Summer Reading Challenge: Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn in World War II

I've been very excited to read this book, being both a massive Audrey Hepburn fan, and a bit of a World War Two history buff!

Whilst most people are aware that Audrey grew up in Nazi occupied Holland, her reluctance to talk about this aspect of her life led many biographers to gloss over it. However, as author Robert Matzen realised, to understand what happened during the Second World War is to understand Audrey and her views about life.
Audrey lived through the Nazi occupation, the Battle of Arnhem and the hunger winter of 1944. She lost close family and friends, and many times her own life was in danger. I really hadn't realised just how close the battle was to her home, and how relentlessly and devastatingly her village was bombed.
Matzen's book is meticulously researched, he's cleared up many points that were either hinted at, or ignored, in previous Audrey biographies-such as her involvement with the resistance, her parents stance on the war, and her family background. We learn about her difficult, but close, relationship with her mother, her passionate dedication to ballet and her work helping in a hospital run by the Dutch resistance.

Audrey with her mother Ella Van Heemstra, 1942

Audrey with her beloved Aunt Meisje and Uncle Otto

Many of Audrey's experiences were incredibly harrowing and traumatic but she retained her love of dance, children and nature. Matzen does a wonderful job of setting the scene, he tries to make you feel as if you are experiencing the sights and sounds of battle, and I think this is crucial in trying to understand just what it was Audrey lived through as a young woman.

Audrey experienced so much in her early years, more than many experience in a lifetime, but despite the horrors she saw, she remained a loving and kindhearted person, devoted to helping others, I have so much respect for how she lived her life, she really was a special soul.
I recommend this book to anyone who may wish to learn more about Audrey, Dutch Girl, does an amazing job of highlighting an essential part of her life story.

Audrey dancing in 1942

"There's a curious thing about pain. In the beginning, it's an enemy, it's something that you don't want to face or think about or deal with. Yet with time it becomes almost a friend. If you've lost someone you love very much, in the beginning you can't bear it, but as the years go by, the pain of losing them is what reminds you so vividly of them-that they were alive. My experiences and the people I lost in the war remain so vivid to me because of the pain."
-Audrey, p. 105

"I don't think you ever forget anything, totally, but life, and especially time, gives you a way to deal with it, to live with it. I have a good cry every so often, like everyone else."
-Audrey, p. 150

"My childhood in Arnhem and in Velp was the most important part of my youth, I was ten when the Germans invaded the Netherlands and I was fifteen when it was all over. They were very delicate, precious years. I experienced a lot then, but it was not all misery. The circumstances brought family and friends closer together. You ate the last potatoes together."
-Audrey, p. 236

Audrey's wartime identity card

Edith Head & Hollywood

I apologise for the absence from this blog, I am hoping to update more regularly this year!
Today I want to talk about the wonderful exhibition being held in Bendigo, Australia, all about Edith Head and her long, successful career as a designer.

The exhibition features hundreds of costumes from films ranging from the 1930s to the 1960s, including, Samson & Delilah, The Ten Commandments, Funny Face, Sunset Boulevard, The Lady Eve and Vertigo. The exhibit provides lots of quotes from Head and the actors and actresses she worked with about her designs, as well as featuring sketches and her Oscar for Roman Holiday. 
It was wonderful to see outfits worn by all three of my favourite actresses, Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood and Joanne Woodward, and I've included some pictures below.
Head worked with almost every actress you can think of and always made sure to design costumes that would suit their shapes and make them feel confident. She also studied the film scripts extensively and made sure her costumes suited the character and their actions, she never wanted an outfit to outshine the actress, their work was always centre stage.
Looking at the beautiful costumes it is easy to see why Head had such a long career in the fickle film industry. Her creations are meticulously made and she had a wonderful eye for detail. Not only that but each outfit perfectly suited the film and actress they adorned.

(Suit worn by Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face, 1957)

(Gown worn by Natalie Wood in Inside Daisy Clover, 1965)

(Dress worn by Natalie Wood in The Great Race, 1965. It's a bit hard to see in the photo because of the background, but I've included a picture of the sketch as well)

(Cocktail dress worn by Joanne Woodward in A New Kind of Love, 1963)

(Ensemble worn by Kim Novak in Vertigo, 1958)

(Peacock gown worn by Hedy Lamaar in Samson and Delilah, 1949)

(Dress & coat worn by Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun, 1951. This one was unusual as they also had the original shoes Winters wore on display. Apparently owing to the nature of the studio system few shoes survived their frequent reuse)

(Costume worn by Yul Brynner in The Buccaneer, 1958)

(All photographs taken by me)

Cinematic Endings

The other day I was thinking about some of my favourite endings in classic films, so I thought I'd compile a little list. I think one of the things that makes these particular endings my favourites is because they stay with me long after I have watched the film, they tend to be sad but beautiful.
And a warning-there are spoilers ahead!


1. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Everything about this scene is perfect, and it makes me cry every time (especially when she finds cat)! I think Breakfast at Tiffany's must be one of the only films to have a perfect opening and ending.


2. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)

This video clip includes the entire final duel, which in itself is fantastic, but the part I'm talking about begins at about 13.06- Blondie (Clint Eastwood) riding across the plains as the iconic theme starts to play. I just think it's epic, and so encapsulates all that is good about a western.


3. The Ghost and Mrs Muir (1947)

Unfortunately I couldn't find a clip for this ending, but it's when Lucy Muir dies and Captain Gregg comes back for her, when he says, "And now you'll never be tired again", I just think it's beautiful how they walk out of the house together and how they are reunited.


4. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

I was unable to find a clip of this one either! It's when Yevgraf (Alec Guinness) learns that Tanya (Rita Tushingham) can play the balalaika, he tells her 'it is a gift', and it is then he knows for certain that she is Zhivago's daughter. It's a very poignant scene, particularly as 'Lara's Theme' begins to play as he watches them walk away.


5. The Sound of Music (1965)

I remember when I used to watch this film as a child I was always so sad when I reached this scene because I didn't want the film to be over! I still feel the same way today. As with every scene in this film it's beautifully shot, for the audience there is the relief and hope that the family will be safe, but there is also a tinge of sadness because we do not know what lies ahead of them.


6. Shane (1953)

This will probably be the most controversial scene on my list, since I know Joey (Brandon DeWilde) annoys many people! But I think this scene is lovely. It's such an iconic scene because the audience is as sad as Joey that Shane's leaving, and there are so many ambiguities-is Shane really alright? Joey is losing his hero but Shane too has lost the ability to have a normal life without violence. Cleverly it both strengthens and collapses the mythos of the west.


7. Splendor in the Grass (1961)

This scene is so sad, but so wonderfully acted, I think it's impossible to watch this film and not ask- 'Where was Natalie Wood's Oscar?' In this scene in particular there is so much left unspoken, but it is conveyed through the way Deanie looks at Bud and her silence in the car. Elia Kazan the director once said this was his favourite part of the film.

Happy Birthday Audrey!

Today would have been the 87th birthday of Audrey Hepburn!

There are not really enough words to describe how much I love this woman! Her grace, compassion, dedication and humour are a continuing inspiration to this day. Audrey was a fashion icon, and a brilliant actress, but she was also a tireless humanitarian. Her work for UNICEF is perhaps her greatest achievement and is an inspiring legacy.
So a very 'Happy Birthday' to this wonderful lady!

1. Audrey Hepburn

"Audrey was meek, gentle and ethereal, understated both in her life and in her work. She walked among us with a light pace, as if she didn't want to be noticed. I regret losing her as a friend, as a role model, and as a companion to my youthful dreams"
-Sophia Loren

Arguably the most beautiful woman in the world, both inside and out, Audrey Hepburn has left her mark on film, fashion and charity. Her grace, kindness and compassion were evident from her first major role, who else could have played a runaway Princess with such believability?

The iconic little black dress, pearls, beehive and ballet flats have all become synonymous with Audrey Hepburn, but behind this fashionable facade was a woman who deeply cared about those around her, who was insecure and shy but had a brilliant sense of humour and became a champion of justice for those in need.

Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born in Holland and as a child was forced to endure the hardships of the Second World War. Despite living with starvation, illness and fear, Audrey never gave up on her dream of becoming a ballerina. After the war she went to ballet school, however her height and lack of training during her formative years saw the end of her dream. She took up acting instead, and after success in the stage production of Gigi, was cast in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. Audrey won an oscar for her role as Princess Ann. A series of Cinderella type roles followed, but Audrey challenged herself with  roles in The Nuns Story, Green Mansions, The Children's Hour, Two for the Road and Wait Until Dark. Her most famous role came in 1961, Breakfast at Tiffany's, it cemented Audrey's fashion legacy. Despite film success Audrey's greatest joy was being a mother, this love of children led to her becoming a UNICEF ambassador and she travelled the world, becoming a voice for underprivileged children. Audrey passed away at the age of sixty three from cancer at her beloved home in Switzerland.

Audrey's acting talent is often overlooked but she played many challenging roles throughout her career which proved her versatility as an actress, a Princess, Nun, party girl and blind woman were just some of the roles she played. She changed the face of cinema forever, but also changed the way the world viewed beauty. Her greatest legacy however was in the work she did for children, it took her all over the world and despite the horrors she saw she never lost hope. Audrey was a special lady in more ways than one.

"Life is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering- because you can't take it all in at once"
-Audrey Hepburn