Laemmle’s Anniversary Classics presents one of the most iconic romances in movie history, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961), with a 55th anniversary screening as a birthday celebration for its beloved star, Audrey Hepburn, and a tribute to her unique collaboration with the legendary composer Henry Mancini. Besides the image of Hepburn in that famous black Givenchy dress, the most enduring legacy of the movie is the song “Moon River,” composed by Mancini for Hepburn, and a “melody of a lifetime.” Henry Mancini’s widow, Ginny Mancini, and daughter, singer Monica Mancini, will participate in a Q&A before the screening, moderated by LAFCA President Stephen Farber. Want to refresh your memory of this iconic film ahead of the Q&A event? You can find BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S on DVD, Blu-Ray, and on a wide range of streaming services that you can access via your streaming box. Streaming services are an excellent way to enjoy classic films in remastered quality and high definition.
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S was adapted from a popular Truman Capote novella and brought to the screen by director Blake Edwards and writer George Axelrod, with considerable alterations to the story about a flighty call girl from the country aspiring to the high life in New York City. Capote had envisioned Marilyn Monroe in the role, but it was Audrey Hepburn who immortalized Holly Golightly for the screen. Henry Mancini, who had a smash hit with his music for Edwards’ television series, Peter Gunn, provided the Oscar and Grammy-winning soundtrack that accompanied her romantic adventures. TIFFANY’S was a box office hit, and was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Hepburn as best actress and best screenplay. Mancini wrote one of the most popular songs of the twentieth century, “Moon River,” with frequent partner lyricist Johnny Mercer, and the pair won an Oscar (double-winner Mancini also won for his score). Hepburn had inspired Mancini for his most famous melody, and TIFFANY’S was the first of four collaborations for them, with CHARADE, TWO FOR THE ROAD, and WAIT UNTIL DARK to follow in the 60s; they remained lifelong friends.
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S, also starring George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney, and Buddy Ebsen, will screen on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at the Ahyra Fine Arts theater in Beverly Hills. So join us as we celebrate Audrey Hepburn’s birthday and the creative bond she shared with her “huckleberry friend,” Henry Mancini. Tickets are on sale now.
“A completely unbelievable but wholly captivating flight into fancy composed of unequal dollops of comedy, romance, poignancy, funny colloquialisms and Manhattan’s swankiest East Side areas captured in the loveliest of colors.” (A.H. Weiler, New York Times)