Roman Holiday (1953)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

William Wyler

Writers (WGA):

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

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

Also Known As:

Vacances romaines (Belgium: French title) (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Ein Herz und eine Krone (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
La princesa que quería vivir (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
A Princesa e o Plebeu (Brazil) [pt]
Diakopes sti Romi (Greece) [el]
Férias em Roma (Portugal) (original subtitled version) [pt]
Loma Roomassa (Finland) [fi]
Prinsessa på vift (Sweden) [sv]
Prinsessen holder fridag (Denmark) [da]
Római vakáció (Hungary) [hu]
Roma tatili (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Rzymskie wakacje (Poland) [pl]
Vacaciones en Roma (Spain) [es]
Vacances a Roma (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Vacanta la Roma (Romania) [ro]
Vacantie te Rome (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Vacanze romane (Italy) [it]
Xufsha B'Roma (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]

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:

After filming, Gregory Peck informed the producers that, as Audrey Hepburn was certainly going to win an Oscar (for this, her first major role), they had better put her name above the title. They did and she did.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Ann leaves Joe's apartment, when she looks in the salon window, her tie is on and cuffs are buttoned but when she sits down in the hair salon chair, her cuffs are rolled up slightly. When she leaves the salon her cuffs are rolled up slightly, but when she approaches the gelato stand, her sleeves have been rolled up to mid-bicep. She sits down on the banister with her gelato, tie on, but a moment later, the tie is gone (and never returns) and her top blouse buttons are open. Through their tour of the Coliseum, Ann's neck is bare but on the scooter ride leaving the Coliseum a striped scarf appears mysteriously around her neck. In the car as Joe drives Ann back to the palace, both the striped scarf and tie are missing.

Quotes:

Joe Bradley: You should always wear my clothes.
Princess Ann: It seems I do.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in You, Me and Dupree (2006)

An utter gem

A plot as slender as Audrey Hepburn but oh what magic! If you've never seen this jewel, you're to have one of the best evenings of your week, your month.

Perhaps the key to this movie's success is restraint - in the dialogue, in the music, in the cynicism of Peck and cronies at the movie's beginning. No one gushes - all is understated - but how one feels its power.

I hope everyone has experienced a day such as they - with someone they come to care for - as much as they. It's my wish for the world.