Roman Holiday (1953)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

William Wyler

Writers (WGA):

Dalton Trumbo (story) (front Ian McLellan Hunter)
Ian McLellan Hunter (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 September 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Audrey Hepburn at her Oscar-winning best in an immortal comedy-romance!

Plot:

A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.

Plot Keywords:

Princess | American | Press Conference | Editor | Delivery Truck

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Joe Bradley
Audrey Hepburn	...	Princess Ann
Eddie Albert	...	Irving Radovich
Hartley Power	...	Mr. Hennessy
Harcourt Williams	...	Ambassador
Margaret Rawlings	...	Countess Vereberg
Tullio Carminati	...	Gen. Provno
Paolo Carlini	...	Mario Delani
Claudio Ermelli	...	Giovanni
Paola Borboni	...	Charwoman
Alfredo Rizzo	...	Cab Driver
Laura Solari	...	Secretary
Gorella Gori	...	Shoe Seller
Heinz Hindrich	...	Dr. Bonnachoven
John Horne	...	Master of Ceremonies
Andrea Esterhazy	...	Embassy Staffer (as Count Andrea Esterhazy)
Ugo De Pascale	...	Embassy Staffer
Diane Lante	...	Lady in Waiting
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Armando Ambrogi	...	Man on Phone (uncredited)
Armando Annuale	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Maurizio Arena	...	Driver (uncredited)
Ugo Ballerini	...	Embassy Staffer (uncredited)
Bruno Baschiera	...	Embassy Staffer (uncredited)
Gildo Bocci	...	Flower Man (uncredited)
Alfred Browne	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Princess Alma Cattaneo	...	Lady in Waiting (uncredited)
J. Cortes Cavanillas	...	Himself (uncredited)
John Cortay	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Vittoria Crispo	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ferdinando De Aldisio	...	Himself (uncredited)
Jan Dijksgraaf	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Jacques Ferrier	...	Himself (uncredited)
Helen Fondra	...	Countess of Marstrand (uncredited)
Giovanni Fostini	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Sytske Galema	...	Himself (uncredited)
Teresa Gauthier	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Sidney Gordon	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Otto Gross	...	Himself (uncredited)
George Higgins	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Edward Hitchcock	...	Chief of Correspondents (uncredited)
Stephen House	...	Himself (uncredited)
Adam Jennette	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Kurt Klinger	...	Himself (uncredited)
Friedrich Lampe	...	Himself (uncredited)
Princess Lilamani	...	The Raikuuari (uncredited)
Mario Lucinni	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Luis Marino	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Richard McNamara	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Rabindranath Mitter	...	The Maharajah (uncredited)
Luigi Moneta	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Maurice Montabre	...	Himself (uncredited)
Julio Moriones	...	Himself (uncredited)
Richard Neuhaus	...	Guard (uncredited)
Desiderio Nobile	...	Embassy Staffer (uncredited)
Giustino Olivieri	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Eric Oulton	...	Sir Hugo Macy de Farmington (uncredited)
Piero Pastore	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Giacomo Penza	...	Nuntius Altomonto (uncredited)
Mimmo Poli	...	Worker (uncredited)
Giuliano Raffaelli	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Dominique Rika	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Carlo Rizzo	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Piero Scanziani	...	Himself (uncredited)
Gianna Segale	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Octave Senoret	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Alcide Tico	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Marco Tulli	...	Stiff Dancer at the Ball (uncredited)
Patricia Varner	...	Teacher (uncredited)
Dianora Veiga	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Cesare Viori	...	Prince Istvan Barossy Nagyavaros (uncredited)
Tania Weber	...	Francesca (uncredited)
Hank Werbe	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Catherine Wyler	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
Judy Wyler	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)

Directed by
William Wyler

Writing credits (WGA)
Dalton Trumbo		(story) (front Ian McLellan Hunter)
Ian McLellan Hunter		(screenplay) and
John Dighton		(screenplay)
Ian McLellan Hunter		(front for Dalton Trumbo)

Produced by
Robert Wyler	....	associate producer
William Wyler	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Henri Alekan
Franz Planer		(as Frank F. Planer)

Film Editing by
Robert Swink

Art Direction by
Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Alberto De Rossi	....	makeup supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert Coleman	....	assistant director
Bernard Vorhaus	....	assistant director (as Piero Mussetta)

Art Department
Italo Tomassi	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joseph de Bretagne	....	sound recordist

Music Department
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Victor Young	....	composer: theme music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1953) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1954) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Seven Films (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• ARC (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• CIC Victor Video (1988) (Japan) (VHS)
• CIC Victor Video (1994) (Japan) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• First Trading (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• PSG (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Tone (????) (Japan) (DVD)

Runtime:

118 min | Portugal:117 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) (original rating) | West Germany:6 (f) (re-rated) | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #16114) | UK:U | USA:Passed

Filming Locations:

Bocca della Verita "Mouth of Truth", Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Piazza Bocca della Verita, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

When filming the scene where the princess (Audrey Hepburn) says her goodbyes to Joe, the inexperienced Hepburn was unable to produce the necessary tears, eventually causing director William Wyler to complain at the number of wasted takes. Hepburn promptly burst into tears and the scene was filmed successfully.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ann is first in Joe's apartment, he removes the "tie" from under her shirt collar and the collar stands up. In the next shot, it's again lying flat.

Quotes:

Irving Radovich: Joe, we can't go running around town with a hot princess!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Emily Says Hello (#5.9)" (2004)

Viva Audrey!

I recently caught this little gem of a film on a retro program and it was a trip well worth it. William Wyler was a genius directing throughout his film career. Here he's in top form.

The only way this film could have been conceived was with the charming presence of Audrey Hepburn in her first appearance on a Hollywood film. She is without a doubt, an angel who was sent to this earth to delight the movie audiences in whatever movie she happened to dignify with her appearance in.

Some people have compared Audrey Tatou with the incomparable Audrey Hepburn. Seeing Ms Hepburn in Roman Holiday will certainly change the minds of those comparing fans. Audrey Hepburn was a star's star! She exudes charm, intelligence, elegance, and beauty. Just one look from her could disarm Gregory Peck forever.

The only wrong note of this production was the way the writer, Dalton Trumbo, was treated since he had been blacklisted by the anti-communist faction lead by Sen. McCarthy and company. In the end, Mr. Trumbo was vindicated in having his name recognized as the writer of Roman Holiday.

This film is a feast to the eyes in that glorious cinematography and Rome as a background. This was Hollywood at its best. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn will be forever young any time we take a look at this classic that I'm sure will live and charm its viewers whenever they take a chance to see it for the first time, or like some of us, for another loving look.