Cecil Beaton's "Fair Lady"

[stapsreads]

Fiftieth book read for queerlit50. Being (one assumes, heavily edited) diaries kept by Beaton during his stint as designer for the film of My Fair Lady. I hadn't realised that he'd also been the designer for the stage version, so it was interesting to see his getting to grips with the altered requirements for film.

I have to say that my favourite parts were Beaton's sketches and photographs, with which the book is liberally peppered. Those and his dealings with the millinery department, which sound like an awful lot of fun. I got a bit bored when he started wandering around taking pictures and getting in the way (yes, even though I enjoyed the pictures themselves).

Some nasty stuff about the East End of London not being dirty enough, and some sixties vocabulary (not offensively meant, I think, but still) that one would rather not read.

Interesting as a period piece, and for those interested in film and/or clothes. Won't be keeping it, though.