Bring home the Audrey Hepburn 7-Movie Collection

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

With the new Blu-ray + Digital 7-movie collection, fans of Audrey Hepburn can have her popular and memorable films in one package. Hepburn (1929-1993) was one of the most iconic actresses of the twentieth century lighting up the big screen with her beauty, charm, and talent. She was also a humanitarian, working tirelessly for UNICEF, and in 1993 she was given (posthumously) the Academy Award Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.  Hepburn took home the Oscar in 1954 for her performance in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. She was also nominated four additional times for Academy Awards as “Best Actress in a Leading Role.”

Included in this collection from Paramount Home Entertainment is Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which is known for the title song “Moon River.” It is also known for Hepburn’s portrayal of Holly Golightly and her iconic black dress accented by her updo hair design.

Bonus features to go along with this movie include a “making of” featurette, a look at Audrey as a style icon, and an informative bio of Henry Mancini. There are also two interesting featurettes about Tiffany and Hepburn’s relationship with that iconic jewelry company. She was only one of two people who have ever worn the famous Tiffany diamond.  In 1987 for the 150^th anniversary book about the company, Hepburn penned the preface where she wrote about the essence of the company.

Another movie in the collection is the 1953 film Roman Holiday, which has Hepburn playing Princess Ann. This princess goes AWOL while on a diplomatic mission to Rome and enjoys just being a regular girl traipsing through the city. But unlike a royal of today (whom I will not mention), Ann realizes her duty to her family and her country and ends up returning to her royal life. But wow, does she have great memories of her time in Rome.

One bonus feature is a short video log around Rome. The movie was filmed entirely on location in the eternal city. This was Audrey Hepburn’s first film. She was only 24 years old. Fans of the actress will be delighted with the great biography feature detailing the life of this beloved actress. A featurette about writer Dalton Trumbo addresses the Hollywood Blacklist, yet he went on to win an Oscar for the film.

In Paris When it Sizzles (1964) Hepburn plays Gabrielle, an assistant to William Holden’s character of Richard Benson. This is a film that does not have the wide popularity of the others in the collection, nevertheless it shows Hepburn’s adorable character and is fun to watch.

War and Peace is the adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic novel of romance during the war of 1812 when Napoleon invaded Russia. While the war progresses, the lives of two noble families are front and center.

Who can forget “The Rain in Spain” falls mainly on the plain? Or “I Could Have Danced All Night?” These are only two of the great musical numbers in the 1964 movie My Fair Lady, in which Hepburn plays a cockney flower girl taken in by linguist Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) taught to be a refined lady.

There are numerous bonus features to go along with this film. The additional features are on a separate disc and include a one-hour history of the story of Pygmalion and the film itself. Movie historians discovered never before seen videos behind the scenes of the production as well as Hepburn’s original audio recordings of the songs. In the final version another singer dubbed her songs, but Hepburn proved she could handle the tunes. The movie was made and hyped to be the “event of the decade,” and it basically was just that.

Funny Face is a 1957 film, which also has Hepburn in iconic outfits, mainly her black slacks and top when she appears in a beatnik club.  Fred Astaire plays an international fashion photographer who discovers Hepburn and makes her a star in the fashion world.

A bonus feature looks at the world of fashion photographers and how they work. There is also a look at Paris itself and how the monuments of the city added to the story. The movie is considered a “love letter to Paris in the 1950s.”

The final film in the collection is Sabrina, a 1954 film where Hepburn is the daughter of a chauffeur to an aristocratic family. She falls in love with their youngest son (William Holden) to the disappointment of the family when he returns her affection. The family devises a plan in which the older son (Humphrey Bogart) woos Sabrina to get her mind off of her romance. But things go awry. This is a fun story, which was remade in 1995 with Julia Ormond taking the role originated by Hepburn.

A bonus feature looks at the career of William Holden and there are additional featurettes looking at the fashion and the film and the actors.

While Audrey Hepburn made many more unforgettable films (Charade, Two for the Road, Wait Until Dark, The Children’s Hour, and more), the seven films in this collection represent the amazing career of this beloved star.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association, was a longstanding member of the Los Angeles Press Club, and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.