Roman Holiday (1953) User Reviews (361)

Magical romantic comedy

[gbill-74877 · 9/10 · 11 March 2017]

Audrey Hepburn burst onto the movie scene with this film, her first role. She plays an English Princess traveling in Rome who is bored with her official duties and the tight schedule she's on. One night after getting a tranquilizer to calm her from the stress of it all, she sneaks away into the streets of Rome. She's found by a newspaperman played by Gregory Peck, who takes her to his place to sleep it off. When he finds out who she really is, he realizes he's on top of a gold mine of a story, and enlists his photographer friend (Eddie Albert) to get candid shots of the two while they sightsee.

Hepburn and Peck are such an attractive couple, and director William Wyler gets lots of beautiful shots of Rome, including the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Castel Sant'Angelo, and of course the classic scene they have at the Bocca della Verità. It all makes for a very romantic film. Hepburn played her part perfectly, expressing frustration and joy with such economy, as well as the restraint that comes from being a royal. Among several others, the scene with her getting her hair cut short is captivating, and it's no wonder that she won an Oscar for her performance. Peck's performance is also excellent, and Eddie Albert pulls off the part of a young rogue quite well despite being 47 at the time. I won't spoil the ending, except to say it's touching and poignant, and so perfectly shot in the Palazzo Colonna. At the end of the day this is 'just a romantic comedy', with its share of silliness, but it's so mature and magical, and with these stars in this setting, it stands head and shoulders above so many others.

An amazing date movie with oodles of intelligence

[ctowyi · 8/10 · 24 March 2016]

After Trumbo we decided to watch one of the films of which Dalton Trumbo wrote the screenplay for. Roman Holiday is a 1953 American romantic comedy directed and produced by William Wyler. It stars Gregory Peck as a reporter and Audrey Hepburn as a royal princess out to see Rome on her own. Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance; the screenplay and costume design also won. It was written by John Dighton and Dalton Trumbo, though with Trumbo on the Hollywood blacklist, he did not receive a credit; instead, Ian McLellan Hunter fronted for him. Trumbo's credit was reinstated when the film was released on DVD in 2003. On December 19, 2011, full credit for Trumbo's work was restored.

The DVD sat on my shelf for the longest time and I am so glad I took it out to watch. The screenplay is subtle, filled with nuances that Hepburn and Peck teased them out beautifully. I can hardly detect an air of pretension and emotional manipulation. This is as romantic as it gets between a princess and an everyday man. The ending in the big hall really hits the spot. So much is left unsaid but yet what is said speaks volumes. It never betrays the tone of what the film sets out to be but yet my heart was beating with the full desire of wanting to see the relationship go a certain more familiar way. This is an amazing date movie with oodles of intelligence.

Audrey Sparkles Through

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 20 April 2007]

When Roman Holiday was in the planning stages William Wyler envisioned either Elizabeth Taylor or Jean Simmons in the role of the princess. When neither proved available, he and Paramount studios decided to do a Scarlett O'Hara type search for an unknown for the part. The film then would only have Gregory Peck as the star to draw the people in.

But when Peck saw the screen test and also realized the film would rise and fall on the performance of the princess part, he insisted on top billing for Audrey Hepburn. Audrey had only done a few small bit parts in some English films up till then, however Peck insisted on the billing of her right after him with 'introducing Audrey Hepburn' as her title credit.

In the same way that William Holden credited Barbara Stanwyck with helping him get through Golden Boy, Audrey Hepburn credited Gregory Peck with her performance in Roman Holiday. As well as William Wyler who still has a record of more people getting to the Oscar sweepstakes for his films than any other director.

Roman Holiday is simple and delightful film about a young princess of some unnamed European country who gets tired of her programmed routine and wants a break from it. In Rome while on a European tour, princess Audrey fakes an illness and runs off for a day of fun.

An American wire service reporter Gregory Peck finds her and realizes he's got an exclusive. So he chaperones her around without letting her know she's on to him. He even gets photographer Eddie Albert to help him out.

Eddie Albert got the first of two nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Roman Holiday, the second one being The Goodbye Girl. He lost to Frank Sinatra for From Here to Eternity. Though Albert is funny in this film, for dramatic work I never understood why he was not nominated for Attack or for Captain Newman, MD.

If you're thinking that the film is starting to bear a resemblance to a continental It Happened One Night you would be right. And if that's your thinking it will come as no surprise to learn that Frank Capra originally had the idea to film this. The property reverted to Paramount as part of his settlement to leave that studio after doing two Bing Crosby films.

I wish Paramount had done Roman Holiday in color though. Darryl F. Zanuck over at 20th Century did Three Coins in the Fountain in gorgeous color and later on MGM did The Seven Hills of Rome also in color. Still the Roman locations really add a lot to Audrey's adventure.

When Oscar time Audrey Hepburn in her first starring role and really first role of any consequence won an Oscar for Best Actress. Until the day she died Audrey Hepburn had charm enough for ten, you can't help but love her in anything she ever did. Even if the film she did was not that great, Audrey sparkles through.

Even in black and white, the Eternal City with Audrey and Greg make anyone young at heart.

Audrey Hepburn simply dazzles in this gem of a movie.

[Artless_Dodger · 10/10 · 28 February 2016]

Audrey Hepburn simply dazzles in this gem of a movie. Princess Ann (Hepburn) escapes the confines of her rarefied royal existence for a day, to be rescued by a reporter, Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck).

Bradley senses a scoop and seeks to inveigle the Princess into a story. However, this is a fairy tale, of the Princess and the commoner. Love blossoms, the beautiful Princess experiencing everyday things we might take for granted with a delight we cannot know. Sitting at a roadside café, getting a haircut, enjoying an ice cream, dancing on a riverboat. She soaks in these experiences in the company of her handsome saviour, not realising his intentions.

It's beautifully done. Hepburn is radiant, refined, beautiful, enchanting - things she went on to display in many movies. However, she was at her most perfect here, as the beautiful Princess needing love and wanting happiness. Peck is an ideal foil. Tall, dark, and handsome, his only thought being the scoop placed before him, his ambition wilting in the face of his developing love for a Princess he can't hope to attain. Both are ably supported by Eddie Albert as Irving Radovich, Bradley's photographer colleague. Indeed, Albert is involved in many of the funniest scenes.

It's a fairy tale, beautifully told. William Wyler makes the most of his location, showing us Rome in all it's splendour. The perfect backdrop to the perfect fairy tale.

However, this film belongs to Audrey Hepburn. She shines and dazzles, brightening nearly two hours of every viewers life. How could you hope for more than that.

Emma Thompson and Audrey Hepburn

[duffjerroldorg · 10/10 · 6 April 2017]

A comment made by Emma Thompson made me want to see "Roman Holiday" again. Miss Thompson said about Audrey Hepburn "she has no bite" Implying that Miss Hepburn wasn't much of an actress. Well, I don't know what she was talking about or perhaps she doesn't either. To see "Roman Holiday" again in 2017 was a moving and wonderful experience. Audrey Hepburn's performance is as fresh and enchanting as I remembered. Perhaps even more. So I arrived to the conclusion that Miss Thompson is talking about a different kind of acting. When a performance travels in time with the same power, decade after decade, for me that's great film acting. In "Roman Holiday" she took me with her and convinced me, heart and mind, that she was that princess and I loved her. William Wyler, the wonderful director, knew what he was doing - he always did. By introducing us to Audrey Hepburn he reinforced and reinvigorated his own prodigious legacy. I love Emma Thompson as an actress but she's totally wrong about Audrey Hepburn.

A romantic movie only a cynic could not appreciate

[stkrule · 9/10 · 22 July 2006]

As a college aged guy with several younger sisters, I'd seen far too many chick flicks as they were being watched and couldn't get over how bad they were. Even ones they claimed to be good were extremely lackluster and I was beginning to wonder what, if any, good romantic movies existed. Then one afternoon I randomly happened to catch Roman Holiday on TV just as it was starting. For some reason I cant really remember, I sat through and watched it and now am quite glad that I did.

Aside from the romance element, it's essentially the polar opposite of what I despised. Great acting, excellent script, and most importantly, an effective and beautiful story. I won't spoil a thing about the plot here, but it works. While the movie can be called a romantic comedy, the humorous elements aren't the cheesy kind of thing you might expect from recent entries in the genre. I All I can say to you is: coming from a guy, this is the first and so far the only romantic movie I have thoroughly enjoyed watching.

Absolutely sublime!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 8 September 2010]

I don't know where to begin praising Roman Holiday. How about saying it is one of my favourite Audrey Hepburn movies? Also it is one of Audrey's(who I've been a fan of since Charade) best roles too.

STORY Roman Holiday has a very charming story. A charming and romantic love story between the beautiful Princess Anne and a reporter during an unofficial visit to the Eternal City. It is well paced and never loses momentum, and also has endearing action.

SETTING One of my favourite assets of Roman Holiday. The settings are absolutely exquisite, with Rome the epitome of postwar chic(same with Hepburn and the motor scooters). Equally the cinematography and costumes are just as lavish.

MUSIC A beautiful, gentle score. No wonder, as it is in courtesy of Georges Auric, the composer who penned the beautiful score for the stunning La Belle et La Bete.

DIRECTION I only have one word for William Wyler's direction, immaculate.

SCRIPT Roman Holiday has a perfect balance of humour and grace with dialogue that sparkles like bubbles on top of a champagne glass, while thanks to screenwriter Dalton Trumbo deals with issues of personal freedom close to the heart.

ACTING Nothing to complain about here! Audrey Hepburn epitomises beauty, style and grace as Princess Anne, her final moments are so moving, while Gregory Peck is also marvellous as the dashing reporter Anne falls in love with. The supporting performances also go without fault.

Overall, sublime and a film to really treasure. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Lyrical relic of a vanished civilization

[jayson-4 · 9 February 1999]

This charming comedy is justly famous as the film that made the whole world fall in love with Audrey Hepburn and half the world want to run out and buy a Vespa scooter. Hepburn was always beguiling, but in some of her later roles she tended to overplay the winsomeness. Here every note she hits is just about perfect.

And speaking of notes, pay special attention to the score by the great Georges Auric. If the film had been produced in the manner of modern romantic comedies, the sound track would have been larded with pop hits by Perry Como, Dinah Shore, and Frankie Laine, which would have done an awful lot to destroy the magic. Instead Auric's complex, vibrant, evocative music complements the story's inherent lyricism without upstaging it. In an era of bombastic film scoring, this seems a miracle.

Someone once said that Audrey Hepburn's was the beauty of possibility and transformation -- she was always in motion, always becoming something else. "Roman Holiday" is very much of a piece with that notion. On the surface, the film is about a princess who disguises herself as a "commoner". But in truth she's actually pretending to be a princess, at least at first. She finally becomes authentic -- is transformed and prepared to deal with her destiny -- only through the ennobling power of love and sacrifice. That's one heck of a mythic subtext and does a lot to explain "Roman Holiday's" enduring power.

An enchanting light comedy

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 9/10 · 10 May 2008]

Constantly advised, overprotected, and bored with her royal duties, Princess Anne, on holiday in Rome, evades her protectors and sneaks out at night to discover how the ordinary Italians live...

Exhausted from a claustrophobic schedule, she collapses in a public place…

Passing by is Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), a newspaper reporter who was planning to interview the Princess the following day…

Not realizing who she is, he eventually takes her to his apartment where she spends the night on his couch…

After discovering her identity, Bradley charms the runaway princess for the exclusive story he visualizes writing… He calls his carefree photographer friend Eddie Albert and proposes to spend the day with her and experience everything she has always desired to…

Audrey Hepburn—the exquisite incognito princess who finds romance in the capital city of Italy— not only lets down her long tresses, but also gets a more fashionable cut, as she blossoms to embrace a life she knows she cannot keep…

Hepburn received an Oscar for Best Actress in recognition of her gamine charms and for her great acting ability…

If you like to remember Princess Anne at the café ordering champagne for lunch; smoking her "very first" cigarette; dancing on a barge on the Tiber River; hitting the royal agents with beer bottles; and testing the legend of 'The Mouth of Truth;' don't miss this delightful movie with three legendary stars

Terrific Romance Film

[jmverville · 7/10 · 20 October 2004]

The film's plot is very creative and original, yet at the same time embracing a certain cliché and cheese that is to be expected of classic films of this caliber that set the standard for romantic comedies. For Audrey Hepburn's debut is very strong, and it is a very proper introduction into the cinema world for this terrific star. All three of the main roles (Hepburn, Peck, and Albert) did terrific jobs, being the overwhelming backbone of the film.

I found the simple story to be very pleasing, and the shots of Rome were very terrific. I was very impressed with the general feeling that the film is able to exude by merely shooting it with the backdrop of Rome. This film is very classic, and rightfully so -- everything from the love story to the moral message were terrifically delivered by director William Wyler; it is a must see for people who enjoy romantic comedies on any level.

Deeply moving

[eugene-68 · 10/10 · 25 June 2006]

The emotional pull in this movie is achieved in the final scene: it is a testament to the brilliance of the screenplay and the art of the two leads that no words are spoken. There is no need for them. I have seen this film many times and never failed to be deeply moved by the looks that they exchange. There are probably only one or two other films that achieve anything near the same effect: one of them is Shadowlands, the other the Remains of the Day: Hopkins is lead in both, but they also share an era, the 40s and the 50s, a time when one buried emotion and placed duty above personal desire. In this film, the lovers are truly ennobled by their personal sacrifice, and the effect is profound and, as I have said, deeply moving.

Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, the Rome of the 1950s and...

[marcin_kukuczka · 7/10 · 6 May 2007]

William Wyler...that name, for many years, has made me think of one of the most famous Roman epic directions of all time, BEN HUR (1959). His ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953), however, is the film I had not had a chance to see for long but I heard about it from my friend who is a classic admirer and who had told me the whole story several times, including spoilers. Therefore, I knew generally what the movie is about. Recently, ROMAN HOLIDAY was broadcast on Polish TV and I decided to see it. The first impression I got was: there is something different about this movie than most of the classic films I have seen so far... And that impression I got is something I want to share with you.

It is true that the classic pair of Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann and Gregory Peck as Joe Bradley constitute a wonderful aspect of the movie. They will make your day when you see them in these various situations. Having ROMAN HOLIDAY without them is like having an apple tree without apples, they are just deeply attached to this timeless classic, like Liz Taylor and Richard Burton are attached to CLEOPATRA or THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. The whole story of ROMAN HOLIDAY is created in such a way that there is no focus on other performances. Indeed, in this film, there are two main cast, Hepburn and Peck and they are ... terrific.

When considering the aspect of performances, it's important to mention lots of very funny and memorable moments where the famous pair do their best to entertain the viewer. Consider, for instance Joe Bradley's first meeting with Ann. Besides, it's just tremendous when she says: "I've never been alone with a man before, even with my dress on. With my dress off, it's MOST unusual." Another wonderfully unforgettable moment is when they put their hands into the famous Mouth of Truth (Bocca Della Verita). The camera is so well crafted towards them and the great monument that the impression is like WOW! MAGICAL! The number of humorous moments also make for a great classic: who can forget Ann's visit at the hairdresser's or her talk with Joe Bradley on Scalinata Di Spagna (Spanish Steps).

Besides, it is true that ROMAN HOLIDAY is a film set in the real Rome of the 1950s. This aspect has become even more powerful as the years passed by. Of course it is not the only film that shows the Rome of that period since we have many, for instance, Italian movies that do the same; yet, the presentation of the Eternal City is really charming in Wyler's film. Since I know Rome and this city means much to me, I was overwhelmed by the movie and involved in seeing what the world known places, including Scalinata Di Spagna, Fontanna Di Trevi, Piazza Venezia, looked like more than 50 years ago. What is more, you are supplied with the views of real streets.

But all these aspects are not the most significant ones. Hepburn and Peck are no longer great stars, Rome has changed seriously and a Roman holiday would probably be entirely different nowadays. Yet, the movie by William Wyler is still watched and admired...

I think that it is so thanks to the wonderful uniqueness of its classic, the CONTENT. When we see the classic films, these are usually dramas, overall sad films, like GONE WITH THE WIND. I don't say that these dramas lack popularity nowadays, but there are so many of them that you only select and see the ones that suit your taste. Meanwhile, ROMAN HOLIDAY is a comedy, moreover, a romantic comedy, a beautiful fairy tale about gentle love. There is nothing sad, depressing about it! It is a charming story of the princess who badly wants to be a normal human being for at least one day and...her dream is fulfilled. The love absorbs the pair and makes the Eternal City the most unforgettable for both. The picture is in black and white despite there were colorful movies in the early 1950s. It isn't there for no purpose. Black and white picture makes perfect sense in ROMAN HOLIDAY since it adds charm and gentleness to the whole story.

I'd love to have this movie in my film gallery since ROMAN HOLIDAY is really a precious film. I don't find this a masterpiece but, undoubtedly, it is one of the most charming classic fairy tales with the terrific Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, the Rome of the 1950s but, most importantly, with wonderful content!

Charming but less entertaining than you'd hope

[hall895 · 5/10 · 9 September 2011]

Roman Holiday is a movie of its time and place. In more ways than one. We can't go back to 1950s Rome. Or 1950s Hollywood. The alluring city of Rome is a wonderful setting for the film. It's Rome as we'd like to remember it, a Rome that in many ways doesn't exist anymore. Life was just different back then. Simpler, probably happier, definitely more charming. The movie is also the product of a Hollywood that no longer exists. This is a movie with a very definite 1950s style and feel. Unfortunately that 1950s style doesn't always translate for the modern viewer. It was a simpler time in movie-making as well as life but this film is perhaps a little too simple for modern tastes. The plot is threadbare. The movie doesn't have much energy to it. It's all very relaxed. Too relaxed. For whatever charms the movie has it just isn't entertaining enough. There's just not enough going on.

Aside from the wonderful 1950s time capsule look at Rome the film has one other thing clearly working in its favor. Audrey Hepburn. In this, her first major role, Hepburn is relentlessly charming. It's so easy to see why she would go on to become one of the world's most beloved stars. But all her charms aren't quite enough to overcome the problems with the story. The central problem being that there isn't enough of a story at all. Hepburn plays Ann, princess of an unspecified European country. She's on a grand tour of Europe, appearing before teeming crowds of thousands everywhere she goes. She is obviously a quite notably famous person. Which makes the fact that she goes completely unrecognized by anyone when she slips away from her royal duties to wander the streets of Rome more than a little hard to believe. Even the supposedly astute reporter who will become her companion on her little getaway has no idea who she is until he sees her picture in the paper. Mind you, this guy was supposed to be interviewing the princess that very day. Is he really that much of a dunce? And then this story, hard to believe as it is, just kind of sits there. This is a movie which could really use some bursts of energy to drive it forward.

The story of a princess who longs to be a regular woman, to get out there and live and love a little, has its possibilities. But this movie doesn't do enough with its story. And for a movie billed as a romantic comedy the laughs are very few and far between. Hepburn is terrific, no quibbles with anything she does. You just wish the movie gave her the chance to do more. Hepburn's co-star Gregory Peck comes across as a little wooden and unnatural. He's a Hollywood legend in his own right but there's no doubt that in this film it is Hepburn's star which shines much brighter. Peck's character of reporter Joe Bradley is so bland you wonder how the princess could possibly find herself falling for him. Maybe after leading such a sheltered life she's just so grateful to have the chance to fall for anybody. But the romance never really rings true. At least there's Joe's photographer friend Irving to inject some personality into the proceedings. Irving, as portrayed by Eddie Albert, has got a little life to him. But that's just a supporting part. If the main character of Joe doesn't work, which it really doesn't, the movie suffers. It's easy to understand why Roman Holiday was so acclaimed and generally loved upon its initial release. It has some things going for it, the wonderful Hepburn first and foremost. But it's a movie with a style which suits the era in which it was made, not playing nearly as well today. Not a bad movie but not notably better than average either. For as much as Hepburn may charm you the movie does not do enough to entertain you.

What a movie

[jasjit_us · 10/10 · 18 September 2005]

Roman holiday is the most incredible movie I have ever seen. I came across this movie quite by chance. I like suspense movies and I watched Charade starring Audrey and Cary Grant. Audrey's acting in that movie impressed me so I decided to watch Roman holiday too. Too be very frank I was not really looking forward to watching this movie. Like most people of this generation I dislike black and white movies.

Man was I wrong. I have never seen a movie, which had so much romance, comedy and emotional drama. It would be fair to say that magic was created in this movie. The plot I guess everyone knows, a young princes tired of her regulated life runs away and hooks up with a reporter (Gregory Peck) for a day of fun in Rome. The reporter lies to her that he is a businessman and she lies to him about her true identity. They both have fun visiting Rome's historic places. But the reporter has a hidden agenda. He wants to write a story on the princess's escapades in Rome and enlists the help of his photographer friend (Albert). Things work according to plan for the reporter until he finds that he is really starting to fall in love with the princess.

The story line may appear to be simple but take my word for it that Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn create magic and the movie will take a hold over you like nothing else you have ever seen. This is Audrey's best movie and the only movie she got an Oscar for and she was never so charming, innocent and beautiful as she is in this movie.

One of the reviewers has suggested that Cary Grant would have been ideal for the role that Gregory Peck plays. I only have to say this to the devotees of Cary Grant that he would never have worked as a romantic lead in this movie. He was 50 years old at the time this movie was made and the sight of him cavorting around with a girl half his age would have removed from the movie it's romantic element. It would have become perhaps a slightly funnier movie but without the heart wrenching almost magical hold it now has. Also it is my humble opinion after seeing Charade that Cary Grant is too suave to play the role of a struggling reporter convincingly.

History has already spoken; this movie is regarded as one of the all time greats, why would we want to change something, which is already perfect. Gregory Peck is ideal for the role of the reporter, he is incredibly handsome in the movie, a kind of man a young girl could fall in love with even after being with him only for a few hours. In this movie, Gregory Peck acts his heart out, especially at the end and he has a wonderfully chemistry with Audrey, which is the reason this movie still seems so fresh and charming even after 50 years.

This is one of those rare movies that works across cultural and national borders. I was surprised to learn that according to a poll in Japan even after so many years Roman Holiday still is the number one foreign movie of all time.

This movie is simply the best.

Romanitic comedy with the beautiful Audrey Hepburn

[saw1997 · 10/10 · 7 July 2006]

I absolutely love this movie. The chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck is magnetic. You can tell they truly enjoyed each other. Audrey was quoted as saying for her first major motion picture Gregory Peck was the perfect choice due to his genuine warmth of character. In fact, Peck insisted that Audrey name be placed next to his because to do otherwise would be "silly" (this was her first major role). My favorite scene, though a sad one, is the ending where the love they have for one another is seen in their faces as they both know they can never be together. Just a fantastic movie both light hearted, funny and a unique love story all in one film. Any fan of Audery can't miss her Oscar winning performance in this film. She truly was one of the most beautiful actresses of all time and a remarkable human being.

An utter gem

[trpdean · 21 September 2002]

A plot as slender as Audrey Hepburn but oh what magic! If you've never seen this jewel, you're to have one of the best evenings of your week, your month.

Perhaps the key to this movie's success is restraint - in the dialogue, in the music, in the cynicism of Peck and cronies at the movie's beginning. No one gushes - all is understated - but how one feels its power.

I hope everyone has experienced a day such as they - with someone they come to care for - as much as they. It's my wish for the world.

"I've never been alone with a man before, even with my dress on."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 30 September 2006]

Enchanting is the word that comes to mind to describe "Roman Holiday". It's got that escape from reality wonder about it that might be envied even by royalty. Audrey Hepburn is luminous in her first American film appearance, allowing the viewer to believe that she really could pull off the disappearing act for twenty fours hours for the purpose of living life on a 'fun schedule'.

I was impressed by how much mileage Princess Ann got out of that five thousand lira note; could one really buy sandals, a haircut and a cone of gelato all for less than a dollar and a half in 1953? That would have made Joe Bradley's (Gregory Peck) five thousand dollar payday close to a king's ransom, or at least a princess's. Bradley's put into a predicament when Ann comments on his sacrifice to spend the day showing her around Rome; she describes it as 'completely unselfish'. By that time, one gets the idea that just maybe he'll wind up doing the right thing.

Slow to pick up on Bradley's non verbals, photographer Irving Radovich (Eddie Albert) bears the brunt of Joe's spilled drinks and takes a pratfall or two. Sadly, one of his remarks to Joe brought to mind the unending scrutiny suffered in real life by Princess Diana - "She's fair game Joe, it's always open season on princesses." Odd how art imitating life, in this case predicting it, could end in such tragedy.

It was heartwarming then to see how Joe and Irving turned their back on a story, and instead opted to reaffirm humanity. The finale is both uplifting and bittersweet, echoing one of Gregory Peck's lines to Hepburn earlier in the story - "Life isn't always what one likes, is it?"

Viva Audrey!

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 12 July 2002]

I recently caught this little gem of a film on a retro program and it was a trip well worth it. William Wyler was a genius directing throughout his film career. Here he's in top form.

The only way this film could have been conceived was with the charming presence of Audrey Hepburn in her first appearance on a Hollywood film. She is without a doubt, an angel who was sent to this earth to delight the movie audiences in whatever movie she happened to dignify with her appearance in.

Some people have compared Audrey Tatou with the incomparable Audrey Hepburn. Seeing Ms Hepburn in Roman Holiday will certainly change the minds of those comparing fans. Audrey Hepburn was a star's star! She exudes charm, intelligence, elegance, and beauty. Just one look from her could disarm Gregory Peck forever.

The only wrong note of this production was the way the writer, Dalton Trumbo, was treated since he had been blacklisted by the anti-communist faction lead by Sen. McCarthy and company. In the end, Mr. Trumbo was vindicated in having his name recognized as the writer of Roman Holiday.

This film is a feast to the eyes in that glorious cinematography and Rome as a background. This was Hollywood at its best. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn will be forever young any time we take a look at this classic that I'm sure will live and charm its viewers whenever they take a chance to see it for the first time, or like some of us, for another loving look.

We're all going on a Roman holiday...

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 17 September 2020]

'Roman Holiday (1953)' is classic rom-com stuff, with charming lead characters and an enjoyable central dynamic. The weight of the story falls almost squarely on the shoulders of Hepburn and Peck, who both deliver top-notch performances and bring the relatively witty screenplay to life. Their relationship is believable and entertaining; it's a pleasure to watch them roam around Rome together. There are several funny set-pieces and one or two somewhat subversive plot points, to boot. It isn't complicated but it is enjoyable. It's a fun time throughout. 7/10

I fell in love w/ Audrey Hepburn

[joclmct · 10/10 · 14 February 2021]

If this perfect jewel of romance & fantasy were made today, it would be be given a ridiculous ending w/the princess running away w/ the journalist. This movie makes the hard decision to give us a more realistic yet bittersweet conclusion. It may be a romantic comedy fairytale but the writers and the superb director William Wyler were smart to give us the only believable ending possible. The story is effortless. It goes as deep as it needs to go considering everything happens in one day & it's packed full of adventure & charm. Only the most hardened individuals wouldn't respond to it w/ enduring affection. It is a sweet story of another time & it's a great joy to spend this day w/ these characters. There are insufficient superlatives to speak about Audrey Hepburn's elegant performance. It was unlike anything before it & it is as luminous today as it was then. Gregory Peck is surprisingly effective as a romantic lead. The usually very stoic actor has never been so charming. Eddie Albert brings his superb comic timing and he is used well. Pay no attention to the 1 or 2 foolish detractors in these user reviews. Watch it. It's a great movie you will not forget, for all the right reasons.

WOW!

[mohit_sinsniwal · 7/10 · 1 June 2019]

A comment made by Emma Thompson made me want to see "Roman Holiday" again. Miss Thompson said about Audrey Hepburn "she has no bite" Implying that Miss Hepburn wasn't much of an actress. Well, I don't know what she was talking about or perhaps she doesn't either. To see "Roman Holiday" again in 2017 was a moving and wonderful experience. Audrey Hepburn's performance is as fresh and enchanting as I remembered. Perhaps even more. So I arrived to the conclusion that Miss Thompson is talking about a different kind of acting. When a performance travels in time with the same power, decade after decade, for me that's great film acting. In "Roman Holiday" she took me with her and convinced me, heart and mind, that she was that princess and I loved her. William Wyler, the wonderful director, knew what he was doing - he always did. By introducing us to Audrey Hepburn he reinforced and reinvigorated his own prodigious legacy. I love Emma Thompson as an actress but she's totally wrong about Audrey Hepburn.

Delightful Romantic Fantasy

[l_rawjalaurence · 9/10 · 2 August 2016]

What can be said about William Wyler's evergreen comedy that has not been said before? Suffice to state that it never loses its luster, even though it is over sixty years since its original release.

Every element of the film seems perfectly shaped, from the memorable Hollywood debut of Audrey Hepburn, to the nuanced support offered by Gregory Peck; a witty script by John Dighton and Ian McLellan Hunter, based on a story by the then-blacklisted Dalton Trumbo; beautiful black-and-white photography of a Rome that no longer exists by Henri Alakan and Frank F. Planer; and taut direction by Wyler that gives plenty of opportunities for the actors to flourish while retaining the mystique of the Eternal City as a place where romance can occur, however briefly.

The film has memorable nuanced moments, from the opening sequence where the Princess (Hepburn) undergoes an apparently endless series of presentations, while trying to stretch her feet under her voluminous dress; the sequence where she wears pajamas for the first time and falls asleep in Peck's bed during a chaste night away from the palace; the sequence taking place in the sidewalk café where Peck keeps telling his witless sidekick Nathan (Eddie Albert) to shut up about the Princess's true identity; and the memorable moment at the Bocca della Verita (aka the Mouth of Truth), where Peck puts his hand in and brings it out abruptly, scaring the living daylights out of the Princess as he does so.

Nothing actually happens during the Princess's night away from her royal duties; her virtue remains intact, and she has a merry time dodging the Carabinieri and her Secret Service officers, in a comic fight sequence taking place near the Castel Saint'Angelo, which culminates in Peck and herself diving into the river and swimming to safety.

ROMAN HOLIDAY conjures up a world that simply does not exist today of comic Italians waving their arms about expressively, of obliging cab-drivers and locals selling everything on the street from water- melons, flowers, and other junk. In these days of mass tourism commercial interests have taken over, and Rome's innocence - as well as a lot of its allure - has been lost in the process. Nonetheless we can enjoy a nostalgic wallow in the past through this film.

Audrey Hepburn Is the Movie's Sole Reason for Existing

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 6 July 2006]

This bittersweet William Wyler romance is like an extended tourism commercial for Rome. The city that gives the film its name snares as much screen time as either of its two stars, and it looks just as beautiful.

Speaking of beauty, this film's strongest selling point is its position as a vehicle for Audrey Hepburn, who burst on to the movie scene with this film and became one of Hollywood's most beloved stars. Many of the roles she played subsequently to this one had the same flavor -- she excelled at playing winsome waifs who were always just a tad too pristine for the rough world of men surrounding them --- think of her in "Sabrina" or "My Fair Lady." Here she gets to ride on the back of a motor scooter driven by Gregory Peck, and show off that dazzling smile. However, a happy ending for the charismatic couple is not to be, as this princess who gets to be a peasant for a day must accept her responsibility and go back to being a princess once more. It's slightly ironic that a star whose appeal rested on her uncanny glamour appeared in role after role that highlighted the limits which glamour can place on the world of those who suffer from it.

Aside from its leading lady, the film itself is nothing special. Wyler provides solid if unfancy direction, and the story doesn't go anywhere you're not expecting it to. Eddie Albert provides some fine support as a randy photographer, but don't let anyone kid you into thinking that this movie belongs to anyone but Audrey Hepburn.

Grade: B

after 50 years..quite boring

[michelboudot · 5/10 · 18 June 2006]

saw that film in 1953..loved it tremendously and was infatuated by Audrey Hepburn went to work in Rome in 1954 because of that movie...now in 2006 saw the movie again and saw so many flaw..vert slow dialogue..childish behaviour and minimal acting..what's left Audrey Hepburn only ..gregory peck stodgy and Eddie Albert specially is obnoxious and aggravating...what annoyes me the most were the Italian actors playing such sterotype of what American see the italians...quite dreadful....Williamm Wyler such a great director does not come off well in this in 2006..at the time it was a travelogue for Italy..specially after the war years film like roman holiday and three coins in the fountain showed America what Italy was.....so far for me the film is a total miss ib 2006,,, and will never watch it again..should have reserved my first opinion and stayed with that...please let me know if anybody thinks like i do ...michel from MONTREAL

A Very Nice Blend of Fantasy & Reality

[Snow Leopard · 5 November 2002]

With a very nice blend of fantasy and reality, and two very likable stars, "Roman Holiday" is both entertaining and thoughtful. Sometimes it is very funny, and at other times it makes you feel a great sympathy and warmth towards the characters. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck are ideal in the leading roles, and the story is very clever in getting a lot of mileage out of a simple idea without pushing things too far, which makes it quite effective.

The idea of Princess Ann (Audrey) slipping away unnoticed and unrecognized for a day of fun and freedom from responsibility is of course fanciful, but it works for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is Peck's role as a pragmatic newsman. He is a good balance for Hepburn's charm and energy, remaining calm and logical without ever becoming cold or distant. You feel as if you could spend a lot more than a couple of hours in their company. And how could you improve on Eddie Albert's performance as Peck's photographer friend? The movie also adds in the atmosphere of Rome itself, with some creative scenes that make good use of the setting.

There are many fine moments in a story that at times seems almost like a daydream, and then it brings the characters back to reality in a moving way. It's not an easy combination to pull off, but here it all fits together very well, to make the kind of classic worth remembering, and one which you can watch and enjoy more than once.