''Pygmalion'' is a 1948 British TV production of
the 1913 play by
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
. It was the first time the play was done for television and was the longest production done by the BBC to that time.
It starred Margaret Lockwood who was under suspension by the Rank Organisation at the time for refusing a film role.
Cast
*
Ralph Michael
Ralph Michael (26 September 1907 – 9 November 1994) was an English actor. He was born as Ralph Champion Shotter in London. His film appearances included ''Dead of Night'', ''A Night to Remember (1958 film), A Night to Remember'', ''Children ...
as Professor Henry Higgins
*
Margaret Lockwood
Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was an English actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), ''Night Train to Munich' ...
as Eliza Doolittle
*
Arthur Wontner as Colonel Pickering
*
Gordon Harker as Alfred Doolittle
*
Helen Cherry
Helen Mary Cherry (24 November 1915 – 27 September 2001) was an English stage, film and television actress. She was born in Worsley, Lancashire, and brought up in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire.
Marriage
Whilst working at the Arts Thea ...
as Clara Eynsford-Hill
*
Mary Merrall as Mrs. Eynsford-Hill
*
Bryan Coleman as Freddie Eynsford-Hill
*
Beatrice Varley as Mrs. Pearce
Reception
The production was very well received. It was voted best TV production of the year and Lockwood voted Best Actress.
It was Lockwood's first play on TV and she wrote in her memoirs that "I loved every moment of ''Pygmalion''. After the performance I was like a beginner again waiting nervously for the papers, bracing myself to read the criticism. I had not felt this way about notices since I first went on the stage. Thank goodness they were good ones. I was generously praised."
Lockwood later toured with the play on stage.
References
External links
*
''Pygmalion''at BBC
1948 in British television
British television plays
1940s television plays
{{UK-tv-film-stub