Musical Movie Review: ****My Fair Lady (1964)

This is a musical triumph of major degree.  It also has costuming, form the poor to the wealthy which is fantastic.  Rex Harrison stars as Professor Higgins, the linguist who is determined he can teach anyone to speak proper English, and Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle, his subject.  Higgins' best friend is Colonel Pickering (Wilfred Hyde-White) and the father of Eliza is Alfred P. Doolittle (Stanley Holloway).  This movie has many catchy numbers including, "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?," "With a Little Bit of Luck," "Just You Wait [Henry Higgins]," "I Could have Danced All Night." "On the Street Where You Live," and "I'm getting Married in the Morning."  There is great fun here, and there is a romance included free of charge.  This musical is a Lerner and Lowe (Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.

Musical Movie Review: ***^Brigadoon (1954)

Gene Kelly puts his spin on this Lerner and Loewe musical.  Kelly is credited with the choreography.  This is a musical I was in at one point in my life, so the story I know well.  They did some nice things here, and the left out some which I miss.  Tommy Allbright (Gene Kelly) and Jeff Douglas (Van Johnson) are hunting when they loss their way.  Out of the mist a town, Brigadoon, which is not on the map.  It is a magical town.   Here we see what happens when two cultures collide.  It proves well for Tommy, and a nightmare for Jeff.  Tommy meets Fiona (Cyd Charisse) and Charlie Dalrymple (Jimmy Thompson) and his fiance Jean (Virginia Bosler), Fiona's sister.  The miracle town is doomed when one member of the town decides to leave.  His leaving will end the miracle and they will all be doomed.   The part that was minimized in the movie is that of Meg (Dodie Heath) in fact they cut both of her songs, as well as a Fiona song.
However they add a rousing tap number, with the Scottish characters being totally amused by something new, as well as some nice dance scenes.  The big dance is after the wedding.