Monday, February 27, 2012

Movie of the Week – Roman Holiday

This week’s movie is Roman Holiday (1953).

The romantic comedy is about Princess Ann, who is on a tour of European capitals. She is tired of her structured and controlled life and decides to run away while in Rome where she encounters newspaperman Joe Bradley. It is produced and directed by William Wyler (the man behind classics such as: Ben-Hur, The Big Country, The Best Years of Our Lives, Mrs. Miniver, and The Little Foxes) and written by then blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. Also working on the film were composer Georges Auric, cinematographers Henri Alekan and Franz Planer (a frequent collaborator with Wyler), art directors Hal Pereira and Walter H. Tyler, and legendary costume designer Edith Head. Audrey Hepburn (making her Hollywood debut) and Gregory Peck starred in the film with Eddie Albert in support. Roman Holiday was shot entirely in Rome, which was very uncommon for that time (studio backlots being so extensive). It is one of the great romance films, introducing the world to Audrey Hepburn who won the Best Actress Oscar for her work on the film (it won three Oscars in total; the other two being writing and costume design). It is the standard for which all future romantic comedies are set against, and a must-see for fans of the genre (and Wyler, Hepburn and/or Peck). Check out the trailer.


Available on DVD and Streaming

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