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Judith
Newbie
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Just wondered if anyone knew where the phrase My Fair Lady comes from. Is it from Pygmalion?
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Total Posts: 4 | Joined April 2002 | Posted on: 3:24 pm on May 30, 2002 | IP
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Jo C
Newbie
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Hi Judith!
No the title "My Fair Lady" doesn't come from Pygmalion. I won't claim to know everything about this subject, but I think I know the answer to this one. If anyone wants to correct me though, please feel free.
Apparently Lerner and Loewe had immense difficulty coming up with a title for their show. They eventually toyed with the title "Fair Lady Eliza", but by this time Rex Harrison had been cast. He was NOT happy about this as any musical with a title like that would undoubtedly be a vehicle for the actress. Of course, in his mind, this show was to belong to HIM, so he disputed the title.
One of the partnership (I can't remember which one) came up with using the "Fair Lady" idea, but putting the pronoun "My" infront of it. This would give Rex Harrison a sense of ownership over the show, and therefore keep him happy. So "My Fair Lady" was born.
Am I right experts?
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Total Posts: 13 | Joined Mar. 2002 | Posted on: 4:13 pm on May 30, 2002 | IP
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mmebahorel
Junior Member
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There's also speculation (how accurate, I don't know) about the thematics of "London Bridge" ("London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady. Take the keys and lock her up, lock her up, lock her up, take the keys and lock her up, my fair lady." plus the resemblance to "Mayfair".
As far as being part of the invention of the title, I think the first is where they got the phrase and the second is read in by others. I don't think the first part was conscious, however.
It is interesting that Pygmalion was supposed to bring crashing down the verbal edifice of London, and Henry is determined to keep Eliza locked up with him. It's an interesting thematic fit. I don't think Lerner and Lowe intended that much subtext, however. They needed a better title than Pygmalion, but titles are difficult. The "Fair Lady" part was probably a result of having grown up with "London Bridge" without actually thinking about it. Subconcious influences are stronger than we realise. Which then led to the quick fix of finishing the phrase when Harrison expressed displeasure. Because it was already most of the way there, after all.
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Total Posts: 59 | Joined Feb. 2002 | Posted on: 6:39 am on May 31, 2002 | IP
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Lucy
Junior Member
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Lerner and Loewe wouldn't have grown up with "London Bridge" I believe they're both american. Jo C is right I heard it on a documentary. Rex Harrison kicked up a fuss about "Fair Lady Eliza" because it made her the main character not him so they came up with "My Fair Lady" so it related to him! Proud git!
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Lucy
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Total Posts: 73 | Joined Mar. 2002 | Posted on: 2:28 pm on May 31, 2002 | IP
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Kathryn
Newbie
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In his autobiography, Rex Harrison doesn't say that he was unhappy with the title. He says it was partly a pun on "Mayfair", ie said with a cockney accent. By his own admission, he did throw his weight around a bit during rehearsals, though. For example, he apparently objected to Eliza singing "Without you" at him because he felt it made him look a fool. He only relented when L and L wrote the By George I really did it.." bit at the end.
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Kathryn
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Total Posts: 27 | Joined April 2002 | Posted on: 6:37 pm on May 31, 2002 | IP
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Lucy
Junior Member
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But lets be logical. Is Rex Harrison going to put in his AUTObiography something that makes him look like a selfish, proud man? No. Still it is recorded in Lerner and Loewe's notes and anyway that would make sense with "My Fair" (mayfair) but even cockney's don't put "Lady" on the end.
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Lucy
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Total Posts: 73 | Joined Mar. 2002 | Posted on: 5:09 am on June 1, 2002 | IP
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chrisball
Junior Member
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Actually, the reference to "London Bridge" is correct. In the good old days, harlots such as Eliza were tied to stakes and publicly flogged before being dumped in the Thames near Parliament as punishment for speaking with such an awful accent. They then floated westwards where a barge collected the bodies before dumping them into the Serpentine in Kensington, where their watery grave became known as the resting place of the "Mayfair Lady" by the cockneys. A "Mayfair Lady" was a description given to somebody who overstepped the mark and was duly punished.
Many believe that the practice was discriminatory and public opinion began to turn against this barbaric practice, resulting in civil unrest and fires. "London Bridge is burning down" actually originated as a folktune sung by the people's movement against the drowning of harlots, as they started fires at strategic points in the city to prevent the guardsmen of the realm from rolling the flower carriage down to the river to deposit the bodies.
All the best,
Chris
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Total Posts: 99 | Joined Feb. 2002 | Posted on: 5:12 am on June 1, 2002 | IP
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mmebahorel
Junior Member
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Lucy, I'm American, so yes, they would have grown up with London Bridge. I did, after all, and I sincerely doubt it migrated across the pond just at my generation. That doesn't mean it didn't come over with the war brides, but my parents had no influences of that sort, were born in 1945, and know both London Bridge and Oranges and Lemons, so I suspect their introduction to the States was pre World War II.
But thank you for making me feel as if I must be a real subject of the realm *g*.
And Chris, Eliza was a good girl, she was! :D She could have been a bad girl if she'd wanted to.
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Total Posts: 59 | Joined Feb. 2002 | Posted on: 9:22 am on June 1, 2002 | IP
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Jo C
Newbie
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Chris, that's horrible. What an awful history us Brits seem to have sometimes! I had no idea that happened. Eliza could never have been called a harlot though - she was a good girl, she was! It's quite fascinating though, that the "London Bridge" song was so connected to flower girls and their trade. Clever Trevor and Co for shoving it into the score.
Yes now I remember! Of course "London Bridge is Falling Down" was the trigger for the "Fair Lady" part of the title. Thanks for refreshing my memory mmebahorel.
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Total Posts: 13 | Joined Mar. 2002 | Posted on: 1:54 pm on June 1, 2002 | IP
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Kathryn
Newbie
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Actually, in his book, Rex Harrison speaks about his shortcomings with honesty and humour. He describes his inability to master the songs at first, and talks about his irritability and tantrums during rehearsals. The lengthy chapter on My Fair Lady is an interesting read, a fascinating inside view on how the show was put together.
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Kathryn
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Total Posts: 27 | Joined April 2002 | Posted on: 6:52 pm on June 1, 2002 | IP
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Origin of Title