Hepburn when I was a kid. This is a nice surprise.
Thanks for uploading this! Honestly I don't like that they took out the ball, the Karpati guy, Freddy...Thank God, at least Eliza did not get back. The text is also quite different than the other Pygmalion ('38), and My Fair Lady.
Quality performance. Back in the day when european historical entertainment wasn't defiled by false historical diversity and political propaganda.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second,
it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
I enjoyed this story even without the scene with the big meeting where Elizer is shown off and other scenes were not included but this is strong story to work very well in every version. I like My Fair Lady and there may be others versions. I also particualry like the 1930's and Educating Reita versions.
Peter O'Toole was not at his best in this production and apparently was very off-hand about the project and had to be dragged to the set every morning. He played Higgins a few times and I saw him in 1987 on stage and he was much better but struggled to get through the play due to his health. Many thought O'Toole always sounded slightly drunk, but this was actually his normal voice sober, kippered through his heavy cigarette consumption.