The Silver Screen Oasis

Add me to the "love it" list. But I don't understand why Roman Holiday is so often listed as Hepburn's debut, when she'd already made numerous films? I suppose it was her American debut...

My favourite scene from this movie is the 'Mouth of Truth' because before they filmed the scene Greg talked to Wyler about pretending his hand had been cut off. Wyler told him not to tell Audrey and the version you see on screen is her honest, freaked out, reaction.

How cheeky of them to scare the poor girl. How wonderful they were smart enough to film it.

Welcome to the Oasis. Any friend of Groucho's is a friend of mine.

Welcome duckthief!

I love Roman Holiday too. I'm not sure if the story told about fooling Audrey Hepburn about that bit of business Gregory Peck did with the Mouth of Truth was true, but her reaction is priceless.

Hey, wanna buy a duck?

I too remain somewhat skeptical but her reaction is either pure or deserves the Oscar for that scene alone. Peck had to practice a bit, I suspect, because I, like generations since then, couldn't quite imitate the move on First Try.

Thanks for the welcome.

moirafinnie wrote:I'm not sure if the story told about fooling Audrey Hepburn about that bit of business Gregory Peck did with the Mouth of Truth was true, but her reaction is priceless.

Well it was included in the "Remembering Roman Holiday" Documentary on the Special Collectors Edition DVD.

"I should like to speak to the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press."

Not always an Audrey fan and definitely not a Peck fan, found this movie just so-so when seeing it for the first time at home on DVD.
A few years ago we screened this to an audience of mostly first time viewers.
It was almost like a completely different movie -the pace was wonderful, it never dragged. I found both Audrey & Peck to be perfect in their roles here and enjoyed the audience reactions to their charactors.
Even though I knew the story, I still found myself tearing up at the end scene, just as intended by the filmmakers.

This was my introduction to Audrey Hepburn and I instantly fell in love with her. Immediately put all the rest of her available movies in my Netflix DVD queue (this was some time ago as you can see lol). I now have almost all of her major performances and adore most of them.

You have good taste, Lomm! I like you already.

Lomm wrote: ↑February 1st, 2023, 8:42 am This was my introduction to Audrey Hepburn and I instantly fell in love with her. Immediately put all the rest of her available movies in my Netflix DVD queue (this was some time ago as you can see lol). I now have almost all of her major performances and adore most of them.

ROMAN HOLIDAY wasn't the first Audrey Hepburn movie I saw (I think that was BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S), but it [ROMAN HOLIDAY] is my favorite.

It is truly a movie I can watch again and again.

Lomm wrote: ↑February 1st, 2023, 8:42 am This was my introduction to Audrey Hepburn and I instantly fell in love with her. Immediately put all the rest of her available movies in my Netflix DVD queue (this was some time ago as you can see lol). I now have almost all of her major performances and adore most of them.

I first watched this about 15 years ago and after the first half I had to stop for a reason or other but I posted on TCM what I had seen so far (I never do that!) and then I would post more fully at a later time. A couple days later I posted in raptures about this gem of a film and it was Wendy (JackFavell) who answered and said, "Oh Laffite, I have been wondering what you were going to say."

I had seen some Audrey but not a lot and I was positively stunned at the very sight of her. She appeared to me beyond any normal sense of what adorable might mean. I imagined right there on the spot watching what it would have been like to see her in a theater in 1952.

I remember saying that the first part and the last part were what held me most. The middle as I remember was the adventure in and around Rome and I thought some of feel a little flat. The ending is especially superb. I love her saying, "I should like to meet the ladies and gentleman of the Press." I'll have another look at the earliest convenience. I would look at the first half and the rest later but JackFavell isn't here. Though fine details don't come, I remember loving it.

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