Roman Holiday (film)
"Roman Holiday" is a classic romantic comedy film directed by William Wyler that premiered in 1953, marking the Hollywood debut of Audrey Hepburn, who quickly became an iconic star. The story follows Princess Ann, portrayed by Hepburn, as she escapes her royal duties during a tour of European capitals to explore Rome incognito. Her adventure leads to a chance encounter with Joe Bradley, an American journalist played by Gregory Peck, who initially does not recognize her but soon sees an opportunity for a story. As they explore the city together, the two develop a romantic connection, complicating their lives and responsibilities.
The film is notable for its production history, including a script written by Dalton Trumbo, who was blacklisted during the Red Scare, leading to his name being omitted from the credits for many years. "Roman Holiday" received critical acclaim upon release, winning several Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Hepburn, and it has since been recognized as one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time. The film's blend of charm, humor, and poignant themes has made it a beloved piece of cinematic history, solidifying Hepburn's legacy and influencing fashion and popular culture for decades.
Roman Holiday (film)
- Release Date: 1953
- Director(s): William Wyler
- Writer(s): John Dighton; Ian McLellan Hunter; William Wyler
- Principal Actors and Roles: Audrey Hepburn (Princess Ann); Gregory Peck (Joe Bradley); Eddie Albert (Irving Radovich); Harcourt Williams (Ambassador)
- Book / Story Film Based On: Roman Holiday by Dalton Trumbo
Roman Holiday is a romantic comedy in which director William Wyler introduced Audrey Hepburn to Hollywood, and she became an instant star. Her fairy-tale launch is among a number of fascinating twists and turns that led to the final film.
First, Dalton Trumbo wrote the script. Trumbo was a famed writer who was blacklisted during the Red Scare of the early 1950s because he was accused of being a communist. Because he was blacklisted, Trumbo’s name did not appear in the credits anywhere—Ian McLellan Hunter lent his name as a front. This was just one of many switches that are sprinkled throughout the production of Roman Holiday.
Frank Capra was originally signed as the director. However, Capra was under threat from the anticommunists himself because his populist movies of the 1930s and 1940s were seen as left-leaning. Fearing the blacklist himself if it was discovered that he directed a movie written by a "known" communist, Capra backed out of the film. Wyler replaced him but insisted on shooting on location in Rome. This so increased the budget that the original plan to shoot in color was scrapped in favor of less expensive black-and-white film.
Wyler also wanted the female lead to be unfamiliar to United States audiences, so he needed to offset that box-office risk with an established male star. Capra had originally approached Cary Grant to play the American journalist Joe Bradley. Grant liked the script but turned it down because he could see that the movie would belong to the female lead, whoever she turned out to be. Grant was replaced by Gregory Peck. During filming Peck came to the same conclusion and insisted that Hepburn’s name replace his on top of the credits.
Finally, Wyler’s desire for a complete unknown to play Princess Ann went a step beyond simple unfamiliarity in America; he wanted the actress to sound different from Americans as well. His idea was that this would make her a more-convincing princess. On his way to Rome for pre-production scouting Wyler auditioned young women in London, one of whom was the Belgian-born Audrey Hepburn.
Wyler famously asked Hepburn’s screen-test director to keep the camera rolling during a casual conversation once the formal test was finished. When Wyler and Paramount executives saw her on film, no other candidate was even considered. Out of such chaos and coincidence is cinematic history made.
Plot
Roman Holiday is basically a reverse-Cinderella story. Princess Ann is on a tour of European capitals, but she longs to do some sightseeing on her own, free of the stultifying pomp and deference that accompanies her official meetings. She even loses her temper over the regimentation of her time, leading the court doctor to give her a sedative. However, Ann eludes her handlers and sets out to see Rome as an ordinary visitor.
The sedative makes her drowsy, and she falls asleep on a park bench. She is discovered there by an American freelance journalist named Joe Bradley. He doesn’t recognize her at first and chivalrously offers "Anya Smith" cab fare. Anya refuses the money, and Joe takes her to his apartment for her own safety.
Initially amused by her imperious demeanor, Joe is taken aback when without a second thought she appropriates his bed. He moves her to the couch. The next morning he oversleeps and misses a scheduled press conference with Princess Ann. He rushes away to work.
At work Joe lies to his editor about the press conference, even including a variety of details until his boss notes that the event was cancelled due to a sudden "illness" afflicting the princess. Joe sees Princess Ann’s photo and realizes who is asleep in his apartment. He grabs the opportunity and offers to get an exclusive interview with the beautiful young princess.
Back home Joe conceals his job and offers to show Anya the sights. He also sets up clandestine photographs with a friend. But Anya turns him down. Alone in Rome she impulsively gets her hair cut short while Joe trails her. He pretends to meet her accidentally and convinces her to let him show her around. His friend takes secret photos of the day.
They enjoy their time together, and Joe begins to fall in love. That night they must swim away from government agents, and they finally kiss one another. But her sense of duty overrides her personal feelings. She says goodbye to her new friend and returns to her country’s embassy. Joe and the photographer decide not to betray her privacy, and they subsequently meet her at a press conference. In coded conversation the princess and Joe acknowledge their feelings as well as the unfortunate distance between them.
Significance
Roman Holiday was an instant smash, and critics and audiences alike fell in love with Audrey Hepburn. Her short hairstyle from the movie was soon being imitated across the country. Her first US movie role placed her on the cover of Time magazine, an unheard-of event for a newcomer. The movie made her an instant icon.
Hepburn also won the Oscar for best actress. The film received two other Academy Awards, best costume design, black and white, and best writing, motion picture story. Dalton Trumbo’s name was added to the movie’s credits when it was released on DVD in 2003. In addition, the film received seven more Academy Award nominations: best picture, best director, best supporting actor, best screenplay, best film editing, best art direction, black and white, and best cinematography, black and white.
Audrey Hepburn won a Golden Globe as best actress in a drama and was named best british actress—USA by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The New York Film Critics Circle also named her the best actress that year.
The movie was nominated for the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1953, and it was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1999. Many critics maintain that it is the best romantic comedy ever made.
Awards and nominations
Won
- Academy Award (1953) Best Actress: Audrey Hepburn
- Academy Award (1953) Best Costume Design (Black-and-White): Edith Head
- Academy Award (1953) Best Writing: Dalton Trumbo
- Golden Globe (1953) Best Motion Picture Actress (Drama): Audrey Hepburn
Nominated
- Academy Award (1953) Best Picture
- Academy Award (1953) Best Director: William Wyler
- Academy Award (1953) Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Albert
- Academy Award (1953) Best Screenplay (Adapted): John Dighton, Ian McLellan Hunter
- Academy Award (1953) Best Film Editing
- Academy Award (1953) Best Cinematography (Black-and-White)
- Academy Award (1953) Best Art Direction-Set Direction (Black-and-White)
Bibliography
Ceplair, Larry, and Christopher Trumbo. Dalton Trumbo: Blacklisted Hollywood Radical. Lexington: UP of Kentucky, 2014. Electronic, print.
Miller, Gabriel. William Wyler:The Life and Films of Hollywood’s Most Celebrated Director. Lexington: UP of Kentucky, 2013. Electronic, print.
Parkinson, David. 100 Ideas That Changed Film. London: Laurence King, 2012. Print.
Pomerance, Murray, ed. American Cinema of the 1950s: Themes and Variations. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 2005. Electronic, print.
Sarris, Andrew. The American Cinema: Directors and Direction 1929–1968. Boston: Da Capo, 1996. Print.
Sinyard, Neil. A Wonderful Heart: The Films of William Wyler. Jefferson: McFarland, 2013. Electronic, print.