Roman Holiday (1953)
- kbroer
- May 26, 2023
- 2 min read
Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert
Directed by William Wyler
Available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Mix up a spritz and travel to beautiful Rome with this classic where runaway princess Audrey Hepburn spends a special 24 hours in Rome with reporter Gregory Peck.
Why we love it: This movie is simply the best -- a true romantic classic. Audrey Hepburn (in her first starring role) and Gregory Peck are fantastic. The film was shot on location in Rome, so the scenery of 1950's Italy adds to the charm.
Fun facts:
Gregory Peck was originally contracted to have solo billing, above the title, but halfway through the movie, he realized that Audrey was the true star of the film and he insisted that she also have title billing.
Audrey Hepburn won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
The story was written by Dalton Trumbo, who was blacklisted at the time for being a Communist. In 1947 he had refused to testify before the HUAC and had served time in jail. Since he was banned from working in the entertainment industry he had his friend Ian McLellan Hunter front for him as the writer of the script. Ian Hunter/Dalton Trumbo won the Academy Award for Best Story, though Dalton Trumbo wouldn't receive recognition for his work until 1993. His name is now included on the title credits of the movie.
The famous scene at the Mouth of Truth was improvised by Gregory Peck so Audrey's reaction to him pretending to lose a hand is genuine.
To read reviews and articles from the time, go to the Fan Magazine Reviews page.
Featured cocktail:
Aperol Spritz
Aperol Spritzes and Campari Spritzes are Italian favorites. Generally speaking, a spritz is a drink that combines a bitter-sweet liquor with prosecco and a splash or “spritz” of sparkling water.
3 oz (90 ml) prosecco or sparkling wine of your choice
2 oz (60 ml) Aperol or Campari
1 oz (30 ml) sparkling water
Combine ingredients in ice-filled wine glass. Stir. Garnish with an orange slice. Enjoy!
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