The love story of a young princess and reporter, developing against the backdrop of beautiful views of Rome, has long become a classic and the audience loved it. Now it’s hard to imagine that the actors of the film “Roman Vacations”, acting as the main characters, could be different, and romantic events could take place in another city. But such an opportunity existed. Fortunately, a series of circumstances developed into a bizarre pattern, and the picture turned out exactly the way that cinema fans loved it forever.
Movie Summary
In William Wyler’s romantic comedy Roman Vacations, actors Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck told the audience a fabulous story about the love of a princess and a simple reporter. Princess Anna (Hepburn) arrives in Rome on a European tour. As a representative of the royal family, she is obliged to take part in numerous receptions and meetings. Tired of official duties, Anna takes a sedative to sleep, but she does not succeed.
Rome excites the imagination of the princess and attracts adventure. She secretly gets out of the embassy to explore the city on her own. But soon, sleeping pills begin to act, and Anna meets American reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) while trying to sleep on a park bench. Joe tries to help the girl return home by taxi, but instead of her address, sleepy Anna pronounces the name of the ancient amphitheater “Colosseum”.
Having circled around the city in vain attempts to find the girl’s house, Joe finally brings Anna to her home so that she can get enough sleep and recover. The next day, Joe goes to work, leaving Anna sleeping in her house. In the editorial office, on the first page of the newspaper, he sees a photo of Anna and realizes that he has a real princess sleeping in his house, which the whole city’s police are looking for. Joe feels that he has a real sensation in his hands and he can get an exclusive interview with the princess. Such a chance to become famous Joe will not miss.
He decides not to say anything to Anna that he recognized the princess in her and continue communication. For Anna and Joe, Roman holidays begin. Actors later admitted that during filming in Rome they fell in love with the ancient city just like their heroes, although the public suspected that they also had feelings. Soon, young people fall in love with each other, but any fairy tale ends sooner or later.
The princess returns to the embassy and takes up her duties, and lover Joe abandons the intention to write about joint adventures, leaving the time spent with Anna only in her memory. Before leaving Italy, Princess Anna gives a press conference and, meeting her eyes with Joe, says that she loved Rome forever and will never forget him.
The film "Roman Holiday": actors and roles
Initially, the management of Paramount Studios planned to make a film in Hollywood, but director William Wyler categorically refused. He was in Europe because he was afraid of being persecuted by the American authorities for his liberal political position and sought to shoot further away from the United States. At that time, the House Committee on Anti-American Activities began a hunt for the "Red Witches" and all dissenters were suspected.
The choice for filming the picture fell on Rome, as the Paramount studio limited the filmmakers in the budget. Since some of their funds were frozen in Italy, it became possible to use the money for its intended purpose. Interestingly, in the film "Roman Vacations", the actors playing the main roles were not immediately approved.
In the role of Princess Anne, the director saw Elizabeth Taylor, but the actress had a busy schedule and shooting in Rome did not suit her. Then it was decided to try the budding actress Audrey Hepburn, on samples she charmed the director and was approved for the role. Her partner in the set was supposed to be Cary Grant, but the actor refused, he considered himself too old to play a love story in a pair with young Audrey in the movie "Roman Vacations."
The actors ten years later nevertheless met on the set of the movie "Farce", where Hepburn and Grant played lovers, but so far Gregory Peck has been approved for the role of John.
Interesting Facts
In the film, several scenes were shot from the first take. One of the most remembered for the actors and the director is Lips of Truth. According to the plot, the heroes had to check the sincerity of their words by putting a hand in the marble mouth of an ancient bas-relief called “Lips of Truth”. A resourceful journalist, taking out a brush from his stone mouth, hid it under the sleeve of his jacket, as if a statue had bitten her for a lie. But Audrey Hepburn no one reported such a turn of the plot, so when Gregory Peck imitated a bitten off hand, the actress's fright was real, and the scene was shot from the first take.
It was the other way around, for example, when filming a scene where the princess said the words of farewell to Joe, the inexperienced Hepburn was not able to give out the required tears. Director William Wyler scolded the actress for the amount of film spent and Hepburn burst into tears, and the scene was successfully filmed.
Roman Vacations: actors and roles that changed their lives
Audrey Hepburn for the role of Princess Anne received the Academy Award in the nomination for Best Actress in 1953. At the presentation, she received an award from the highly respected Academy President Gene Hersholt. After receiving an Oscar, Audrey kissed the president on the lips instead of cheeks with excitement. The embarrassed actress for several minutes could not recover, being in the ladies' room. When she was ready to go to the press and pose for cameras on the steps of the New York Theater Center, Audrey realized that she had forgotten the figurine. Therefore, before making her famous photos with the Oscars, the actress had to return to the ladies room.
The role of Princess Anne brought Hepburn worldwide popularity and forever changed her life. When Gregory Peck arrived in Italy for filming, he was depressed about his recent breakup with his first wife Greta Kukkonen. But the spark that slipped between him and Audrey while working on the film healed the actor. Soon he met and fell in love with a Frenchwoman named Veronica Passani, they got married and stayed together for life.