AUDREY HEPBURN herself sings 'Wouldn't it be Loverly'

[@SeldimSeen1]

Her singing voice was just fine. It sounded more "authentic" for the role.

[@Riskmangler]

Agree 100%

[@koshersalaami]

I can’t listen to this and figure out why anyone needed to dub her.

[@Coon_Pa-troll]

@@koshersalaami Try listening to this and you may be able to figure out why. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rovbYq2BpLN1rpY

[@helenamcginty4920]

@@Coon_Pa-troll yes but Hepburn was a ballet dancer 1st, an actress 2nd and I think her voice is actually better than Andrews more cultured, though beautiful, voice. The character was a rough diamond from the slums of East London not a polite trained singer.

[@jlafunk]

Audrey Hepburn was given the role over Julie Andrews (who originated the role on Broadway). The studio had to have a singing voice that matched or surpassed Julie Andrews to justify NOT putting Andrews into the role. The controversy was to massive that Andrews and Walt Disney conspired to release Mary Poppins at the same time as My Fair Lady so the two films would compete for the Oscar. Andres won that year, beating Hepburn's performance. Also, to add, Hepburn's voice is lovely & sweet but as the character of Eliza becomes more sophisticated and refined. Hepburn didn't have that kind of skill with her voice. I'm not putting her down, I'm just explaining that in the telling of the story it made sense to have a more classically trained vocalist in the role.

[@888pil]

Imagine how upsetting it would be for Audrey, to be led to believe you'd sing all the songs, learn all the songs and take vocal lessons, only to get to set and be told your voice would be dubbed. And then when it was revealed, for the movie executives let you take the brunt of the criticism in the media. Yet Audrey never complained, returned to finish the movie, gave the best performance she could. A Lady indeed.

[@sitting_nut]

well audrey hepburn shouldn't have been in the movie in the 1st place . given she was cast in place of julie andrews who played the role making it a hit in broadway, this is not an "injustice" or a "wrong".

[@theherrdark4834]

Look up David Prowse; they dubbed his voice, and he thought he was finally going to be seen after wearing a leather sauna for three movies, and find out that they went with someone else for the big reveal. He was heartbroken.

[@lazlong9645]

Was just the singing that was dubbed. Not when she was speaking.

[@sitting_nut]

@@lazlong9645 only the singing was dubbed

[@jmie5]

@@theherrdark4834 David Prowse found out his voice was dubbed by James Earl Jones after the first Star Wars movie, not after all the original three were made, but yes, that majorly sucked for him. (Sad he didn't have a huge part in a Clockwork Orange but he looked awesome though!)

[@ralphstephan353]

Now that Audrey’s original voice recording has been recovered I’d love it if they released the unaltered version in its entirety.

[@juliannareiko9003]

Now wouldn't that be lovely!

[@ralphstephan353]

@@juliannareiko9003 Yes, t’would, guvnor!

[@brittanysebastian8810]

Agreed.

[@marilynsmymother711]

I’d love that. Marni has a great voice, but it just doesn’t fit Audrey. All of Audrey’s original recordings are so charming.

[@chiccachannel]

YES, also because even Jeremy Brett's voice was covered by another singer

[@Dolphine876]

I actually prefer Audrey's version. Sounds so fitting, so natural. Just adorable..

[@pablocosta8738]

"loverly"

[@charlottearena]

She's okay, you want to Julie Andrews singing it

[@heaintloveu]

It just makes me sad because Audrey Hepburn was no slouch and worked very hard. They dishonored her by not using her real voice, and thus dishonored Marni Nixon for not giving her proper credit at the time. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

[@MinstrelSurfer]

Good comment, Heaintloveu........The guys at the top are always looking to maximise profits irregardless of their stars, who after all, make them their money. You are correct in saying it is a travesty that it has taken so many yea4s for Marni and the other voicing people to gain any recognition at all. They should have received proper mention in the credits at least.

[@marissasharp9892]

heaintloveu - Good comment. I feel the same way. You can tell, in her interview at the end, she was very disheartened by that.

[@johnhall4003]

And dishonored Julie Andrews by not giving the part to her...

[@keller109]

The biggest person dishonored was Julie Andrews. But it’s cool. She still got that Oscar for Mary Poppins after being snubbed. Take that!

[@robinlillian9471]

MinstrelSufer: They didn't maximize profits this time. Rex Harrison even talked his way through most of the songs. My Fair Lady did make lots of money, but would have been better & more profitable with Audrey Hepburn's REAL singing voice. She sounds far more authentic and natural. All they would have had to do was transpose some of the songs written for a soprano into the alto range. Their own greed & cruelty blinded them to the truth.

[@dnahubs]

Audrey Hepburn did a loverly job singing I wish they would release a special edition of My Fair Lady giving Audrey her voice back because I would love to own a copy.

[@WinryRockbellElric]

Yes, and it’d be a good memorial to her.

[@rockduck2210]

If it would come out I would pay $100 for it

[@marcosc9130]

It won't happen sadly, some time ago her son said he was in touch with people responsible for the newest release and he tried really hard to make them at least include the original singing , but they denied, and after he is gone nobody that represents Audrey directly will be alive to fight for it, let's pray that on her 100th birthday someone has the decency to at least release it to make some money, like it's not even a favor, people really want to pay for it.

[@charlesreed1648]

@@rockduck2210 I would pay $100 for it, too! It would be great to see the film the way it should have been.

[@bathrobetom]

Can understand why they had someone like Marni Nixon dub the vocals. Audrey Hepburn's voice is much more realistic, dramatic, and earthy. Exactly fitting of a British flower girl.

[@junjiebu2616]

Original version Eliza, Julie Andrews is the best and the more famous, but Audrey has a little bit worse than Julie, so they used Marni voice to dubbed Audrey.

[@junjiebu2616]

*BROKEN ENGLISH*

[@sampinterpe5637]

I agree. Using Hepburn's voice would have made the film more realistic. I thought the same thing when I first heard Natalie Wood sing. A film like "West Side Story" should be earthy not polished and perfect.

[@2Uahoj]

I understand your point, but "realism" is not really what My Fair Lady is about, but rather fantasy. And Audrey's occasional flat notes don't measure up in this sense. Also, Marni's voice is pure pleasure to listen to, which was very important for the Soundtrack album of the movie, which was a bestseller.

[@fjccommish]

Can't understand why they had someone like Audrey play the role. Julie Andrews was the perfect fit at the time.

[@user-or7ji5hv8y]

Audrey’s humility is so endearing. How she stated that she’s not a singer when she actually has a lovely voice, certainly the musical would have been far more authentic with her voice.

[@marcosc9130]

I mean that's not even as shocking as she saying she didn't think of herself as an icon or a specially beautiful woman, it breaks my heart a little that she had all this issues and according to her son, only really openly said she loved herself on her last days. She was breathtakingly beautiful, there's nothing I would change about her looks, and most importantly she was kind and had a bright light, a tragedy to lose her so soon and that she was not as happy as she deserved to be.

[@diegobosch8137]

@@marcosc9130 hi marcos. I am interested. What do you mean by saying "she only liked her self in her last days" what happened before? she had depression? if so, do you know why? thanks

[@marcosc9130]

@@diegobosch8137 According to her son (and herself on some rare moments she opened up) she had a very deep sadness that came from everything that she went through during war, seeing familiars getting captured and executed, kids being taken to what she later realized was their death and mostly being abandoned by her father that she deeply loved, then as an adult her numerous miscarriages, her second husband cheating on her with literally more than 200 women publicly. All of that made her very insecure about her worth as a woman, it's just one of those things that to us don't make sense at all, but due to her being someone that loved with a passion, not getting this kind of love back from the ones she loved was devastating. Also her dream was to dance ballet, but the years she lost in the war with the fact that she was a tall girl, took that from her, so from the very start she had people saying her appearance was not adequate, and she internalized it ( which is not surprising due to her insecurity) so even when she became the absolute icon that she was, she compared herself to the golden era divas like Monroe and Taylor that had curvy bodies and classic beautiful faces and felt that she didn't belong, we know that she did and she was responsible for creating the new paradigm of what it is to be beautiful. So in the end she constantly struggled with everything, and it's not that she was always sad and down, people say she was actually very funny and really loved life, but she had scars that never fully healed. She found peace and love on her last relationship, and she found a way to amend her soul by helping others (which would make me write another whole bunch of lines lol so I'm gonna skip it) But it was only is her last days that she looked at herself, her life, her legacy and truly understood how much she impacted the world, her eldest son said on a book that 1992's Xmas was Audrey's favorite , even though it was her last, she was already in a lot of pain due to cancer and knew she was going to die very soon, she said that for the first time she felt all the love she craved all those years, that it was real, deserved and most importantly she loved herself. Anyway, sorry for the book, but she is my hero so I can't help myself.

[@sangai4198]

@@marcosc9130 wow I didn't know any of this (I read the whole thing) Thank you for so much details.

[@linkfan160]

I KNEW Audrey could sing! I don't understand why they dubbed her over. Her voice is totally fine for this role.

[@bradleyscarton3931]

Two problems though...1.) The score is very demanding and requires a trained singer. Audrey was not a trained singer and couldn't handle the demand the score required. 2.) Audrey wasn't a soprano. Eliza Doolittle is a soprano. Although she does fairly well on "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," the other songs she sounds very strained and pitchy. That's not good for a blockbuster musical. You need to have perfection. Audrey could handle softer songs like "Moon River." This score was over her head and she knew it. If you listen to Julie Andrews and the countless other women who have done this role, you see why a trained singer is needed to really make these songs soar. Audrey just didn't have it vocally to do that.

[@daveheel]

audrey definitely sounds fine for this song. she doesn't sing as well as marni nixon but it has its own charm.

[@robinlillian9471]

Bradley Scarton: Easy enough to transpose the music into the alto range. Rex Harrison could barely sing in tune & talked through most of the songs. This wasn't operatic level music.

[@grandbaby5993]

The original was very high. It was good but missed some elements

[@ancamg]

@@robinlillian9471 Harrison's role was written for him, while Eliza was written for a classically trained soprano. Even transposing wouldn't have worked, unless Audrey were a real mezzo. Opera voices need years of training and a lot of talent, but even more work. Audrey tried several months, but that's not enough at all. I love Audrey so much, but the songs in this musical war too difficult for an untrained voice. Also, a couple of songs are not too difficult, but others cry for a real soprano.

[@joerusso4417]

65 years later and i'm still in love with audrey hepburn.

[@edwardnashen5960]

So am I! Adore!

[@NomaddUK]

Me too. I've always believed she is one of the best looking and warm hearted women to ever exist.

[@patriciawhite6820]

I loved Audrey Hepburn, and I love her version of "Loverly"!!! I also love her version of "Moon River" in "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

[@Liz-xc5zs]

This is so much better! Doesn’t have the vocal range but it’s warmer and more real and so well acted. Poor Audrey! Such a shame this wasn’t used it.

[@elisecliftonklitz]

The best version was Audrey. She was a heartfelt singer. She was humble to that person who interviewed her about the soundtrack. Love her voice singing Moon River too in Breakfast at Tiffany's

[@markdavis1611]

Hi Elise

[@garrettramsfield6725]

Oh yes perfect singing in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s

[@benjamintillema3572]

Audrey is clearly talented, not technically perfect, but she clearly trained a lot for the role. I particularly like her raspy vibrato, it fits the character very well. I wish they had done what they promised Audrey, kept her vocals except for the incredibly difficult parts of high notes. Her vocal performance was worth keeping.

[@mrdictator7030]

It's impossible to suspend my disbelief when it switches from cockney to a flawless singing of Marni

[@serenitysfirefly]

Marni had one the best voices of the last century. I wish she was more well-known.

[@seanphillips9523]

It would have made sense to have Audrey sing when Eliza speaks as a cockney and be dubbed for when she speaks “proper”...

[@HughColling]

Producers can't help being clueless sometimes. Our voice is one of our unique signatures. Audrey did a great job with her Cockney regular speech, and she hit all the right notes. Many are obsessed with "beauty" and disapprove of any kind of "imperfection", which being external don't reflect the spiritual beauty within. The smallest idiosyncracies of speech are so important in my view. For example, the brief way of saying "it" Audrey has. Cockney is amazing; if Audrey had a Cockney singing coach.... The most beautiful smile I ever saw was that of a fifteen year old girl in the Philippines who had already lost her top two adult incisors due to malnutrition.

[@KEVMANWILLY1]

I've been in love with Audrey since I saw this great film in 1988 when I was 15. When I learned about her incredible work with UNICEF it made her incomparable. Her eyes are just so...(no words are good enough)

[@MinstrelSurfer]

A truly beautiful star who always captivates. her screen presence is second to none. She steals the show. every time. Glad you shared your love here. Thank you, Kevin.

[@maureenredmond4758]

I agree - Audrey's singing is actually much more natural and should have been left as it was in the film, especially the moment when she accepted the tiny bouquet. Beautiful!

[@Sophie-nz9fz]

audrey’s voice honestly fits the character more, in my opinion. she’s supposed to be imperfect, she’s supposed to be human. marni nixon is wonderful and her voice is beautiful but I don’t know why they didn’t just keep audrey’s original dubs in.

[@imbreakingdown2683]

Of course because of money. They casted Audrey because she's already well known than Julie Andrews at that time. Nixon is well known to dub singing parts well so they play it safe.

[@isabelleer7501]

It was just very very common. They did it to everyone and it wasn't a big deal back then. Actors new their voice would be dubbed. The weirdest example is that Debbie Reynolds is dubbed in Singing In the Rain which is just amazingly ironic. My Fair Lady is one of the few examples where people where upset at the time because Julie Andrews wanted and expected the part. Luckily it all worked out because of Mary Poppins. The Be Kind Rewind channel has a great video about it!!

[@1953childstar]

@@isabelleer7501 Audrey Hepburn was told when she accepted the part that her voice was being used for the soundtrack. She then took exhaustive singing lessons before and during the filming. The when it ended, her singing was dubbed. She was devastated.. If you have a chance, read her autobiography, it is very interesting..

[@elouise5593]

@@isabelleer7501 Debbie Reynolds voice was only dubbed in 2 of the songs, the rest was Debbie's own voice. I just looked it up.

[@irishguy200007]

Such a disrespect to Hepburn to not get a fair shot at the oscars.

[@jacquelinesternberg8461]

I can see why a musical blockbuster type of film would want to dub Audrey Hepburn, since her voice doesn't quite have the range and strength for some of the songs, but I LOVED having the chance to see these clips, with her own voice (and sounds of shoes hitting the ground, etc.) included, like in a live show. She had a good voice for someone not trained as a singer, and her character and personality shone through in her singing. I perhaps would have liked the movie "My Fair Lady" even more if her own singing voice had been retained.

[@darkmagician2521]

A really good example of getting someone who did not have much vocal training would be Gerard Butler for Erik/The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera. He actually is what the role required as Erik started out with no vocal training in the book so Gerard being quite green is a good thing that came well for his vocal performance of singing some of the most well-known songs in the musical theater world. If they gave Audrey time like Gerard went through, Audrey could have been fantastic in the film and if they had to transpose the key to her ranger for compensation, Audrey would not have to worry about hitting the high notes a soprano can sing without breaking.

[@robinlillian9471]

And yet, they kept Rex Harrison who couldn't sing at all. Something fishy there. All they would have had to do was transpose the music from soprano to alto range for Audrey Hepburn. They deliberately made it difficult for her. Really Marni's voice sounded artificial in this, especially next to Rex Harrison. His voice fitted in better next to Audrey Hepburn's real one.

[@RalphDratman]

I might have hated it less.

[@kchrules775]

Robin Lillian Harrison originated the role of Higgins and the music was written for his voice more or less

[@robinlillian9471]

@@kchrules775 It still sounds strange & fake to hear him "sing" next to a trained, operative voice. It's easy enough to transpose music, so that's not really a good excuse, either. Any college level music student could do it. The music wasn't written for a trained voice. Rogers & Hammerstein required that more.

[@chgem.2658]

When she admits: " I am not a Soprano. I am not a singer. she shows so much class So much dignity. . Although her disappointment. They should rerelease the movie with her own vocals! Audrey, maybe you are no Singer, but nevertheless your singing gives Eliza just the right touch.

[@FunSizeSpamberguesa]

The sad thing is that although she wasn't a soprano, she *was* a capable alto, and did quite well within her range. These days they'd probably alter the role to fit her range rather than dubbing her.

[@chgem.2658]

@@FunSizeSpamberguesa Absolutely!

[@mgconlan]

"They should re-release the movie with her own vocals!" Not possible, alas, since Audrey Hepburn only recorded the two songs shown here.

[@chgem.2658]

@mgconlan No, she recorded all songs.

[@buzzukfiftythree]

Much as I admired Marni Nixon's great voice, can't help feeling that, in this particular song, Audrey's less refined voice sounded far more accurate and appropriate. I can fully understand why she was so upset to be dubbed. But I guess we live in different times now and are far more accepting of less pure but more genuine voices.

[@sup9542]

Yes, and unfortunately it dates this movie. I wish they had been more ahead of the times. Even in popular music at that time, The Beatles had just exploded, and all the other rock n' roll groups were soon to follow. You didn't have to be polished and trained anymore. The crooners were no longer hip.

[@valkyriesardo278]

It was selfish and greedy of Hepburn to sulk about the songs. She landed a plum role in a musical when the fact is she can't sing. Don't look the gift horse in the mouth.

[@peterward2275]

Certainly are. Just go watch Moulin Rouge for a prime example of some really 'raw' vocals!

[@1953childstar]

@@valkyriesardo278 Audrey took exhaustive singing lessons before and during the filming. She was told she would be on the soundtrack recording.

[@joshgehman232]

​@@valkyriesardo278not selfish and greedy at all. you cant imagine how it feels to work your butt off to learn to sing these songs and then told you're not good enough. that your voice isnt nice enough, clean enough, etc

[@lisamcdonald1820]

Audrey sang "Moon River" in the Breakfast at Tiffany's movie. The composer Henry Mancini wrote the song so Audrey could sing it with her limited range. Even though other singers did wonderful and more published covers of the song, her version is the sweetest and most heartfelt and my favorite. At least the people connected with Tiffany's realized how good that moment was in the movie and left it in. She is one of my favorite actresses and if you want to hear her version, it is about 42 minutes into the movie.

[@unstepintime]

She did such a great job. I absolutely love her rendition of Moon River.

[@ManiKais]

I prefer the Audrey versions to the Marni versions. They have more character. They're acted, not just sung. If this movie were made now with the same actors, Audrey's voice would not have been dubbed over. Just look at movies like La La Land, and Mamma Mia. They put the acting and the feel of the movie before perfection in vocal quality. As long as the actors sing well, and express the characters and emotion, the outcome is far better. Looking at the Julie Andrews stage version of "Show me now" from the same musical, is far better than listening to Marni Dixon's wonderful voice because there is so much feistiness and character in her performance. Julie really kicked-arse in this role.

[@Pagliaccimr1]

She was/is such a treasure. This is one of my all-time favorite performances. So many layers, so much heart. I don't care how well Julie Andrews did it on stage. I'm so glad Hepburn was cast in the movie and gave the world this gem of a performance to live on forever and ever. They both had illustrious careers after, so no harm done.

[@MinstrelSurfer]

This is a very important and interesting clip for movie lovers showing that Audrey was quite capable of singing some of her own songs for the film 'My Fair Lady'. With the discovery of Audrey's original recordings, and the work of the technicians to dub her own voice onto the screen footage, we are able to see what her rendition of 'Wouldn't it be Loverly' would have been like. Instead, the studio brought in Marni Nixon to record the songs. Marni did the songs for many of the stars, working with Deborah Kerr on the 'The King and I'. She received comparatively small remuneration or credit for her work.

[@guyfroml]

I believe Audrey's voice was actually more fitting for this particular song than Marni's. This song is before her Eliza's training by Higgins, so Audrey's voice has that more authentic crude Cockney sound to it.

[@ronaldososa]

She also dubbed Natalie Wood's voice in West Side Story

[@globe255]

Audrey wasn't a singer and wouldn't have been able to sing the very high and long ending notes, in a satisfactory way.

[@johnwastle3885]

Loverly!

[@erzug]

And Natalie was not happy about it.

[@sueappleton4508]

Aren't we fortunate to have both versions to enjoy now, both utterly luvverly in their own ways.

[@kirsteni.russell5903]

Audrey's singing is a much better ACTING job than Marni's for Eliza's songs. Marni was a wonderful singer, but I was always aware that Audrey's voice was dubbed in most of Eliza's songs, because Audrey was an alto and Marni was a soprano. Marni did sound like Deborah Kerr in THE KING AND I and AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, and she did sound like Natalie Wood in WEST SIDE STORY, but she just couldn't capture the sound of Audrey's voice. The range was too different. Listen to Audrey sing "How Long Has This Been Going On?" in FUNNY FACE. That's her own singing. That's very hard for a lyric soprano to imitate.

[@Nina5144]

Kirsten I. Russell don't think an affair to remember had songs. she's ok with luverly, as it's an easy song to sing. she's dreadul singing Show Me

[@kirsteni.russell5903]

I've always felt that Julie Andrews should have been cast in the movie. I heard her singing the role on the Broadway cast recording long before I saw the movie, and I thought Jack Warner was an unprintable word for not casting her. Even Audrey Hepburn thought Julie Andrews should have been cast in the movie, but Jack Warner was so dead set against her that he would have cast Elizabeth Taylor if Audrey Hepburn hadn't taken the role. Now, I like Audrey Hepburn in the movie. I believed her as Eliza--so long as Marni Nixon wasn't dubbing her voice!

[@kirsteni.russell5903]

I have the DVD of An Affair to Remember and it does have songs. Deborah Kerr plays a nightclub singer and Marni Nixon's voice is heard singing the title song in two languages!

[@keller109]

Audrey is an actress. Not a singer. Her voice is average at best. And Eliza Doolittle has a strong cockney accent, which Audrey did not portray well at all in this song. Marni's accent and tone sounds loads better. In fact, Audrey should not have gotten this part to begin with. Julie Andrews was a much better Eliza and actually had the acting prowess AND the vocal chops to do this performance the justice it deserved. The movie is enjoyable absolutely, but there was a better actress who could have and should have filled the role.

[@kirsteni.russell5903]

I was very familiar with the Broadway and London cast recordings of MY FAIR LADY that both featured Julie Andrews as Eliza, and she sang with all the requisite Cockney accent for the role. There's even a You-Tube video showing Julie Andrews learning to speak and sing with a Cockney accent. And she did it in so many stage performances, how could she not know what she was doing? She had perfect pitch as well as a four-octave soprano voice, so of course she could get the accent. I learned it by listening to her singing "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "Just You Wait" so I could play Eliza in a school reading of PYGMALION. So I can hear Audrey Hepburn singing with a better Cockney accent than Marni Nixon has. Marni Nixon was a WONDERFUL lyric soprano and of course her VOICE was so much more suited to Eliza's songs, which were originally COMPOSED for Julie Andrews! Audrey Hepburn didn't have the vocal range for those songs. She was an alto. So her voice singing songs composed for a soprano is not so pleasing to the ear, BUT I suspect she listened to Julie Andrews singing Eliza's songs just as I did. Or perhaps she learned Cockney pronunciation when she lived in London. Audrey Hepburn was multilingual, so of course she could pick up accents too.

[@DavidMannMD]

Seems like her voice could have been used in “wouldn’t it be luverly” like it was in “Just you wait” as it matches her initial rough character better, and Marni could have been used to dub the metamorphed Eliza later on. It would have been a nice musical reflection of the plot.

[@DanielSong39]

Yup they should have used Marnie just for the soft high notes at the end of this song It helps drive home the transformation narrative

[@theonemodifier]

Iove her version is so much better, more personality, inflictions, tone. it's fits better, the character! it's HER! The voice you hear talking in the movie. And she sings it great. What a shame they didn't use her voice.

[@antoniomartinazzo5847]

I completely agree. Sometimes beautiful sounds are not necessarily the best option, especially for a flower girl. Well done, Audrey, I hope they will release a version with your own voice.

[@AllGreyEverything]

I was pleasantly surprised by Audrey, yes...but if this rendition of the song had been used, I wouldn't be nearly as enamored with the film as I am and have been since the age of six.

[@PygmalionFaciebat]

I totally agree too - with you and most of the others in the comment-section

[@michaelbrooks2094]

She handled wouldn't it be lovely fine but no way she could of sang some of Liza's tougher songs. You cant force someone to be a soprano. Do you guys understand how high I could of danced all night goes?

[@theonemodifier]

@@michaelbrooks2094 You're right! This was great because it was before she came a classy lady, so it was appropriate to the character

[@tbergstrom4599]

The producers should have just used Audrey Hepburn's voice for the songs. Her speaking voice has a beautiful lady's quality to it which is very distinctive to her personality.

[@ihateyouallbutiwannaseemli1377]

I honestly think Audrey's lovely voice should have been used as the pre - lady Eliza, her voice doesn't sound bad and it has much more character and acting to it, not that Marni's version sounds bad it's just she didn't have any character when she sang this, soul yes but it just never left the emotional impact that Audrey's left me in. Kind of dissapointing that they dubbed over most of her singing.

[@Alun49]

She did a brilliant job and should have had her own voice in the film. She was a great, great actress and in reality, it is the subtle imperfections in her singing voice that makes her original version perfect enough.

[@jimwallace3856]

Audrey was the real deal. Beautiful inside by and out!!! Her voice was like honey dripping off of the comb and her acting was perfection!!

[@delinarandoma1053]

My gosh! Her voice was perfectly fine for the role!

[@Kexgoija]

The Hepburn Heart is always in her performances!! She is such a loved artist!!

[@richardbocanegra5945]

Audrey's singing is very impressive. She is such a well rounded.. beautifully talented star of stars.. a true delight ❤

[@sailorarwen6101]

Her voice is perfectly charming. In the end clip she seems hurt and she’s doing her best to be nothing but kind and professional.

[@lemat8558]

She is so beautiful. Forever beloved. Such a beautiful person, too.

[@sierrajade63]

If they used her own voice track, she definitely would have won an Oscar like Rex Harrison did. Her character was awesome.

[@patmcclure4882]

No they wouldn't have given it to her after the uproar over Andrews' snubbing

[@JohnWesleyDowney]

Her physical performance and enthusiasm somehow fits with her own vocal in a way that''s far more authentic.

[@kimlr-herring]

Better with Ms. Hepburn's voice...more authentic. I love this movie. Thank you for making this scene better 💙☮️

[@SuperiFox]

the emotion in this performance is so much richer

[@heidicook2739]

I love Audrey’s voice for this.

[@MeMyIdea]

At that time in 1963-64, Audrey was the top of the top leading actress and already the legend. So she's bigger than just being a fine vocalist. That's why Jack Warner absolutely need her for Eliza role to upgrade 'My Fair Lady' to be the international movie. This film won the Oscar for the best picture and still has strong impact worldwide nowadays !

[@natalieemma5716]

This is true , honest and has character. I prefer it . blooming lovely.

[@zimnizzle]

It’s sad because her charisma is magnified with her own voice- imperfections and all - adding to the content of the character.

[@antoniomartinazzo5847]

Sometimes beautiful sounds are not the best option. Well done, Audrey, I hope they will release a version with your own work, one day. Why not?

[@shejean]

antonio martinazzo There’s a DVD of MFL where they kept Audrey’s natural voice in at least one song.

[@bravesoul5743]

Same thoughts!

[@antoniomartinazzo5847]

@@shejean Sorry Shejean I had not seen your reply! Where can I find this DVD?

[@shejean]

antonio martinazzo Hi. I don’t remember where I bought mine, but I assume if you Google it you may find it. I think it was an Anniversary edition. Good luck!

[@antoniomartinazzo5847]

@@shejean Thank you Shejean!!! I might have found the one you mean.

[@henrikechers9995]

Love her voice in this. So natural and sweet. Love Audrey

[@ancamg]

While I understand why Audrey was dubbed, I wonder why did they dub Audrey, but kept Rex Harrison's non singing, kept Stanley voice, but dubbed Jeremy Brett who was a singer himself. They wanted operatic singing for Eliza and Freddy but not for the others? What the heck. Hollywood style. I love Audrey and her MFL.

[@nicklemen]

Yeah the inconsistency is what really makes it a head-scratcher. Audrey Hepburn was a big star and people likely would have found her singing very charming. I can understand maybe partial dubbing for high notes or whatever, but for an entire musical???

[@keller109]

Audrey never had a "beautiful" voice like Marni or Julie, but her voice (specifically in this role) had a personality in it that Marni didn't have. Julie would have been the absolute best actress AND singer for this film, but if they weren't going to use her, they should have kept my Audrey's voice 😡 It's not always about the prettiest voice. It's the voice that fits the character. Theater understands that far better than film. Just listen to Daphne Reuben Vega from Rent.

[@sup9542]

I find her voice absolutely beautiful - and most people do, that's why her Moon River is so iconic - but only within her range. I also love her short rendition of La Vie Rose in Sabrina. The higher range songs were more of a strain, but I think she could have pulled them off with the right instruction and practice.

[@vio3366]

@@sup9542 Agreed! They had to at least keep this song with her voice. It was lovely!

[@moiyankabose]

Exactly. I also feel the same.

[@1953childstar]

@@sup9542 She did take very exhaustive singing lessons before and during the movie. That is why she was so disappointed that in the end, she was told they were not going to use her voice tracks.. She was devastated..

[@MinstrelSurfer]

Thanks for your comments. I think we are lucky to have this interesting clip. To be able to hear something natural, rather than dubbed and played around with in post-edit, is something we very rarely get. Glad you liked it.

[@yourmommmmm264]

she went through so much that year, the press accusing her of stealing the part from julie andrews, her taking continuous singing lessons only to get her voice dubbed(it didnt need to be dubbed), the physical and mental strain, its a shame she wasnt even nominated for an oscar..... btw there is a documentary about her that is just "loverly" ; ) its called "audrey more than an icon" it really dives deep into her toubles, film career, pursuit of love, and her humanitarian career i reccommend it to everybody!

[@slytheringingerwitch]

If they have the tapes then they should release the film on DVD with the restored vocals. Now wouldn't that be lovely?

[@JMcMillen]

I think the problem is that they only have a couple of the songs with her audio. The rest are long lost.

[@donnazukowski]

Two great ladies with two great voices.

[@theblackspot7005]

Audrey Hepburn was truly luverly!

[@ronnyeoff407]

Excellent scene and it’s natural having her voice...her expressions...🙌❤️❤️❤️❤️ she is lovely...

[@lucaspadilla4815]

They did it because audiences already knew those songs coming from the pipes of Julie Andrews. Who is one of the most talented singers of all time

[@ericanderson969]

Not national audiences.

[@wyganter]

@@ericanderson969 No, most people would know the songs from the original Broadway cast recording, which was a massive seller.

[@waldemarlopess]

Lucas Padilla, you are absolute right. Julie's voice is a treasure.

[@waldemarlopess]

@@ericanderson969 Yes, including national audiences as the MFL Bway album is the second best sold one in the 50's

[@greeley56]

@@waldemarlopess exactly...everyone had heard I could have Danced all night and as ok as Audrey sounds in these two songs they are vocally demanding and she would not have been able to sing a lot of it

[@MeMyIdea]

Audrey Hepburn is truly the international superstar and the real influencer of American, Eurupean, and Asian. No wonder why Jack Warner chooses Audrey to play Eliza role in this worldwide movie !

[@danieldoherty5034]

Haven't seen it mentioned in the other comments, so though I would mention that Marni was one of the nun's in the Sound of Music singing "A Problem Like Maria." Marni Nixon has a perfect voice, but I was surprised at how good Audrey's was here. I was expecting croaking. Thanks, @MinstrelSurfer for posting this.

[@rebeccag8589]

Yes! I remember when I first noticed that in the credits. I was happy for her that she finally got some screen time, even with a smaller role. She is not mother superior but she's one of the three that sings how do you solve a problem like Maria - I want to say sister Sophia?

[@AbbaJoy1]

I didn't realize that. Thanks for mentioning it!

[@mgconlan]

@@AbbaJoy1 There's a report that the producers of "The Sound of Music" wanted Marni Nixon to dub just two high notes for Julie Andrews at the end of "Do-Re-Mi" because they were above Julie Andrews's comfortable range. Nixon said she'd only do it if they gave her an onscreen part in the movie, which they did.

[@merlinshepperd1]

fantastic my sister christen used to sing this when i was 8 im now 63

[@snooopyland]

Wow! Audrey Hepburn has a lovely singing voice. I like it! Can't wait to see it on broadway in Brisbane.

[@garrettmiles3644]

Pretty cool hearing Audrey herself singing the songs. Honestly, I didn’t realize that it wasn’t Audrey in the movie until about four years ago. A lady whose daughters play violins here in the Muscle Shoals area, I’ve worked a few shows with them, she told me that it wasn’t Audrey, but rather Marni Nixon doing the singing. I told her that I never knew that, and thought it was all Audrey. She pointed out that Marni’s voice is a bit smoother in tone, and if you listen to it, you can kind of pick it out, where as Audrey’s actual character of Eliza has a bit more grit to the voice. But that other than that, Marni matched her voice and accent really well. She was just that good at it. I listened to the film versions last night and just now listening to Audrey’s, and now I can’t unhear the difference. But both are great. I’m guessing they were saying that Audrey did sing the majority of “Just You Wait”, and Marni sang the slow high part?

[@MetallicAGirl14]

The fact that Audrey and Jeremy can actually sing makes the dubbing worse

[@Virtuousism]

Wonderful one of my fav songs and actress she sings perfectly!

[@bookwoman53]

Eliza’s character wasn’t supposed to be polished so it made sense to let Hepburn’s do her own singing.

[@Yanquetino]

One of the dumbest decisions of Hollywood was to not include Audrey Hepburn's own renditions of the songs. No, she was not a superb singer, but she was certainly good enough for the part of Eliza Doolittle -especially when Rex Harrison only "talked" through his songs as Professor Higgins! Thank goodness they let her sing "Moon River" in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." She had a touching, authentic, genuinely endearing voice.

[@josephrainonejr.4381]

I love Miss Hepburn’s voice singing this great song!🌹

[@kajhoffren97]

A very good performance. Audreys voice is good. Hollywood - looking for perfection....

[@CMinorOp67]

Gosh, I like this so much more than the dubbed version.

[@Starrman69]

Such a Treasure to find Audrey's voice singing songs covered by Marni Nixon! Don't get me wrong, Ms. Nixon covered several songs for many movies. It is special for me to hear Audrey singing. Such a Talented, Lovely Performer!

[@LaEspriella]

"La divina Audrey" so gorgeous!

[@trevormillard1339]

Gosh her voice aside. She still is to me the most beautiful woman to ever to grace a stage or film set

[@aarona7024]

Audrey was so talented in every way.

[@jameslindsay6694]

Absoloutly lovely pure class

[@GastonBulbous]

What were they thinking? Audrey’s natural voice was fine, particularly in the cockney sequences, and fit with the overall style of the piece in which none of the major roles were filled by professional singers.

[@mgconlan]

According to Brian Aherne, who replaced Rex Harrison during the Broadway run of "My Fair Lady" and played the part on tour, Alan Jay Lerner coached both him and Harrison essentially to rap the songs instead of singing them. He claimed that if you compared Harrison's three recordings of the score -- the 1956 Broadway cast album, the 1959 stereo remake in London, and the 1964 film -- Harrison was doing less rapping and more singing in each successive version.

[@smaguire8339]

Sounds perfectly loverly to me! Glad I came here for it!

[@99cannons]

Her voice gives the movie a more authentic quality and works better with the story.

[@wickedfeylady]

Just the unbridled JOY in her face and voice. It's infectious.

[@malcolmharris5277]

I comment as a singer, who adores Marni Nixon's talent. They should have used Audrey Hepburn's voice. As #SeldimSeen1 says below, her voice suited the character because of its authenticity and, indeed, it was a sweet voice in its own right. May both of them harmonise delightfully in the life beyond.

[@nitai154]

Audrey Hepburn = God Given Blessed Talents + a strong work ethic + a sense of humor with great contacts and friends and family

[@Angela-lp7zw]

Watched Funny Face prior to seeing this and thought her singing voice didn't match, turns out it was dubbed. I like Marni's singing better but Audrey's voice was better for this movie. Should have kept it.

[@JRobbySh]

I would have used Audrey’s voice for the earlier songs, and Marni’s for the later ones. After all, voice lessons do change our voices.

[@robinlillian9471]

Judy S.: They did keep Audrey's voice for some of it. You do have a point, but really it sounded artificial. They could have just transposed the music for an alto instead of making Audrey Hepburn strain to hit the high notes. That would have made a big difference. The studio system could be pretty callous and unjust & not so good at decision making, either. Their shallow greed got in the way of their own profits.

[@LA_HA]

Yes. I wholeheartedly agree with people saying Hepburn's vocals worked very well for this part of her character. And as she became more elegant and cultured, Then introduce Marnie Nixon's vocals. It would've reflected the person Eliza Dolittle Was and the person she Became so well

[@maggiedaisy9870]

I think she sounded lovely, literally like herself ❤

[@MsTinkerbelle87]

Right? It suited the character better I think..

[@maggiedaisy9870]

@@MsTinkerbelle87 absolutely

[@charillagillett9832]

Marnie has always been an inspiration to me ,as I have competed and was inmusical theater when I was young First competition in school I sand wouldn’t it be loverly. Great memories!!!

[@JSB1882]

I kind of liked Audrey Hepburn singing those two tracks. There was a nice vulnerability which added to the character.

[@MeMyIdea]

To make this film 'My Fair Lady' successful and well-known in the world class, Eliza couldn't have only the voice. Eliza must have the face, the look, the style, the character, the image, and the impact. That's the reason why Jack Warner gives Eliza role to Audrey Hepburn !

[@spectrumlocalb191]

MARNI NIXON WAS FANTASTIC SINGING IN THE FILM BUT ANYONE THAT LOVES MOVIES HAS TO ABSOLUTELY LOVE SEEING THIS MOVIE RESTORED WITH AUDREY HEPBURN DOING THE ACTUAL SINGING. MARNI AND AUDREY ARE UP IN HEAVEN NOW SAYING THATS THE WAY IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALL ALONG.

[@jenylogan1]

She sounds so natural and real, utterly charming like Audrey herself !

[@cavanpoet]

The world misses her...I miss her...

[@davidh9844]

Only the Hollywood geniuses would throw real talent into the garbage, and dub this film. Somethings never change.

[@victoriazakula212]

Marni was a singer and as such her voice was melodic and beautiful. The executives figured why wouldn't the audience want to hear the prettiest version possible. The movie was a musical afterall. Not dissing Hepburn or her hard work or her own lovely voice. I just understand why they did it.

[@kash3548]

it was a different time - Marni dubbed a lot of actresses (King and I etc.) because that was how they did it back then - they wanted bankable stars (Julie was two years late to become a bona fide star with Mary Poppins and Sound of Music). If the film had been made after Mary Poppins we would not have seen Audrey and her lovely performance. These days studios want more authenticity and that’s why we had BAD singers like Pierce Bosnan in Mama Mia. But once in awhile they did it right too (such as Zeta Jones in Chicago). I mean they didn’t dub Rex Harrison even though he couldn’t sing! So that was perplexing too. Maybe they figured you can’t have two lead actors who are not singers in the same movie.

[@thomasralabate5645]

Wow....So talented....A film treasure.

[@Cilla0415]

Audrey has a lovely voice and killed "Moonriver." But, My Fair Lady is a very difficult musical to sing, it has a lot of high notes and powerful notes. Audrey's voice was not suited for the type of music that My Fair Lady had. She really tried hard and it was good but I think having Marni Nixon lip sync was better. But still love to hear Audrey's voice.

[@TheFireIdol]

No.

[@vio3366]

Audrey couldn't sing "I could have danced all night" that well and I understand why they dubbed her. But she did a great work with this song. They should have kept this song

[@Marcel_Audubon]

Moon River was tailored to her vocal inadequacies by Henry Mancini. Anyone who can croak can sing it.

[@isabelleer7501]

Well...now you're getting into another casting drama. The role in Breakfast at Tiffany's was written for Marilyn Monroe, who like Julie Andrews was a better singer than Audrey. Truman Capote was furious with Audrey's casting and it's heartbreaking they would not let Marilyn have a serious role. I can only imagine how moving Moon River would have been in Marilyn's voice. I love Audrey dearly but both My Fair Lady and Breakfast At Tiffany's probably should have gone to different actresses

[@Coon_Pa-troll]

Finally, a comment which has some rationality. Thank you!

[@JanetJones-xp1fk]

Oh My God! This is the way it should have been! Audrey's voice has more character and heart for this song. Her voice fits this much better! Thank you so much for putting Audrey's voice where it should have been!

[@Blbbbb]

Audrey did a great job singing this song. Pity they didn’t use her in the original movie. She’s one of the great actresses to grace our screen. Sadly missed.

[@fredjensen1683]

If Hollywood had an ounce of integrity they would have searched for a performer with the required high-quality voice and offer her the part.

[@snurfbee58]

What a shame they didn't use her original voice. She sings beautifully.

[@peteraschaffenburg1]

NO she doesn´t. Might do for a housewife while cooking but certainly not for a movie.

[@jackwinchester2889]

Yeah there were some Hollywood chuckleheads. Miss Hepburn's voice is lovely and lithe and quite adorable and magic. Thanks for posting this I enjoyed hearing her