Roman Holiday poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams ... see more see more... , Margaret Rawlings , Tullio Carminatti , Paolo Carlini , Claudio Ermelli , Paola Borboni , Alfredo Rizzo , Laura Solari , Gorella Gori , Princess Alma Cattaneo , Andre Eszterhazy , George Higgins , Heinz Hindrich , Edward Hitchcock , John Horne , Princess Lilamani , Giacomo Penza , Giuliano Raffaelli , Carlo Rizzo , Marco Tulli , Tania Weber , Maurizio Arena , Richard McNamara , Gianna Segale , Mimmo Poli , John Cortay

Audrey Hepburn became a star with this film, in which she played Princess Anne, weary of protocol and anxious to have some fun before she is mummified by "affairs of state." On a diplomatic visit to R... read more read more...ome, Anne escapes her royal retainers and scampers incognito through the Eternal City. She happens to meet American journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who, recognizing a hot news story, pretends that he doesn't recognize her and offers to give her a guided tour of Rome. Naturally, Joe hopes to get an exclusive interview, while his photographer pal Irving (Eddie Albert) attempts to sneak a photo. And just as naturally, Joe falls in love with her. Filmed on location in Rome, Roman Holiday garnered an Academy Award for the 24-year-old Hepburn; another Oscar went to the screenplay, credited to Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton but actually co-written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. The 1987 TV movie remake with Catherine Oxenberg is best forgotten. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

92% liked it

58,597 ratings

Critics

98% liked it

43 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: William Wyler

Release Date: September 2, 1953

Keywords: white, cute, romantic

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: November 26, 2002

Get It:

Stats: 4,497 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday Roman Holiday Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday Gregory Peck & Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday Roman Holiday Roman Holiday Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn win Oscar Roman Holiday Roman Holiday Audrey Hepburn
Upload a Photo | View All Roman Holiday Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (4,497)

  • Saxia
    November 5, 2011
    Saxia
    In a way this movie is about appreciating the small things in life and enjoying them with good company. Work to live, don't live to work. In Princess Anne's case, she doesn't have a choice, she was born into it.

    Although the movie isn't a masterpiece, it's easy to understand wh... read morey Audrey became a star after it. She has this natural way of acting,when she smiles the whole screen lights up.
  • SirPant
    June 14, 2011
    SirPant
    Roman Holiday isn't without faults but each one of them is forgivable. This is a beautiful romance from a golden age of film making. Interestingly, this film led the way for film to be filmed on location rather than in the studio which makes it quite important in the history of c... read moreinema. Audrey Hepburn is a goddess, I never tire of watching her films. Rome and its people are also a big part of what makes this film great and I could watch it over and over and never get tired. Beautiful - and very funny too!
  • kiriyamakazou
    February 10, 2011
    kiriyamakazou
    Given the accolades this film has received I was certainly expecting more. Gregory Peck once commented that every romantic comedy script he received had the fingerprints of Cary Grant on it. This transcends into the film itself. Peck is a marvelous actor, no doubt, but he lacks t... read morehe kind of quirky charm that oozes from Grant. Take for example the scene in which Peck tries to take a camera from a young girl. Sure, the characters intentions are pure, but Peck came off as rather suspect. The film as a whole was simply too involved in the romance, to the point that it was obvious the route it would travel along. Hepburn is fantastic in her innocence, and there are many great moments, but after watching some other classics recently, this failed to engross me for its entire duration.
  • kenstachnik
    March 20, 2010
    kenstachnik
    I'm going to get an endless amount of shite about this, but I wasn't impressed
  • bottcorecords1
    February 1, 2010
    bottcorecords1
    Nowadays, when someone says "romantic comedy", names like Jennifer Lopez or Sandra Bullock pop into one's head, but most of these actresses owe a huge debt to Audrey Hepburn, whose radiant beauty and innocent charm led her to win the oscar. The story by Dalton Trumbo (who also w... read moreon an oscar), is of a young princess who one day tires of her life of duty to her crown and runs away for a daylong holiday in Rome. Gregory Peck stars as an American journalist who looks to take advantage of the situation when the princess winds up in his life. When the two wind up falling in love, it's a little bit of a surprise, and the bittersweet ending has a touch of the european cinema about it. While the story might not be revolutionary, it is well told, and the relationship between the characters is very sweet. And funny, too. So many romantic comedies today fail in the humor department, but Roman Holiday is still actually pretty funny without talking down to the audience. Films like this live or die by the likeability of their leading actors. With Audrey Hepburn, they could've slapped just about anything up on the screen. It's just all the more wonderful that such a good movie goes along with the great performers.
  • TomBowler
    January 28, 2010
    TomBowler
    Great debut for Audrey
  • ebs90
    September 18, 2009
    ebs90

    I can't think of another word to describe Roman Holiday besides "charming". Everything from the Roman backgrounds to the melodramatic fight scene is shot in lush black and white, not only with great technical precision by William Wyler, but with elegance and even innocence. It

    ... read more's a film that can transmit pure joy and take you on an escapist ride with no guilt whatsoever, given the excellence throughout -from the art direction to the performances-. Most importantly, its story is told in such a cute and inventive way that you don't feel you've seen it before (as it often happens nowadays with romantic comedies). The highlight are the brilliant characterizations of Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) and Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), the "undercover" reporter set to write a pricey exclusive interview with the Princess, without her knowing.

    Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn absorb every scene. Their screen presence is something to behold, and also a source of nostalgia... I don't think it's easy to find performers with their level of distinction and their sort of transparent delivery. In their hands, the dialogue gains a great deal of fluidity and depth. They effortlessly and believably carry the film in all of its delicate mood changes, with its veiled irreverence, its wit, its drama, and its slapstick. However, this isn't just a performance-showcase film, everything about it is outstanding, and I could personally watch it a third time only for the wonderful exteriors, or for the intelligent screenplay.


    William Wyler is more than happy to show the beautiful faces of the city and take his characters on wild, illegal drives across its streets. Italians are shown as friendly and warm people that the Princess and the journalist are more than happy to meet.


    A sharp sense of humor, panoramic views of the buildings of Rome, music, and romance abound, but don't overshadow the fundamental sadness of the story: two people very keen on lying to each other fall in love, and then, because of their backgrounds, cannot remain together. All ends well but not too well, and such an unlikely episode ends in a rather realistic way. The film is ultimately satisfying and neither self-indulgent nor a crowd-pleaser, and that's one of the things that really sets it apart.


    From Princess Ann's yearning for freedom to Joe's final sacrifice, Roman Holiday takes on some dense themes without it ever feeling heavy, and it's a film to be charmed by and enjoy. A classic, one of the films you simply have to watch at some point in your life.

  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    August 27, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Joe, we can't go running around town with a hot princess!"

    A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.

    REVIEW

    With a very nice blen... read mored of fantasy and reality, and two very likable stars, Roman Holiday is both entertaining and thoughtful. Sometimes it is very funny, and at other times it makes you feel a great sympathy and warmth towards the characters. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck are ideal in the leading roles, and the story is very clever in getting a lot of mileage out of a simple idea without pushing things too far, which makes it quite effective.

    The idea of Princess Ann (Audrey) slipping away unnoticed and unrecognized for a day of fun and freedom from responsibility is of course fanciful, but it works for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is Peck's role as a pragmatic newsman. He is a good balance for Hepburn's charm and energy, remaining calm and logical without ever becoming cold or distant. You feel as if you could spend a lot more than a couple of hours in their company. And how could you improve on Eddie Albert's performance as Peck's photographer friend? The movie also adds in the atmosphere of Rome itself, with some creative scenes that make good use of the setting.

    There are many fine moments in a story that at times seems almost like a daydream, and then it brings the characters back to reality in a moving way. It's not an easy combination to pull off, but here it all fits together very well, to make the kind of classic worth remembering, and one which you can watch and enjoy more than once.
  • hobster1
    June 27, 2008
    hobster1
    The standard by which all romantic comedies should be judged. Perfection.
  • rubystevens
    May 19, 2008
    rubystevens
    the life of a princess is stressful! but audrey handles it with such charm and grace it's impossible not to love her :)

View All Roman Holiday Reviews

Critic Reviews

February 2, 2009
TIME Magazine

The newcomer named Audrey Hepburn gives the popular old romantic nonsense a reality it has seldom had before. Full Review

James Berardinelli
April 1, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

For lovers of romantic comedies through the ages, Roman Holiday remains a favorite. Full Review

Variety Staff
August 13, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

[Wyler] times the chuckles with a never-flagging pace, puts heart into the laughs, endows the footage with some boff bits of business and points up some tender, poignant scenes in using the smart scri... Full Review

Dave Kehr
August 13, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Wyler lays out all the elements with care and precision, but the romantic comedy never comes together -- it's charm by computer. Full Review

A.H. Weiler
May 20, 2003
A.H. Weiler, New York Times

Mr. Wyler and his associates have fashioned a natural, tender, and amusing yarn about the heiress to the throne of a mythical kingdom who is sick unto death of an unending schedule of speeches, greeti... Full Review

Ty Burr
January 24, 2003
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

The film itself is a classic of romantic wish fulfillment, exactly the sort of beautiful lie that Hollywood specialized in. Full Review

Walter Chaw
June 28, 2010
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

The reason Roman Holiday works is because it understands Hepburn's place in the pantheon of Silver Screen icons Full Review

Ryan Cracknell
December 8, 2008
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views

Mixes the romantic comedy formula of an unlikely couple slowly falling in love with some classic slapstick to create a movie that's tough not to be delighted by. Full Review

Kent Turner
November 25, 2008
Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com

If only more filmmakers would remember that not all fairy-tale romances need to have a pat, happily-ever-after ending. Full Review

Kevin Carr
November 19, 2008
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

It's a beautiful snapshot into the past, both for the historic look of Rome and to witness the birth of the romantic comedy. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Once
    Once (94%)
  • Funny Face
    Funny Face (82%)
  • The Company
    The Company (75%)
  • Cookie's Fortune
    Cookie's Fortune (50%)

More Movies like Roman Holiday

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Princess Anne: [to Bradley] Will you help me get undressed, please...
    • Princess Anne: I don't know how to say goodbye.
    • Princess Anne: Is this the elevator?
    • Joe Bradley: [offended] It's my room.
    • Princess Anne: [undoing her shirt] This is very unusual. I've never been alone with a man before. Even with my dress on. With my dress off it's MOST unusual. [giggling slightly] I don't seem to mind. Do you?
    • Princess Anne: Soooooo happy....
Submit a Fact | View All

Roman Holiday : Watch Free on TV

Roman Holiday Trivia

  • Which actress starred in the movie Roman Holiday?  Answer »
  • Audrey Hepburn won an oscar for her first staring role. Which movie was this in?  Answer »
  • Who starred opposite Audrey Hepburn in the classic 'A Roman Holiday'?  Answer »
  • Which Movie did Audrey Hepburn win an Oscar for?  Answer »
More Roman Holiday Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Roman Holiday to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?