I Could Have Danced All Night - My Fair Lady - Audrey Hepburn 's own voice

Here is Audrey's own vocal track for this number. Audrey sang only one line in the released film: "Sleep, sleep, I couldn't sleep tonight..." Everything else was replaced by Marni Nixon, as were the other songs (except for parts of "Just You Wait")..

Marni competed against other singers, including Lita Tovey, Felicity Page, Julie Sutton, Mariette Midgeley, Gaynor Rees, and Evelyn Sharpe, in a blinded test run by George Cukor, Andre Previn and Bobby Tucker. When they couldn't decide, Rudy Fehr (head of post-production) said, "In my opinion, there's just one girl who is perfect for this part and that's Marni Nixon."

When Audrey heard that almost all her singing was to be replaced, she stormed off the set. The next day she came back and apologized for her "wicked behavior."

Here's how I made it:

1. Removed the film soundtrack (except for Audrey's one line)..

2. Synched Audrey's piano / vocal track to the film. This was tough, as the track was a rehearsal track only and bore no connection to the tempo or phrasing of the track used for filming. It had to be edited, stretched and compressed to make it match her lip movement (the video was also altered).

3. Re-inserted the maids, by stripping most of Marni out (you can still hear her in the background).

4. Added the orchestral backing. This came from two professional backing tracks that I purchased - both in the wrong key and tempo! Also very difficult to match.

5. Gave Audrey her public hearing at last!

(At the end, it sounds like Audrey says, "Oh, I just shook too much to do that...I just wavered all over...)
.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• My
• Fair
• Lady
• Audrey
• Hepburn
• Alan
• Jay
• Lerner
• Frederick
• Loewe
• Broadway
• Musical
• Outtake
• Deleted
• Scene
• yt:quality=high
• theater
• theatre
• romance

[KatyHallow]

Audrey Hepburn had a good voice; the part was just a bit out of her voice range. Funny Face is a good example of her singing within her comfort zone.

[NewArtsParadigm]

Marni Nixon did an amazing job on the version we recognize as Audrey's. It's great to hear Audrey in the filming. So, why didn't Julie A get chosen for the movie version- someone who can actually sing?

[lostvocals6]

@lilybith17 Julie was absolutely never offered the part. She would have leaped at the chance. A number of women, including Liz Taylor, were considered but not Julie. No one knew her outside of Broadway. Disney took a chance giving her her first film, and the gamble paid off. Jack Warner even asked Cary Grant to play Higgins! Grant said, "Not only will I not play Higgins, if you don't give it to Rex I won't even see the film.

[lostvocals6]

@TheFearlessPuppy Julie was absolutely never offered the part. She would have leaped at the chance. A number of women, including Liz Taylor, were considered but not Julie. No one knew her outside of Broadway. Disney took a chance giving her her first film, and the gamble paid off. Jack Warner even asked Cary Grant to play Higgins! Grant said, "Not only will I not play Higgins, if you don't give it to Rex I won't even see the film.

[Rapture1987]

@NewArtsParadigm If you re-read my post, you'll see that I was referring SPECIFICALLY to Audrey and Julie's achievements in the *CINEMATIC/FILM* industry. Not overall careers. :) :)

[Rapture1987]

@NewArtsParadigm I'm not saying it wasn't "in decent shape until she had that operation" - I'm saying that Julie's vocal RANGE kept shrinking. And I think she taxed her voice a lot in general, sometimes sacrificing vocal health in her pursuit of 'optimum' vocal expression. She always gave 125% when she sang. As for Audrey, I know she wasn't a "singer", and I wasn't referring to her voice as a SINGER - I was talking about her voice/vocal quality IN GENERAL over the years. :) 

[NewArtsParadigm]

@Rapture1987 I appreciate your love of Audrey (she was amazing)- but it's unfair to say Andrews is only remembered for Poppins and SOM. She has a career that is very different than the film/acting career that Audrey had. I'm not sure comparing them that way works very well. Julie has won tons of awards for all her work, is well- known and still working. I don't think you can compare them. They are different genre's, different skills, different looks.

[NewArtsParadigm]

@lostvocals6 be sure to look at who made that comment. Not me;)

[NewArtsParadigm]

@Rapture1987 I don't know- I thought it was in decent shape until she had that operation where she sued for an undisclosed amount and won.  Audrey...I love her, and learn so much from every time I see her, but I would never call her a singer...I don't think it changed, because I don't think she had much of one....

[NewArtsParadigm]

@reedman12695 Right! And made some fairly pointed comments at Jack Warner, who didn't want her in MFL. I think she was quoted when receiving the award for Poppins as saying something like "Special thanks to Jack Warner who made this all possible" (!)

[NewArtsParadigm]

@lilybith17 actually- she didn't.  She wanted it- and many believe she should have gotten it. Take a look. Jack Warner, head of Warner Studios didn't believe Andrews had enough of a draw and Audrey had never had a box office miss.

[lostvocals6]

@NewArtsParadigm

Julie was absolutely never offered the part. She would have leaped at the chance. A number of women, including Liz Taylor, were considered but not Julie. No one knew her outside of Broadway. Disney took a chance giving her her first film, and the gamble paid off. Jack Warner even asked Cary Grant to play Higgins! Grant said, "Not only will I not play Higgins, if you don't give it to Rex I won't even see the film.