L.A. Loves Audrey

Got some cool news for my fellow Angelinos last night! Sorry I waited until today to post it, but my Internet's been wonky and I don't trust posting here via my phone. Anyway, beginning tonight LACMA is hosting an Audrey Hepburn marathon entitled "Audrey Hepburn: Then, Now and Forever." It will run until November 13 and features some Hepburn films rarely shown on the big screen, along with special guest speakers.

Tonight, starting at 7:30 there will be a double feature of Roman Holiday and They All Laughed with an introduction by director Peter Bogdanovich (who directed Audrey in Laughed). Tomorrow, Saturday, is another double feature with Breakfast at Tiffany's and Two For the Road, with an introduction by William Daniels, a co-star from Road. And for the record, I'm really miffed I can't make this one because Two For the Road is maybe my favourite Audrey film and I haven't seen it on the big screen yet.

The double feature nights continue with Sabrina, Love in the Afternoon, Charade, Wait Until Dark, War and Peace (wow!) and My Fair Lady. To see the full list of upcoming screenings, along with film and guest speaker information and screen times, go here.

If you can make it to any of these screenings, please go! I can't tell you how much better it is to see your favourite films on the big screen as they were meant to be seen. You pick up on so much more and having an audience reacting around you just adds a new dimension to the film.

Thanks to Kendal for sharing the info!

Breakfast at Tiffany's: The Play (again)

I blame this on being out of the country and away from computers when the story was confirmed, but have you all heard about the stage production of Breakfast at Tiffany's now on in London? It previewed at the end of September and is now running at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until the end of January 2010. Interesting...

Does anyone have any inclination to see it? It stars Anna Friel of the terminally cute television show Pushing Daisies as Holly Golightly, and while Anna is on record as saying she wouldn't attempt to mimic Audrey's iconic portrayal of the callgirl with a heart of gold, the adverts certainly give another impression. Don't blame the girl, though, as the few onstage shots I've managed to find show Anna as a curly blonde more reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe (Capote's original choice for Holly) than Audrey Hepburn. I'm afraid that I can't really show you any of the pictures I've found because I try to keep this as family friendly as possible, and, well . . . Anna appears completely nude onstage. Yes, starkers.

The play is based off of Truman Capote's original novella and not the sweetened screenplay that George Axelrod adapted to film, and is set in 1943 as opposed to the then-current time of 1961 for the film. There is also a language warning on both the theatre's website and the production's official website, more in keeping with Capote's sometimes blue writing. If you are interested in catching the show tickets are still available and can be found on the theatre's website (link above), and seem to range from around £17 to £50. If you do go see, please share your thoughts with those of us who can't make it! We'd love to hear from you.

While doing some research on this I found that this actually wasn't the first time Breakfast had been put onstage. There had been rumors in the late 90s and early 2000s that someone somewhere was going to do an adaptation and Natalie Portman had been asked to take on Holly, but thanks to Google and an unauthorized biography you can now read more about one of the most notorious Broadway flops in history, Breakfast at Tiffany's the Musical. Can you imagine Mary Tyler Moore as a singing and dancing Holly? Or Richard Chamberlain as the sensitive, bookish Paul Varjak? A cast recording was made shortly before the play closed and is still available on CD, surprisingly enough. Don't waste your time on Amazon where third party sellers will try to gouge you at $50 or more. Barnes & Noble's website has the album selling at $26.39 with listening samples! I won't influence your minds, so if you're curious, go listen to the samples for yourself . . . and leave comments, of course. I love hearing your thoughts on anything, especially the more bizarre findings. :)

Audrey Auctions

Now that I'm laid up in bed for a day, I have time to share some auction news with you! (Before I must finish some homework, that is.) First, Lyon & Turnbull on London just had a rather large Modern and Contemporary Art auction yesterday, and featured a few pictures of Audrey photographed by Bob Willoughby and a couple other photographers. From what I can tell, two of the five prints were sold, and went for £400 and £600, not a bad price! If you're curious to see which photographs were up on the block you can go here and scroll down to Lot 131. The entire auction was quite diverse, with everything from fashion prints to Picasso sketches.

The next auction in question will happen sometime in December through Kerry Taylor Auctions, and will feature quite a lot of Audrey's wardrobe, over 30 pieces. This alone is pretty exciting, but it also seems that most of the clothing in this auction is Givenchy, which is even better. There are a few film wardrobe pieces, including that divine black lace dress from How to Steal a Million (right) and a black dress worn for Paris When It Sizzles promo shots, and even some accessories and personal letters from the very early days of her career. It looks to be an exciting auction that will most likely drum up a fair amount of press, so keep an eye out on the newsstands for some neat articles and pictures. You can read more about the auction via the Telegraph (and thanks to Kendal for sending the link!), and keep checking Kerry Taylor's website for more information as the date gets closer. I'm sure the lot will be featured in the Passion For Fashion auction beginning December 8, and you can order a catalogue if you'd like through the site.

Why Can't I Be Audrey Hepburn? Part Two

I've just finished reading the script. In two hours! Needless to say, it was impossible to put down. Why, oh WHY hasn't this film been made? It's been tossed around for years, nearly made, somewhat cast, teased, but so many lesser movies have come to see the light of day and this one hasn't. Absolutely tragic.

I won't give anything away in the hopes that it will still be made -- and sooner, rather than later -- but let me just say it's a nice balance of romance, comedy, drama, and, of course, Audrey references galore. But never heavy-handed or stretching the plot to fit the references. Quite lovely. So if anyone out there knows who owns the rights to this screenplay, get on them! Let's get this movie made! With a good indie cast of lesser-known actors who are known for acting (not for their big heads or big names) and sticking to the original script, this would be a great film to release at any time of the year. Done right, it'll sell itself.

Why Can't I Be Audrey Hepburn?

Thank you all for your ongoing patience here. I'm in the midst of moving (yes, again) and I start a whopping 16 units of school next week, so needless to say, I'm a bit crazy right now.

I hope you've been enjoying the pictures from the Timeless Audrey exhibit! Perhaps someday soon when I have a free day (hah!), I can maybe drop by the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund office and ask if they need help and maybe suss out some information, like where the exhibit will go next. You should all have the chance to see it in person! I shall try for you.

In the meantime, my brother-in-law unearthed the script for Why Can't I Be Audrey Hepburn? among his things and lent it to me. Not sure if it was for my screenwriting class that I'll be taking, or because I'm somewhat enamored of the lady, but after hearing about this script (and the rumors surrounding it) for ages, I can't wait to read it!

And the site will be back up before too long. I'd love to give it an overhaul and finally debut it as originally intended, in English, French and German, but je ne parle pas bien français -- until the end of the semester, that is. So for now my focus is getting it back up, and when I have the leisure time, revamping everything and finally getting the picture galleries sorted properly. I love pictures of Audrey more than anything, but those galleries are the bane of my existence.

I'll be back soon with a review of the script and whatever else I may unearth in the meantime. Stay beautiful!

Timeless Audrey in Berlin

Oh, finally! I have just finished uploading my pictures from the Timeless Audrey exhibit in Berlin to Flickr for your enjoyment.


First I'd like to thank Daniel yet again for getting us in to the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award ceremony, and for being so very generous as to allow me to take all the pictures I wanted and share them with you. As such, I ask that you please not use (or abuse) these photos in any way. Pictures are not allowed in the exhibit on a normal basis but an exception was granted, and I'd like to show that not only I but all of us are appreciative of this exception and will follow the rules. So, like all beautiful things, look and admire but leave it as you found it. Thank you, and enjoy the view. :)


Edit: Oh shoot! I was sure I'd mentioned this in a previous post, but on looking back I realize I never gave thanks to the person who made this trip to Berlin possible. I'm such a heel. Anyway, if you're the sort of Audrey fan who hits all the cool websites then you know Richard from Audrey1. It was his idea for him, Kendal (whom you may also know) and I to see this exhibit while we could, made all the arrangements, everything to make sure we appeared at the door in one piece. So click the link and drop by the forums (if you don't already) or write a note saying, "You're cool!" Or be original and make up your own thing, just say thanks for having this idea and the drive to do it that gave us a good look at the usually mysterious exhibit we've all heard about but have never really seen before now. Thank you, Richard, and I'm very sorry I didn't in fact put up a thank you note earlier like my demented mind thought I had. Please forgive!

It's that time again . . .

Time for summer film screenings in the park! I love this part of summer. This morning I went over to Facebook, the only way I know what's going on with any of my friends, and found an update from Cinespia, the group that does the film screenings in the Hollywood Forever cemetery. They just posted their June schedule, and it's always a good sign when they put a picture of Audrey next to their post. :)

So, all you fabulous L.A. and southern California fans, mark your calendars for Saturday June 13th. Gates open at 7:30, the film starts at 9, and it's a $10 mandatory "donation" to get in. Come early because parking is hideous and I'm sure the place will fill up fast. You're encouraged to bring low picnic chairs, blankets, food, anything to make you comfortable that won't block other people's line of vision, so make a fun night of it. It'll be great, I promise. I'll go as an early birthday present to myself (oh, like I need an excuse!), and having seen Funny Face before on the big screen in San Francisco, I can tell you with absolute certainty that it will be amazing. It's like seeing the film for the first time all over again. And if you haven't seen the film yet or have some friends who haven't, it's a great way to introduce yourself or them to Audrey on the big screen. Or, rather, the side of a mausoleum, if you want to get technical. Either way, she sings, she dances, she wears amazing Givenchy creations, she's completely in her element in this film. Go. GO! You can even sit with me if you can't find anyone else to bring along, just be sure to come out, it'll be great. Maybe we can get a sing-along going. ;)

And I'm still working on all my pictures from my trip, so once I'm done editing I was thinking I'd just post all of the Timeless Audrey exhibit pictures on Flickr for everyone to peruse at their leisure. There's quite a lot -- they take up pretty much my entire 1 GB memory card, and they're all huge, high quality pictures -- so rather than posting in batches and making the blog load slowly, I'll just post a link. And if you really like any you may comment. :)

website down

Hi all, just wanted to let you know that yes, I do know that the website is down right now and apparently has been for quite a while. I've been using GoDaddy for years and lately they've just been screwing up left and right, not contacting me when the site is down or they have a problem, so once I get back to the States and things get settled I'm going to get a new host company and be done with them forever.

So if you're ever considering getting your own website, don't ever use GoDaddy. I'll even pay you to not use them.*

Other than that, the trip has been fantastic. Just saw the Mona Lisa and Winged Victory today at the Louvre. :)


*Okay, maybe not, because I'm not rich. But don't use them. They're rubbish.

Zum Geburtstag viel Glück!

I'm still in Germany right now, but somewhere in the world it's still May 4th and Audrey's birthday. So I'm not really late. :) Went to the Timeless Audrey exhibit, of course, and thanks to dear Daniel Acksteiner got to see the award ceremony for the 2009 Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award. I'm using other people's computers until I get back home and my cable to hookup the camera is in my hotel room, so I'm afraid there's no pictures yet. When I get back to Paris, promise. :) In the meantime, wish Audrey a happyy 80th birthday in your own special way, even if it's just watching your favourite movie of hers, and have a great rest of the day.

More later . . .

Charmed by Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina

As you may have read, the gallery exhibit opening/book signing for the new picture book Charmed by Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina was last night. It was held in a pretty little Swedish furniture shop in Los Angeles near Hollywood, and there was quite a crowd packed in between the end tables and sleek armchairs! The photographer's son, David Shaw, was onhand to sign copies of the book and he was kind enough to field my questions for a few minutes about discovering what were thought to be long-lost negatives of his dad Mark Shaw's work with Audrey for Life Magazine.

Here's the story: Mark Shaw was assigned to photograph a new starlet, Audrey Hepburn, on set and around the Paramount Studios lot for a spread in Life Magazine. We all know the pictures now, including the shots of Audrey wearing a large man's dress shirt and little else, which thoroughly scandalized her mum. David said that while Life's records showed that the original film negatives had been returned to his father Mark, Life was notoriously bad at recordkeeping and it was supposed that the negatives had just been lost forever. David had begun to scan prints of his father's pictures when Mark's first wife died, and as the estate were going through her things, they stumbled across a box in her basement with all these wonderful film negatives in it. They scanned the negatives for beautiful, crisp pictures for the book, and printed a select few to be available as prints to purchase at the exhibit. While it was quite crowded and there was a lot going on, I do believe I overheard quite a few orders for prints, which made me very happy. And David said that he was under the impression that Audrey was still as popular as ever and would always be that way, which made me happy. In fact, he said that after going through all these photos: "It was impossible to take a bad picture of her. Even first thing in the morning, no makeup, hair a mess, she was great!"

Here's some pictures from around the shop:









Many, many thanks to the lovely Beth for letting me know about this fun event, for letting me show up, and for letting me take all the pictures I wanted. You're the best! Thanks as well go to David Shaw for putting this book together and listening to me ramble; Caroline Bloxsom, the director of licensing for Audrey's estate, for also listening to me ramble and answering my questions; and George Takei for being so lovely and talking to me. He and his husband are the sweetest people. :)

Okay then! If you can't wait, you just neeeeed this book, then your local retailer should have some copies. If they don't, then there's always good ol' Amazon to do the trick. Their price is really good, too! If you're feeling a bit broke and pinched right now but really wish you could have an Audrey fix to take your mean reds away, well then... I'll just have to give a copy or two away in a contest once I'm back from traveling, won't I? It's been so long since I've given something away, it seems only fair. In celebration of Audrey's upcoming 80th birthday and a beautiful new book, it only seems right. Stay tuned.

Be a part of Audrey

This time, my friends, there's good reason for my not updating regularly. I've been sitting on this as long as I can, but now I must share: I will be in Berlin for the Timeless Audrey exhibit on May 4, Audrey's birthday! I haven't found any details yet but I know that something special is happening on what would have been our fair lady's 80th birthday, so you shall know shortly after I do. :) I will, of course, be taking loads of pictures where I can (there's no photos allowed in the exhibit, but I'll see what I can do in the name of journalistic integrity) and bringing back as much information as possible for everyone that can't just jump out to Germany at the drop of a hat. (There's also rumors that the exhibit may be coming back to the US for a mini-tour, but nothing is confirmed.)

While perusing the exhibit's site, I found a link to some cool little thing that I swear wasn't there before. You can now submit a picture of yourself to be featured in a photo collage of Audrey for the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund! The catch is that it's about €10 to submit a picture of yourself -- or pay for a friend to upload their own picture -- but nearly all the proceeds go directly to the Children's Fund and their All Children In School program. You can find more information here, though be warned that it's entirely in German. I can give you translations if you want, or you can run it through Babelfish or some other online translator.

Lastly, the gallery exhibit/book signing event in L.A. is tonight and I will be there. Pictures are definitely allowed, so if you're in the neighborhood and can drop by, do so! There's supposed to be previously unseen pictures of Audrey up, plus, there's a picture book to thumb through. Who doesn't love Audrey themed picture books? :)

Svenska Mõbler
154 N. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
map
6-8 pm

And Saturday morning I will be flying out to Paris and from there to Berlin. I'll be back in Paris for two weeks and will try to hit every Audrey landmark in the city that I can to share with all of you, but I'm also there on "business" (researching a screenplay) and modeling, so I may be a bit loopy from jetlag and not sleeping. We'll see how it goes . . .