Roman Holiday 1953 Directed by William Wyler Paramount B/W

One of the highlights of the film wasn’t in the script. Gregory and Wyler devised it to get a surprise reaction out of Hepburn. During the scene when they confront the open-mouthed sculpture the script dictated that the two put their hands in the mouth. Joe tells Anne that if one of them is lying (both are) that they could lose their hand. Anne “persuades” Joe to do it first and when Greg pulls back his arm….no hand! Audrey’s look of shock and her scream turns to peals of laughter when Greg pulls his hand back out of his sleeve.

Audrey won the Oscar for this one.

Quote of the day…..

Wyler: “I think you should be wearing some falsies, if you don’t mind my saying so”.

Audrey: “I am!”

Sabrina 1954 Directed by Billy Wilder Paramount B/W

This movie is a Cinderella story with a few twists. You could say designer Givenchy was the fairy godmother and the prince had an older brother! The picture was filmed at the Long Island estate of Paramount exec Barry Balaban. Again Cary Grant had been the first choice and nixed the role so it was given to Humphrey Bogart. The air on the set was blue…not just because Bogart didn’t like Wilder or William Holden but because both Bogie and Audrey were smoking up a fog (although Audrey used an elegant long, filtered holder).

Audrey and Bill Holden got very close off-screen, too but their affair ended abruptly when she learned that he had a vasectomy and couldn’t have children. Bill later claimed “she was the love of my life”.

Strangely, Hubert de Givenchy wasn’t credited as the designer for this film….Edith Head was and she got the Oscar for his efforts.

Not long after the film wrapped, Audrey went to Broadway to do “Ondine” and met another Prince Charming…Mel Ferrer.

War and Peace 1956 Directed by King Vidor Paramount Color

Audrey was the perfect Natasha in a totally imperfect movie. One critic called it “length without depth” alluding to its 3 hour and 20 minute running time.

This was the 2000 page Tolstoy manuscript that everyone wanted to do….Dino De Laurentis, Mike Todd, David O. Selznick and MGM. De Laurentis won in a photo finish. He teamed up with Italian producer Carlo Ponti, hired experienced epic director King Vidor and then assured Audrey Hepburn as Natasha by casting her new hubby, Mel Ferrer as Prince Andrei. Gregory Peck was first choice for Pierre but he was busy on another project so Henry Fonda got the part.

The production was a budget nightmare. It took 48 acres and 9 soundstages to film the elaborate scenes. Audrey had trouble with Vidor’s habit of filming them out of sequence often doing last scenes and first scenes intermingled.

When the film wrapped, Audrey hurried off to join Mel in Paris. His scenes had been finished first and he was working with Ingrid Bergman in “Elena and Her Men”.

Funny Face 1957 Directed by Stanley Donen Paramount Color

After the hardships of “War and Peace” Audrey wanted something light and fanciful. A never-produced stage play by Leonard Gersha called “Wedding Day” was just what she needed. Change the name to “Funny Face”, add a generous dollop of Fred Astaire, a hit song and a score from an Gershwin musical called “Funny Face” and voila! Actually Audrey first picked the title when they told her she was going to play a model. “Oh, no…I think my face is perfectly funny”.

Stanley Donen of “On the Town” fame was the choice for director and Kay Thompson, Suzy Parker and Michael Auclair were an able supporting cast. But Audrey had to be borrowed from Paramount and then she insisted the movie be shot in Paris where Mel was still working. All that ironed out, she wanted Givenchy to be the costumer. Luckily Hubert was already in Paris!

Love in the Afternoon 1957 Directed by Billy Wilder Allied Artists B/W

 Audrey literally went from Fred Astaire’s arms to Gary Cooper with scarcely a break. Cary Grant was once again the first choice and once again he declined. He felt that at 52 he was too old to play opposite 27-year-old Audrey. So the part went to Gary (56). He was even older than Cary but not quite as old as her last leading man. Astaire was 57. Fans began to wonder if Audrey would ever get leading men her own age.

Gary played a millionaire playboy being investigated by a private detective (Maurice Chevalier) who was unaware that his latest conquest was the sleuth’s own daughter. Audrey loved Coop but was continually annoyed at the 68-year-old Chevalier’s flirtatiousness. It was one of the reasons she turned down the film version of “Gigi”.

But overwork and the fact she was worried over not getting pregnant again caused her to lose 7 pounds in one week, a fact that showed up in the film.

The Nun’s Story 1959 Directed by Fred Zinneman Warner Bros. Color

Both Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn wanted this role. Ingrid lost out because of what Hollywood viewed as her “past improprieties”. The studio felt they were already going to hear from the Catholic Church so why make it worse. Even though this is the true story of Belgian nun Marie-Louise Habets, the story of a nun who left her convent after final vows was considered disturbing by the church hierarchy.

Some of the locations chosen for the film were difficult for Audrey, A convent was found that permitted them to film inside but the exteriors were filmed in Rome and the Belgian Congo. What she couldn’t have known at the time was the similarity of her role as Sister Luke would almost mirror her real life tasks with UNICEF almost 30 years later.

The studio wasn’t happy with the film even though Audrey felt it would be a winner. She was right. Even though it garnered no Oscars out of its 8 nominations (including Audrey’s as Best Actress), it grossed twice its cost and even more since then.

The Unforgiven 1960 Directed by John Huston United Artists Color

With John Huston at the helm and the storyline a strong indictment against the prejudice against the Indians in 1860s Texas this should have been a stronger picture. On the heels of “Green Mansions” a box office failure, Audrey needed a blockbuster. However, the studio wanted a swashbuckler and that’s what they got. The soul of the script was sacrificed.

Then an accident happened during the shoot that almost cost Audrey her life. She was riding bareback on a white stallion when it spooked throwing her to the ground. It meant four broken vertebrae, torn muscles in her back and a sprained foot. But it also cost the life of her unborn child. She eventually went back to work and finished the film even getting back on the same horse so that scenes already shot wouldn’t have to be scrapped.

During her recovery, she was tended by no other than Marie-Louise, the former nun she portrayed in “The Nun’s Story”!

Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961 Directed by Blake Edwards Paramount Color

Holly Golightly would always be Audrey’s signature role…the one she was born to play. And it was helmed by the ever adroit Blake Edwards who thankfully ignored author Truman Capote’s insistence that Marilyn Monroe play the part!

Who can forget that scene where Holly/Audrey stood in front of Tiffany’s window? Hair piled high, and garbed by Givenchy, she was placidly drinking coffee from a paper cup and munching a Danish. Little did the audience know how much Audrey hated Danish!

Also memorable was her earnest rendition of “ Moon River” as she perched on her window sill. She literally made it a classic!

Lest we forget, there were other stars in the film….George Peppard as Paul, Patricia Neal as E2, Buddy Ebsen as Doc and Mickey Rooney as the Japanese neighbor, Mr Yunioshi, buck teeth and all. But it was Audrey’s movie all the way!

Note: Audrey always felt there was one jarring thing about the film…..who in their right mind would ever abandon a cat?

Charade 1963 Directed by Stanley Donen Universal Color

Now she finally gets to do a movie with Cary Grant! It was a thriller and filming began exactly one day after “Paris When It Sizzles” (released a full year later). In this case, Cary asked for Audrey! That was probably because he knew the author Peter Stone had written the original story “The Unsuspecting Wife” with them in mind.

The cast included Walter Matthau and James Coburn and was filmed in Paris, Audrey’s favorite city when she was working. The storyline alternated between suspense and humor never allowing the audience to get too complacent. However, the first meeting between the stars was almost ended their friendship before it began. Cary was showing Audrey a relaxation exercise at dinner when she knocked over a bottle of red wine and it spilled down the front of his cream-colored suit. There wasn’t a breath taken in the restaurant. But Cary, known to have an explosive temper, just graciously removed the coat and sat down. He sent Audrey a box of caviar the next day with a note telling her not to worry about it.

Paris When It Sizzles 1964 Directed by Richard Quine Paramount Color

This was a sad time for Audrey. Her little dog “Famous” had been killed by a car and even though Mel had bought her another little dog she was still grieving.

With her in this film was William Holden, her co-star from “Sabrina” and she knew he was still in love with her. But Bill was now fighting his demon, alcohol, and losing badly. There were endless retakes when Bill fluffed his lines. He began drinking at sun-up and was often carried to his bed before the sun set. Once he was caught climbing up the outside wall to her second floor dressing room and had to be dried out at a clinic.

The studio held up release of the picture for a year but the flaws were still apparent. The only thing the critics approved were Givenchy’s gowns!

My Fair Lady 1964 Directed by George Cukor Warner Bros. Color

The wrath of Hollywood took no prisoners and both Jack L. Warner and poor Audrey felt their umbrage for this casting choice. Jack needed a movie star of proven box office clout to recoup the high price he paid for the film rights to “My Fair Lady”. He felt Julie Andrews, who had wowed Broadway in the musical, wasn’t his safest choice. The decision would come back to bite him and it took a big bite out of Audrey as well.

Cecil Beaton was the designer on this film and at odds with director George Cukor over the image to be set for “Eliza”. Marni Nixon had already pre-recorded the music letting it leak out that Audrey’s voice may not be “commercial” enough. Then Rex Harrison was taking a very proprietary attitude toward the film seeing himself as the big star needed to sell the film. Audrey felt very much on the outside looking in.

The last straw…at the Oscars Julie Andrews won for “Mary Poppins” and Audrey, who hadn’t even been nominated, had to present the Best Actor award to Rex Harrison in Patricia Neal’s absence.

Wait Until Dark 1967 Directed by Terence Young Warner Bros. Color

Audrey was playing a blind housewife in this film who was being terrorized by a gang of drug dealers. She had to study all the techniques needed for the blind to function successfully in their daily lives….using the white cane….learning to identify sounds and footsteps and their measure of distance…finding a light bulb by its heat on her face…differentiate textures with her fingers….put on makeup without a mirror. It was rigorous training.

Filming took place in New York City where traffic had to be blocked off for 10 days in Greenwich Village to accommodate them. For this picture Audrey bought her dresses off the rack in stores that would have suited the housewife she was portraying. No designer imports from Paris and Givenchy.

The film won Audrey her fifth Oscar nomination, opened to record breaking grosses at Radio City and earned $11 million for the studio