Meet Me in Rome!
Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in William Wyler's Roman Holiday
Hepburn plays a princess of a small nation playing hooky from her duties, and Peck is a wiley reporter just trying to get a story.
The "Mouth of Truth" located in the portico of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome, Italy. This is the location of one of the best scenes in the movie.
Legend has it that if someone given to lying sticks his hand in the Mouth, it will bite it off. Both Joe and Anna have been telling a pack of lies about themselves, so neither is particularly eager to test the legend. But, unbeknownst to Hepburn, Peck had planned ahead to act like his hand had really been bitten off. When they shot the scene, and he screamed and then pulled out his arm with his hand up his sleeve, Hepburn's reaction of shock was real. It makes an unforgetable scene.
Hepburn and Peck playing cards between takes
Hepburn and Peck on a runaway skooter
Of course they end up in each other's arms
ROMAN HOLIDAY
Best Romance, 1953 - 5-Star Masterpiece
Perhaps the Most Perfect Romantic-Comedy Ever Made
That's not just my opinion - it seems to be universal. It was directed by one of the all time greats, William Wyler, who is known for such mega classics as Ben-Hur (1959), for which he won the Oscar for Best Director; Friendly Persuasion (1956), Detective Story (1951), The Big Country, The Heiress (1949); The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946), for which he was named Best Director; Mrs. Miniver (1942), for which he again won Best Director; The Little Foxes (1941), The Letter (1940), Wuthering Heights (1939) and Dodsworth (1936).
Wyler has more Oscar nominations than any other director (12), and only John Ford has more wins (4). Even without those nominations and wins, Wyler would have to be considered one of the top three directors of all time, along with John Ford and Frank Capra, for the sheer quality and quantity of his work. He is considered to be second only to Ford as a "master craftsmen of cinema." And even though Roman Holiday is a "little" film, as far as budget and scope, it has a huge heart and was probably a lot more fun to make than many of his larger productions. It's definitely more fun to watch.
I’m Taking You to Italy!
"We're not really talking about glass, are we?" You got that right. Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi in David Lean's Summertime, an incredibly romantic film set in an incredibly romantic city - Venice
- Jane and Renato first see each other in a cafe in the Piazza San Marco
- Not knowing it is his, Jane stumbles into Renato's antique shop, attracted by a red goblet in the window. This shop is located in San Barnaba di Venezia.
- Jane and her self-appointed guide, Mauro, in Piscina Sant'Agnese in Dorsoduro. The photo in the corner shows how it looks in recent years. Italians preserve their past; which is why watching this 1955 film is almost like going there today.
- Jane falling into the canal on San Barnaba di Venezia while trying to film Renato's shop. Mauro saves the camera just in time. The photo in the corner is of the San Barnaba di Venezia in recent years, but from the opposite direction. The shop by the bridge in the lower left was used as Renato's shop in the movie, so Hepburn would have fallen into the canal in the foreground. She got an eye infection from that, and suffered from it for the rest of her life.
There are other places known for their charming waterways besides just Venice. One of them is San Antonio. If you go there, you will want to spend most of your time on the River Walk. Wonderful waterside cafes amidst gigantic cedars make this a very pleasant place to dine with a friend.
Best Films Set in Italy, Beginning with...
SUMMERTIME (aka, Summer Madness)
Best Romance, 1955 - 5 Stars
A very romantic film set in a very romantic city
This summer, I'm taking you to Italy... via your DVD player. There are some fabulous "vacation packages" out there, and they're only a click away. Each one is set in a different city, and they all make you feel like you're actually there. I'll finish up the summer with an Italian film that I consider to be their best.
Our first stop is Venice, and the movie is Summertime, starring Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, Isa Miranda and Darren McGavin. It is 1955, and this is David Lean's last "little" movie, before directing such monumental classics as The Bridge Over The River Kwai, Lawrence Of Arabia, The Greatest Story Ever Told and Doctor Zhivago. But the ones preceding Summertime are no slouches either, including Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and Brief Encounter. So Summertime stands as a turning point in Lean's career - one last summer fling before getting down to some very serious work.