by Kenneth Myers

Created on: October 31, 2007   Last Updated: December 15, 2007

Just recently I decided to sit down for a Saturday afternoon matinee of back to back Audrey Hepburn films. Being the avid film lover that I am I chose 1953's "Roman Holiday", Audrey's first major Hollywood picture, and 1954's "Sabrina". I had always been a fan of Audrey's since my youth when I fell in love with her (like much of the world) after seeing "Roman Holiday" for the first time on television. Although I wouldn't categorize it then or now as a so-called 'chick flick', you know the term these idiot guys of today coined in order to protect their 'manhood' ( or lack of ) this film was such a delightful surprise to me as were many of the other earlier Hollywood gems. It was a tale of love, an ingredient sorely lacking in today's films and with an ending so heartfelt that maybe even the coldest of hearts would quiver. When I revisited that film recently it had the same profound effect on me after all these years. I suspect that it would probably have an effect on some of today's youth as well if they viewed it. That is, if they're not too busy watching sex romps like "Good Luck Chuck"and "Superbad".

Putting it all together I can surmise that the reason why this film and subsequent others worked in gathering an audience was.. Audrey Hepburn. Here we have a most graceful, elfish, wide-eyed and extraordinary beautiful young actress, whose persona lit up the screen even when the camera lights weren't on her. Then we have films whose stories seem tailor made for her in portraying herself as the seemingly child-like beauty who takes pleasure in the simplest things. Audrey was a natural. She touched the hearts of millions with her screen presence, conveying 'love' in the true sense of the word and with the elegance that is the essence of it. There were many other actresses at the time who had similar effects on viewers, but none like Miss Hepburn. Thats why I chose Audrey Hepburn as the greatest romantic actress of all time, and the most beautiful.

Born Audrey Kathleen Ruston outside of Brussels Belgium on May 4, 1929 she was the only child of the well to do Englishman Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston and his second wife, the former Baroness Ella van Heemstra, a Dutch aristocrat who was a daughter of a former governor of Dutch Guiana.They later divorced and Audrey's father left the family when she was 6 or 7 years of age. Young Audrey was partly raised in Nazi-occupied Arnhem, The
Netherlands where she witnessed some of the cruelty that the Nazi's were known for. Her

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>