Review of Roman Holiday (1953) by Nick R — 16 Jul 2009

If the filmmakers knew exactly what they had on their hands at the time, they might have retitled Roman Holiday as A Star is Born. Audrey Hepburn had only appeared in a few European roles and in a Broadway production of Gigi when she was cast as a princess in William Wyler's film. Needles to say, the role fit, Roman Holiday was a hit, and Hepburn was catapulted to the top of Tinseltown royalty. She was the Cinderella story made real by the magic of Hollywood.

Roman Holiday itself actually presents the flip side to the Cinderella fable, Hepburn's Princess Ann is tired of the pomp and circumstance of her official duties. One night she slips out from under her handlers' control and, under the guise of an everyday girl, encounters American journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck). He recognizes the princess as the possible scoop of his career, but as he gets to know her better he feels terrible about taking advantage of her innocence. As the two tour the city, they realize they're falling in love, but the realities of their respective situations may make such a relationship impossible. So they enjoy the city and all its charms, knowing that this short time they spend together may be the last.

Peck and Hepburn are excellent as the two mismatched lovers, and Eddie Albert is perfect as Peck's eager tagalong cameraman. Wyler, one of Hollywood's most reliable directors, shot the film on location in Rome, and the city's landmarks help enhance the already magical story. Just as essential is the enjoyable script, which proved controversial because it was penned by blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo. It was literally decades before Trumbo finally got the credit he deserved for helping to craft such a wonderful film.

The rest of the crew didn't need to wait nearly as long-Roman Holiday earned a whopping ten Academy Award nominations, including a win for the relatively unknown Hepburn. She'd be cast as the ingenue many more times over in her career, but it was this film that officially and auspiciously marked her arrival.