The story of “Roman Holiday” (1953) is Cinderella in reverse, but it made a princess of Audrey Hepburn, an attractive ingénue who gained instant stardom with her first leading role. Her part in this bittersweet romance set the tone for her entire career, establishing both her own charming persona and her constant pairing with older leading men. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, “Roman Holiday” also earned Hepburn her only Oscar win, although she had four more nominations to come. Today, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) is the most celebrated of Hepburn’s films, but “Roman Holiday” offers a very entertaining introduction to the star as well as an engaging story, a beautiful city, and a compelling romantic interest in the person of Gregory Peck.
Hepburn stars as Princess Ann, the only heir to the throne of an unnamed nation. Fed up with her carefully controlled life, the princess runs away for a day of freedom and adventure in Rome. There she encounters an American reporter, Joe Bradley (Peck), who recognizes her as the biggest scoop ever to land in his lap. Without letting Ann know his real intentions, Joe takes the sheltered girl on a whirlwind tour of the city with his photographer pal, Irving (Eddie Albert), along for the ride.
Like “It Happened One Night” (1934), “Roman Holiday” depends on the coupling of an opportunistic male reporter and a lively female subject whom the reporter intends to take advantage of for the sake of his career. The audience is aware of the man’s deception, but we forgive it because we know that he is fated to become an integral part of the story he thinks he is merely there to exploit. If we didn’t know that from the very first moment of the film, we might harbor a lot of hard feelings about Peck’s character, Joe, especially because Hepburn’s Ann is so very innocent and young. The differences between them attract them to each other but also define the limits of their romance; they both have their deadlines to face at the end of the day.
Hepburn’s performance is the main attraction here, but Peck is very good, too. Eddie Albert picked up an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor with his scene-stealing portrayal of the shutterbug sidekick, although he lost to Frank Sinatra for “From Here to Eternity” (1953). They all have wonderfully funny scenes, but the humor is persistently tinged with our understanding that this is a holiday that can’t last. The location shooting in Rome pays off handsomely, presenting us with a beautiful, romantic city, a perfect place for a chance encounter with love, and Edith Head’s Oscar-winning costumes make the most of Hepburn’s grace and style.
William Wyler, who directed “Roman Holiday,” also helmed “Jezebel” (1938), “Mrs. Miniver” (1942), and “Ben-Hur” (1959). Look for more of Hepburn in “Sabrina” (1954), “Charade” (1963), and “My Fair Lady” (1964). See Gregory Peck in “The Gunfighter” (1950), “Cape Fear” (1962), and “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962). Eddie Albert also earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in “The Heartbreak Kid” (1972), but he is probably most familiar to audiences today as aspiring farmer Oliver Douglas on “Green Acres.”
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