Factual error: In the Ascot racing scene, the actors' heads move from their left to right when the horses come to the winning line. From the stands at Ascot, the horses run clockwise around the track and would enter from right to left.
My Fair Lady (1964)
1 factual error - chronological order
Directed by: George Cukor
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Stanley Holloway
Deliberate mistake: When Eliza is about to be bathed, the mirror keeps turning around between shots to avoid reflecting the filming crew.
Landlady: ...and what things does she want? Her bird cage and her Chinese fan. But she says, never mind about sending any clothes.
Trivia: Rex Harrisson also played Henry Higgins on broadway. He wanted Julie Andrews for Eliza as well, since she had also played Eliza on broadway. (Julie didn't get the role obviously, but did play Mary Poppins that year, and won the Best Actress Oscar).
Question: Higgins presumably knows about the ball's high standards of dress for men and women. Why then is he the only man there who is not wearing white gloves (which are routine for such occasions)?
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Answer: Higgins is eccentric and a bit anti-social. He does not always follow social norms and protocol. He somewhat enjoys upsetting his snobbish peers, as well as his mother. He's also highly focused in the moment on passing off Eliza as a high-society lady.
raywest ★