Have you ever wondered why one movie musical receives vital acclaim and most likely even an Academy great compliment and different movie based on an equally good Broadway musical ends taking place on a studio shelf, rarely seen after its initial release? There are several key factors necessary for any movie musical to become a great film. These factors intensify a mighty relation parentage and well-written screenplay, air music, good casting, and involved direction. In this article I accustom these factors by comparing two movies based on successful Broadway musicals by Lerner and Loewe.
Both plays were successes upon Broadway, although "My Fair Lady" did get more praises than "Camelot" and it ran for a significantly longer time. Nevertheless, "Camelot" had a healthy initial Broadway control and both plays have had three short-run revivals upon Broadway. Also, both plays earned Tony awards for their male leads and Tony nominations for Julie Andrews, the leading female star in both plays. Yet, the movies based upon the plays had vastly exchange outcomes, like "My Fair Lady" garnering eight Academy Awards, including Best portray and Best Actor, and Camelot earning unaided three teenage awards. So, where did "Camelot," the movie, go wrong?
Plot and ScreenplayBoth plays and movies were based on good works of literature -- "My Fair Lady" upon the behave "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw, and "Camelot" on the wedding album "The like and sophisticated King" by T. H. White. The screenplays were both authored by an experienced and award-winning author, Alan Jay Lerner, who moreover wrote the lyrics for the songs in both works. Therefore, the story lines and screenplays realize not seem to be where the differences lie. In fact, the scheme of "Camelot," as soon as its historic setting, indulgent entanglements and scenes of chivalry and war, made it a enlarged vehicle for film than "My Fair Lady" later than its dialog-filled, actionless scenes.
Quality MusicThe scores from "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot," both written by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner, are wonderful, behind a good blend of lovely melodies and sometimes poignant and supplementary mature droll lyrics. Both shows had one major hit loving ballad -- "On the Street Where You Live" for "My Fair Lady" and "If Ever I Would depart You" for "Camelot" -- and both songs were dubbed in the movies by professional singers. The songs for the male lead are more melodious in "Camelot" and, at least in the movie version, the male lead, Richard Harris, had a enlarged singing voice than Rex Harrison had in "My Fair Lady." in the manner of basically equivalent scores, it seems that it is not the music that distinguishes the two works.
CastingAlthough Richard Harris was the perfect King Arthur, casting is one major area where the movie checking account of "Camelot" fell unexpected of its potential. Both plays starred Julie Andrews and her pretty voice supplementary much to the already good scores, but, unfortunately, she was not cast as the female guide in either film. However, the producers of the movie checking account of "My Fair Lady" had the good desirability to employ Audrey Hepburn who was perfectly cast as Eliza Doolittle. She had the innocence and fragility needed for the role in the same way as just sufficient blaze in her to finally revolutionary next to Henry Higgins, even though yet rejection the audience approving to her. upon the other hand, the female lead in "Camelot," Vanessa Redgrave, although an unconditionally gifted actress, was miscast as Guenevere. She presents the feel as a cold, selfish woman who is indifferent to the tragedy she brings to her husband and his empire. Unfortunately, she was acceptable to reach her own singing following the repercussion of a narrowing of the impact of some of the songs in "Camelot." upon the additional hand, Audrey Hepburn's singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon, a singer taking into consideration a beautiful, trained voice.
The casting of the third lead setting in each film as a consequence differed in quality. In "My Fair Lady," Colonel Pickering was played by a distinguished English actor, Wilfrid Hyde-White, whose acting was excellent. Unfortunately, the key role of Lancelot in "Camelot" was played by a novice Italian actor, Franco Nero, as soon as limited command of English. Although he certainly fit the role physically, taking into consideration his exceptional fine looks, his acting was stiff and his delivery of lines was going on for robotic.
The male leads in both films were perfect. In fact, the casting of Richard Harris probably saved "Camelot" from beast a disaster. He was correspondingly well-cast as King Arthur that after the film, he became united bearing in mind the role and played it in several major productions, including one upon Broadway and one in London.
DirectionBoth movies had renowned and well-respected directors, but their approaches to directing the films were vastly different. George Cukor, the director of "My Fair Lady," allow the report and music present the movie its strength and character. There were no special effects used and no unique filming techniques, but, rather, just fine doling out of excellent actors and actresses temporary on studio lots. Cukor used the strong screenplay and beautiful music of "My Fair Lady" to lead his direction.
On the further hand, Joshua Logan, the director of "Camelot," used in the distance too many close-ups that had the audience focused upon the leads' make-up rather than upon the mighty plan and music. In some scenes, then again of presenting a natural context for appreciating the songs or dialog, Logan chose to occupy the large screen when the actors faces, resulting in a distracting rather than enhancing effect.
ConclusionAlthough both "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot" had the potential to be great films, "Camelot" lacked two of the four factors necessary for a tone movie musical. These factors, strong version stock and well-written screenplay, feel music, good casting, and functional direction, could be used to compare supplementary movie musicals, for example, "Gigi" and "Brigadoon" or "Oklahoma" and "South Pacific," and the results would be similar. A movie musical that is deficient in even one of the four factors could create the difference together with a film that lives upon for generations or one that gets drifting upon a shelf.
Copyright 2009 Claire J Rottenberg, every rights reserved
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