MovieChat Forums > Pygmalion (1939) Discussion > Scene with Alfred Doolittle

Scene with Alfred Doolittle

posted 14 years ago by practicepiano
2 replies | jump to latest

I just noticed two interesting things about the scene in which Eliza's father comes to see Higgins.

One is that he gives the two-fingers-up gesture, thrusting it up twice, at about 4:58 in the video below. This gesture is considered quite rude -- pretty much the UK version of Americans raising just the middle finger. After all of the fuss about the word "bloody" being in the film, I find it amusing that I've never heard anyone mention this.

The other thing is more just an oddity. As he is talking, at about 4:10 in the video below, a hand reaches over and pushes a Buddha-like figure closer to him, and sets its bobble head rocking. Dolittle does several takes in reaction to the figure.

It is too obvious, with the hand almost reaching the center of the frame, to be a gaffe, something done by crew. So I guess it is supposed to be Higgins moving it toward him and setting it going. Just to see how he'd react? To put something between Doolittle's breath (to which he has reacted several times) and himself? Is there a hidden recording device in it, for collecting more accents? It's just . . . odd!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNpUc7ZtrvQ

[–] karmala2 14 years ago

Yes, there is a recording device in it-Higgins shows it to Pickering a few scenes earlier. Higgins is just moving it closer to Doolittle to pick up his voice.

"I told you a million times not to talk to me when I'm doing my lashes"!

[–] practicepiano 14 years ago

Ah, thank you!

I missed that in the earlier scene (probably needed to let a dog out . . . ), so it was just a guess on my part that it might contain a microphone.

OK, now I know it's not odd.