I’ve been on a classic Hollywood movie binge recently and have paid particular attention to possibly the most famous film star of all time, Audrey Hepburn. You’d be hard pressed to find even the most ignorant millennial snowflake who hasn’t heard of the most magnetic of all screen beauties, even if Breakfast At Tiffany’s is the only film they can muster. In fact, our Auds has made a number of outstanding films that are well worth watching so take my guiding hand as I present to you an epic retrospective of this gorgeous lady’s work. For an extra thrill, why not have a shot of tequila every time you read the word “Audrey” from now on?
Editors note: For the completists out there, I have had to regrettably omit Monte Carlo Baby (1952, Jane Boyer and Lester Fuller) as I can’t find the blasted thing anywhere! I have also not included her very first screen role, Nederlands in Zeven Lessen (1948, Charles Huguenot Van der Linden) because life’s too short to watch that shite.
26. Bloodline (1979, Terence Young)
Audrey was going through a troubled marriage and so accidentally accepted the lead role in this absurd mess of a thriller. She’s Elizabeth Roffe, the heiress to a pharmaceutical company who is suddenly the target of a killer. It also stars James Mason and Omar Sharif who both have strange subplots that don’t really go anywhere along with the rest of the cast. It’s incredibly poorly made with shoddy editing and careless directing but it does make it quite entertaining to watch for all the wrong reasons. Hepburn fell in love with her co-star, Ben Gazzara in this but he decided to chuck her for a model, the fool.
25. Green Mansions (1959, Mel Ferrer)
A passion project for Audrey’s twat husband, Mel Ferrer, Green Mansions is a dismal affair. It was a monumental flop when released and fortunately put an end to Ferrer’s directing career. The film follows Anthony Perkins (on terrible form) as he traipses around the jungle and ends up falling in love with sexy jungle girl, Audrey Hepburn (on fabulous form despite wearing a sack for the duration) whose been residing in the Amazon with her grandfather for reasons unknown. On a positive note, it did unite Audrey with her adorable fawn whom she shared a close bond with. Tragically, Audrey doesn’t make an appearance until 25 minutes in so be warned.
24. Love Among Thieves (1987, Roger Young)
Audrey’s final main role was unfortunately this godawful TV movie starring alongside the evil Robert Wagner. She plays a baroness trying to free her kidnapped fiance with some stolen Faberge eggs. The whole thing is so bizarre and outlandish that you might be forgiven for mistaking this for being a live action a Looney Toons episode. It’s a fun watch to laugh at and Audrey was paid one million dollars which she donated to UNICEF so it wasn’t all a waste of time.
23. One Wild Oat (1951, Charles Saunders)
One of Audrey’s earliest big screen roles is about as memorable as the film itself. She plays a fleeting receptionist, liaising with Stanley Holloway (whom would later play her father in My Fair Lady) as he tries to hide his sordid affair from his wife. It’s a wholly inconsequential part but still pretty much the only reason to watch this messy fifties farce. Thankfully, it is mercifully short and does feature a few funny moments.
22. They All Laughed (1981, Peter Bogdanavich)
One of Audrey’s final films is this forgettable offbeat rom-com focusing on a group of hapless private detectives following some beautiful ladies. Our beautiful lady doesn’t make a big appearance until about halfway through but she’s, of course as adorable as ever. It also reunites Audrey with her Bloodline co-star and lover, Ben Gazzara which makes for awkward viewing seeing as he left her for model, Elke Krivat. They All Laughed has its funny moments and it’s deftly directed by Bogdanavich but overall I found it to be monotonous and overlong, however Quentin Tarantino is a big fan so what do I know? Watch out for Audrey’s son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer who makes quite a sizable appearance.
21. The Unforgiven (1960, John Huston)
John Huston made some excellent films in his time (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen) unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. It’s a flat Western which focuses on a family under attack from red Indians after Audrey is discovered to be related to them. Not much happens and when it does kick off, it’s not particularly exciting either. Unfortunately, Audrey suffered a miscarriage after being thrown from a horse and ended up in hospital for six weeks.
20. Robin and Marian (1976, Richard Lester)
Audrey semi-retired after her fifth and final Oscar nomination, but her children bullied her into accepting this role as it meant they could see mummy sharing the screen with James Bond. This has turned into something of a cult film now although I can’t say that I cared much for it. Audrey and Sean have excellent chemistry but the film often takes strange swashbuckling detours that don’t really go anywhere. If you’re into the old bows and arrows type films then you may very well be part of the pro-Robin and Marian camp.
19. War and Peace (1956, King Vidor)
A three and half hour epic centred around the Napoleonic war? No thanks. In fairness, War and Peace isn’t quite as unbearable as it sounds but it is a bum-numbing watch. The large-scale war sequences are impressively staged for its time but King Vidor’s bland directing just makes them seem rather boring. I much preferred the intimate melodramatics involving the families and love triangles. Audrey stars alongside her controlling and jealous beau, Mel Ferrer which is interesting to watch too.
18. Secret People (1951, Thorold Dickinson)
Before Audrey shot into the world’s spotlight with Roman Holiday, she starred in this very little known conspiracy thriller from Ealing Studios. It’s stylishly directed and intriguing enough to pass the time but it’s not particularly memorable. It’s well worth watching for Audrey’s adorable performance as Nora, the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed younger sister to the tortured protagonist (Valentina Cortese, who the hell remembers her?). Audrey also gets to showcase her ballet skills, a passion she pursued before accidentally falling into films.
17. Paris When it Sizzles (1964, Richard Quine)
Audrey reunited with one of her first loves, William Holden in this highly irreverent postmodern comedy about the art of movie making itself. William Holden is the movie writer with that dreaded writers block, so in enters Audrey to cure him by acting out a whole load of absurd plotlines that range from James Bond espionage to Dracula Hammer horror. It’s incredibly silly and repeatedly runs out of steam but if you just submit and let yourself go along with it then there’s actually a lot to enjoy. Tony Curtis is the comedy highlight and appeared unpaid as a favour to screenplay writer, George Axelrod after William Holden held up filming due to his severe alcoholism (he was still in love with Audrey which didn’t help).
16. Young Wives’ Tale (1951, Henry Cass)
This enormously fun Brit-com has more energy and comedic moments than people probably give it credit for. It’s a forgotten film now, remembered purely for Audrey’s early supporting role appearance as Eve, the meek man-hating lodger who’s forced to share a house with two calamitous couples. Audrey makes a fairly sizable appearance compared to other early roles and is a delight to watch, as ever. The film is surprisingly entertaining as a whole too with plenty of laugh out loud moments and farcical frolics.
15. Laughter in Paradise (1951, Mario Zampi)
Another early bit part sees Audrey working as an adorable cigarette girl and uttering the enchanting line, “Want a ciggy?” to one of the film’s heroes who is tasked with marrying the first woman he speaks to. For some reason he buggers off with another girl instead! Audrey was considered for a much larger role but she was unable to commit due to her part on in stage in Gigi. Laughter in Paradise is a really fun watch though and features plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and British charm. It centres on four characters who must perform a variety of tasks in order to receive £50,000 from their recently deceased Uncle’s will.
14. The Lavender Hill Mob (1951, Charles Crichton)
Blink and you might miss our Auds in this classic Ealing comedy. Arguably her first appearance in a major studio film, she pops up in the first five minutes as Chiquita, Alec Guinness’ squeeze for a few precious seconds. Again, she was considered for a much larger role, but that bloody Gigi got in the way again. The rest of the film is told in flashback, explaining how Alec is swimming in the mula. It’s thoroughly charming and often very funny so well worth a watch. It also spookily features another supporting performance from Stanley Holloway.
13. Always (1989, Steven Spielberg)
Audrey’s very last appearance on screen was in this little-known Spielberg fantasy, a loving remake of Victor Fleming’s A Guy Named Joe (1943) with Spencer Tracy. After retiring from acting for good, she was coaxed back in order to work with one of the most successful directors of all time and of course to donate her $1 million fee to UNICEF. She plays Hap, a wise elderly angel guiding our hero through his visit to the after life. Her screen time may add up to less than ten minutes but it’s a memorable one and the fact that she would die four years later makes it all the more poignant. Much like Wait Until Dark, Audrey also wears her own clothes as costume and had to be carried out on a stretcher to location so that no mud would rub off on her angelic white get-up.
12. How to Steal a Million (1966, William Wyler)
Audrey re-teams with the man who made her, William Wyler in this swinging sixties robbery comedy. This was originally conceived as a kind of sequel to Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck in the lead but obviously that never really took off. Here she stars alongside British hellraiser, Peter O’Toole instead and they make a delightful duo. It concerns the daughter of an art forger and a burglar teaming up to steal one her Dad’s fakes from a heavily guarded gallery. It’s a fun heist movie and always a joy to see Audrey in all her sixties beehive glory.
11. Love in the Afternoon (1957, Billy Wilder)
People could get over the sight of 58 year-old old Grandaddy Long Legs, Fred Astaire necking a 28 year-old Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face but apparently the sight of Gary Cooper (who was two years younger than Fred) was just too much for most people. Well, if you can get over yet another age-gap love then Love in the Afternoon is a perfectly charming, funny and dare I say underrated romantic comedy from master Billy Wilder. Audrey is adorable as Ariane, the daughter of a French detective falling in love with Gary Cooper’s ancient playboy character whom Daddy is investigating. Cary Grant turned down the male lead in this as he feared he was also too old, however he had a change of heart when he appeared with her in Charade six years later.
10. Two for the Road (1967, Stanley Donen)
The final Audrey film from Stanley Donen is another belter. Exploring the ups and downs of a relationship in a far less bloated and far more enthralling way to Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy. Here, Audrey is married to Albert Finney and their 12 year relationship is explored via flashbacks and flashforwards whilst on a road trip to Southern France. It’s often very funny but makes time for some serious thought-provoking drama too. There’s also great chemistry between the two leads which is pretty essential for a film like this.
9. The Nun’s Story (1959, Fred Zinnemann)
Here’s one of Audrey’s finest performances, beating the likes of Vanessa Redgrave, Deborah Kerr and Whoopi Goldberg to becoming cinema’s sexiest on-screen nun as Sister Luke. Don’t let the catchy title and 150 minute runtime put you off, The Nun’s Story, is thoroughly compelling character study lifted by another Oscar-worthy performance from Audrey Wardrey Woo herself. The nun profession has always been a fascinating one and this is basically a nun simulation based on the real life of Belgian nun, Marie Louise Habets from the 1956 novel of the same name. Not an awful lot happens but the film remains somehow absorbing throughout and Audrey’s layered performance makes you really care about what happens to her.
8. Wait Until Dark (1967, Terence Young)
Audrey gives arguably her finest performance in this home invasion thriller based on a 1966 play of the same name. Here she plays Susy Hendrix, a chirpy blind lady who’s unknowingly harbouring a doll stuffed with heroin in her apartment. Unfortunately for her, an evil Alan Arkin will do anything to get that smack, including terrorising a poor defenceless Audrey Hepburn! This is an incredibly suspenseful thriller which really packs a punch in its intense climax. Audrey quite rightly garnered another Oscar nomination but lost to fellow icon, Katherine Hepburn in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. It’s one of the rare occurrences where something good was produced by Mel Ferrer whom she divorced a year later. Interestingly, Audrey and director, Terence Young had met years ago during World War II where she volunteered as a nurse in a Dutch hospital and Terence was an injured soldier.
7. Charade (1963, Stanley Donen)
Fearing himself too old to be Audrey’s love interest in Love in the Afternoon (honestly Cary, don’t worry about it) Cary Grant finally gave in and agreed to play the part of Peter Joshua (or is it Alexander Dyle?) in Staney Donen’s hilarious Hitchcockian thriller. Cary and Audrey make a delightful duo in a film that’s constantly twisting and turning to the point that it feels like it could snap in half at any minute! It never takes itself too seriously though and remains playful without ever wavering into parody. The chemistry between the two leads makes the film all the more charming to watch.
6. Funny Face (1957, Stanley Donen)
Funny Face is by no means a perfect film, but the sheer joy it exumes probably makes it the most rewatchable from Audrey’s gorgeous filmography. Hepburn famously started her career as a ballet dancer and Funny Face is the first time she gets to show off her moves on screen and it’s a thrill to watch. She stars as headstrong book shop employee, Jo Stockton who gets whisked off to Paris for a fashion shoot after her “funny face” gets spotted by Fred Astaire’s photographer. It’s pretty bizarre to cast one of the most beautiful women in the world in a film about a strange-looking book keeper but somehow it works. The song and dance numbers are all s’wonderful to watch, although the relationship between Audrey and decrepit, Fred Astaire is never believable and enough to send shivers up your spine. Also a big shout out to Kay Thompson who pretty much steals the show with her hilarious performance as fashion editor, Maggie Prescott.
5. My Fair Lady (1964, George Cukor)
From s’loverly to luvverly, George Cukor’s classic big screen adaptation of Lerner and Loewe’s stage musical is a feast for the eyes and ears. One of the most expensive films to be made at that time, the timeless tale of Eliza Dolittle learning to speak properly is a total joy to watch throughout its bum-numbing 3 hour runtime. Audrey is hilarious as the leading lady, sporting both a cockney accent and a variety of jaw-dropping costumes. Despite lots of vocal training, Audrey was tragically dubbed by Marni Nixon who also provided Natalie Wood’s powerful pipes in West Side Story, three years previously.
4. Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961, Blake Edwards)
Here’s the film that Audrey is most remembered for and for good reason too! At the time of release, Hepburn was the highest paid actress of all time and she was worth every penny playing Holly Golightly, the quirky prozzy with a troubled past. Writer, Truman Capote, was reportedly displeased at the casting, expecting Marilyn Monroe to be taking the part. He was a fool though because Audrey ended up bagging Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for her performance as well as cementing herself in pop culture for decades to come. The execs were also fools for wanting to cut out the iconic song, ‘Moon River’ which remains almost as recognisable as Holly’s iconic look. The song went onto win the Oscar and has since been recorded over 500 times by different artists, although none are as haunting as the original version.
3. Sabrina (1954, Billy Wilder)
Audrey’s second bout into tinsel town proved that she was no fluke! She holds her own against Hollywood heavyweights, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart thus beginning the unfortunate trend that saw her on-screen romances with men old enough to be her father/grandfather. Sabrina is such a genuinely charming romance though that the sight of Bogey’s prune-like dried lips sucking the life out of innocent Audrey makes you want to reach for the hankie box rather than the sick bucket. There’s a stream of hilarious and sweet scenes in this film and Audrey has rarely been captured more beautifully on the big screen. Hepburn and Holden actually pursued a passionate romance during the making of this film, however this was quashed once Womanising William announced that he couldn’t have children, a lifelong dream of Auds (she ended up having two sons: Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Luca Dotti).
2. Roman Holiday (1953, William Wyler)
“And introducing… Audrey Hepburn”. Unsurprisingly, the most important Audrey film is also one of the very best. Roman Holiday is the classic romantic comedy which catapulted the nation’s sweetheart into worldwide stardom. The then unknown beauty was the perfect choice for the role of Princess Ann, a reverse-Cinderella character who decides to hang up her crown for a day of Italian debauchery. A pat on the back must also be given to both William Wyler and Gregory Peck for supporting and encouraging the young no-mark all along the way. The ever self-depreciating Audrey was insistent that she couldn’t act to save her life, but managed to bag an Oscar for Best Actress anyway. Not bad for a 24 year-old’s Hollywood debut!
1. The Children’s Hour (1961, William Wyler)
The Children’s Hour may not be the most famous Audrey Hepburn film (I’d never heard of it) or even feature her best performance (the film belongs to Shirley MacLaine) but I personally consider it the greatest. It’s a hugely powerful drama based on Lillian Hellman’s 1934 play of the same name and directed by the man responsible for Audrey’s superior stardom. Here she plays dowdy boarding house mistress, Karen Wright who’s life is turned upside-down when a vicious little kiddy accuses Karen and her best friend, Martha Dobie (Shirls) of being more than just “friends”. What’s even more heart-breaking is that there might be some truth to the lie… It’s a brilliant look at how one small rumour can cause such utter destruction to a person’s life and features a number of emotional wallops that I never saw coming. This isn’t just my favourite Audrey Hepburn picture but one of my favourite films to emerge from the sixties entirely.
Movies Plus Madness 