Roman Holiday

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This article is about the film. For other uses, see Roman Holiday (disambiguation).
Roman Holiday
File:Roman holiday.jpg
Promotional poster for reissue
Directed byWilliam Wyler
Screenplay by
Story byDalton Trumbo
Produced byWilliam Wyler
Starring
Cinematography
Edited byRobert Swink
Music by
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • August 27, 1953 (1953-08-27)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish, Italian
Budget$1.5 million
Box office$12 million

Roman Holiday is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by William Wyler. It stars Gregory Peck as a reporter and Audrey Hepburn as a royal princess out to see Rome on her own. Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance; the screenplay and costume design also won.

It was written by John Dighton and Dalton Trumbo, though with Trumbo on the Hollywood blacklist, he did not receive a credit; instead, Ian McLellan Hunter fronted for him. Trumbo's credit was reinstated when the film was released on DVD in 2003. On December 19, 2011, full credit for Trumbo's work was restored. Blacklisted director Bernard Vorhaus worked on the film as an assistant director under a pseudonym.[2][3]

It was shot at the Cinecittà studios and on location around Rome during the "Hollywood on the Tiber" era. The film was screened in the 14th Venice film festival within the official program.

In 1999, Roman Holiday was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot

Filmed on location, several scenes show landmarks such as the Spanish Steps.

Ann (Audrey Hepburn), the crown princess of an unspecified country, becomes frustrated with her tightly scheduled life, and breaks down at having to repeatedly answer "yes, thank you" and "no, thank you" to demands of her time. Her doctor gives her a sedative to calm her and help her sleep, but she secretly leaves her country's embassy.

The sedative eventually makes her fall asleep on a bench, where Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), an expatriate American reporter for the "American News Service" based in Rome, finds her. Not recognizing her, he offers her money so she can take a taxi home, but a woozy "Anya Smith" (as she later calls herself) refuses to cooperate. Joe finally decides, for safety's sake, to let her spend the night in his apartment. He is amused by her regal manner, but less so when she appropriates his bed. He transfers her to a couch. The next morning, Joe, having already slept through the interview Princess Ann was scheduled to give, hurries off to work, leaving her still asleep.

When his editor, Mr. Hennessy (Hartley Power), asks why Joe is late, Joe lies, claiming to have attended the princess' press conference. Joe makes up details of the alleged interview until Hennessy informs him that the event had been canceled because the princess had suddenly "fallen ill". Joe sees a newspaper picture of her and realizes who is in his apartment. Immediately seeing an opportunity, Joe proposes getting an exclusive interview. Hennessy, not knowing the circumstances, agrees to the deal and offers $5,000 if the interview is all Joe claims it will be, but bets Joe $500 that he will not succeed.

Joe hurries home and, hiding the fact that he is a reporter, offers to show "Anya" around Rome. He also surreptitiously calls his photographer friend, Irving Radovich (Eddie Albert), to tag along to secretly take pictures. However, Ann declines Joe's offer and leaves.

Joe shocks Ann, pretending to have lost his hand to the Mouth of Truth.

Ann, enjoying her freedom, explores an outdoor market, buys a pair of shoes, and, on a whim, gets her long hair cut short. Joe follows and "accidentally" meets her on the Spanish Steps. This time he convinces her to spend the day with him. They see the sights, including the "Mouth of Truth", a face carved in marble which is said to bite off the hands of liars. When Joe shouts in mock pain and pulls his hand out of the mouth, it appears to be missing, causing Ann to scream. He then pops his hand out of his sleeve and laughs. (Allegedly, Hepburn's shriek was not acting—Peck decided to pull a gag he had once seen Red Skelton do, and did not tell his co-star beforehand.)[4]

Later, Ann shares with Joe her dream of living a normal life without her crushing responsibilities. That night, at a dance on a boat, government agents finally track her down and try to escort her away, but a wild melee breaks out and Joe and Ann escape. While trying to rescue her from plainclothes government agents, Joe is ambushed and falls into a river after being struck. Ann dives in to save him, and they swim away together away from the agents, finally sharing a kiss as they sit shivering on the riverbank. Later, knowing her royal responsibilities must resume, the princess bids a tearful farewell to Joe and returns to the embassy. When she arrives at the embassy she is lectured upon the sense of duty she must display, but (visibly pained) retorts that without such a sense, she would never have returned.

Joe and Ann on a scooter ride through Rome—a ride that ends at the police station.

During the course of the day, Hennessy learns that the princess is missing, not ill as claimed. He suspects that Joe knows where she is and tries to get him to admit it, but Joe claims to know nothing about it. Joe decides not to write the story, despite the considerable amount of money riding on it. Irving first plans to sell his photographs independent of the story, but eventually decides against it.

The next day, Princess Ann appears to answer questions from the press, and is surprised to see Joe and Irving there. Irving takes her picture with the same miniature cigarette-lighter/camera he had used the previous day. When asked by a reporter which city of her European tour was her favorite, Ann first makes a diplomatic "all were equally good" answer, but interrupts it with an impulsive "Rome! By all means, Rome." At the end of the interview, the Princess requests to "meet" the journalists, shaking hands and making brief formal conversation. As she reaches Joe and Irving, the latter presents her with an envelope with the photographs he had taken, under the pretext of a generic memento of Rome. The three make several statements that hint at the truth and their dispositions, while feigning formality and the distance expected between the princess and two strange journalists. As the interview with the princess comes to an end and she reluctantly leaves, the crowd of journalists and reporters eventually disperses, and Joe walks away alone.

Cast

Gregory Peck as Joe Bradley

Wyler first offered the role to Hollywood favorite Cary Grant. Grant declined,[5] believing he was too old to play Hepburn's love interest (though he played opposite her ten years later in Charade.) Other sources say Grant declined because he knew all of the attention would be centered around the princess.[6] Peck's contract gave him solo star billing, with newcomer Hepburn listed much less prominently in the credits. Halfway through the filming, Peck suggested to Wyler that he elevate her to equal billing—an almost unheard-of gesture in Hollywood.

Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann (Anya "Smitty" Smith)

Wyler had initially considered Elizabeth Taylor and Jean Simmons for this role, but both were unavailable.[7] Wyler was very excited to find Hepburn, but he didn't choose her until after a screen test. Wyler wasn't able to stay and film this himself but told the assistant director to ask the cameraman and the soundman to continue recording after the assistant director said "cut" so that she would be seen in a relaxed state after having performed a dignified, subdued scene from the film.[8] The candid footage won her the role; some of it was later included in the original theatrical trailer for the film, along with additional screen test footage showing Hepburn trying on some of Ann's costumes and even cutting her own hair (referring to a scene in the film). Roman Holiday was not Hepburn's first acting job but it was her first major role.

Joe, "Smitty" and Irving al fresco, just before Joe knocks over Irving's chair to silence him.

Supporting cast

Eddie Albert as Irving Radovich
Hartley Power as Hennessy, Joe's editor
Harcourt Williams as the Ambassador of Princess Ann's country
Margaret Rawlings as Countess Vereberg, Ann's principal lady-in-waiting
Tullio Carminati as General Provno
Paolo Carlini as Mario Delani
Claudio Ermelli as Giovanni
Paola Borboni as the Charwoman
Laura Solari as Secretary
Alfredo Rizzo as Taxi Driver
Gorella Gori as Shoe Seller

Filming locations

The film was shot entirely in Rome and in the studios of Cinecittà:

Reception

The film earned an estimated $3 million at the North American box office during its first year of release.[9]

Due to the film's popularity, both Peck and Hepburn were approached about filming a sequel, but this project never got off the ground.[10]

Awards

Wins

* Award was initially given to Ian McLellan Hunter, since he took story credit on blacklisted Trumbo's behalf. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences later credited the win to Trumbo. In 1993, Trumbo's widow Cleo received her late husband's award.[12]

The film was first slated for production in color on the backlot, but the filming in Rome was so much more expensive that it had to be done in black and white.

Nominations

Accolades

In 1999, Roman Holiday was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

American Film Institute included the film as #4 in its AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions, and as #4 in the romantic comedy category in its AFI's 10 Top 10.

Adaptations

The film was remade for television in 1987 with Tom Conti and Catherine Oxenberg, who is herself a member of a European royal family.

Paramount Pictures has licensed three adaptations of Roman Holiday into musicals:

  • In 2012, a musical stage version of Roman Holiday, following the plot while using the songs of Cole Porter, was presented in Minneapolis at the Guthrie Theater. The cast included Stephanie Rothenberg as Princess Ann and Edward Watts as Joe Bradley. The book adaptation was done by Paul Blake (Beautiful: The Carole King Story)[13] This adaptation is scheduled for a pre-Broadway run in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Theatre from May 23, 2017 to June 18, starring Stephanie Styles, Drew Gehling and Georgia Engel. The musical is expected to open on Broadway in an undisclosed theater in fall 2017.[14][15]
  • Another version was staged in 2004 in Rome under the title Vacanze Romane using the Cole Porter score, supplemented with music by famed Italian film composer Armando Trovajoli. This production is performed annually at the Teatro Sistina in Rome and on tour in Italy and Spain.[16]
  • A version entirely in Japanese with a completely different score was produced in 1998 by Toho [Japanese Theatre Company] starring Daichi Mao as Princess Ann and Yamaguchi Yuichiro as Joe Bradley.[17]

References

  1. ^ Writers Guild of America (December 19, 2011). "WGA Restores Blacklisted Writer Dalton Trumbo's Screen Credit On 'Roman Holiday'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  2. ^ Cheryl Devall, Paige Osburn (December 19, 2011). "Blacklisted writer gets credit restored after 60 years for Oscar-winning film". 89.3 KPCC. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  3. ^ Verrier, Richard (December 19, 2011). "Writers Guild restores screenplay credit to Trumbo for 'Roman Holiday'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  4. ^ An Evening with Gregory Peck, a series of retrospective lectures Peck gave in the years before his death, and Remembering Roman Holiday, a featurette on the 2002 DVD release.
  5. ^ Jaynes, Barbara Grant; Trachtenberg, Robert. Cary Grant: A Class Apart. Burbank, California: Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Turner Entertainment. 2004.
  6. ^ DVD special feature
  7. ^ "Remembering Roman Holiday", special feature on the DVD
  8. ^ According to Wyler's daughter, the producer Catherine Wyler, in the DVD's special feature "Remembering Roman Holiday".
  9. ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954
  10. ^ "Roman Holiday (1953) - Articles - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  11. ^ "NY Times: Roman Holiday". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  12. ^ McLellan, Dennis (2011-01-12). "Christopher Trumbo dies at 70; screen and TV writer whose father was blacklisted". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  13. ^ "Roman Holiday".
  14. ^ "Stephanie Styles, Drew Gehling, Jarrod Spector, Sara Chase to Star in Roman Holiday". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  15. ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Broadway-Bound 'Roman Holiday' Musical Sets Complete Cast" Playbill, April 6, 2017
  16. ^ "VACANZE ROMANE
    dal 21 ottobre"    .
  17. ^ "Musical Adaptation of Roman Holiday Coming to Tokyo Oct. '98 - Playbill".
  18. ^ "சுட்ட படம்". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). 19 March 2016. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) (subscription required)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roman Holiday (film).
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