Sophia Mitchell
Audrey Hepburn was 32 years old when she played Holly Golightly in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. The Belgian actress starred in 28 films over the course of her career, but none of her roles was more famous than this one. The dress she wears during the opening credits has been considered an icon of the 20th century, and perhaps the most famous little black dress of all time. Hepburn's performance received rave reviews, with it considered to be one of her most memorable and identifiable roles.
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What You'll Learn
Audrey Hepburn's iconic status
Audrey Hepburn is recognised as a film and fashion icon. She was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from Classical Hollywood cinema and was inducted into the International Best-Dressed List Hall of Fame. Hepburn is also one of the few entertainers to have won competitive Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards.
Audrey Hepburn was 32 years old when she starred in Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961. The film is considered a defining role for Hepburn, and her portrayal of Holly Golightly is regarded as one of the best-known characters in American cinema. Hepburn's performance as the extroverted socialite marked a departure from her naturally introverted personality, showcasing her versatility as an actress. The black dress she wears during the opening credits, designed by Givenchy, is considered an icon of the 20th century and perhaps the most famous "little black dress" of all time. It was sold at Christie's auction house for £467,200 in 2006.
Hepburn's influence as a style icon extended far beyond her acting career, with her gamine hairstyles, bold eyebrows, and timeless sense of style inspiring generations. She is also credited with boosting the sales of Burberry trench coats after wearing one in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Magazines frequently advised readers on how to get her look, and fashion designers continue to draw inspiration from her. Hepburn was named the most beautiful woman of all time and the most stylish Brit of all time in various polls.
Hepburn's appeal extends beyond her beauty and style. She is admired for her graceful screen presence and unique personality. Her dedication to UNICEF and her work with starving children in Africa during the final years of her life further contributed to her iconic status. Hepburn's son, Sean Ferrer, founded the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund in her memory, and UNICEF established the Audrey Hepburn Society, hosting annual charity balls to raise funds.
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Holly Golightly's character analysis
Holly Golightly, played by Audrey Hepburn, is the protagonist of Breakfast at Tiffany's, the 1961 film adaptation of Truman Capote's novella of the same name. Holly is a complex and fascinating character, known for her wit, charm, and independence. She is a Manhattan socialite who throws crazy parties and plans to marry for money, yet she finds solace in the quietness and calmness of Tiffany's, the luxury jewellery store.
Holly is a rural midwesterner who has reinvented herself as an it-girl in New York City. She is a guarded extrovert, moving between social circles and identities, gradually losing track of her past selves. She is a puzzle, full of contradictions, and the audience learns something new about her each time they watch the film. Holly is a romantic heroine, primarily defined by her wilful independence. She is honest and vulnerable, with a wounded wanderlust that makes her a movingly fragile character.
Holly spends so much time trying to be other people's dream girl that she doesn't know who she truly is. She is a "phony but a real phony," running from her past and herself. Despite her social success, she yearns for a sense of calm and stability, as shown in her affinity for Tiffany's. Holly is intelligent and self-aware, recognising that her ego and dreams of stardom might not align with the reality of being a movie star.
Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Holly Golightly is considered iconic and earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Hepburn's performance captures Holly's contradictions, from her doe-eyed sadness to her bright humour. Hepburn's portrayal of Holly's vulnerability and independence has influenced numerous single women characters in New York in film and television that followed.
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$13.88
Truman Capote's original novella
The novella is set in the 1940s, specifically in the Upper East Side of New York, in a brownstone apartment. The area had experienced significant changes following the Civil War, and by the 1940s, it had become a fairly affluent neighbourhood. The setting plays a crucial role in the plot, as various wealthy characters from the Upper East Side come in and out of Holly Golightly's life.
Holly Golightly, the protagonist of the novella, is a complex and intriguing character. She is described as a "whimsically kind and cruel and slightly tragic" young woman. The narrator of the story finds a "disarmingly charming shallowness" in Holly that hides a complexity that neither he nor the reader can fully understand. Holly's character has been compared to that of Sally Bowles, a character created by Christopher Isherwood, one of Capote's mentors.
Capote's prose style in the novella received high praise from critics and writers alike. Norman Mailer, for example, called Capote "the most perfect writer of my generation". The novella has been recognised as an American classic and a testament to Capote's writing prowess.
The 1961 film adaptation of *Breakfast at Tiffany's* starring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly took significant liberties with the source material. Capote himself disapproved of many changes made to sanitise the story for the film adaptation. Notably, he had wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role of Holly Golightly. The film adaptation softened Capote's sharper, more detached character study, adding a romantic element that was not present in the original novella.
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The film's costume design
The film Breakfast at Tiffany's is synonymous with Audrey Hepburn, who played the iconic role of Holly Golightly. The film, released in 1961, is a romantic comedy and a loose adaptation of the Truman Capote novella of the same name. Hepburn's performance as the Manhattan socialite is considered a defining role for the actor, and her costumes in the film have become some of the most famous in cinematic history.
Hepburn's costumes in Breakfast at Tiffany's were designed by Edith Head, with key costumes designed by Hubert de Givenchy, with whom Hepburn had a partnership. The costumes have become iconic, with the dress Hepburn wears during the opening credits considered an icon of the 20th century and perhaps the most famous "little black dress" of all time. The black Givenchy dress has fetched large sums at auctions, with one selling for a record £467,200 in 2006.
Hepburn's association with Givenchy extended beyond Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the actor is credited with boosting the sales of Burberry trench coats after wearing one in the film. Hepburn's style and elegance in the film, and throughout her career, have been widely admired, with magazines advising readers on how to get her look and fashion designers using her as inspiration.
The costumes Hepburn wears in the film have had a lasting impact on fashion and popular culture. The little black dress, in particular, has become synonymous with elegance and sophistication, and Hepburn's performance as the stylish and independent Holly Golightly has cemented her status as a fashion icon. The film's costume design has also been credited for its ability to capture the character's personality and transformation throughout the story.
Overall, the costume design in Breakfast at Tiffany's played a crucial role in shaping Audrey Hepburn's iconic status and the lasting legacy of the film. The elegant and sophisticated styles created by Edith Head and Hubert de Givenchy not only defined Hepburn's on-screen presence but also influenced fashion trends and continue to inspire designers and audiences alike.
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Romantic heroine vs. independence
Audrey Hepburn was 32 years old when she starred in the 1961 romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's. In the film, Hepburn plays Holly Golightly, a rural midwesterner who reinvents herself as a Manhattan socialite. Holly is a romantic heroine, but she is also defined by her wilful independence.
The character of Holly Golightly is considered one of the best-known in American cinema and a defining role for Hepburn. The film is loosely based on the Truman Capote novella of the same name, and while Capote disapproved of many changes that were made to sanitise the story for the film adaptation, Hepburn's performance received rave reviews.
Hepburn's Holly Golightly is a kind of exaggerated emblem of who we all become when we move away from home and have the freedom to reintroduce ourselves to the world. Holly is a guarded extrovert, a playgirl without scruples, and a fiercely independent woman who is gradually losing track of her past selves. She is drawn to the writer Paul Varjak, played by George Peppard, because he sees beyond her facade to the scared little girl inside.
Hepburn's performance in Breakfast at Tiffany's is a tender and vulnerable portrayal of a woman alone in her crowded social whirl. Despite the film's kissing-in-the-rain happy ending, Holly remains primarily defined by her independence. This combination of romantic heroine and independent woman has made Holly Golightly an enduring symbol of female empowerment and self-invention.
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Frequently asked questions
Audrey Hepburn was in her early thirties when she starred in Breakfast at Tiffany's. The film was released in 1961, and Hepburn was born in 1929.
Audrey Hepburn died in 1993 at the age of 63.
Audrey Hepburn played Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Holly Golightly's iconic outfit in the film's opening sequence is a long black dress, pearls, and a beehive hairstyle. The dress was designed by Hubert de Givenchy and is considered one of the most famous "little black dresses" of all time.
Breakfast at Tiffany's was loosely based on the Truman Capote novella of the same name, published in 1958.
