Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday (1953) was the big break into Hollywood that Audrey Hepburn had needed. The film shines with the talents of its two stars: Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. The charming role of "Princess Ann" (aka. Anya Smith) is Audrey's first time in a feature role and as a princess, yet she astounds the harshest of critics with her charmingly convincing performance.

The film's story unfolds as a clever middle-class journalist of the Correspondent American News Service, "Joe Bradley" (Peck), is forced to report menial stories about the reigning princess of Rome (Hepburn). However, through a small chain of events, Joe unknowingly ends up hosting the pretty princess in his own apartment - with entertaining consequences!

Roman Holiday is an absolutely beautiful, must-see film. The picture was produced on-location in Rome--uncommon for Hollywood at the time--leading to the film's beautiful setting. Fans can actually visit many of the same locations that Princess Ann visits on her holiday. The Academy honored Roman Holiday with several nominations and awards, including a winning Oscar for young Audrey as Best Actress! Roman Holiday is often a favorite performance among fans of Audrey Hepburn.

* Part III of this site includes more pictures, memorable movie quotes and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from the making of this and other Audrey Hepburn films!

The following are pictures from Sabrina (1954), by director Billy Wilder. I saw this film for the first time when I was twelve years old. It was my unforgettable introduction to actress Audrey Hepburn on film.

Audrey plays "Sabrina Fairchild," a shy chauffer's daughter who cannot get over her girlhood crush on one of two brothers of the Larrabies, a wealthy family for whom her parents had worked for many years. Living with her father, Sabrina is sent to Paris to gain cooking skills, along with an unexpected bit of sophistication.

With its delicate intricacies, Sabrina is a romantic comedy that puts many modern film romances to shame. The wonderful supporting cast includes William Holden and Humphrey Bogart as David and Linus Larrabie, respectively. Of interest, much trivia surrounds this film, which did affect Audrey Hepburn's life. (Details are found in Part III of this site.) This film was well-reproduced by Sydney Pollack in 1995 starring Julia Ormand, Greg Kinnear and Harrison Ford, however in no way does/can it replace the perfection and charm of this original black and white version.

VIDEO: Here's a clip from my favorite scene in Sabrina. Isn't it ro-mantic...(2:48)

Stanley Donen's Funny Face (1957) is a dream screen combination of lovely Audrey Hepburn and one of the greatest dance legends, Fred Astaire. This musical is about a "Quality" fashion magazine photographer, Dick Avery (played by Astaire), whose search for a model whose looks are as beautiful as her intelligence ends when he meets a shy librarian named Jo Stockton (Hepburn).

Jo, lovely and unusually thoughtful, unwittingly steals the spotlight at a photo shoot in her bookstore, and is destined to be the next "Quality" magazine cover girl. After initially disagreeing, Jo finally agrees to pose, much against her ideals, because she has a crush on Avery. Moreover, she wants to meet Parisian Professor Emile Flostre (played by Michel Auclair), an "empathicalist" philosopher known to frequent smoky Montmartre cafes.

Audiences are flown, almost literally (and at low altitude!), from New York City and Greenwich Village, all the way on location to Paris, France--the other well-known fashion capital. Of note, on her slim body, Audrey Hepburn's outfits when she is a model look amazing, as they should, since they were personally designed by Hubert de Givenchy.

This is known to be Audrey Hepburn's favorite film, because her dream to dance with Fred Astaire came true! (She had studied to become a ballerina as a girl, but she grew too tall.) Musically, many of the songs are only so-so, but the dance numbers with Astaire and Hepburn are full of charm. The cafe scene when Audrey dances around wildly is unique and unforgettable, and another sequence near the film's end, when Audrey is on stage with Kay Thompson's "Maggie Prescott," on "How to be Lovely," is adorable.

Of interest, a large portion of Astaire's character, "Dick," is based on photographer Richard Avedon. Avedon was involved with many of the acclaimed photography sequences in the film (including the gorgeous closeup of Audrey's face, which Dick unveils in his red room.). Overall, the film has many breathtaking and comical qualities, and continues its quick pace and light-hearted themes throughout. Funny Face is a musical film for Givenchy lovers and fashionistas, those interested in photography, as well as Audrey's fans who wish to see her delicate ballerina body and dance talents put to use.

These next pictures were taken from Blake Edward's film, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Audrey Hepburn plays "Holly Golightly;" a funny character with an emotional complex who lives out a crazy lifestyle in the Big Apple. Co-residing with her "no-name, slob of a cat," Holly hosts wild parties, throws herself at rich men, and quickly befriends Paul Varjak, an unsuspecting neighbor whom she likes to call "Fred" (played by George Peppard). In the early morning, Holly makes having breakfast on the city sidewalk, in front of a store none other than the famed Tiffany's, look nothing less than perfectly elegant.

This is one of the few times fans can hear Audrey Hepburn sing. The song "Moon River" is now encapsulated in history with her real voice, unaltered. It's simply beautiful, even today. However, on a side-note, Mickey Rooney's outrageous performance as cranky Asian "Mr. Yunioshi," although socially acceptable at the time the film was released, is now no longer politically correct nor funny.

Holly Golighty is the classic role associated with Audrey Hepburn, even though it is such a contrast from her other films. Of her character, Ms. Hepburn said, "I was nothing like her, but I felt I could 'act Holly'." The script was originally written for renown blonde Marilyn Monroe, but I think the film largely survives as a classic because of the wide-eyed, innocence performance given by Audrey Hepburn. Although I disagree that this role features Audrey Hepburn's "best" performance, the sweet, fashion-conscious character she plays in this film is without doubt the most recognized by today's filmgoers. Breakfast at Tiffany's is a bittersweet film with an ending that must be seen to be believed.

VIDEOS: (At left:) Official trailer for Breakfast at Tiffany's. (At right:) Classic scenes from the film.

Stanley Donen's 1963 masterpiece, Charade, renewed my awe for the level of talent Hollywood once possessed. Audrey Hepburn plays "Regina (Reggie) Lampert Vass," a young woman vacationing at a ski resort who is dreadfully tired of her marriage. However, when she returns home to file for the divorce, she is shocked! Their Parisian home is devoid of all valuables and furniture, stripped down to the wallpaper, and a kind stranger walks in to inform her that her traveling husband has been... murdered.

The story unfolds dramatically with masterful suspense. Audrey's character quickly discovers that she is being wildly chased by several deadly men--all of whom would like to retrieve a $250,000 fortune, which her murdered husband once helped to steal. Apparently, her husband stole this same amount away from all of his own criminal partners!

The film hops from location to location, with wacky encounters and bizarre situations amassing in a whir of seriously brilliant storytelling. Actor Cary Grant co-stars as "Peter Joshua," the handsomely mysterious man who befriends Hepburn's anxious "Reggie" and her young son at their time of need. The relationships among the main characters in the film are beautiful to watch as the plot develops. It is unfortunate that this high-quality production is not better known. This film is high-quality and excellent!

In the early 1960's, a large media controversy roared in Hollywood as Audrey Hepburn was announced to be the Warner Brothers casting choice to play the lead role of "Eliza Doolittle" in their film, My Fair Lady (1964). Warner Brothers had purchased the expensive rights to film George Cukor's play, announcing that they were planning an extravagant film musical of the stage production. Audiences naturally assumed that leads would be replayed by the beloved original Broadway cast: Eliza and Professor Henry Higgins had been famously portrayed by Julie Andrews* and Rex Harrison for nearly a decade.

Nevertheless, the prime role of Eliza was offered to and accepted by a gracious and flattered Audrey Hepburn. It was later revealed that the studio wanted to secure their large investment with a big name on the bill. This situation left the wonderful Ms. Andrews quite upset that her work was so undermined. Additionally, the role of Professor Higgins was also extended to Cary Grant, but Grant, in turn, replied that the character was for Rex Harrison. Finally, almost the entire stage cast, minus Andrews, performed their roles in the film.

Vocally, Audrey Hepburn was given time to practice, and she did record My Fair Lady with a lengthy preparation of her own singing voice. However, the Studio controversially semi-dubbed the songs with Marni Nixon before the film was released. The fact greatly upset Audrey.

Studio business aside, the story of My Fair Lady, based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, revolves around the semi-developed mastermind plan of two wealthy bachelors, Professor Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White), who decide to "take in" a flower girl off the streets. They believe they can teach her a richer dialect and mannerisms, which in turn will (hopefully) fashion her to be indistinguishable from royalty and presentable for the highest classes of England's society.

Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison are truly wonderful in their roles, and the costumes in particular are dripping with amazing detail, so one can easily forget the politics of Hollywood that might otherwise damage such a wonderful story. The songs are very funny, charming and revealing in nature. I highly recommend this "loverly" musical!

VIDEO: See the beautiful My Fair Lady scene at the Embassy Ball, which inspired the name of this tribute for Audrey Hepburn: "As if she had always lived in a garden." (10:12)

In Fred Zinnemann's The Nun's Story (1959), Audrey Hepburn plays "Gabrielle van der Mal," a character who desperately wishes to do well in the eyes of the Catholic faith, by admitting herself into a convent, and among things, changing her name to "Sister Luke." Sister Luke is determined to become a devoted nun and a child of the heavens. She obligingly leaves her possessions, her home, her family, and her dear father behind, beginning a new life at the convent. Alongside Audrey in the later part of Luke's journeys is another very notable actor: Peter Finch, who plays the independent and amusingly-intelligent "Dr. Fortunati."

Personal beliefs aside, The Nun's Story is powerful. It is an overwhelmingly emotional journey, as we are able to watch Audrey's Sister Luke transform from a young woman who simply desires to do well in the eyes of her superiors, to a confident and intelligent woman who is able to determine her own course in life.

The Nun's Story weaves its levels of storytelling deeply, holding filmgoers' hands as we enter this strange, oft-misunderstood world of nuns and goodwill. Without a doubt, the strength of Audrey Hepburn's role is difficult to forget. Sister Luke is definitely one of Audrey's lesser known, but highly beloved, roles. As previously stated, regardless of your personal affiliations or inaffiliations with religion and spiritualism, you will not regret this film experience. Any fan of Audrey Hepburn must see this film!

In Stanley Donen's sassy film, Two for the Road (1967), Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn play "Mark and Joanna Wallace," a thrown-together couple who portray their relationship over shifting periods of time. The picture portrays the frustration and maturation involved in any marriage, especially a marriage "in transition."

Audrey actually speaks several choice phrases of censorable language for the role--unexpected from one like her and quite funny! The production of this emotional film was at a time when Audrey's own relationship with her husband was troubled. These problems led the actress to bond with her co-star Albert Finney, creating a platonic friendship that was dear to them even after they finished this picture.

The direction of Two for the Road is as wonderful as one would expect from a Donen film. Much of the success of this production is due to the masterful work of Donen and the editing department--for creating such unusual edits, not seen in films of the time. Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney's performances in Two for the Road must be seen! It's just a fantastic trip.