An unwanted movie about ”5 Avenue, 5 a.m.” by Sam Wasson.
There are films that remind me of my childhood. Time when I took everything as a good coin. The world was then colorful and at the same time black and white when trying to evaluate it. Something was good or bad. This was accompanied by naivety, often caused by a lack of knowledge about the adult world. One of such films is "Breakfast at Tiffany's" with Audrey Hepburn in her most charming installment.
I came across the book "5 Avenue, 5 a.m.” by accident. The cover drew attention. I thought it was another affair with the film in the background. Another story about a girl next door who imitates the style of her idol. However, when I read the editorial note, it turned out to be a story about how one of my favorite movies was made. Then I understood that I had to read it.
The story start with the introduction of the author’s novel. We meet Truman as a lonely man, though crowded with people. Most of them were women, his muses called a Swans and considered the most influential citizens from New York. The most important one was Babe Paley. This friendship changed his life.
It is often said that Capote did not want Audrey to play Holly. Few, know that Hepburn herself was not happy about this role. The prostitute's was far from her previous heroines. Her husband was also opposed, whose reluctance could have resulted from jealousy of previously successes. He argued that for the audience it could be too much shock. Until now Audrey was identified with a good woman, a perfect model for a teenager. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" could ruin everything, be a mistake that the public would never forgive. Today we know that it has become completely different.
The film has also become popular thanks to Holly's outfits. A black dress combined with pearls and a characteristic hair style has gone down in the history of fashion. The dream of many women was designed in the studio of Hubert de Givenchy. An interesting fact is that the pair Hepburn-Givenchy has met before. Audrey then flown to Paris to choose the creations for the ”Sabrina” movie. She went to the master's studio, but he was not very interested in her person. After all, she was just Mrs. Audrey Hepburn, not Katharine. Despite the difficult start, they finally became friends.
Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn
The reader not only meets anecdotes from the set. It also has the ability to compare the novel with its adaptation. I wanted to read Truman's novel again. Reading about it was like discovering a new world. I wondered if the described events really took place. I realized that my interpretation, without referring to the realities and knowledge of New York, was much poorer. The name Holly is a mixture of two words, which I treated as a whole until now. Go lightly. Just.
The book surprises practically on every page. I had to be very careful while writing the text, so as not to reveal all the "flavors" and thus make them unsatisfied. I did not want to take away the joy of reading, if you decide to devote your time to it.
Wasson himself clearly explains why such choices were made and why it could not have been otherwise. He portrays America in the 1950s and 1960s, capturing the atmosphere and lifestyle that prevailed at that time. It approximates the silhouettes of the Old Hollywood stars and films in which they appeared. On this basis, you can create a list of "titles to watch".
While reading about the actors and the production staff, I had the impression that it was an "unwanted film". At every stage, someone did not want something. Truman was not eager to sell copyrights, and later he disapproved of engaging the leading role. His wish could be fulfilled because Audrey was not willing to leave her family and take on a new professional challenge. Problems also concerned about the choice of writer and director. The Oscars song could never have seen the light of day if it was not for the stubbornness of the producers and for Hepburn herself, also she didn't want to sing at the beginning.
Truman Capote
I would risk a thesis that this small miracle caused the creation of a film that is still seen with great pleasure.