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| Breakfast at Tiffany |
I ended up watching Breakfast at Tiffany, Sabrina, Two for the Road, Green Mansions, and Charade. I have always loved Breakfast at Tiffany. So hard to believe it came out in 1961. You do have to get beyond Mickey Rooney's truly awful Japanese caricature and her mistreatment of her cat though. I can't get beyond her throwing her cat across the room and abandoning it in the middle of New York City.
I always loved Sabrina, but in watching it last night the 30 year age difference between Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart seemed really creepy. Just truly icky. And they literally had no on screen charisma whatsoever. They apparently could not stand one another.
Two for the Road has aged well. A great script and movie. But Audrey Hepburn was 7 years older than Albert Finney and does look a lot older. I guess they didn't really care as much about age differences back then in casting. They just wanted big stars regardless of their respective ages.
Green Mansions I have never really liked. Nor did anyone else - her first flop. A truly dreadful film. She is a bird girl who lives in the forest and is followed everywhere by a fawn.
And Charade - Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Paris. What can I say? And though there is again a huge age difference (26 years,) Cary Grant gets away with it because he is Cary Grant. Cary Grant was so uncomfortable with the age difference he made them rewrite the script to have her pursuing him romantically. Arguably her best film. Most people would say it was Alfred Hitchcock's best.
And the music and fashion are so key. "Moon River," "Two for the Road," "Charade," and the gorgeous wardrobes thanks to Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer, and Hubert de Givenchy. I wonder if these films would have become so iconic sans the musical scores and clothes.
Did you know that Breakfast at Tiffany was based on a novella by Truman Capote? He wanted Marilyn Monroe in the lead and said it was the most miscast film in history. After seeing the film he said it made him throw up. Cary Grant was the first choice for Sabrina, not Humphrey Bogart, but he turned it down.
I will watch My Fair Lady tonight and see if I like it better than Breakfast at Tiffany. A 21 year age difference between Hepburn and Rex Harrison. I think with the backdrop of the Jeffrey Epstein files these big age differences do not sit well. Icky. Interesting that she was cast in My Fair Lady but did not sing and everything had to be dubbed. Julie Andrews was preferred by many for the role but Audrey Hepburn was seen as more bankable.
Roman Holiday is probably my favorite and that’s because of the Rome experience itself. I love the neorealist black and white Italian films of 50’s and 60’s.
ReplyDeleteAnd I would say Funny Face since I love fashion history but you have that awful ancient costar situation again. Super creepy.
Charade is my favorite. I watch it every time I’m about to leave for Paris.
ReplyDeleteAudrey was a treasure. I have not seen all of her movies. I've never heard of Green Mansions until now. It's hard for me to believe that Bogart didn't like Audrey. What's not to like? I was aware that Capote wrote the original story of Breakfast at Tiffany's, and that he did want Marilyn to play Holly Go Lightly. Julie Andrews played Eliza on stage and had an amazing singing voice, so it would have made sense for her to play Eliza in the film, but I think Audrey was a bigger star at the time. I've always preferred movies from the golden age of Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteOne night I happened upon Wait until Dark - which starred Audrey Hepburn - so I had to watch! It IS the scariest movie I’ve ever seen! She plays a blind person and crosses paths with a drug smuggler at the airport - who passes on contraband unbeknownst to her, like Charade - there’re two men and she doesn’t know whom to trust - it’s a very realistic drama not quirky - not what I was expecting- warning! She was so incredible tho - hard to pick the best movie! I wear L’Interdit perfume bc it was Audrey Hepburn’s scent!
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