Dyrector’s Gossip
Rex Harrison and ‘My Fair Lady’
By Stanley Dyrector
So…I knew a lot of influential people in Hollywood in the mid-fifties, etcetera.
But years later, it’s Saturday evening and I sit at the computer browsing through emails and take my journey on Facebook. I am distracted when I hear music with a brusque, mature British male singing voice sounding overly articulate—I look at the Telly from where I sit at my computer, which is on a big, dark, rotund table in the living room, my fingers poised like a concert pianist momentarily in dead air, inches from the keyboard.
I’m frozen momentarily in time–“My Fair Lady” is playing, perhaps on TCM. I didn’t check the channel since I’m perfectly at ease where I am sitting, clutter be damned! But I do surmise my bride has our plasma on that channel—our TV is ensconced in a humongous armoire.
Rex had been singing the tune “Why Can’t a Woman Be Like a Man?” to his male friend, Pickering. Boy, it brought back all sorts of memories.
I remember when, as a young actor trying to make the major climb in my career, I heard stories from various connected and personal friends of director George Cukor, who directed “My Fair Lady,” tales of Mr. Cukor’s disdain for the casting of Rex Harrison for the movie.
Alas, but for those of us with short memories (or who most likely had not been born back in the day) Rex Harrison starred in and was the original Henry Higgins on Broadway in “My Fair Lady.” He costarred with the magnificent Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle. Julie was nominated for a Tony for the role. Rex Harrison won the Tony for his role.
Further, I continue with common knowledge gossip at the time that Jack Warner, the big boss at Warner Brothers, did not want Julie Andrews for the role of Eliza in the first place, because she was not a movie star. The choice he did make was Audrey Hepburn for the coveted part of Eliza. And, as you may know, historically it was supposedly the vindictive illustrious Hollywood Academy Award members who did payback to Jack and voted purposely not to nominate Audrey, giving the Oscar to Julie Andrews for starring in Mary Poppins that same year, 1956.
By the way, Rex Harrison did win an Academy Award for his portrayal of Henry Higgins.
The upshot of why George Cukor did not want Rex Harrison for the part was because he thought he had a wrinkled turkey neck, and he was also too old and not romantic looking. I heard that Mr. Cukor wanted Cary Grant.
Gossip goes Cary wanted no part of it—he was a fan of Rex Harrison’s and thought he did a splendid job. He sure did. Oh well, that’s how business is still done in Tinseltown. Flavor of the Day is who they all want to star in their epics.