"Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) - Director Blake Edwards' Iconic Romantic Comedy, Starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard

[DIShGo]

I didn't realize they just began serving breakfast at Tiffany's when I decided two days ago to watch this film for the first time. The timely, food-related connection eluded me. I watched the film because it was free with Amazon Prime AND as a self-professed Audrey Hepburn fanatic, I felt guilty that I hadn't seen it.

As I began watching the film, parts seemed familiar (oddly enough, the scenes involving Holly Golightly's unnamed cat), so I think when I was younger it may have been shown on television and I half-watched some of it. This time, I gave "Breakfast at Tiffany's" my undivided attention, and I found it charming and fun.

Hepburn is outstanding as party-girl Holly Golightly, and George Peppard is delightful as the struggling writer/gigolo. The movie is silly, stylish and sentimental. There is real chemistry between the stars, and a sweet love story unfolds amid the frenzy and fashion of life in the fast lane in the early '60s.

[DonRocks]

Let me start with the 800-pound gorilla: Mickey Rooney's portrayal of I.Y. Yunioshi, relegates this film to the dustbin of efforts which includes things such as certain episodes of Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny, and any other type of minstrel-like material you care to think of (depending on how far you want to take this, you could even include "Star Trek: The Next Generation" with the Ferengi; I choose to accept the times for what they were, while acknowledging their deep flaws - otherwise, I'd be hating everything and everybody while demanding that Thomas Jefferson is removed from Mount Rushmore). Nevertheless, I think Rooney's caricature of a Tojo-like Japanese man is enough, by itself, to ruin this film for posterity.

Having seen this one other time, perhaps twenty years ago, I wonder if this film isn't the ultimate in product placement - think just how much Tiffany's has gotten from both the focus of the film being on them, as well as Audrey Hepburn fawning over them. I suspect Truman Capote didn't seek a dime for writing his novel, but the film production? Who knows - it doesn't seem outlandish that this film could have been worth $100 million to the company over time. I liked the film the first time I saw it, but that was also the first time I ever saw Audrey Hepburn in a movie, and I - like everyone else - fell in love with her.

Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the part of Holly Golightly, and was angry that they chose Hepburn. Monroe would have been *perfect* for this role, and Hepburn - who I consider to be one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen - isn't suited for this part. I never read the novel, but the screenplay simply isn't good - the only reason to be irresistibly attracted to Holly Golightly is because of her physical beauty (Monroe was more than beautiful enough to have handled this role; Hepburn had too much old-world grace to be relegated to such an unlikable character). Think about this for a moment: Who, in their right mind, would have spent the entire movie chasing after such a flighty airhead unless she was so stunningly beautiful that she caused temporary insanity in a man? Especially a man as incredibly handsome as George Peppard (though Peppard was no choir-boy himself).

I have  no idea why "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is so famous, and I think it's disgraceful that someone as physically laughable as Truman Capote would degrade an entire race of people (assuming the portrayal of Yunioshi in the novel was equal to that of the film; if not, I apologize to Truman Capote). I don't know what the critics say about this movie, but if I were rating it on a four-star system, I would probably give it two - "Roman Holiday" puts this film to shame.

DIShGo, you're just too damned nice of a person!

PS - The guy who played the narcotics dealer, Sally Tomato (Alan Reed) is the voice of Fred Flintstone.

---

Wow, this lists "Breakfast at Tiffany's" as the #2-most racist film of all-time ... just behind "Birth of a Nation!" I don't think I can go that far (we weren't all that far removed from WWII), but it's pretty blatant:

May 9, 2012 - "The 50 Most Racist Movies" on complex.com

Dec 30, 2016  - "3 'Breakfast at Tiffany's Problems No One Ever Talks about" by Elizabeth Logan on vogue.com

---

PPS - I want to remind people (including myself) of one thing: This film was released just seven years after Brown vs. Board of Education - as hard as it is to watch now, you must remember we were living in a nation with separate bathrooms for blacks and whites just a few years before, so Mickey Rooney's parody - as brutal as it may be - must, must, must be taken in context with the times. 

[DIShGo]

I agree with you about the Mickey Rooney role. It was deplorable. His racist performance was cringe-inducing and added nothing to the film. I recall Jerry Lewis playing a similar role around this time that was also horrifying.

I am not sure Marilyn Monroe would have been the perfect Holly Golightly, but she would have been more believable than Hepburn as Lulamae Barnes of Texas.

Many people, when they think of Audrey Hepburn, envision Holly Golightly. I much preferred her in "Roman Holiday" (one of my favorite films), "Sabrina," and "Charade."

George Peppard was the standout in this film for me. My heart was broken for him and his Cracker Jack ring in the back of that cab.

[DonRocks]

20 minutes ago, DIShGo said:

George Peppard was the standout in this film for me. My heart was broken for him and his Cracker Jack ring in the back of that cab.

Steve McQueen was the first choice for the role, if that lessens your heartbreak.

20 minutes ago, DIShGo said:

I agree with you about the Mickey Rooney role. It was deplorable. His racist performance was cringe-inducing and added nothing to the film. I recall Jerry Lewis playing a similar role around this time that was also horrifying.

Actually, Jerry Lewis' role was twenty years later (!) in "Hardly Working" (there's a disturbing number of these types of performances by a lot of people including, believe it or not, Marlo Thomas). Maybe you're thinking of "The Nutty Professor?"

[DIShGo]

4 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Steve McQueen was the first choice for the role, if that lessens your heartbreak.

Actually, Jerry Lewis' role was twenty years later (!) in "Hardly Working" (there's a disturbing number of these types of performances by a lot of people including, believe it or not, Marlo Thomas). Maybe you're thinking of "The Nutty Professor?"

No, I looked it up. It was a character he did on a television variety show in 1955 with Dean Martin, in a skit called "Egg Roll is a Many Splendored Dish." I think Rooney's performance may have been influenced by this. Seems Lewis made the unfortunate decision to reprise this character 26 years later.