Cast: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Josй Luis de Villalonga, John McGiver, Alan Reed, Dorothy Whitney, Beverly Powers, Stanley Adams, Claude Stroud, Elvia Allman, Orangey, Mickey Rooney
Based on Truman Capote's novella, this is the story of a young, jet- setting woman in New York City who meets a young man when he moves into her apartment building. He is being kept by a wealthy, older woman, but wants to be a writer. She is working as a high-priced escort and searching for a rich, older man to marry. The opening scene has her window-shopping at Tiffany's at six in the morning, after being up all night on a date.
AMAZON.COM REVIEWS FOR BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961): What a trio of movies in this boxed set: three of Audrey Hepburn's best performances in three of her best films. In Breakfast at Tiffany's, she is perfectly cast as Holly Golightly, Truman Capote's prevaricating heroine who has forgotten her past to create a more interesting present--and Blake Edwards's film version is both beguiling and sad. In Sabrina she is ideal as the chauffeur's daughter who comes back from Paris looking a lot better than when she left--and attracting the attention of a pair of wealthy brothers: playboy William Holden and stuffy Humphrey Bogart. And in Roman Holiday, her debut and for which she received an Oscar, she is delightful as the escaped princess who slips away from her handlers and spends a day with a reporter (Gregory Peck), falling in love and seeing how the normal folks live. --Marshall FineBreakfast at Tiffany's - Collector's Edition (vhs):
Amazon.com Essentials:No film better utilizes Audrey Hepburn's flighty charm and svelte beautythan this romantic adaptation of Truman Capote's novella. Hepburn's urbansophisticate Holly Golightly, an enchanting neurotic living off the giftsof gentlemen, is a bewitching figure in designer dresses and costumejewelry. George Peppard is her upstairs neighbor, a struggling writer and"kept" man financed by a steely older woman (Patricia Neal). His growingfriendship with the lonely Holly soon turns to love and threatens thedelicate balance of both of their compromised lives. Taking liberties withCapote's bittersweet story, director Blake Edwards and screenwriter GeorgeAxelrod turn New York into a city of lovers and create a poignant portraitof Holly, a frustrated romantic with a secret past and a hiddenvulnerability. Composer Henry Mancini earned Oscars for the hit song "MoonRiver" and his tastefully romantic score. The only sour note in the wholefilm is Mickey Rooney's demeaning performance as the apartment's Chinesemanager, an offensively overdone stereotype even in 1961. The rest of thefilm has weathered the decades well. Edwards's elegant yet light touch,Axelrod's generous screenplay, and Hepburn's mix of knowing experience andnaiveté combine to create one of the great screen romances and a refinedslice of high society bohemian chic. --Sean AxmakerBreakfast at Tiffany's (vhs):
Amazon.com Essentials:No film better utilizes Audrey Hepburn's flighty charm and svelte beautythan this romantic adaptation of Truman Capote's novella. Hepburn's urbansophisticate Holly Golightly, an enchanting neurotic living off the giftsof gentlemen, is a bewitching figure in designer dresses and costumejewelry. George Peppard is her upstairs neighbor, a struggling writer and"kept" man financed by a steely older woman (Patricia Neal). His growingfriendship with the lonely Holly soon turns to love and threatens thedelicate balance of both of their compromised lives. Taking liberties withCapote's bittersweet story, director Blake Edwards and screenwriter GeorgeAxelrod turn New York into a city of lovers and create a poignant portraitof Holly, a frustrated romantic with a secret past and a hiddenvulnerability. Composer Henry Mancini earned Oscars for the hit song "MoonRiver" and his tastefully romantic score. The only sour note in the wholefilm is Mickey Rooney's demeaning performance as the apartment's Japanesemanager, an offensively overdone stereotype even in 1961. The rest of thefilm has weathered the decades well. Edwards's elegant yet light touch,Axelrod's generous screenplay, and Hepburn's mix of knowing experience andnaiveté combine to create one of the great screen romances and a refinedslice of high society bohemian chic. --Sean AxmakerParamount Pictures' Millennium Gift Set (vhs):
Amazon.com video review:Jumping on to the end-of-the-century bandwagon a little early,Paramount Pictures released 10 of their top films in one 10-pack, theMillennium Collection, in 1998. All the films are presented in theirwidescreen editions; one, Breakfast atTiffany's, is offered in this format for the first time. Theset includes 5 Best Picture Oscar winners and films that took home anadditional 33 Academy Awards. All the tapes are available to buyindividually. The pack, with a handsome mosaic of faces from themovies, also features collector gift cards (a movie version ofbaseball cards) and a commemorative booklet detailing the productionsof all 10 films. The collection is oddly weighted toward the last 25years, offering only one film from the 1950s and one from the1960s. Your taste in current cinema will define the value of theset. Besides Tiffany's, one of Audrey Hepburn's finest films,the collection contains: The Ten Commandmentswith Charlton Heston, Grease with JohnTravolta, Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now andThe Godfather,the funny, whale-saving Star Trek IV--The VoyageHome, Tom Cruise's hit Top Gun, the smashhit Ghost withDemi Moore, Mel Gibson's Celt fest Braveheart, and Forrest Gump withTom Hanks. --Doug Thomas
AWARDS FOR BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961):
- Academy Awards, USA
1962
Won
Oscar
Best Music, Original Song
Henry Mancini (music)
Johnny Mercer (lyrics)
For the song "Moon River"
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
Henry Mancini
Nominated
Oscar
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Audrey Hepburn
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color
Hal Pereira
Roland Anderson
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
George Axelrod
- Directors Guild of America, USA
1962
Nominated
DGA Award
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
Blake Edwards
- Grammy Awards
1962
Won
Grammy
Best Soundtrack Album or Recording or Score from Motion Picture or Television
Henry Mancini
- Laurel Awards
1962
Won
Golden Laurel
Top Song
Johnny Mercer
Henry Mancini
For the song "Moon River"
3rd place
Golden Laurel
Top Comedy
Top Female Comedy Performance
Audrey Hepburn
Top Musical Score
Henry Mancini
- Writers Guild of America, USA
1962
Won
WGA Award (Screen)
Best Written American Comedy
George Axelrod
