Roman Holiday

[Tiki Tom]

Noteworthy anniversary:

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/events060827/

Roman Holiday is one of my all-time favorite movies. And, I'm proud to say, it is now also on the favorites list of my daughters.

Of course, Audrey Hepburn shines in the role of the wayward Princess and Gregory Peck is the prototypical rough-around-the-edges American in Europe. It all works well together and makes for a thoroughly sweet, but not cloying, romance. The unspoken co-star in the movie is, of course, the city of Rome. It is "the eternal city" in part because (I may start an argument here) if you go back to Rome today it is still possible to see the same sights as in the movie and ---if you go in off season--- the "feel" of the place hasn't changed all that much, IMHO. Love Rome. Love Audrey Hepburn. What's not to like? Happy 65th anniversary, Roman Holiday (1953)!

I did not know that the movie triggered a boom in the sales of Vespas.

 

[GHT]

Noteworthy anniversary:

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/events060827/

Roman Holiday is one of my all-time favorite movies. And, I'm proud to say, it is now also on the favorites list of my daughters.

Of course, Audrey Hepburn shines in the role of the wayward Princess and Gregory Peck is the prototypical rough-around-the-edges American in Europe. It all works well together and makes for a thoroughly sweet, but not cloying, romance. The unspoken co-star in the movie is, of course, the city of Rome. It is "the eternal city" in part because (I may start an argument here) if you go back to Rome today it is still possible to see the same sights as in the movie and ---if you go in off season--- the "feel" of the place hasn't changed all that much, IMHO. Love Rome. Love Audrey Hepburn. What's not to like? Happy 65th anniversary, Roman Holiday (1953)!

I did not know that the movie triggered a boom in the sales of Vespas, it would be another ten years before I was old enough to own one, but the real star was The Little Mouse, that's what The Fiat Topolino translates into. Here it is with it's co-stars at the wall of wishes.

 

[Fading Fast]

"Roman Holiday" is a wonderful movie despite the fact that I don't find the story particularly well written or engaging because, well, it does't matter as the actors, scenery and verve are so good that the weak story fades into the background.

You can feel a post-WWII energy and enthusiasm returning with "Roman Holiday" versus so many post-WWII movies populated with bombed out buildings, shattered lives, hopelessness and despair. Those movies made sense for the time and had to be made, but "Roman Holiday" is an early example of a change in attitude: of young people - seemingly not directly scarred by the war - having fun and looking forward to life.

It didn't hurt that two of those people were the young and beautiful Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck (Peck did not look his 37 years). Some movies have great stories, brilliant scripts and / or incredible drama while others just have a wonderful vibe of optimism, fun, joy, youthful freedom and happiness. "Roman Holiday" doesn't need the former because it has an abundance of the latter.