do you have any favorite film-going experiences? have you ever gotten to see any favorite old movies of yours in a theater?
Yes! I actually got to see My Fair Lady in theaters this February, and that might be my favorite theatre experience ever. The Hot & Vintage Men Tournament was in its final rounds then, so it was joyous to go from staring at a tiny little Jeremy Brett's poll standings on my phone to seeing him actually life size in a theater. (The way they shoot "On The Street Where You Live" is brilliant on the big screen—he is genuinely life size as he walks down the street, and looks like he could stroll right off the screen.)
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Audrey Hepburn in a publicity photo for My Fair Lady (1964)
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This Edwardian-style gown was created for the Ascot scene in the original 1956 Broadway production of the Lerner and Loewe musical My Fair Lady. The scene was filled with beautiful gowns, all in black and white, in keeping with the famous “Black Ascot” of 1910, when King Edward VII died shortly before the event, making it inappropriate to wear color. Thus, those who attended wore all black, aside from accents of white from pearls and flowers.
The gown was designed by Cecil Beaton and executed by Helene Pons based on his sketches. The cream crepe dress has black velvet stripes and an embroidered lace bib. The photo above most likely shows actress Melisande Congdon in the costume, as she performed in the play for three years.
When Truman Capote decided to throw his famous “Black and White Ball,” – he used the scene from My Fair Lady as its inspiration. Deborah Davis’ wonderful book The Party of the Century mentions that much of the gossip about town was about “who” everyone would wear. Amanda Carter Burden, daughter of Babe Paley, was able to sidestep this conversation and not commit to any one designer when she chose a gown from the film My Fair Lady. A drawing of Amanda in costume, sketched by Kenneth Paul Block, appeared on the front page of Women’s Wear Daily.
But was her gown from the film adaptation of My Fair Lady? Amanda was based in New York City, and it would have been far easier for her to obtain one of the costumes from the Broadway show.
In addition, no costume in the film accurately matches the one she wore to the ball. There is one that is similar and clearly based on the same design, but it appears to be a different piece.
In 2015, the dress from the Broadway production went up for sale, where it sold for $1280. It contains a lace dickey that the auction house noted has been added post-production. The dickey is clearly visible on Amanda Carter in the Black and White Ball photo. While I cannot confirm for certain that she is wearing the dress from the stage production rather than the film production, I am confident that she is.
Costume Credit: Katie S.
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★ 【おおかみ】 「 ミュージカルアーニャ♫ 」 ☆
✔ republished w/permission
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Audrey Hepburn in a publicity photo for My Fair Lady (1963)
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