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Pygmalion Movie Review

Pygmalion is a 1938 British drama film directed by and starring Leslie Howard. Wendy Hiller co-stars. It’s a pretty good adaptation.

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“Where the devil are my slippers, Eliza?“

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A linguistics professor tries to make a lady out of a very crude Cockney flower girl. Based on the titular play by George Bernard Shaw, the movie is incredibly faithful to the original play, but that was to be expected as Shaw himself was the screenwriter here. This just goes to show that sometimes the authors themselves can be the screenwriters for the adaptations of their works.

Although the movie has its slower and less interesting stretches, most of it is very engaging to follow. In particular, the first half is stellar stuff. I found it very charming, just goofy enough and with a great sense of humor. Its light, comedic approach worked wonders to make it pleasant and enjoyable to watch.

I did not care as much for that third act as it was overly concerned with romance and it was somewhat standard in its plot points, though the ending itself is memorably playful. The movie is pretty well paced and as cinematic as an early adaptation of a play can be.

Leslie Howard directed this movie surprisingly well. Again, the direction here is nothing amazing, but it’s pretty solid, which goes to show how multitalented he was. His performance is also excellent in the important role of Henry Higgins. As for Wendy Hiller, I hadn’t been quite familiar with her before this film, but now I would like to see more of her. Yes, she is terrific here – so believable in the role, so charming and just perfectly cast.

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Pygmalion is also technically pretty good. Sometimes, you could see its stage roots, but for the most part it’s a pretty cinematic adaptation. I liked its cinematography and in particular the sets are stellar. As for its Oscar nominations, I do appreciate that both Hiller and Howard got nominations as they entirely deserved it. As for the adapted screenplay win, maybe I personally wouldn’t have gone with it, but the Academy honoring it a win was quite reasonable as the script is so good here.

The 1938 Pygmalion adaptation has its weaker parts, especially the inferior third act, but most of the film is phenomenally adapted thanks to a stellar script. The movie is surprisingly cinematic, engaging and charming. The performances from both Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller are both very believable and terrific.

My Rating – 4

You can get Pygmalion on Amazon.