Playwright and the celluloid
RANDOR GUY
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Many of George Bernard Shaw's plays have been adapted onscreen in many languages including Hindi and Tamil. A Tribute.
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OSCAR WINNER: My Fair Lady, film version of Pygmalion.
When the Hollywood mogul Samuel Goldwyn once met George Bernard Shaw and offered to buy the movie rights of all his plays, Shaw replied, "The trouble is, Mr. Goldwyn, you are interested in art whereas I am interested in money!"
The celebrated playwright resisted the overtures and offers of many producers for a long time to make his plays into movies. A cynic to the core, he believed the movie producers (especially in Hollywood) were incapable of investing the production even with a semblance of real art!
He commented in 1935, about Hollywood movies, "... the photography is good... . acting is good... expenditure extravagant... but the attempt to tell a story is pitiable. The people expend tons of energy getting in and out of automobiles... running up and down stairs... opening and closing of bedroom doors... getting arrested ... with intervals of passionate kissing ... what it is all about neither I nor anyone in the audience has the faintest idea!"
Omnipotence of cinema
Shaw was, however, aware of the omnipotence of cinema and how it could be used as a tool of social protest and change.
When the first film society was established in England, he was one of the active members along with another noted writer, H. G. Wells. An unknown somewhat obese member destined to make movie history was a young man named Alfred Hitchcock!
However for reasons not clear, Shaw yielded to the persuasive charm and power of an unknown and somewhat mysterious Romanian, filmmaker Gabriel Pascal (1894-1954), and gave away the movie rights of all his plays to this enterprising European.
The first film based on his play "Byron's Profession" appeared under the title `Roman Boxeta' (1921, Silent movie).
The first Shavian play to be made in English was `How He Lied To Her Husband' (1931), now barely remembered.
Shaw's most successful play, "Pygmalion," was first filmed in German andthen Dutch in 1937, both produced by Pascal.
Pascal also produced the first English version in 1938, which turned out to be a major success around the world.
George Bernard Shaw.
It was directed by British filmmaker Anthony Asquith (son of the British Prime Minister Lord Asquith) along with noted star Leslie Howard who also played Professor Higgins and British actor Wendy Hiller was Eliza Doolittle.
The movie won an Oscar for Shaw for Best Script, which amused him very much. It also received nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Howard) and Best Actress (Hiller).
The most successful version was the hit musical, `My Fair Lady' (1964) in which Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn were Higgins and Eliza. It was directed by George Cukor.
Here is a mixed bag of his mention-worthy movies. `Arms And The Man' (1932), is an interesting version about a soldier who finds that discretion is the better part of valour and takes refuge in a girl's bedroom.
`Major Barbara' (1940) hadan excellent cast of Wendy Hiller, Rex Harrison, Robert Morley, Emlyn Williams, Robert Newton, and young Deborah Kerr. Directed by Gabriel Pascal and a fast rising David Lean, it was a success.
In `Caesar and Cleopatra' (1946), Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh played the lead roles with Stewart Granger in a supporting one. . Directed by Pascal and bankrolled by Arthur Rank, the movie cost 1.2 million pound sterling, the most expensive British production till then.
In spite of the hype and star cast, the film did not do well. Jean Simmons, then unknown, played the saucy maid of Cleopatra and attracted attention.
`Saint Joan' (1957) was based on the play about the life of Joan of Arc. Directed by Otto Preminger, the screenplay was by Graham Greene. The screenplay re-structured Shaw's play. The film begins with the play's last scene, and in a long flashback the main story is told. After the flashback ends, the film returns to the play's final scene, which then continues through to the end. It starred Jean Seberg and Richard Widmark The film did not do well because of the confusing and complicated presentation.
Hit song
In `The Millionairess' (1960), lead players Peter Sellers (Indian physician) and Sophia Loren (rich Italian) sang a duet, "Goodness Gracious Me... ." the song became an international hit. `The Doctor's Dilemma' (1958), starred British star Dirk Bogarde, and French actor Leslie CaronGeorge Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin, Ireland on July 26, 1856. Due to financial problems, he attended school till the age of 15 and worked as a clerk for several years. He began writing as music and theatre critic for several newspapers. .
His output is voluminous consisting of 50 plays, novels, reviews, pamphlets, monographs and letters.
George Bernard Shaw continues to be popular and many of his plays have been adapted in many languages including Hindi and Tamil.
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