An elfin beauty that arose at the close of the golden age of Hollywood, Hepburn had aspects of both royalty and innocence. Her fame came from romantic comedies, where those qualities, and her nearly supernatural charisma could shine. Those attributes were muted in dramas, which made it harder for her to rise over the material, and much of her dramatic material left much to be desired: A Nun’s Story is poorly written and A Children’s Hour misses the point of the play. Then there is the romantic drama Green Mansions, which I do recommend as a film to watch while muttering “What the Hell.” (Really, it’s nuts.)
I have two honorable mentions, The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and Laughter in Paradise (1951). both of which would have made the list but her parts are so brief in both. The Lavender Hill Mob is one of the great British comedies and is an absolutely must see film. And I’ll add a semi-honorable mention for Wait Until Dark, a very ’70s house invasion thriller which left me cold but has a following among those who was like their horror depressing and non-supernatural.
Now for the best:
8 – My Fair Lady (1964) – Hepburn is lovely. Rex Harrison is fun. And the music is wonderful. It suffers from dubbing (there’s no question that Marni Nixon is a better singer, but dubbing sapped the emotion from the numbers) and the same flaw as the Broadway musical–the tacked on and in every way wrong “happy ending” that differed from the original play.
7 – Love in the Afternoon (1957) – A bit silly, but it’s directed by Billy Wilder so it’s worth a look. It’s thought of as his homage to Ernst Lubitsch (like much of Lubitsch’s work, it’s light and fluffy, set in France, involves adultery, and includes Maurice Chevalier; it also stars Gary Cooper who was the lead in one of Lubitsch’s best, Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife, which Wilder wrote). Hepburn is lovely and the story is fun, but it is weakened by the questionable casting of Chevalier (he’s an acquired taste) and the terrible casting of Cooper; he was not too old, as some say, but rather unable to pull off the entrancing playboy role. Cary Grant, who was about the same age and turned down the part, could have managed it easily.
6 – Charade (1963) – Hepburn as a window of a murdered man mixed up in a very Hitchockian mystery. There’s plenty of romance, humor, thievery, and killing. Co-stars Cary Grant, and James Coburn. [Also on the Walter Matthau list]
5 – Roman Holiday (1953) – Probably my most controversial placement as many people would place it higher, but while I like the film, and absolutely love her breakout performance, it is a bit too sedate. Still, a very good film.
4 – How to Steal a Million (1966) – Hepburn must enlist burglar Peter O’Toole to steal a statue she owns to keep her forger father from being revealed, except O’Toole isn’t actually a crook. The dialog is sparkling and O’Toole has nearly enough charisma to keep up with Hepburn.
3 – Robin and Marian (1976) – This brilliant, tragic, and sometimes funny film tells the end of the Robin Hood legend. It is about loss and mortality, and of never being able to live up to legends, and more than anything else, it is about age. Co-stars Sean Connery and Nicol Williamson. (My review)
2 – Sabrina (1954) – Sabrina (Hepburn), the chauffeur’s daughter, has a crush on David (William Holden), the playboy of the house. When time abroad turns her into a suitable target for his shallow affections, older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) sees trouble and tries to break things up. Hepburn is an obvious choice for a romantic comedy, but Bogart? But it works. [Also on the Humphrey Bogart List] [Also on the Great Directors List for Billy Wilder]
1 – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) – If it wasn’t going to be Roman Holiday on top, than it had to be this. Hepburn is radiant as a complicated, troubled, lovable party girl who seems to control everyone and everything, while really trying to make herself into something she can bear. The term “bittersweet” has never been more appropriate. If you want to dig into the human soul, and still enjoy the experience, this is the film. It isn’t helped by an obnoxious racist portrayal by Mickey Rooney of the Japanese neighbor. (My Review)