Audrey and Holly are both such wonderful girls

In one of the interviews Lawrence Grobel conducted with writer Truman Capote between July 1982 and August 1984, as recorded in Grobel's book Conversations with Capote (1985), Capote said that Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) was "the most miscast film [he had] ever seen." Capote, who had written the 1958 novella on which the film is loosely based, further said:

It made me want to throw up… And although I’m very fond of Audrey Hepburn, she’s an extremely good friend of mine, I was shocked and terribly annoyed when she was cast in that part. It was high treachery on the part of the producers. They didn’t do a single thing they promised. I had lots of offers for that book, from practically everybody, and I sold it to this group at Paramount because they promised things, they made a list of everything, and they didn’t keep a single one. The day I signed the contract they turned around and did exactly the reverse. They got a lousy director like Blake Edwards, who I could spit on!

Capote's choice for the part of Holly Golightly had always been Marilyn Monroe, who was also a good friend of his ("Holly had to have something touching about her... unfinished. Marilyn had that."). Capote said that Marilyn had really wanted the role, so much even "that she worked up two whole scenes all by herself and did them for [him]."

While Capote felt betrayed by the studio's decision to give the role to Audrey, it must be noted that the role had been offered to Marilyn first. Marilyn's drama coach Paula Strasberg, however, felt the part of a call girl was wrong for Marilyn and thus Marilyn declined. When Audrey was asked for the role, she wasn't eager to play it initially, also considering herself unsuited for it. It was director Blake Edwards who eventually convinced her to accept. (In the end, it proved to be Audrey's most iconic performance, for which she also received an Oscar nomination.)

Photo booth pictures of Truman Capote, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in New York City, taken around 1956.

In the spring of 1960, it was announced that Audrey had been cast as Holly Golightly, with the shooting of Breakfast At Tiffany's to start in September of that year. On 17 July Audrey gave birth to her first child, son Sean by her first husband Mel Ferrer. To congratulate her on the birth of her son, Capote wrote Audrey the following letter from Spain where he was working on a new book. In the letter he also told her how pleased he was that she was going to do Tiffany's. Capote's words are in sharp contrast to his later statements about Audrey being totally wrong for the part. It's unclear whether his remark in the letter was a white lie (not wishing to burst his friend's happy bubble after she just had a baby?) or if he was simply less opposed to Audrey playing Holly than he would later claim. At any rate, this is not the only instance when Capote had expressed himself positively about Audrey regarding Tiffany's. At one point he had also said: "Audrey was not what I had in mind when I wrote that part, although she did a terrific job." (Indeed she did!)

Incidentally, Capote closes his letter with "Mille Tendresse", the last words Holly wrote to Fred in the novella. 

Source: Christie's

Transcript:

"AZ-ZAHARA"

PLAYA DE ARO

COSTA BRAVA,

Spain

23 July 1960

Dearest Audrey,

With two such parents, I'm sure it must be a most beautiful little boy, wicked-eyed but kindly natured. My life-long blessings on the three of you.

May I say, too, how pleased I am that you are doing "B.ATT." I have no opinion of the film script [written by George Axelrod], never having had the opportunity to read it. But since Audrey and Holly are both such wonderful girls, I feel nothing can defeat either of them.

I am spending the summer here (until end of Oct.), and then going somewhere in Switzerland- the point being that I am working on a new book, and plan to stay abroad until I've finished it.

Please give my love to Mel.

Mille Tendresse, 

Truman

There is only one you

In his 1996 biography on Audrey Hepburn, Barry Paris stated that Audrey was not only a biographer's dream but also a biographer's nightmare. A beloved actress and a passionate advocate for children's rights, Audrey was (and still is) só admired and revered that practically nobody had anything negative to say about her. Paris found that the worst thing Audrey seemingly did was her failure to mention Patricia Neal at the 1965 Oscars (read more about that here).

Audrey is and has been an inspiration to a lot of people, even long before she reached her icon status. One of the people she inspired in the early 1960s was Cherylin Sarkisian, an insecure teenage girl who became later known as Cher.

A teenager who didn't really fit in, Cher hated high school but loved to watch movies. In 1961 she saw Breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn for the first time leaving her completely awestruck. At that time most of the female stars were blondes with whom Cher couldn't identify (e.g. Doris Day and Sandra Dee), but now seeing Audrey --a brunette portraying an eccentric, free spirit like she was herself-- she had found her role model. Cher became fascinated with Audrey, dressing herself and behaving like Audrey's character Holly Golightly and getting herself into trouble at school in the process.

It wasn't until many years later, after she had become an actress herself, that Cher finally got to meet her idol. The occasion was the 1988 Academy Awards Ceremony where Cher was awarded the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Moonstruck. Audrey loved Cher in Moonstruck and told Cher that night that she had wanted her to win. (Cher was in fact one of Audrey's favourite contemporary actresses and Audrey admired her for her "enormous scale of emotions and total lack of inhibition.")

Three years later, on 22 April 1991, Audrey herself was honoured at a gala tribute in New York. Seeing how much Audrey loved Moonstruck and the performance of leading lady Cher, Audrey's then-partner Robert Wolders suggested that Cher be a surprise guest at the tribute. Cher was invited but then two days before the event she got sick. Heartbroken that she wouldn't be able to attend and tell Audrey in person how much she meant to her, Cher took pen to paper and wrote Audrey the following letter.

Source: Christie's

Transcript:

April 20, 1991

Dearest Audrey,

This is a very hard letter for me to write, because what I had dreamt of doing all my life was to be able to tell you all of this in person- or at least in front of hundreds of people Monday night! I bought a new dress (something I thought you would love) and was completely ready to tell my innermost feelings about you because of the profound effect you have had on my life.

On the night I won the Oscar you touched my hand and said you were glad I'd won..... you can never imagine what that meant to me. Since I was a little girl you have been my idea of a "star" and it was partly because of you that I became an actress.

You were a brilliant light for me in a sometimes dark childhood. I so wanted to be like you in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" that I put my hair in 2 ponytails, bought huge sunglasses, and wore the closest thing to "you" that I could put together. I got suspended from school for the sunglasses but never mind- I was on my way to being just like you. But as I started to grow up I realized I couldn't be you because there is only one you.

(There is no better argument for being an individual than you, being you, living your life as you do on screen (I could never presume to know the private you by your image alone))

Someone once said to me that I was like a "3rd world Audrey Hepburn"- I'm not sure how they meant it, but it's one of my favorite comments regarding me. Your work is so beautiful that it has inspired me again and again.

I love you and respect you and you will never know how sad I am to miss this golden opportunity to say it in person. I send you my love,

Cher

This post is my contribution to the AUDREY AT 90: THE SALUTE TO AUDREY HEPBURN BLOGATHON hosted by SISTER CELLULOID. Be sure to check out all the other entries here!!

Audrey praises Henry Mancini

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) wouldn't be "Breakfast at Tiffany's" without Henry Mancini's memorable musical score. It is virtually impossible to imagine the film without his melancholy "Moon River", which deservedly won an Oscar. Audrey Hepburn loved the song and reportedly said "Over my dead body!" when a studio executive wanted it removed from the film. In the following letter from Audrey Hepburn to Henry Mancini, Audrey praises Mancini for his music. The letter was written shortly after Audrey saw "Breakfast at Tiffany's" with Mancini's score for the first time.

Source: letters of note

Transcript:

Dear Henry,

I have just seen our picture- BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S- this time with your score.

A movie without music is a little bit like an aeroplane without fuel. However beautifully the job is done, we are still on the ground and in a world of reality. Your music has lifted us all up and sent us soaring. Everything we cannot say with words or show with action you have expressed for us. You have done this with so much imagination, fun and beauty.

You are the hippest of cats- and most sensitive of composers!

Thank you, dear Hank.

(handwritten)
Lots of love
Audrey