johnm001

SHOW BOAT is just so much better on stage. Or at least when compared with what they've done with it, on film, thus far.

He emoted, effectively, in THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD. I have a friend who was directed by him in a play (which I didn't see), and he has only ever said positive things about him.

Yes. 1974 Special, JULIE AND JACKIE: HOW SWEET IT IS. She was living in Switzerland, and would only fly to London, where her family could be with other family, to tape the special. Jackie was terrified to fly. He only ever travelled on ground or water; but flew to London, because he always wanted to work with her. They did a lot of his bits, THE HONEYMOONERS, JOE THE BARTENDER (she was Eliza coming in to the bar). It was fun, but a distant memory at this point. Jack Benny flew Julie and her husband Tony, to LA so she could appear on his show. They left England, for LA, the day after they married, and spent their honeymoon in California. Back when Broadway stars were well-known to television audiences.

I think I'd have to agree with you. The problem would be alienating a segment of your audience for an entire day. There isn't a single day that goes by, that I don't watch at least one thing on TCM. If it were Katharine Hepburn day, for example, I wouldn't tune-in, for the entire day. But, if she's limited to just some of the day, then there is always something else to interest me. It's fine, once in a while; but if the programming were to be like that all year, it would be risky for them, I think. What happens if they schedule someone you don't like, 3 days in a row?!

My favorites are slightly different between film and stage. For films: The Sound of Music- the perfect blend of what make the stage musical so successful, and a cinematic masterpiece. All the changes from stage to film, were perfectly rendered to enhance the film-going experience. As fresh today as it was in 1965. Julie Andrews and the entire cast are definitive in their roles. Flower Drum Song - again, changes from the stage version enhance the piece as a film. A wonderful cast and a wonderful score. Alfred Newman's orchestrations are superb. Carousel - really wonderful on-location photography, and a couple of added scenes to flesh-out the characters. Shirley Jones is definitive as Julie Jordan. On stage: South Pacific - it contains all the elements of a perfect musical. Intelligent book, perfectly rendered songs, and interesting setting. The King and I - another great example of the perfect blend of story and songs. Wonderful setting and characters that are engaging and engrossing. Of course, all their musicals, whether they be stage, film or television are better than anything being produced, in the last 30 years or more (with the exception of RAGTIME).

I love SMALLVILLE. That, along with EASTENDERS and AMERICAN IDOL, are the only television shows I watch. Gary Cooper isn't in any of them, but I've plenty of time to watch him when they show his films on TCM.

*

ch3, what film versions based on Broadway musicals do you like? Any?

Who's unhappy? I've said, repeatedly, that I'm glad she isn't in that horrible film. I'm unhappy they made a lousy film of my favorite musical, not that JA isn't in it.

MFL was considered the Greatest-Musical-Of-All- Time, so naturally had to run the table. Sadly, it WAS the greatest musical of all-time, till Jack Warner, George Cukor, and Audrey Hepburn snuffed all the cinematic life out of it. Well, of course! MFL doesn't even begin to compare to MARY POPPINS, nominated for 13 Oscars, by the way, as a cinematic achievement. It's not even a good filming of the stage play. But it really doesn't matter. MARY POPPINS was the big hit of 1964, and is an enduring classic that finds a new audience, every year. MY FAIR LADY, unfortunately, is just a musical film from 1964. The original Broadway cast recording, remains a best seller 51 years later.

In defense of Audrey Hepburn, she turned Jack Warner down, twice (as had Cary Grant and James Cagney), claiming that only Julie Andrews should do the role. She even went as far as having him over for dinner, to convince him. It was only after he insisted that JA would never be in his film, and that if she declined, he would go with either Elizabeth Taylor or Shirley Jones, that she accepted the role. She tries very hard; but she lacks the talent for the role, and she's hurt by Cukor's awful direction of her. Rex and Holloway didn't need direction and they are better for it.

You're free to start your own thread on Julie Andrews. No need to visit this one if you have issues with it.

I didn't even know they did a Loesser special!!! I'll have to look out for that. I love his stuff.

Morse was great in it; but my favorite person in it was Michele Lee. That's what made the film version such a disappointment to me. They cut all her great numbers! Angela Lansbury was in MAME when I saw it. I also saw her in GYPSY and SWEENEY TODD (a show I despised).

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, SEESAW, MAME and RAGTIME, were the best shows I ever saw, excepting MY FAIR LADY. CAMELOT, really wasn't a very good show; but it had the best cast I ever saw. That's why the show really never works. You just can't duplicate that cast. Impossible.

Guess if I want to find a good discussion about the filmed adaptation of My Fair Lady I should go find some Broadway-related forums. Well, soneone with half a brain cell, wouldn't be looking for that in a Julie Andrews thread. She wasn't in that movie, remember? So why look for that discussion here? Why not start a thread about the film version of MY FAIR LADY? It has lots of fans who would love to participate. The reason you don't start a thread about MFL, is you're not interested in discussing it, you're a troll who is interested in disrupting every thread I participate in.

This is the Julie Andrews thread, in the "Musicals" category. Not the movie musicals category. Many actors made contributions, and they can have their own thread. In fact, why don't you stop posting here, since you really have absolutely nothing to add to this thread, and start threads dedicated to all those other people? This thread if for Julie Andrews. Also, she made four successful film musicals, not two. And, of course, she starred in 4 successful Broadway musicals, and the most successful made for television musical ever made. Not to mention many successful television musical specials (including the most watched Christmas special in television history). I think her mark on musicals is very well defined, regardless of your uninformed opinion.

Well, it's very difficult to put into words;but it was sort of like the same kind of wonder you got, when you saw her phenomenal performance in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, for the first time. She was so talented, but moreso, she was unlike anyone else. She was unique. Her Eliza was the absolute core of the show. Unlike Audrey Hepburn who is just Audrey Hepburn, playing Eliza, Julie was Eliza. Two of her numbers received standing ovations (in almost 50 years of going to professional theater (even being part of it, for over 20 years), I've never seen that happen, except in that show (actually, 3 of the show's numbers got standing ovations, including "Get Me To The Church..."). She has always given complete credit to Moss Hart. He molded her Eliza; but she delivered the goods, for 3 1/2 years, night after night. In CAMELOT, she, along with the entire cast, were almost unbelievable. The greatest Broadway cast I've ever seen. Truly unmatched.

I highly doubt that Julie Andrews has many regrets. Her career is virtually unsurpassed with successes. No one even touches the amount of record-setters, in every area of entertainment, with which she was involved. She made her own decisions to turn down films like THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE and Broadway shows like SUNSET BLVD., always preferring family to a career. Now, she's kept busy, directing, writing, running her own publishing division, and doing the same charitable work for the agency she co-founded in 1979, Operation USA and for UNIFEM, among others. She's also busy working on the musical adaptation of her book, "Simeon's Gift". She's still a star, after being a professional entertainer for almost 60 years, with homes in 3 states and 3 countries.

My biggest issue with MY FAIR LADY is the lack of adapting it for the medium of film. You obviously didn't read my post, or you would have known that. It didn't adapt the piece for film. It is the most non-cinematic film I can recall. The number, GET ME TO THE CHURCH ON TIME, for example, was bigger and far more exciting than the film. All the numbers were.

I hate the fact that they dubbed Audrey; but there is really nothing about the film that I do like, other than it preserves Harrison's and Holloway's performances. As I've said before, the direction is just wrong, imo; and it's barely the same musical that it was on stage. Julie could have done both MP and MFL, had she been cast. MFL's shooting schedule conflicted with THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. To highlight how bad Hepburn is in the role -watch the scene when she first comes to Higgins' home. Everyone else is playing it like they are in a film. She plays it like she's in a high school play. Absolutely no coloring to her character. Just broad. Also, look at the number, "Loverly". She's all phony grins and carefully placed smudges. The song is about longing. She needed a different director. Also, she never sounds English. Finally, the film just sits there. Very static and non-cinematic. For a Super-Panavison 70 presentation, released in 1964, it barely plays like a film. I've always been grateful that Julie did 'Emily' and TSOM, instead. Besides, I had already seen her do the definitive Eliza. Trivia about her Eliza. She was the youngest actress to ever play the role (either in MFL or PYGMALION), and she also portrayed the role, longer than any other actress - 3 1/2 years.

Not sure how anyone with any sense wouldn't find Julie Andrews classy.

Yes.me too. I was both fascinated and frightened by it.

I can't tell whether people are homophobic or geekophobic.

My wife doesn't want to see it, at all. My oldest son does, so he and I will be going.