Roman Holiday

A 1953 romantic comedy directed by William Wyler, starring Audrey Hepburn as a princess who escapes her duties and Gregory Peck as an American reporter in Rome.

Audrey Hepburn: A British actress whose film career began with Roman Holiday, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her performance as Princess Ann made the role an enduring screen image.
Hollywood blacklist: The exclusion of film-industry workers accused of communist affiliations from employment in Hollywood, especially from the late 1940s through the 1950s. Trumbo wrote the screenplay under another name because he could not work openly.
Mouth of Truth: An ancient Roman marble mask set into the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, traditionally said to bite falsehood-tellers. Joe’s staged hand-in-mouth prank produces one of the film’s best-known comic moments.
Academy Award for Best Actress: An annual award presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a leading performance by an actress. Hepburn won the award for her first starring role in a feature film.
Gregory Peck: An American actor known for roles in films including Roman Holiday and To Kill a Mockingbird. He plays Joe Bradley, the reporter who accompanies Ann through Rome.
Academy Awards: Annual awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in cinema. Roman Holiday won three Oscars, including Best Actress for Hepburn.
Spanish Steps: A monumental staircase in Rome connecting Piazza di Spagna with the church of Trinità dei Monti. Ann’s carefree gelato scene helped make the steps a signature location of the film.
Roman Holiday remake: A 1987 television film adaptation of Roman Holiday starring Catherine Oxenberg and Tom Conti. Its television format and later date distinguish it from the 1953 theatrical original.
William Wyler: An American film director whose work includes Roman Holiday, Ben-Hur, and The Best Years of Our Lives. His direction shaped the film’s balance of comedy, romance, and location realism.
Cinecittà: A film studio complex in Rome founded in 1937 and used for Italian and international productions. Studio work at Cinecittà complemented the film’s extensive use of Rome locations.

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Edith HeadRelated: Head won an Academy Award for its black-and-white costume design, including Hepburn’s transforming wardrobe.