Chapter 3: Roman Holiday

Chapter 3: Roman Holiday

Audrey was wonderful in Gigi, but she did not get too excited. “After Gigi, I’m going to marry James Hanson,” she told the newspapers. But then something happened, and James had to wait again.

A Hollywood movie producer remembered Audrey from one of her early English movies. He wanted her to be a princess in a big new movie, Roman Holiday. Audrey could not say no.

After she finished Gigi, she flew to Rome. The most important actor in the movie was Gregory Peck, and Audrey was nervous. This was her first big movie, and Gregory Peck was world- famous. “Maybe he won’t like me,” she thought. But she was wrong. He was nice to her, and helped her. It was the hottest summer in Rome for years, and the work was not easy. But Audrey was happy and friendly with the other actors. Everybody liked her.

Roman Holiday opened in London on August 20, 1953. In the movie Audrey is a princess, but she does not wear expensive clothes or eat in expensive restaurants. She wants to see Rome and eat ice-cream in the street. She wants to be the same as the other young girls in Rome. The movie made Audrey world- famous. Young girls everywhere wanted to dress in the same way as her.

Now she wanted to be in movies all the time. She was not ready to be James Hanson’s wife. James was sad, but he understood. They stayed friends.