Rent Pygmalion (1938)

A brilliant film interpretation of GBS's play. - Pygmalion review by Maureen

It is just as good as the musical version. Having seen and thoroughly enjoyed "My Fair Lady" we wondered how this film, now 81 years old, would compare. The answer is that it compares very well and does not seem remotely dated. The main parts, played by Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller, are very well acted as is the rest of the cast, particularly Eliza's father and the story is completely believable. It really is most enjoyable and a real delight.

George.

Same Lesson, No Showtunes - Pygmalion review by griggs

I finally watched Pygmalion and had that odd déjà vu feeling — not because I’d seen it, but because My Fair Lady, the musical, has been living rent-free in the culture for decades. And it isn’t just “based on” this. It’s basically the same film again, only the musical adds song-and-dance and stretches the beats out until they’re ready for an interval. Here, without the padding, the story moves and the barbs land cleaner.

The “improvement” scheme is class gatekeeping in a nice suit. Eliza isn’t being rescued; she’s being refitted for polite society, then left to deal with the emotional bill. Wendy Hiller is terrific: sharp, bristly, funny, and increasingly done with being treated like an exhibit.

Leslie Howard makes Higgins entertaining in small doses — smug, clever, and convinced that being right counts as a personality. The film may flirt with a softer finish, but it keeps the sting intact: Eliza does the work, and the room applauds the man holding the chalk.

Comedy Drama (spoiler). - Pygmalion review by Steve

This is a very funny social comedy which makes satirical observations about English class system. It is compassionate about the suffering of the poor and critical of the pitiless entitlement of the rich. It's difficult to watch without comparing it to the musical remake, My Fair Lady. But Pygmalion is too good to be lost in its shadow..

Phonetics expert Henry Higgins (Leslie Howard) makes a wager that he can pass off grubby flower seller/beggar Eliza Doolittle (Wendy Hiller) as a lady at a grand ball... But this isn't really a romance, and the pair do not become a convincing couple. Eliza has no status and her modified accent prevents her from rejoining the working poor, so she no longer has any home.

Howard is excellent as the arrogant, careless Professor. But it's Hiller's film and she is both extremely moving, and really very funny. The bath scene, when the housekeeper scrubs the filth off the indignant pupil is hysterical. Eliza has her own moral code, and an awareness of her social position, which is a notch above a prostitute.

And that difference is crucial to her self respect. Hence her catchphrase: 'I'm a good girl I am!' It's a kind of fairytale, but while Pygmalion is clearly not social realism, there is far more care for the realities of poverty than in My Fair Lady. It's a handsome production with an Oscar winning script and wonderful cast performances. And Wendy Hiller is a sensational Eliza.