"Roman Holidays": actors without whom it is impossible to imagine a film

The love story of a young princess and a reporter,developing against the backdrop of beautiful views of Rome, has long become a classic and loved the viewer. Now it is difficult to imagine that the actors of the film "Roman holidays", playing the role of the main characters, could be different, and romantic events take place in another city. But such an opportunity existed. Fortunately, a string of circumstances developed into a bizarre pattern, and the picture turned out exactly as it was forever loved by fans of cinematography.

The summary of the film

In the romantic comedy of William Wyler "Romanvacation "actors Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck told the viewer a fairytale story about the love of a princess and a simple reporter. Princess Anna (Hepburn) comes to Rome during the 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 worried about the imagination of the princess and entailstowards adventure. She secretly gets out of the embassy to explore the city on her own. But soon the sleeping pills begin to act, and Anna meets American reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) while trying to sleep on a bench in the park. Joe tries to help the girl to return home by taxi, but instead of her address, sleepy Anna pronounces the name of the ancient amphitheater "Colosseum".

Having circled the city in unsuccessful attemptsfind the girl's house, Joe eventually leads Anna to her house so she can sleep and recover. The next day Joe goes to work, leaving Anna asleep in her house. In the editorial on the first page of the newspaper, he sees Anna's photo and realizes that his real princess is sleeping at his house, which is searched by the entire city police. 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 tell Anna aboutthat she recognized her as a princess and continue to communicate. For Anna and Joe, Roman holidays begin. Actors later admitted that during the filming in Rome fell in love with the ancient city in the same way as their heroes, although the public suspected that there were feelings between them. Soon young people fall in love with each other, but any fairy tale ends sooner or later.

The princess returns to the embassy and proceedsto his duties, and the enamored Joe refuses to write about joint adventures, leaving the time spent with Anna, only in his memory. Before leaving Italy, Princess Anna gives a press conference and, meeting her eyes with Joe, says that she has fallen in love with Rome forever and will never forget it.

The film "Roman holidays": actors and roles

Initially, the management of the studio "Paramount"planned to make a film in Hollywood, but director William Wyler categorically refused. He was in Europe because he feared persecution of the US authorities for his liberal political position and sought to shoot far away from the US. At that time, the House of Representatives Committee on the investigation of anti-American activities began to hunt for "red witches" and under suspicion all the dissidents got into trouble.

The choice for filming the picture fell on Rome, sinceParamount Studio has limited 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 movie "Roman Holiday" the actors playing the main roles were not approved immediately.

In the role of Princess Anne, the director saw ElizabethTaylor, but the actress had a tight schedule and shooting in Rome did not suit her. Then it was decided to try the beginning actress Audrey Hepburn, on samples she charmed the director and was approved for the role. Her partner in the field was to be Cary Grant, but the actor refused, he considered himself too old to play a love story with a young Audrey in the movie Roman Holiday.

Ten years later, the actors met on the set of the movie "Fars", where Hepburn and Grant played lovers, but so far Gregory Peck was approved for the role of John.

Interesting Facts

In the film, several scenes shot from the first double. One of the most memorable actors and director - “Mouth of Truth”. In the story, the heroes had to check the sincerity of their words by putting a hand into the marble mouth of an ancient bas-relief called the “mouth of truth”. The resourceful journalist, taking a brush out of a stone mouth, hid it under the sleeve of his jacket, as if the idol bit off her for a lie. But Audrey Hepburn no one reported such a plot twist, so when Gregory Peck simulated the bitten off hand, the actress’s fright was real, and the scene was filmed from the first take.

It was the other way around, for example, when filming the scene,where the princess says goodbye words to Joe, the inexperienced Hepburn was not able to give the required tears. Directed by William Wyler cursed the actress for the amount of spent film and Hepburn burst into tears, and the scene was successfully filmed.

Roman Holiday: actors and roles that changed their lives

Audrey Hepburn for the role of Princess Anne receivedthe Oscar for the Best Actress in 1953. At the presentation, she received the award from the highly respected President of the Academy, Jean Hersholt. Having received an Oscar, Audrey, with emotion, kissed the president on the lips, instead of his cheek. Embarrassed actress for several minutes could not recover, being in the ladies' room. When she was ready to go to the press and pose in front of the cameras on the steps of the theater center in New York, Audrey realized that she had forgotten the statuette. Therefore, before you make your famous photos with the Oscar, the actress had to return for him ladies' room.

The role of Princess Anne brought Hepburn the worldpopularity and forever changed her life. When Gregory Peck came to Italy for filming, he was depressed about his recent separation from 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 French woman named Veronica Passani, they got married and stayed together for the rest of their lives.