Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Truman Capote (based on the novel by)
George Axelrod (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 November 1961 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Audrey Hepburn plays that daring, darling Holly Golightly to a new high in entertainment delight!

Plot:

A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Neighbor | Writer | Party | Cat

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Audrey Hepburn	...	Holly Golightly
George Peppard	...	Paul Varjak
Patricia Neal	...	2-E
Buddy Ebsen	...	Doc Golightly
Martin Balsam	...	O.J. Berman
José Luis de Vilallonga	...	José (as Vilallonga)
John McGiver	...	Tiffany's Salesman
Alan Reed	...	Sally Tomato
Dorothy Whitney	...	Mag Wildwood
Beverly Powers	...	Nightclub Stripper (as Miss Beverly Hills)
Stanley Adams	...	Rusty Trawler
Claude Stroud	...	Sid Arbuck
Elvia Allman	...	Librarian
Putney	...	'Cat' - a Cat (as 'Cat')
Mickey Rooney	...	Mr. Yunioshi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alfred Avallone	...	Spieler at Stripjoint (uncredited)
Janet Banzet	...	Woman (uncredited)
Henry Barnard	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Henry Beckman	...	Narcotics Detective Cronberger (uncredited)
Nicky Blair	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Mel Blanc	...	Holly's Drunk Visitor (voice) (uncredited)
Bill Bradley	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Florine Carlan	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	Party Guest in Blue and Green Dress (uncredited)
Roydon Clark	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Marian Collier	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Christine Corbin	...	Sing Sing Prison Visitor (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Tom Curtis	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Tommy Farrell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
James Field	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
George Fields	...	Harmonica Player (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Joseph J. Greene	...	Mr. O'Shaunessy (uncredited)
Barbara Kelley	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Kip King	...	Delivery Boy (uncredited)
Frank Kreig	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Gil Lamb	...	Gil - Party Guest with Harriet (uncredited)
Hanna Landy	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
James Lanphier	...	The Cousin (uncredited)
Mary LeBow	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Paul Lees	...	Floorwalker (uncredited)
Leatrice Leigh	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Mel Leonard	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Frank Marth	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Fay McKenzie	...	Party Guest Laughing in Mirror (uncredited)
Joyce Meadows	...	Party Guest Shaking Derrier in White Dress (uncredited)
Hollis Morrison	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Kate Murtagh	...	Policewoman (uncredited)
Bill Neff	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Miriam Nelson	...	Harriet - Party Guest in Gold Dress (uncredited)
Chuck Niles	...	Sing Sing Prison Guard (uncredited)
Peggy Patten	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Robert Patten	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
John Perri	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Michael Quinlivan	...	Party Guest with Eyepatch (uncredited)
William Benegal Rau	...	Hindu at Party (uncredited)
Joe Scott	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Reporter at Policed HQ (uncredited)
Annabella Soong	...	Chinese Party Guest (uncredited)
Helen Spring	...	Party Guest with Hat on Fire (uncredited)
Joan Staley	...	Blonde in Low-Cut Cream Dress (uncredited)
Nino Tempo	...	Customer (uncredited)
Towyna Thomas	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Glen Vernon	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Linda Wong	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Party Guest with Cat on Shoulder (uncredited)
Richard Wyler	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Michael Zaslow	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Blake Edwards

Writing credits
Truman Capote		(based on the novel by)
George Axelrod		(screenplay)

Produced by
Martin Jurow	....	producer
Richard Shepherd	....	producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Franz Planer		(director of photography) (as Franz F. Planer)
Philip H. Lathrop		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Howard A. Smith		(edited by) (as Howard Smith)

Casting by
Marvin Paige		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Roland Anderson
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair style supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry	....	assistant director

Art Department
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Robert McGinnis	....	poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Hugo Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
John Wilkinson	....	sound recordist
Richard Gramaglia	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: Mickey Rooney (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Stetson	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hubert de Givenchy	....	principal wardrobe: Miss Hepburn
Edith Head	....	costume supervisor
Pauline Trigere	....	principal wardrobe: Miss Neal
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Carl Fortina	....	musician: accordion soloist (uncredited)
Richard Nash	....	musician: trombone soloist (uncredited)
Jack Sheldon	....	musician: trumpet (uncredited)

Other crew
Frank Inn	....	trainer: 'Cat'
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant

Production Companies

• Jurow-Shepherd (as A Jurow-Shepherd Production)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1961) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Paramount Picture)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Home Video (1979) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Seven Films (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (reissue)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (Canada) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Post Logic Studios  digital film mastering (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:AL | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (original release) | West Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Hungary:14 | Canada:G (Ontario) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | South Korea:12 | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Brazil:Livre | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

167 East 71st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Jurow-Shepherd

Trivia:

In the Italian post-synchronized version of the film, the actors are dubbed by: Maria Pia Di Meo (Audrey Hepburn); Pino Locchi (George Peppard); Nino Pavese (Buddy Ebsen); Nando Gazzolo (Martin Balsam) and Luigi Pavese (John McGiver).

Goofs:

Continuity: After Holly enters Paul's bedroom through the window, stockings appear on her legs.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sid Arbuck:[seeing Holly enter her building] Hey!
[he chases her inside]
Sid Arbuck:Hey, baby, what's going on here?
Holly Golightly:Oh, hi!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cuatro estaciones (2010) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Moon River

Fluffy, if a bit empty, but delicious breakfast.

An army of fans consider this Hepburn's signature role and in many ways it is, even if she overcame miscasting to portray it. Based on a rather biting novella by Truman Capote, he (somewhat surprisingly) wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role. The casting of Hepburn couldn't be more different, yet she made it her own and in the process created an icon that is every bit as lasting as Marilyn's skirt-over-the-subway-grate or Bette Davis's off-the-shoulder, chain-smoking Margo Channing. She plays an offbeat, effortlessly sophisticated party girl in New York City who subsists on the favors of various rich men. Though her livelihood couldn't be more tasteless, somehow Hepburn's presence adds a sheen of innocence and sweetness to it. When blocked writer Peppard moves in upstairs ("kept" by married socialite Neal), the two find themselves developing a friendship which eventually begins to turn into love. But since they are both people who use their bodies to earn their keep and are heavily dependent on others, the chances of their relationship lasting are slim at best. To read the above synopsis, one would expect a gritty, vulgar film. However, in director Blake Edwards' hands and with Hepburn floating around in exquisite Givenchy gowns, the movie is a candy box of color, style, humor and romance.

Even when she's hungover or just getting home from an all-nighter (as in the famous opening scene), Hepburn strikes a graceful and glamorous figure. In fact, it's when she's trying to act disoriented or disheveled that her performance is at it's weakest. It's as if she was so inherently stylish that she had to try (too) hard to present anything else! She does a very fine job with the role, even if the character's past is nothing short of preposterous. Peppard comes off as blandly attractive, but wooden. His arrogance regarding his role (fiercely protecting the traditional leading man image) not only undercut his own performance, but also slighted that of Neal's who was diminished as a result. However, sentimental filmgoers probably prefer his more heroic approach and Neal would certainly recoup her losses, earning an Oscar a short time later for "Hud". The most controversial aspect of the film is Rooney's portrayal of an Asian man who lives above Hepburn and who is awakened at all hours by her lifestyle. Whether or not one is offended by the over-the-top stereotype of the buck teeth and slant eyes, the role is not funny anyway! It's all way too forced and obvious, with his pratfalls in sight long before they occur. (A lamp exists RIGHT over his bed for the express purpose of giving him something to hit his head on continuously. Move it, already!) There are many memorable moments in the film including a sequence of Hepburn and Peppard doing things they've never done before, Hepburn sitting on the fire escape plaintively singing the Oscar-winning song "Moon River" (which is used throughout the film by master composer Henry Mancini) and wacky party scene (a prelude to Edwards' "The Party"?) in which all sorts of outre things take place including the cry "Timber!" when a tipsy guest begins to collapse. There's a surprising frankness, for the time, regarding Peppard and Neal's relationship. It seems to be one of the earliest Hollywood films in which the leading man is implied to be nude under the covers in his bed. The film is not without its flaws. Some of the dialogue is annoyingly indulgent and the storyline is fairly patchy (with a tacked on ending.) Still, with the sparkling presence of Hepburn (in some mind-blowing hats and costumes) and the slick work of Edwards, it is easy entertainment.