Hollywood's Most Perfect Actress Had Beauty, Fashion, Grace and Humility

Breakfast at Tiffany's - 3 Stars (Good)

Was there ever an actress who combined these four timeless qualities-beauty, fashion, grace and humility-better than Audrey Hepburn? I think not, especially when I see her again in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Even an actress who could come close (and I can think of none) would in no way match the humility of Audrey Hepburn. We shall not see another like her in our lifetime and by then the film industry may be on the way out when some newer, better technology unknown to us today arrives.

All the more reason to purchase her five most memorable movies in DVD now while they are still available.

First would be her Oscar winning Best Actress performance in Roman Holiday opposite Gregory Peck, which was also her first starring role in an American film.

The next four would be her Best Actress Oscar nominations for Sabrina, The Nun's Story, Wait Until Dark (one of the two scariest movies I have ever seen) and Breakfast at Tiffany's (the Oscar went to Sophia Loren for Two Women).

Breakfast at Tiffany's had two great assets, Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, the young New York socialite (we say socialite because this movie was released in 1961, 45 years ago), and Director Blake Edwards, whose deft, sensitive handling of Hepburn's character (a high-priced prostitute) could not have been done better.

Holly Golightly's beauty, sense of fashion and pure innocence prohibit me from thinking of her as a woman of the night. She is so inherently stylish. God has not made a woman that could wear clothes better than Audrey Hepburn. She has Holly Golightly floating around in Givenchy gowns with matchless grace and glamour.

Breakfast at Tiffany's is based on Truman Capote's novel with the screenplay by George Axelrod, who also garnered an Oscar nomination. Henry Mancini (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics) teamed up to win an Oscar for the Original Song "Moon River" while Mancini earned another Oscar as well as a Grammy for Best Musical Score.

The story line has the two romantic interests dependent upon others for financial support, Holly as a lady of the night and Paul Varjak (George Peppard), a wannabe writer who is kept by the married and wealthy Mrs. Failenson (Patricia Neal). Eventually Holly and Paul experience some personal growth and find love together.

There are matchless moments in this film that find places forever in your heart. One is Hepburn sitting on the fire escape plaintively singing "Moon River," especially when you remember that the theme of your high school senior prom was Moon River, and that you were with the girl you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. It is a rare opportunity to hear Hepburn sing in the movie.

She recorded singing vocals for her role as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady only to discover that professional "singing double" Marni Nixon had overdubbed all of her songs. Hepburn was not nominated for a Best Actress Oscar in this film, but her love interest Rex Harrison won the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Professor Henry Higgins.