Roman Holiday 1953 - USA - 118 min. - Feature, B&W AMG Rating (High Production Values, High Artistic Quality) Director William Wyler Genre/Type Romance, Comedy, Romantic Comedy Flags Suitable for Children, Adult Situations Keywords love, news, princess, rebel, reporter, romance, search, tourist, vacation, role-switching Themes Crowned Heads, Americans Abroad, Assumed Identities Tones Whimsical, Sweet, Humorous, Wistful, Elegant, Atmospheric Moods In the Mood for Love Set In Rome, Italy Produced by Paramount See Also DVD Release(s) Add New Link Product Purchase Click here to buy this DVD/video. Click here to buy posters Movie Trailer Click here to see a trailer for this movie. Audrey Hepburn became a star with this film, in which she played Princess Anne, weary of protocol and anxious to have some fun before she is mummified by "affairs of state." On a diplomatic visit to Rome, Anne escapes her royal retainers and scampers incognito through the Eternal City. She happens to meet American journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who, recognizing a hot news story, pretends that he doesn't recognize her and offers to give her a guided tour of Rome. Naturally, Joe hopes to get an exclusive interview, while his photographer pal Irving (Eddie Albert) attempts to sneak a photo. And just as naturally, Joe falls in love with her. Filmed on location in Rome, Roman Holiday garnered an Academy Award for the 24-year-old Hepburn; another Oscar went to the screenplay, credited to Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton but actually co-written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. The 1987 TV movie remake with Catherine Oxenberg is best forgotten. — Hal Erickson With Audrey Hepburn at her most appealing, Gregory Peck at his most charismatic, and Rome at its most photogenic, Roman Holiday remains one of the most popular romances that has ever skipped across the screen. Aside from being an enormously enjoyable romp, the film is most notable for two reasons. The first is Hepburn, featured here in her first starring role in a Hollywood film. Her performance won her an Academy Award and established her as an actress whose waifish, delicate beauty presented a viable alternative to the amply proportioned bombshells of the day. With her wide-eyed but cultivated portrayal of Princess Anne, Hepburn kicked off a trend defined by the Audrey Hepburn "look"—simple, sophisticated, and streamlined. The second reason for the film's importance is its location. Whereas modern-day filmmakers may think nothing of jetting off to remote and exotic locales, in 1953 the idea of traveling beyond a Hollywood soundstage was fairly novel. Director William Wyler's use of Rome is one of the best examples of how a location can become a leading character in a film: without the city's twisted alleyways, bustling crowds, and hulking ruins, Roman Holiday would have had the visual impact of a museum diorama. The effect of using the actual city in the film was eye-popping: audiences saw not just a romance between the two lead characters but a love affair between the camera and the city. In this respect, Roman Holiday goes beyond its status as one of the screen's most enduring romances to become one of history's most thumbed-through travel brochures. — Rebecca Flint Audrey Hepburn - Princess Anne Gregory Peck - Joe Bradley Eddie Albert - Irving Radovich Hartley Power - Mr. Hennessey Harcourt Williams - Ambassador Margaret Rawlings - Countess Vereberg Tullio Carminatti - Gen. Provno Paolo Carlini - Mario Delani Claudio Ermelli - Giovanni Paola Borboni - Charwoman Alfredo Rizzo - Cab driver Laura Solari - Hennessy's Secretary Gorella Gori - Shoe Seller Mimmo Poli - Worker Gianna Segale Carlo Rizzo - Police man Maurizio Arena - Driver Richard McNamara - Correspondent Marco Tulli - Dancer Tania Weber - Irving's Model John Cortay - Correspondent George Higgins - Correspondent Heinz Hindrich - Dr. Bonnachoven Andre Eszterhazy - Embassy Staff Princess Alma Cattaneo - Lady-in-Waiting Giuliano Raffaelli Giacomo Penza - Papal Nuncio, Monsignor Altomonto Edward Hitchcock - Chief of Correspondents Princess Lilamani - The Raikuuari of Khanipur John Horne - Master of Ceremonies William Wyler - Director / Producer John Dighton - Screenwriter Ian McLellan Hunter - Book Author / Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo - Screenwriter Henri Al閗an - Cinematographer Franz Planer - Cinematographer Georges Auric - Composer (Music Score) Robert Swink - Editor Hal Pereira - Art Director Walter Tyler - Art Director Edith Head - Costume Designer Wally Westmore - Makeup Notting Hill (1999, Roger Michell) Princess O'Rourke (1943, Norman Krasna) Sabrina (1954, Billy Wilder) Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961, Blake Edwards) Monte Carlo (1930, Ernst Lubitsch) Love in the Afternoon (1957, Billy Wilder) A Countess from Hong Kong (1967, Charles Chaplin) The Shop Around the Corner (1940, Ernst Lubitsch) Young April (1926, Donald Crisp) The Big Country (1958, William Wyler) Detective Story (1951, William Wyler) The Heiress (1949, William Wyler) Sabrina (1954, Billy Wilder) Wuthering Heights (1939, William Wyler) Carrie (1952, William Wyler) The Good Fairy (1935, William Wyler) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946, William Wyler)