Roman Holiday

After appearing in several small roles in movies that are largely obscure today, Audrey Hepburn received the role that effectively makes one a star over night. And thanks to her command performance, Hepburn became just that. At the age of 24, in her first starring role, Audrey Hepburn toplined William Wyler's romantic comedy "Roman Holiday", and went on to win Best Actress. Hepburn would later become known for her gamine features and innocent, winsome nature on screen, but it was here that audiences first fell in love with her, playing royalty on the run: Princess Anne. In Rome for a diplomatic meeting, Anne tires of the pre-arranged ceremonies, appearances and other stuffy functions she is to attend, and sneaks out into the gorgeous city of Rome for a 24 hour crash course in normal living. What she does not anticipate is falling in love, which happens as a result of bumping into Gregory Peck's international news reporter, Joe. In a time when studios saved money by recreating exotic locales on sound stages in Hollywood, Paramount is to be commended for sending cast and crew to Rome, which give the movie a stunning, authentic look even the best production designer could not replicate. Regarded as a classic today, I have to wonder what audiences at the time thought about this film; William Wyler's track record at the time was already extremely impressive, but Audrey Hepburn was essentially an unknown and Gregory Peck, while an established actor and Best Actor recipient, was venturing into his first comedy, kind of a reverse Tom Hanks career choice. While Peck is satisfactory (drama really was his strong suit, his stern look and imposing voice do not really translate into soft comedy), Hepburn immediately cast her spell over audiences, and would remain a mega star for the next 25 years, until she withdrew from movies to lend her celebrity to UNICEF. But before all that, this was the film which propelled her into the stratosphere.

When Joe Bradley's editor starts giving him a hard time about a fresh story at the beginning of the film, Joe has no idea that the story of his life will soon be falling into his lap. After a chance encounter brings him upon Anne, who believes cutting her hair is enough of a disguise, Joe plays along, intending on using his time with the princess as his next story. Of course what he does not count on is the beautiful and beguiling Anne to fall in love with him, and for he to feel the same affection. The two share a beautiful day throughout the city of Rome, and Wyler makes the most of his location, capturing his stars in front of every Roman tourist attraction. There are several charming vignettes, such as the classic Vespa riding lesson Joe gives Anne through the crowded streets, and their encounter with the stone monster that legend says will bite off your hand. Despite their growing attraction towards each other, Joe and Anne are each harboring their own secret, and the inevitable romantic comedy confrontation is always on the horizon. A running subplot throughout the film begins early on when Joe enlists the aid of a photographer friend of his, Irving, to take discreet pictures of the two throughout the day. While dancing aboard a ship later on that evening, Joe and Irving have to save Anne when some over zealous Italian young men each wish a dance with the charming Anne, prompting an elaborate fight scene, which results in Irving's camera being smashed. He warns Joe of falling in love with his story, and Joe assures him he will end their affair soon. Anne too begins to feel the demands of her title pulling her back, and their romantic evening in Rome takes on a bittersweet pall.

The next day, with Anne's royal entourage due to move on from Rome, Anne admits to Joe who she is. Joe as well admits his original intentions, prompting Anne to return to the palace, ashamed of herself for falling in love with a newspaper man only out for a story. Upon returning however, she knows she really does love Joe, and realizes Joe really does love her. At her farewell press conference, Anne is shocked to find Joe in attendance, and when asked which city on her royal tour she enjoyed visiting the most, one member of her party goes into a canned response of each city being equally enjoyable, before Anne blurts out "Rome! I will cherish my visit here in my memory as long as I live!". The crowd is somewhat taken aback by Anne's impulsive honesty, but the look she and Joe exchange is enough to convince him she is telling the truth. Where most films of this nature would take the implausible way out (see "Notting Hill" for a perfect example), "Roman Holiday" stays true to its title; Anne is on holiday, and all good things end badly, otherwise they would not end. She cannot just run off and be with Joe, even though it is what they both want. Conveying with her eyes what few actresses could with a perfectly written monologue, Audrey Hepburn sealed her Oscar win with Anne's dramatic exit at the film's end. Joe takes a moment to reflect on what he just went through and kind of laughs to himself, then simply walks off, his life to continue, knowing full well it will without her. While the romantic comedy's biggest crutch is the happy ending, "Roman Holiday" acheives that rare thing: classic status while bucking convention. Anne and Joe should be together, but they cannot, and it is a credit to Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck and William Wyler that we feel so strongly at this point, but also that we accept the natural ending of things. A sad side note to this otherwise heart warming film is the story of its writer, Dalton Trumbo. One of Hollywood's blacklisted writers, Trumbo had to watch his name be stricken from the final cut of the film and consented to his friend accepting his Best Original Screenplay Oscar the following year. His widow was awarded a posthumous award for him in 1993, but having died in 1976, this did little for the man himself. This unforutnate history aside, Trumbo's writing, Wyler's direction and the two stars great performances are all the reasons one would need to seek out "Roman Holiday".

Carousel

While not as historically popular as "The Sound of Music" or as revered among the theateratti as "Oklahoma!" or "The King and I", "Carousel" is still a wonderful musical, filled with timeless music and incredible production values. Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein, the preeminent hit makers of the 1940's on Broadway saw three of their stage smashes transferred to the big screen via 20th Century Fox in the same of two years, from 1955-1956. After a rousing success with "Oklahoma!" in 1955, Fox immediately commissioned versions of "The King and I" and "Carousel" for the following year. And while "The King and I" reaped most of the glory (critically and commercially), "Carousel", which retained the lovely starring couple of "Oklahoma!", Gordon MacRae as the brutish Billy Bigelow and Shirley Jones as the innocent Julie Jordan, and when viewed with the benefit of hindsight, is a wonderful film translation of a classic stage production. In the 1950's Fox spared no expense on its musicals, and the productions of these three films show that committment, especially "The King and I" and "Carousel". With much of the shooting done on location in Maine, coupled with dazzling forest sets (compare these to the ones Jack Cummings unfortunately had to use in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and you can see just how impressive these sets were) and a solid cast directed by Fox veteran Henry King, "Carousel" has all of the earmarks of an A list film from the studio. And anyone who listens to that music and is not at least partially swayed has something in their ears, particuarly the melody, "Carousel Waltz", quite simply one of the most beautiful pieces of American music ever written. Word recently appeared that Hugh Jackman is going to produce and star in a remake of this film, so what better time to revisit it?

As the film begins, Billy Bigelow is in heaven (which looks more like the set of a 1950's game show!) telling his tragic story to an angel. The events flash back to the coastal Maine town where the towns folk derive their pleasure from a local carnival; the prize attraction of which is the carousel. Billy is the macho barker for the Carousel, and equally attracts and wards off women with his swagger and machismo. The antithesis of his character is Julie Jordan, an innocent beauty who has been told to stay away from men like Billy Bigelow her whole life, but is drawn to him nonetheless. When Billy loses his job at the carousel he steps up his pursuit of Julie and soon the two are married, but Billy quickly chafes at married life. As with "Oklahoma!", Rogers and Hammerstein are uncredited for taking the musical genre to places it had not explored much before, and "Carousel" is no exception, with its depiction of a troubled marriage thanks to the fairly unsympathetic romantic male lead a revolutionary concept considering what your typical MGM musical romance consisted of. Billy's pride begins to get the better of him when the couple, Julie also pregnant, has to move in with Julie's friend, and he vows that if he cannot be a good husband, he must be a good father. Portrayed in a dramatic seven minute number titled simply "Soliloquy", Billy expresses all of his pent up emotion, and we begin to see the desperate nature that ultimately dooms him.

Teaming up with his equally shady friend, Jigger Craigin, the two plan to rob a wealthy merchant, however the robbery is foiled when the man pulls a gun and Billy inadvertently falls on his knife, dying an untimely death. Moved by his story and unfulfilled committment to his unborn child, the Starkeeper (Billy's story telling companion in heaven) allows Billy one day on Earth to help his daughter, now a troubled teenager. Louise Bigelow has suffered an unfortunate upbringing, being raised fatherless, but also haunted by her father's bad reputation. She chides under her mother's caring rule and longs to be understood. Little does she know that it is her father who happens upon her one day, and even though he slaps her, cowardly turning invisible after doing so, but more out of shame, Louise forgives him, and somehow accepts her father. Staying invisible, Billy visits Julie at Louise's high school graduation and sings to her (a reprise of their anthem "If I Loved You"), and watches his daughter one last time, before returning to heaven, finally redeemed for his past transgressions. While the ending of the story is ultimately uplifting (and tear-jerking, thanks to the song "You'll Never Walk Alone"), the path Billy takes to ultimately get there is not one audiences were used to in 1956, and the film disappointed. Perhaps original star Frank Sinatra would have helped the box office, or second choice Gene Kelly? While I cannot rule out Sinatra's legendary voice, or Kelly's natural ability in the musical genre, Gordon MacRae was the natural choice after his success with "Oklahoma!" and his chemistry with Shirley Jones is perfect. "Carousel" is perhaps one musical that, thanks to Hugh Jackman, may deservedly be getting its second chance at glory.