[Rarebooks] FS: Fine George Cukor SIGNED Letter Mentioning the Julie Andrews-Audrey Hepburn Oscar Controversy

[Charles Agvent]

CUKOR, George. TYPED LETTER SIGNED (TLS) with a Received TELEGRAM. n.p., 
12 May 1965. A fine TYPED LETTER SIGNED (TLS) on thin onionskin paper 
from Cukor to Northern Ireland film director Brian Desmond Hurst SIGNED 
as "George." Cukor writes a few short months after winning the Academy 
Award for Best Director for MY FAIR LADY starring Audrey Hepburn. The 
original Broadway production of MY FAIR LADY in 1956 starred Julie 
Andrews, but when Warner Brothers purchased the film rights they wanted 
someone better known to American audiences in the role of Eliza, and 
Hepburn, whose voice was dubbed in the songs, was chosen over Andrews 
who had not been in the movies before. Although MY FAIR LADY won 8 
Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Rex Harrison, reprising 
his Broadway role), Andrews, who starred in THE SOUND OF MUSIC that same 
year, took home an Oscar for Best Actress, beating out Hepburn. Cukor 
refers to this controversy immediately in his letter: "The smoke of the 
battle has cleared; the melodrama of JULIE AGAINST AUDREY has simmered 
down; the Oscar, properly engraved, is placed on a bookshelf, ever so 
discretely. (Try and miss it!) Now, I'm able to make some sense. I was 
as pleased as Punch to catch up wid dat ole Debbil, Oscar -- at long 
last." Cukor goes on to apologize for not responding to Hurst sooner and 
says the he will be in London in the near future and they can talk about 
various projects Hurst has proposed. Includes a telegram sent by Hurst 
to Cukor upon his winning the Oscar. Paperclip stain and small tear at 
top blank margin of letter. Near Fine.

In addition to MY FAIR LADY, Cukor also directed THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, 
part of GONE WITH THE WIND, the 1954 A STAR IS BORN, and many other 
films. Brian Desmond Hurst directed over 30 films and is perhaps best 
known for the 1951 A CHRISTMAS CAROL adaptation SCROOGE. (#019650)    
     $350

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/019650/george-cukor/typed-letter-signed-tls-with-a-received-telegram

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