An enchanting light comedy…
9/10
Author: Righty-Sock (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico
10 May 2008

Constantly advised, overprotected, and bored with her royal duties, Princess Anne, on holiday in Rome, evades her protectors and sneaks out at night to discover how the ordinary Italians live...

Exhausted from a claustrophobic schedule, she collapses in a public place… Passing by is Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), a newspaper reporter who was planning to interview the Princess the following day… Not realizing who she is, he eventually takes her to his apartment where she spends the night on his couch…

After discovering her identity, Bradley charms the runaway princess for the exclusive story he visualizes writing… He calls his carefree photographer friend Eddie Albert and proposes to spend the day with her and experience everything she has always desired to…Audrey Hepburn—the exquisite incognito princess who finds romance in the capital city of Italy— not only lets down her long tresses, but also gets a more fashionable cut, as she blossoms to embrace a life she knows she cannot keep…

Hepburn received an Oscar for Best Actress in recognition of her gamine charms and for her great acting ability…If you like to remember Princess Anne at the café ordering champagne for lunch; smoking her "very first" cigarette; dancing on a barge on the Tiber River; hitting the royal agents with beer bottles; and testing the legend of 'The Mouth of Truth;' don't miss this delightful movie with three legendary stars…

Unabashed innocence
9/10
Author: moonspinner55 from las vegas, nv
26 May 2002

Audrey Hepburn doesn't have a vulgar bone in her body: she breezes through this comedic romp with the spirit of a saint on holiday. When a princess escapes the castle while touring Italy, a down-on-his-luck American reporter chances to meet her and smells a good story. A joyful fairy tale, but with the heartbreak of reality at the finale, and what sweet sadness there is in those final shots! Hepburn won an Oscar for Best Actress, and deserved it.

Gregory Peck is almost playful in his scenes with her, and Eddie Albert is a perfect buddy-match. Director William Wyler sets up the story very gingerly, but he cuts loose as well, and thewhole picture plays like a delectable dessert. ***1/2 from ****

Audrey Sparkles Through
9/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
20 April 2007

When Roman Holiday was in the planning stages William Wyler envisioned either Elizabeth Taylor or Jean Simmons in the role of the princess. When neither proved available, he and Paramount studios decided to do a Scarlett O'Hara type search for an unknown for the part. The film then would only have Gregory Peck as the star to draw the people in.

But when Peck saw the screen test and also realized the film would rise and fall on the performance of the princess part, he insisted on top billing for Audrey Hepburn. Audrey had only done a few small bit parts in some English films up till then, however Peck insisted on the billing of her right after him with 'introducing Audrey Hepburn' as her title credit.

In the same way that William Holden credited Barbara Stanwyck with helping him get through Golden Boy, Audrey Hepburn credited Gregory Peck with her performance in Roman Holiday. As well as William Wyler who still has a record of more people getting to the Oscar sweepstakes for his films than any other director.

Roman Holiday is simple and delightful film about a young princess of some unnamed European country who gets tired of her programmed routine and wants a break from it. In Rome while on a European tour, princess Audrey fakes an illness and runs off for a day of fun.An American wire service reporter Gregory Peck finds her and realizes he's got an exclusive.So he chaperones her around without letting her know she's on to him. He even gets photographer Eddie Albert to help him out.

Eddie Albert got the first of two nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Roman Holiday, the second one being The Goodbye Girl. He lost to Frank Sinatra for From Here to Eternity. Though Albert is funny in this film, for dramatic work I never understood why he was not nominated for Attack or for Captain Newman, MD.

If you're thinking that the film is starting to bear a resemblance to a continental It Happened One Night you would be right. And if that's your thinking it will come as no surprise to learn that Frank Capra originally had the idea to film this. The property reverted to Paramount as part of his settlement to leave that studio after doing two Bing Crosby films.

I wish Paramount had done Roman Holiday in color though.(!!?) Darryl F. Zanuck over at 20th Century did Three Coins in the Fountain in gorgeous color and later on MGM did The Seven Hills of Rome also in color. Still the Roman locations really add a lot to Audrey's adventure. When Oscar time Audrey Hepburn in her first starring role and really first role of any consequence won an Oscar for Best Actress.

Until the day she died Audrey Hepburn had charm enough for ten, you can't help but love her in anything she ever did. Even if the film she did was not that great,Audrey sparkles through.Even in black and white, the Eternal City with Audrey and Greg make anyone young at heart.

A Very Nice Blend of Fantasy & Reality
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio
5 November 2002

With a very nice blend of fantasy and reality, and two very likable stars, "Roman Holiday" is both entertaining and thoughtful. Sometimes it is very funny, and at other times it makes you feel a great sympathy and warmth towards the characters. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck are ideal in the leading roles, and the story is very clever in getting a lot of mileage out of a simple idea without pushing things too far, which makes it quite effective.

The idea of Princess Ann (Audrey) slipping away unnoticed and unrecognized for a day of fun and freedom from responsibility is of course fanciful, but it works for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is Peck's role as a pragmatic newsman. He is a good balance for Hepburn's charm and energy, remaining calm and logical without ever becoming cold or distant. You feel as if you could spend a lot more than a couple of hours in their company. And how could you improve on Eddie Albert's performance as Peck's photographer friend? The movie also adds in the atmosphere of Rome itself, with some creative scenes that make good use of the setting.

There are many fine moments in a story that at times seems almost like a daydream, and then it brings the characters back to reality in a moving way. It's not an easy combination to pull off, but here it all fits together very well, to make the kind of classic worth remembering, and one which you can watch and enjoy more than once.

Pas de gros baiser baveux comme dans les films actuels...en fait je crois bien qu'ils ne s'embrassent pas...tout est suggéré...pas de leçon de choses donc

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*sigh* Audrey Hepburn *sigh*!!!
10/10
Author: Robert Reynolds (minniemato@hotmail.com) from Tucson AZ
21 April 2001

I could just write my one line summary over and over again, but that would make for a rather dull comment, so I won't (stop cheering in the balcony!). In addition to the wonderful Ms. Hepburn, Gregory Peck does his typically superb job and Eddie Albert turns in a delightful (but no doubt painful, for him) performance in this incredibly charming jewel of a film. This film made me an incurable romantic for life! *sigh* I'd better quit before my apartment becomes a wind-tunnel! Joyously, happily recommended!