Pygmalion

2178. PYGMALION (1938-England). With WENDY HILLER, LESLIE HOWARD. Directed by ANTHONY ASQUITH and LESLIE HOWARD. Screenplay by GEORGE BERNARD SHAW, based on his play. This near-perfect translation to celluloid Of Shaw’s famous play is a treat from start to finish. It tells the beloved story Of Henry Higgins, phonetics prOfessor and perfectionist who sets out to transform the uncultivated Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a seemingly well-bred product Of high society. Eliza has the breeding and manners Of a stevedore. She speaks with an insufferable Cockney accent. So Higgins Offers this guttersnipe an intense crash course in deportment, conduct and speech. Of course, he has convinced himself that his interest in Eliza is purely academic. However, what will become Of her once the teaching process is complete? What has Eliza learned beyond the formalities Of how to walk and talk? You also would be hard-pressed to find a Leslie Howard performance that is as comÂmanding as the one he gives as Higgins. Because Of alt the changes she undergoes in the course Of the story, Eliza Doolittle has never been an easy role for any actress. Wendy Hiller takes on the part full force and what emerges is a rich and impeccable characterization. Killer and Howard were rewarded with well-deserved Academy Award nominations; the film also earned a Best Picture nod. It was a winÂner in two major categories, Writing (Adaptation) and Writing (Screenplay). The film additionally was edited by a young director-to-be named DAVID LEAN. 87 minutes. Romance