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Saturday 30 August 2014

Introduction of H

Our relatives in Zeeland cannot pronounce the "H", just like the French. This reminds me of the poor flower girl Eliza in "My Fair Lady", who was to be the student of professor Henry Higgins, or Enry Iggins, as Eliza calls him.

"My Fair Lady" (Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe, 1964) is one of my favourite musicals, especially the performance with Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle. Of course you know that the story is derived from the well-known play Pygmalion written by G.B.Shaw (1856 -1950).

She is very angry with Henry Higgins for he bullies her, and doesn't allow her to go to bed and sleep. She is sooo tired...She sings:



Album: My Fair Lady
Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
You'll be sorry, but your tears'll be to late!
You'll be broke, and I'll have money;
Will I help you? Don't be funny!
Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, till you're sick,
And you scream to fetch a doctor double-quick.
I'll be off a second later And go straight to the the-ater!
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait!
Ooooooh 'enry 'iggins!
Just you wait until we're swimmin' in the sea!
Ooooooh 'enry 'iggins!
And you get a cramp a little ways from me!
When you yell you're going to drown I'll get dressed
and go to town! Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins!
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins! Just you wait!
One day I'll be famous! I'll be proper and prim;
Go to St. James so often I will call it St. Jim!
One evening the king will say:
"Oh, Liza, old thing,
I want all of England your praises to sing.
Next week on the twentieth of May
I proclaim Liza Doolittle Day!
All the people will celebrate the glory of you
And whatever you wish and want I gladly will do."
"Thanks a lot, King" says I, in a manner well-bred;
But all I want is 'enry 'iggins 'ead!"
"Done," says the King with a stroke.
"Guard, run and bring in the bloke!"
Then they'll march you, 'enry 'iggins to the wall;
And the King will tell me: "Liza, sound the call."
As they lift their rifles higher, I'll shout:
"Ready! Aim! Fire!"
Oh ho ho, 'enry 'iggins,
Down you'll go, 'enry 'iggins!
Just you wait!


In the scene where Eliza is practicing her "H's", she sits down in front of a spinning mirror attached to a flame. Every time she says her "H's" correctly, the flame jumps. If you look closely at the paper she is holding in her hand when it catches fire, you will see handwritten upon it the dialog that she and Professor Higgins have been saying previous to this. "Of course, you can't expect her to get it right the first time," is the first line written on the paper.

Eliza Doolittle as a cockney flower girl.

Eliza as a student of professor Henry Higgins

Eliza is at last  a fair Lady




The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!


Henry Higgins

In Hartford, Hereford, and Hampshire...?

Eliza

Hurricanes hardly happen

How kind of you to let me come!

Henry

Now once again, where does it rain?

Eliza

On the plain! On the plain!

Henry

And where's that blasted plain?

Eliza

In Spain! In Spain!


The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!



 If you want to participate in the ABC Wednesday meme, please don't forget to refer to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.And put  the logo in the sidebar  or in your post itself. This week we are looking for words beginning with H.

Wil, ABCW Team

 



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24 comments:

  1. It's way before my time but I loved this movie. Lost count the number of times I have seen this. I am a HUGE fan of Audrey

    PhenoMenon
    http://phenomenal-cuisines.throodalookingglass.com/2014/09/roasting-a-whole-chicken-using-microwave-convection-oven/

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  2. Thanks Pheno! I am also a huge fan of Audrey's and of July Andrews' !
    Wil, ABCW. Team

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  3. I LOVED Audrey Hepburn too, especially in Roman Holiday.

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  4. Hi Denise, et al...
    I don't have an "H" word this week, but I want to invite you to the new home of Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) at http://image-in-ing.blotspot.com/ each week at midnight Tuesday, EST. And you're welcome to share your blog button for your recurring link-up at the page devoted to Wordless linkups - just remember to use your main blog url rather than a link to an individual post.
    Hope to see you soon!

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  5. Reader Wil! What a wonderful introduction to the letter H! Loved it all!

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  6. I had to push the envelope a bit to find my 'h's' this week. I too loved Audrey Hepburn.

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  7. LOVE this! Audrey Hepburn was such a magnificent actress.

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  8. This was a wonderful, fun movie. And Audrey Hepburn was just fabulous, like she was in all her movies :) Nice introduction of H!

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    1. I love My fair Lady ! You know that the French speaking people are unable to pronouce a "H" ! I have a friend who speaks perfectly English with her husband , sons and family for 40 years and still can't pronounce the "h" ? Even professor Higgins would fail !

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  9. Wonderful intro...but know I'll be stuck with that song in my head all day♪

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  10. Marvellous film, one of my favourites.

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  11. Audrey was a fair lady in her real life! She was beautiful outside, but even more on the inside.

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  12. One of my favorite movies - as well as one of my favorite actresses - Audrey Hepburn!

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  13. My Fair Lady is one of my all time favorite movies of Audrey Hepburn. Thanks for the memories, which include watching it on TV with my girls several years ago. Blessings!

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  14. My Fair Lady is my favourite too.I am now happily humming the songs.

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  15. Ha ha! The 'orrors of the haspirants...
    My "H" this week stands for HANOI, Vietnam.
    Thanks for hosting.

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  16. I didn't know the French dropped their H's. Could it be then that the Cockneys are descendents of Normans? I love the songs from My Fair Lady. They're so fun to sing. The high school did this musical when I was in middle school. I was stuck with the idea of portraying Liza Doolittle and would sing "all I want is a room somew'ere" in the shower. A lot. I'd forgotten about that. LOL
    Take 25 to Hollister

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  17. So many things to catch my attention in this post. I love "My Fair Lady" and enjoyed that you and I both had musical themes in our "H" posts. I also taught English literature in Quebec, where many of our students spoke French as their first language. "It" became "hit" and "hit" became "it" so the problem was not so much pronouncing the "H" as it was figuring out when and where it was needed. Years later, teaching English as a second language to Asian students, the "H" challenges became even more interesting. Well, as you can see, your post "as" inspired lots of memories :)

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  18. I loved this movie- My Fair Lady!
    It makes me HOPE & be HAPPY :)

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  19. Loved the movie, and Kiwis can pronounce the letter H at least the ones I've spoken to and I've spoken to a lot of them as I live in New Zealand.

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  20. I have love much this movie , my Fair Lady!
    Have anice sunday , from Belgium with sun.
    http://retriever-louisettesblogs.blogspot.be/2014/09/costumes-de-legendes-20-ans-de-creation.html
    Honors costumes Opera with the textiles museum of Lyon

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  21. loved, loved the movie and read the book too - many times over
    missed H - http://myrandrspace.blogspot.com/2014/09/magic-mondays-magic-of-memories-and-more.html

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