Lok Virsa to screen American classic tomorrow

Big Screen

Islamabad

Producer-Director: William Wyler

Story: Dalton Trumbo (blacklisted then and not credited)

Cast: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert

 Lok Virsa Film Club 'Mandwa' will be screening an American film, ‘Roman Holiday,’ on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Paramount Studio production from 1953, in black and white, still retains its charm and innocence after almost sixty-two years. Such is the ever-lasting power of the motion picture.

Produced and directed by William Wyler, this is an all-time favourite romantic comedy, which has retained itself notwithstanding small and big revolutions brought in by colour, cinema scope, 3-D, digital and now IMAX. So true that something exact to its own age, remains modern for all the times.

It is a fantasy romance with the beauty and mystique of Rome with a newspaper reporter, princesses from an imaginary European country and photographers on a silver plate, attractive for anyone and everyone. The royal family, the palace, the adventurer, the lifestyle and the commoner -- everything is there.

In the beginning, superstar Cary Grant was to play the male lead against Jean Simmons and later Elizabeth Taylor. He declined because he was too old to play romantic lead against Audrey Hepburn (but then ten years later, he was seen with her in Charade). The other two heroines were not available at that time. Gregory Peck, who was getting the top billing in the cast, insisted half-way through the film that Audrey Hepburn's name must come alongside with him and that she must get equal billing-unheard gesture in Hollywood (where actors would sell their mothers to get the top billing).

For few of us who have not seen or heard 'Roman Holiday'. What is it all about! American film magazine Variety, called it Cinderella in the reverse, a fable in modern dress and a romantic comedy with powerful script and casting. Audrey Hepburn (‘Gigi’, ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘Wait until Dark’) is seen as princess and Gregory Peck as a press reporter. Towards the end of the film when Hepburn could not bring tears, director Wyler shouted and spoke harshly. Hepburn cried just the way Wyler had wanted.

The film won top Academy Award Oscar for Audrey Hepburn as Best Actress (her first and only Oscar). The film also won Oscar for Best Screenplay and costume designing. It was remade for TV in 1987 and turned out to be the ultimate disaster-"don't repair what's not broken". India made ‘Roman Holiday’ several times through these years as ‘Chori Chori’ (in combination with ‘It Happened One Night’), ‘Mann’, ‘Love You Hamesha’, ‘Muskurahat’, ‘Allan Pilla’ (Talugu), ‘Kiluk Kam’ (Malayalam) and ‘May Madham’ (Tamil).

‘Roman Holiday’ turned Audrey Hepburn instantly into a superstar. The Belgian-born actress was unknown before this film, having acted in minor roles in European films and some stage. But after ‘Roman Holiday’! Women began copying her looks, hairstyle and wardrobe.

William Wyler insisted on filming on location in Italy. Paramount Studios offered to build sets in the studios but Wyler insisted that no studio sets could bring the ancient beauty of Rome on screen. It was the first American film to be filmed and processed in Italy. It also happened to be the first comedy by Wyler after 1935 and the first film where Americans were introduced to Italian Vespa scooter. American college students started using scooters after ‘Roman Holiday’. Audiences were intrigued when ‘Roman Holiday’ turned into real life opera of Princess Margaret and a divorced commoner but the royal duties forced them to split up. In 1960, ‘Roman Holiday’ highlighted the American Cultural Exchange programme with the Soviet Union.

William Wyler directed it immaculately with care, love and precision.  

The film runs for 118 minutes.

The author can be reached at aijazzgul@gmail.com