Here are a few of those clips of Julie Andrews as Eliza:
Julie Andrews turned 81 on October 1st, and for movie night last night we watched The Sound Of Music. I can take or leave most Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but I do love this one. This is partly nostalgia- I watched it on TV every New Years' Day when I was a kid, and played first clarinet in our school production of it back in the day. A lot of my love of the film though, is based on my enjoyment of Andrews' character. As Maria Julie carries the entire film, and she is more than up to the task. Her performance just sparkles as, with great energy and charm, she sings and dances her way through this gem of a film. Of course, the other role which Julie Andrews is famous for is that of Mary Poppins. I love this movie- every bit of it; I can't think of anything in it that I would change. And Julie is the perfect Mary Poppins, alternating between sternness and warmth, strict common sense and magical flights of fancy. The songs are great, and Andrews' performance of them is, as usual, amazing. It's always been a bit of a sore spot with me that Julie Andrews didn't get the starring role in the film version of My Fair Lady. Andrews played Eliza Doolittle in the original 1956 Broadway production, defining the role. When the 1964 film was being made, however, Audrey Hepburn was cast as Eliza because the makers decided to go with an actress who had more name recognition. Now, I have nothing against Hepburn although I've never really been a fan of her acting style (and I hate Breakfast At Tiffany's). The biggest problem I have with this casting is that, although she had a pretty voice, Audrey didn't have the pipes for the role and her voice was dubbed (by Marnie Nixon). I understand about using big-name actors to take advantage of their fame, but casting actors in major singing roles who can't sing seems counterproductive to say the least. Especially when you have a perfect Eliza Doolittle right there. I've seen clips of Julie Andrews' performance as Eliza, and to me her portrayal- music aside- is still superior to Audrey Hepburn's. She inhabited the character in a way Hepburn never did. Oh well, not being in My Fair Lady allowed Julie to be in Mary Poppins, for which she won an Academy Award. Here are a few of those clips of Julie Andrews as Eliza:
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