MY FAIR LADY, 1964/GEORGE CUKOR

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Despite the dubbing controversy, My Fair Lady was hailed as a great success on its release in October 1964 and Audrey’s performance a triumph. Even devotees of the original stage production were delighted, The New Yorker praising her Utterly different though no less captivating Eliza. Yet when the Academy Award nominations were announced in February 1965, My Fair Lady swept the board in every possible category except best actress, while ironically the snubbed Julie Andrews was nominated for her performance in Mary Poppins. A scandal erupted in the media - Variety bluntly explained: Hepburn did the acting, but Marni Nixon subbed for her in the singing department and that’s what undoubtedly led to her erasure. Many in the industry, including Jack Warner, were outraged over the Academy’s decision, however a disappointed Audrey was gracious as always, agreeing to make the best actor announcement at the ceremony, beaming with pleasure as she announced her co-star Rex Harrison as the winner. Harrison gallantly suggested he should divide the statue in half and thanked both his fair ladies. Best actress went to Julie Andrews, who in her Golden Globes acceptance speech just weeks before had cheekily thanked the man who made all this possible – Mr. Jack Warner. The following four lots reveal how shocked and appalled Audrey's dearest friends were by the Oscar's snub, putting pen to paper to express their disgust and offer their sympathies. In her response to director George Cukor's letter, Hepburn admits that she has tucked these precious epistles away for safekeeping, demonstrating just how much she cherished their sentiments.

MY FAIR LADY, 1964/GEORGE CUKOR

Details

MY FAIR LADY, 1964/GEORGE CUKOR
A typescript letter, signed and annotated, from George Cukor to Audrey Hepburn on Cukor's personalised stationery, dated 15 March, 1965, the four page letter attempting to explain the absence of an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress for Hepburn in My Fair Lady, addressed in black ink My dearest Audrey and annotated in red felt pen Warning: This is a long un!, Cukor begins No - no- NO! You're not 'the only one who is not in the dark! The other Miss Hepburn [Katharine] is more enlightened - she's been to that fire before. She hit the nail on the head - almost. In the course of history there are mysterious happenings (some great, some absurd) for which there are many explanations... but always there remains something inexplicable and mysterious about them, Cukor proceeds to relate the story of actress Laurette Taylor's 1920 return to the London stage that inexplicably turned into a riot, which Cukor believes was started by the boyfriend of her rival, likening the event to the Oscar snub As in Laurette's case, the present commotion had nothing to do with your performance, your talent, the affection and respect with which you are regarded. There were machinations of Disney, Julie Andrews' supporters (helped along by that modest 'kid' herself) and the wretched Marni Nixon - ugh! But a new - and very potent element - is appearing... this one is a logical explanation, Cukor goes on to suggest that the film did not have the proper exposure During the period of nominations Warner Bros. had not made the picture available to the large body of actors... other pictures had solid weeks of invitational showings - for free, getting to the point of his letter The only real harm that could come of this mish-mosh is if it throws you. Naturally you can't brush it off lightly, but it mustn't leave any mark on you. Try not to let it take away the satisfaction and pleasure of the smashing success that you made. So that's that, the passage annotated in red felt pen This is the point of the long letter - to give you an historic perspective, Cukor closes by extending an invitation to Audrey and her mother to stay with him in Los Angeles, the Baroness in the guest room and Audrey in the doghouse with Cappy and Solo... it would be very cozy and gemutilich, signed Love to all - George, with a handwritten postscript at the foot of the letter Wow! for you - for having to read it - Wow! for Irene for having to type it - and faint wow for me for having to dictate it!
10 ½ x 7 ¼ in. (26.7 x 18.4 cm.)

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Lot Essay

Cukor's protestation was written in response to a letter from Audrey, which expressed her resigned disappointment As for the whole nomination mish mash, I think I am the only one who is not in the dark. Everybody seems to search for an explanation. It seems to be it is all very simple. My performance was not up to snuff. I firmly believe that if anyone had it in for Jack Warner or me, or wished to ensure Julie Andrew's Oscar, their sentiments would have been automatically cancelled out, had my bravura been worthy. Because MFL meant so terribly much to me, I had secretly hoped for a nomination, but never, never counted on the Oscar. Therefore, disappointed I is, but not astounded like my chums seem to be. Hepburn's response to Cukor's letter was sold at RR Auction in November 2009, gratefully accepting his invitation to stay and thanking him for his time and care in attempting to explain the omission Your marvellous paragraphs on the mystery of the nominations are only superb and I have tucked your letter away for safe keeping along with the other precious epistles such as that from the proper Hepburn [Katharine] and some equally adorable ones from such special people as Cathleen Nesbitt and Deborah [Kerr].

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