Roman Holiday

Director: William Wyler William Wyler

Overview

Audrey Hepburn became a star with this film, in which she played Princess Anne, weary of protocol and anxious to have some fun before she is mummified by "affairs of state." On a diplomatic visit to Rome, Anne escapes her royal retainers and scampers incognito through the Eternal City. She happens to meet American journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who, recognizing a hot news story, pretends that he doesn't recognize her and offers to give her a guided tour of Rome. Naturally, Joe hopes to get an exclusive interview, while his photographer pal Irving (Eddie Albert) attempts to sneak a photo. And just as naturally, Joe falls in love with her. Filmed on location in Rome, Roman Holiday garnered an Academy Award for the 24-year-old Hepburn; another Oscar went to the screenplay, credited to Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton but actually co-written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. The 1987 TV movie remake with Catherine Oxenberg is best forgotten.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/05/2021
UPC:	0191329205105
Original Release:	1953
Rating:	NR
Source:	Paramount
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Time:	1:58:00
Sales rank:	13,954

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Audrey Hepburn	Princess Anne
Gregory Peck	Joe Bradley
Eddie Albert	Irving Radovich
Hartley Power	Mr. Hennessey
Harcourt Williams	Ambassador
Margaret Rawlings	Countess Vereberg
Tullio Carminatti	Gen. Provno
Paolo Carlini	Mario Delani
Claudio Ermelli	Giovanni
Paola Borboni	Charwoman
Alfredo Rizzo	Cab driver
Laura Solari	Hennessy's Secretary
Gorella Gori	Shoe Seller
Princess Alma Cattaneo	Lady-in-Waiting
Princess Lilamani	The Raikuuari of Khanipur
Maurizio Arena	Driver
John Cortay	Correspondent
George Higgins	Correspondent
Heinz Hindrich	Dr. Bonnachoven
Edward Hitchcock	Chief of Correspondents
John Horne	Master of Ceremonies
Richard McNamara	Correspondent
Giacomo Penza	Papal Nuncio, Monsignor Altomonto
Mimmo Poli	Worker
Giuliano Raffaelli	Actor
Carlo Rizzo	Police man
Gianna Segale	Actor
Marco Tulli	Dancer
Tania Weber	Irving's Model
Andre Eszterhazy	Embassy Staff

Technical Credits

John Dighton

Ian McLellan Hunter

William Wyler	Director,Producer
Henri Alékan	Cinematographer
Georges Auric	Score Composer
John Dighton	Screenwriter
Edith Head	Costumes/Costume Designer
Ian McLellan Hunter	Screenwriter
Hal Pereira	Art Director
Franz Planer	Cinematographer
Robert Swink	Editor
Dalton Trumbo	Original Story
Walter Tyler	Art Director
Wally Westmore	Makeup

Editorial Reviews

A charming and poignant fairy tale, Roman Holiday stars that most ethereal and graceful of actresses, Audrey Hepburn, in a role that nearly rivals her dizzying turn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. The plot? Once upon a time, a lovely princess tired of her ivory tower sheds her identity the romantic city of Rome with the help of a handsome American journalist (played by Gregory Peck). Though he initially cares more for the princess' story than for the woman herself, his sentiments gradually shift, deepening and enhancing the movie's emotional impact. Shot on location, scene after scene captures the city's magic, allowing the audience to share the princess' joy in her newfound liberty. Whether she's swimming in the Tiber, smoking a cigarette for the very first time, or walking through glamorous mirrored halls -- an image that mulitplies the loneliness of her aristocratic life -- each experience fairly sparkles -- and is made all the more touching by the knowledge that it may be only fleeting. Beautifully directed by William Wyler (Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives,), and written by the esteemed Dalton Trumbo (Spartacus), this is Hollywood romanticism at its finest -- visually stunning, psychologically complex, and plotted with an emotional punch that makes tissues as essential as popcorn.

Barnes & Noble - Karen Backstein

With Audrey Hepburn at her most appealing, Gregory Peck at his most charismatic, and Rome at its most photogenic, Roman Holiday remains one of the most popular romances that has ever skipped across the screen. Aside from being an enormously enjoyable romp, the film is most notable for two reasons. The first is Hepburn, featured here in her first starring role in a Hollywood film. Her performance won her an Academy Award and established her as an actress whose waifish, delicate beauty presented a viable alternative to the amply proportioned bombshells of the day. With her wide-eyed but cultivated portrayal of Princess Anne, Hepburn kicked off a trend defined by the Audrey Hepburn "look"--simple, sophisticated, and streamlined. The second reason for the film's importance is its location. Whereas modern-day filmmakers may think nothing of jetting off to remote and exotic locales, in 1953 the idea of traveling beyond a Hollywood soundstage was fairly novel. Director William Wyler's use of Rome is one of the best examples of how a location can become a leading character in a film: without the city's twisted alleyways, bustling crowds, and hulking ruins, Roman Holiday would have had the visual impact of a museum diorama. The effect of using the actual city in the film was eye-popping: audiences saw not just a romance between the two lead characters but a love affair between the camera and the city. In this respect, Roman Holiday goes beyond its status as one of the screen's most enduring romances to become one of history's most thumbed-through travel brochures.

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