I hear you.
But when “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot” were filmed many years ago, they proved to be great disappointments because Julie Andrews was totally ignored in favor of well-known actresses who couldn’t sing. Marne Nixon sang behind Audrey Hepburn, and I think that Vanessa Redgrave(UNGH!) did her own “singing” in Camelot. Neither of these films are classified as “masterpieces” these days, while “The Sound of Music”, which starred Julie Andrews doing her own singing, is considered a film classic and was a box-office smash.
Is it possible to get the same effect on film that one has in the live theater? That’s debatable because they are two different media. I actually LOVE Franco Zeffirelli’s Outdoor “Carmen” with naturalistic sets and gritty realism. But, of course, it’s also Placido Domingo!
I have a free movie ticket (Christmas Gift from a student) and it WILL be Les Miz, of course! LOL!
I was extremely disappointed with the movie version of “Phantom of the Opera”.
Another flat “dud” was “M Butterfly”.
Both were outstanding on the stage. What a waste of time and money to see the film.
Re: dubbing in My Fair Lady and Camelot. It wasn’t the singing that is the problem, but the bad casting of “stars” over talent.
Seeing an aristocratic Belgian (Hepburne) pretend to be a poor cockney didn’t fit (albeit she was glowing as usual). Her singing made me wince, but the main problem is that she was miscast period.
As for Camelot, I simply can’t watch Vanessa Redgrave mugging and overacting in the film.
The singing in both cases was nonsense, but not the main problem.