If you’ve got $50 then you’re welcome to go to the powder room with Holly Golightly. The elegant Audrey Hepburn would well be worth the cash output and she soars against type as the “working girl” Golightly.
Writer Paul Varjak (George Peppard) is a writer who’s moving into an apartment. His downstairs neighbor is Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), a lady with the appearance of a socialite. They both turn out to be “kept” persons as Holly makes her living by going to the “powder room” with her rich clientele for $50 a turn and Paul is being funding by his older lover 2E (Patricia Neal) or Emily Eustace Failenson.
Paul is smitten with the lovely Holly and she rechristens him “Fred” after her brother who is in the military. She’s wanting to save up enough money so that Fred, her brother – not Paul, can live when her when he gets out of the army.
Paul may be smitten but Holly doesn’t seem to notice as she keeps looking for a rich beau to marry so she can afford the lifestyle that she would like. She sometimes takes her breakfast in front of Tiffany’s jewelry store (hence the title) and gazes at the expensive merchandise in the display window.
Paul and Holly have numerous adventures around Manhattan, annoy upstairs neighbor Mr. Yunioshi (Mickey Rooney), Paul meets the mysterious “Doc” (Buddy Ebsen), and goes with Holly to Sing Sing prison to visit Sally Tomato (Alan Reed) and get a “weather report” for his contact on the outside. All seems lost when Holly meets a rich Brazilian and plans to marry him and this leaves Paul heartbroken. Yet, Holly will come into his life one last time and the results will be surprising.
If anything has not aged well in Breakfast at Tiffany’s it’s Mickey Rooney. His portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi is one that will have protestors picketing theaters. It’s just not a good thing to have a Caucasian duded up to portray a person of Japanese descent. If they wanted the character in the movie then they should’ve just cast a Japanese actor. Sorry, Mickey.
Is that reason enough to protest the film? Nope since it’s a romantic confection that showcases Audrey Hepburn and features a fine performance from George Peppard. Interesting to know that in the novella by Truman Capote that Paul and Holly were not a love interest (knowing Capote’s preference this isn’t surprising) and this element was added for the film.
Even more interesting is that Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe for Holly and wasn’t happy they picked Hepburn. This would become Hepburn’s signature role and the image of her with her extended cigarette holder would become a cultural icon.
The film would garner Henry Mancini with two Oscars, one for the score and the other for “Moon River” which he shared with Johnny Mercer. It’s a wonderful film, but I did wonder what exactly Paul saw in Holly. She really doesn’t appear to care about his advances and even shuns him later on. Not to mention her quest for a rich man and the way that she’s supporting herself. It’s still a fantastic Manhattan fantasy and Paul’s undying devotion is easily understood with Audrey Hepburn in the role.
Also look for a fantastic turn by character actor John McGiver as the understanding Tiffany’s clerk (see I told you nothing bad could happen to you in Tiffany’s). Some more diamonds are added to this setting as Paramount has put the film in its Centennial line.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Disc one contain a commentary from producer Richard Shepherd (from the previous DVD release).
Disc two starts with the 20 minute “Golightly Gathering” that interviews actors from the cocktail party scene about their experiences on the film. The 21 minute “Henry Mancini: More than Music” is about the legendary composer’s family life. The 17 minute “Mr. Yunioshi: An Asian Perspective” has the Asian community commenting on the stereotypical role and the portrayals of their people on the screen. The remainder of the special features were from the previous DVD release.
The 16 minute “Making of a Classic” is about the making of the film. The 8 minute “It’s so Audrey: A Style Icon” is about Hepburn’s fashion style. The 4 minute “Behind the Gates: The Tour” is a short tour of the Paramount lot. The 6 minute “Brilliance in a Blue Box” is about the Tiffany Company. You also get a letter Hepburn wrote in 1987 on the 150th anniversary of Tiffany’s, the 2 minute theatrical trailer, three galleries, and an 8 page booklet.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s is not just scrambled eggs, it’s more than that. The stereotypical character may grate on our nerves in these politically correct times, but it shouldn’t keep you away from this delightful romantic fantasy. Hepburn is at her finest and well worth being a jewel in that signature blue box.
Breakfast At Tiffany's - Paramount Centennial Collection is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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