Fending off a date from the night before, Holly Golightly visits theTiffany & Co. flagship store but her date finds her at her apartment building. Holly, who cannot find her keys, buzzes her landlord, Mr. Yunioshi, to let her in. Holly meets her new neighbor Paul Varjak as she readies to leave for her weekly visit to incarcerated mobster Sally Tomato. Tomato's lawyer pays her $100[a] a week to deliver "the weather report". Holly meets Paul's "decorator" Emily Eustace Failenson, a wealthy older woman, whom Paul nicknames "2E". That night, when Holly crawls out onto the fire escape to elude an over-eager date, she sees 2E leaving Paul money and kissing him goodbye.
Holly visits Paul and learns he is a writer who has not had anything published in five years, and has no ribbon in his typewriter. Holly explains she is saving money to support her brother, Fred, after he completes his Army service. The pair fall asleep but are awakened when Holly has a nightmare about Fred. When Paul questions her about this, Holly chides him for prying. Holly buys Paul a typewriter ribbon to apologize, and invites him to a party at her apartment. There, he meets her Hollywood agent, Berman, who describes Holly's transformation from a country girl into a Manhattan "socialite", along with wealthy Brazilian politician José da Silva Pereira and the wealthy American Rusty Trawler.
Some time later, 2E enters Paul's apartment, worried about someone loitering outside the building. Paul confronts the elderly man who explains he is Holly's husband, Doc Golightly. Doc informs him that Holly ran away and he has come to take her back to rural Texas. After Paul reunites them, Holly informs Paul the marriage was annulled and she declines to return with Doc. After drinking at a club, Paul and Holly return to her apartment, where she tells him she plans to marry Trawler for his money. A few days later, Paul learns a short story inspired by Holly will be published. On the way to tell Holly, he sees a newspaper headline stating that Trawler has married someone else.
Holly and Paul agree to spend the day together, taking turns doing things each has never done before. At Tiffany's, he has the ring from a box ofCracker Jack engraved as a present for her. After spending the night together, Paul awakens to find Holly gone. 2E arrives and calmly accepts when he ends their affair, realizing he loves Holly. Returning from a date with José, Holly learns Fred has been killed and trashes her apartment.
Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly
Months later, Holly readies to move to Brazil and marry José but is arrested in connection to a drug ring run by Sally Tomato. Berman pays her bail and Paul picks her up in a cab with all her things, including her nameless pet cat, and a breakup letter from José. Holly decides to go to Brazil anyway, breaking bail, as Paul declares that he loves her. Resistant to being in a relationship, Holly chastises him and releases the cat into an alley. Paul storms out of the cab, leaving the engraved ring with Holly. After she puts it on, Holly runs back to the alley, where Paul is looking for the cat. After Holly finds him, she cradles him in her coat and, smiling, walks into Paul's embrace.
After Paramount producersMartin Jurow andRichard Shepherd optioned the film rights to Capote's novella, they hiredSumner Locke Elliott to write its screenplay. Although this was generally faithful to the source material, Jurow and Shepherd disliked it and he was replaced byGeorge Axelrod. Axelrod, who previously made structural changes to the source material whileadaptingThe Seven Year Itch (1955), worked with Jurow and Shepherd to deviate from Capote's novella. This included altering its plot and tone to be a romantic comedy, replacing its unnamed gay narrator with a named, heterosexual male love interest, adding new characters, and reducing the gay subtext.[3]
Capote wantedMarilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly: he considered Monroe to best reflect the character,[4] with Axelrod required to "tailor" the screenplay to accommodate Monroe. Monroe declined to star in the film, opting forThe Misfits (1961), after theatre directorLee Strasberg advised her that playing a "lady of the evening" would be bad for her image.[5] The role was then offered toShirley MacLaine, who turned it down in favor of starring inTwo Loves (1961),[6] andKim Novak also turned it down.[7]
Capote was angry at the studio's eventual decision, remarking, "Paramount double-crossed me in every way and cast Audrey".[8][9][10] Hepburn was hesitant to star in the film, citing difficulty playing an extroverted character.[11][12]Steve McQueen was offered the role of Paul Varjak, but declined the offer due to being under contract withUnited Artists,[13] andJack Lemmon was also approached, but was unavailable.Robert Wagner was also considered.[14] Eventually George Peppard was chosen, despite having appeared the previous year in the failedThe Subterraneans.[15]
The film's original director,John Frankenheimer, worked with Axelrod for three months on the project before he was replaced by Edwards after Hepburn's agent requested a higher-profile director.[16] Edwards also supported Axelrod's changes to the novella, stating the changes made were for "audience approval".[3]
According to one report, the film's on-location opening sequence outside Tiffany & Co. was extremely difficult to shoot, due to issues related to crowd control, Hepburn's dislike of pastries, and an accident that nearly resulted in theelectrocution of a crew member. However, another report claims the sequence was captured rather quickly, owing to an unexpected lull in city traffic.[19]
It took me time to figure out what Holly Golightly was all about. I don't drink much, but I was sipping and it came to me one night. I wrote [the song] in half an hour.
During the film, Hepburn sang the film's signature song, "Moon River", written byHenry Mancini andJohnny Mercer. The song was tailored to Hepburn's limited vocal range and its sequencing was inspired by songs she performed inFunny Face (1957).[21] After the film's test preview inSan Francisco, Martin Rankin, Paramount's head of production, wanted "Moon River" replaced with music sung by somebody else. Shepherd claimed he and Jurow refused to replace it – a response attributed to Hepburn herself in another account.[22][23]
According toTime, Mancini "sets off [the] melodies with a walking bass, extends them with choral and string variations and varies them with the brisk sounds ofcombo jazz. "Moon River" is sobbed by a plaintive harmonica, repeated by strings, hummed and then sung by the chorus and finally resolved with the harmonica."[20] The soundtrack featured a score composed and conducted by Mancini, with several unreleased musical compositions not featuring in the final film. One piece, "Carousel Cue", appears in a deleted scene, while another piece titled "Outtake 1" also appears in a deleted scene. In 2013,Intrada Records released the complete score in its original film performance: as with many soundtrack albums from the time period, the album initially released alongside the film was a re-recording.
The film was first released onVHS in 1989 and on DVD in 2001, and was one of the first films featuring Hepburn released on home video. On February 7, 2006, a 45th anniversary special edition DVD was released in North America, containing featurettes not included on the prior releases. These included a photo gallery, the film's theatrical trailer, a history featurette on Tiffany & Co., audio commentary by Shepherd, a making-of featurette with interviews from Edwards and Neal, and a tribute to Hepburn, which contained a letter written by Hepburn to Tiffany & Co. for their 150th anniversary in 1987.
On January 13, 2009, a remastered Centennial Collection version of the film was released on DVD, which added several new featurettes, including interviews with the cast, a documentary discussing the controversy regarding Rooney's portrayal of I.Y. Yunioshi, an interactive tour of the Paramount Studios lot where filming took place, and a tribute to Mancini. On June 29, 2011, the film wasdigitally restored in high-definition and released on Blu-ray to commemorate its 50th anniversary.[24][25]
Breakfast at Tiffany's was a commercial success, grossing $14 million on a $2.5 million budget.[26] The film was screened atRadio City Music Hall before its theatrical release, whereVariety called it "a bright box office contender".[27]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 88% of 56 critics' reviews are positive, with an average score of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads, "It contains some ugly anachronisms, but Blake Edwards is at his funniest in this iconic classic, and Audrey Hepburn absolutely lights up the screen."[28]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[29]
Time magazine noted "[Hepburn's portrayal] is not much different from Capote's [character]. She has kicked the weed but she is still jolly Holly who runs away to find some of the finer things of life." It also pointed out the differences from Capote's novella, stating "after that out-of-Capote beginning, Edwards goes on to an out-of-character end."[30] Hepburn's performance received rave reviews, with it considered to be one of her most memorable and identifiable roles.[21] Almost a half century later, Richard Corliss ofTime emphasized the level of Hepburn's performance, stating, "Breakfast at Tiffany's set Hepburn on her Hollywood course" and argued her performance in the film influenced her later roles.[31]
Tinee Mae of theChicago Tribune also gave a positive review, saying, "In the wrong hands, the unconventional, disorganized, sophisticated, innocent, utterly contradictory [lead] character could be a tiresome idiot. Audrey makes her as sweet as she is silly, as appealing as she is affected, a playgirl without scruples, a moth who doesn't quite deserve to die in a flame." Mae also praised the "slick" and "perceptive" screenplay and the "fine" supporting cast, singling out Peppard, Ebsen, Balsam and Rooney.[32] Henry T. Murdock ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "Breakfast at Tiffany's shines like a gem. Much of the iridescence comes from the richly impulsive performance by Hepburn as the scatterbrained, pathetic, fiercely independent lead. [Peppard] plays with understanding. Ebsen appears briefly, but to good effect [and] Rooney is too slapstick as the Japanese photographer. Edwards keeps things moving with a lilt."[33] The film helped rejuvenate Ebsen's career, as it helped him land the role asJed Clampett onThe Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971).[34]
A.H. Weiler ofThe New York Times called the film a "completely unbelievable but wholly captivating flight into fancy composed of unequal dollops of comedy, romance, poignancy, funny colloquialisms and Manhattan's swankiestEast Side areas captured in the loveliest of colors". Weiler called Hepburn "a genuinely charming, elfin waif who will be believed and adored when seen" and further praised the performances of Peppard, Balsam, Rooney, Neal and Ebsen.[35] Capote infamously disliked the film and Hepburn's performance for deviating from his novella. Capote's biographer,Gerald Clarke, characterized the film as a "valentine to free-spirited women, [not] a cautionary tale about a little girl lost in the big city". He later labelled the film "a sugar and spice confection" and claimed Capote praised it as an independent work, but not as an adaptation.[36] In later years,American Film Institute ranked the film No. 61 in100 Years ... 100 Passions and "Moon River" as No. 4 in100 Years ... 100 Songs. The film was also ranked No. 486 onEmpire'sThe 500 Greatest Movies of All Time list.[37]
The image of Hepburn with her hair in a highchignon and carrying an oversizedcigarette holder is considered one of the most iconic images of 20th centuryAmerican cinema.[48] The sunglasses worn by Hepburn, another popular item, were designed and manufactured in London byOliver Goldsmith. In 2011, the sunglasses were re-released to mark the film's 50th anniversary.[49] One of three dresses designed byGivenchy for Hepburn to use in the film sold at auction by Christie's on December 5, 2006, for £467,200 (~US$947,000), about seven times the reserve price.[50][51]
Theblack Givenchy dress worn by Hepburn is cited as one of the most iconic clothing items of the twentieth century and was described byGlamour as the most famouslittle black dress of all time.[52][53][54][55] A second little black dress by Givenchy, which was styled with a wide-brimmed hat, influenced the comic book design forCatwoman by artistAdam Hughes and later inspired the costume for the character inThe Dark Knight Rises (2012).[56]
A diamond necklace at Tiffany's that Hepburn's character scorns as too flashy was theTiffany Yellow Diamond, which Hepburn wore in publicity photos for the film. Tiffany and Co.'s established profile as a pre-eminent luxury retailer was further boosted by the popularity of the film.[57]
Since the 1990s, Rooney's portrayal of I. Y. Yunioshi, which featured makeup and a prosthetic mouthpiece, has been labelled as a caricature of a Japanese man. In theBruce Lee biopicDragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993),Breakfast at Tiffany's is used as an illustration of Hollywood'sracist depiction of East Asians: it is claimed that Lee and his future wife,Linda Lee Cadwell, walked out of a screening of the film upon viewing Rooney's performance.[58]
Promotional materials released by Paramount for the film between October and December 1960 did not reveal Rooney to play Yunioshi, with press releases stating that an upcoming Japanese comedian named "Ohayo Arigatou" ("hello" and "thank you" inJapanese) would play the character. Other press releases featured false quotes, written in phonetically broken English, attributed to the fake comedian. Rooney eventually revealed his involvement inBreakfast at Tiffany's in a statement while wearing the makeup and prosthetic mouthpiece seen in the film.[3]
Mickey Rooney wore makeup and a prosthetic mouthpiece to portray a Japanese character.
Shepherd later said that he wanted to recast the role, "not because he [Rooney] didn't play the part well" but to have a Japanese actor play Mr. Yunioshi instead, though Edwards overruled him.[59] Shepherd later apologized for Rooney's casting and performance, saying, "If we could just change Mickey, I'd be thrilled with the [film]."[60] Although Axelrod expanded the role of Yunioshi in the screenplay compared to the novella, Edwards sought to use the character forcomic relief and hired Rooney, his old roommate. Axelrod clashed with Edwards regarding the placement of Yunioshi in the film and convinced Hepburn to reshoot scenes for free in the hope that scenes featuring Yunioshi could be edited out, but was overruled by Edwards.[3] Edwards later stated he "would give anything to recast [Rooney]" and he "wished [he] had never done it" but stressed it was not something he could "undo".[60]
In a 2008 interview, Rooney said he was "heartbroken" regarding the criticism, saying, "Edwards wanted me to [portray] the character because he was a comedy director. We had fun doing it. Never [since] we made it [has] there been [any] complaints. Every place I've gone in the world people say [I] was so funny."[61] Rooney later said that he would not have taken the role if he thought it was offensive.[61]
The film continues to draw criticism for the character, with film historianRobert Osborne calling it "such a racial slur. I blame Edwards. The caricature was totally embarrassing".[62] In 2011, a group of Asian-American viewers opposed a screening held bySyFy and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation to commemorate the film because of the character.[63]
^Morris, M. (2007). Learning from Bruce Lee: Pedagogy and Political Correctness in Martial Arts Cinema.". The Worlding Project: Doing Cultural Studies in the Era of Globalization, 49–56.
^Shepherd, Richard.Breakfast at Tiffany's – Anniversary Edition/Centennial Editionaudio commentary (DVD). Paramount. Event occurs at 3:43.
^abBreakfast at Tiffany's: The Making of a Classic
Breakfast at Tiffany's, by George Axelrod. Published by Paramount Home Entertainment (UK), 1960. (film script)
Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories, by Truman Capote. Published by Random House, 1958.
Wasson, Sam (August 30, 2011).Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman. Harper Collins.ISBN978-0061774164.
.jpg)
