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Pygmalion

[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/1622/85_pygmalion_w128.jpg[/img]

Cranky Professor Henry Higgins (Leslie Howard) takes a bet that he can turn Cockney guttersnipe Eliza Doolittle (Wendy Hiller) into a "proper lady."

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Just catching up on some neglected Criterions and was very pleased with this film. Light and sharp, with some terrific performances. Bad toothache memories of My Fair Lady tend to make me forget how caustic Shaw's original was, and Hiller and Howard look like they're having a ball with it.

My kids vastly preferred this to "My Fair Lady" -- and they do like lots of musicals in general (albeit more of the Bernstein - Sondheim ilk). The performances could hardly be better.

A Criterion Contraption review.

Looks like this is newly out of print.

Brian C wrote:Looks like this is newly out of print.

Since the Essential Art House version consists of the same content in a different case for $10 less, perhaps they realized there was no point.

Yeah, they did more or less the same thing for Variety Lights, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen for other early, barebones releases that they've decided not to upgrade.

Highway 61 wrote:Yeah, they did more or less the same thing for Variety Lights, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen for other early, barebones releases that they've decided not to upgrade.

Thought Variety Lights was a StudioCanal issue. Not sure about Pygmalion, but thought I read just the other day that titles only go OOP if they lose the rights.

Brian C wrote:Thought Variety Lights was a StudioCanal issue.

Then how do you explain that the Essential Arthouse release of Variety Lights is still in print, but the Criterion edition is not?

Brian C wrote:I presume that it's possible that the licensing agreements may be different vis-a-vis Essential Arthouse and Criterion proper, just as (presumably) the ability of Criterion to put out a DVD doesn't necessarily mean that they can put out a Blu for the same title.

I don't think it really works that way, but I don't know Criterion's actual reasons for doing what they do, so I won't argue about it.

AtlantaFella wrote:

Brian C wrote:Looks like this is newly out of print.

Since the Essential Art House version consists of the same content in a different case for $10 less, perhaps they realized there was no point.

Highway 61 wrote:Yeah, they did more or less the same thing for Variety Lights, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen for other early, barebones releases that they've decided not to upgrade.

Wouldn't it have been easier to have just reduced the prices of the Criterion releases and NOT released them under the Essential Art House label? This will probably annoy those who like to have all of the spine numbers (and personally, I preferred the original Criterion artwork on both). :-k

With the concept of duel release there's a reason for Criterion to put this spine back in print (assuming rights are still available as the EAH appears to still be in print).

The Australian Director's Suite DVD has some extras they can port over. An audio commentary and audio interview with Wendy Hiller.