Starring: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Buddy Ebsen
Director: Blake Edwards
Studio: Paramount
Video: Enhanced for widescreen 16:9, color
Audio: DD 5.1, DD restored mono, French mono
Subtitles: English
Extras: Commentary by Producer Richard Shepherd, The Making of a Classic, It’s So Audrey: A Style Icon, Brilliance in a Blue Box, Audrey’s Letter to Tiffany, Original Theatrical Trailer
Length: 114 minutes
Rating: ****
With the adorable Audrey Hepburn in her most naughty role, the great music of Henry Mancini – including the Oscar-winning song Moon River – and the witty direction of Blake Edwards, it’s no wonder this movie has become a timeless film classic. The only sour note was the casting of Mickey Rooney as an outraged upstairs Japanese tenant in Holly Golightly’s apartment. In the Making Of featurette director Edwards admits that although at the time no one indicated any objections to that painfully racist characterization, if he had it to do over again, he wouldn’t have done it.
This Anniversary Edition sparkles from beginning to end with both picture and sound quality being right up to the Tiffany level throughout. The fact that the story is taken a Truman Capote novella fits in well with the current attention given that author on film, and many elements of it give evidence of its origin. Audrey conveys Holly’s dizzy lifestyle perfectly, making even her drunk scene funny (which scenes I normally find disgusting). It’s great to hear her singing Moon River herself. I always thought her own voice should have been on the soundtrack of My Fair Lady.
– John Sunier
