Fifth Avenue 5 A.M. - Review

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.

Audrey Hepburn is an icon like no other, yet the image many of us have of Hepburn—dainty, immaculate—is anything but true to life.

Here, for the first time, Sam Wasson presents the woman behind the little black dress that rocked the nation in 1961. With a colorful cast of characters including Truman Capote, Edith Head, Givenchy, “Moon River” composer Henry Mancini, and, of course, Hepburn herself, Wasson immerses us in the America of the early sixties before Woodstock and birth control, when a not-so-virginal girl by the name of Holly Golightly raised eyebrows across the country, changing fashion, film, and sex for good.

Sam Wasson is the author of A Splurch in the Kisser: The Movies of Blake Edwards and the forthcoming Paul on Mazursky. He is working on a book about Bob Fosse. He lives in Los Angeles.

Visit Sam at his website, samwasson.com
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My Thoughts

Who would have ever thought a character named Holly Golightly, wearing a little black dress, would not only make a mark in the fashion industry but would help change the way women saw their place in the world?

Sam Wasson gives the reader an inside look at the making of Breakfast at Tiffany's from story conception to the movie premiere and then some. He takes a close look at Truman Capote's Holly Golightly, who she was and where she came from. Did you know that Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role of Holly in the movie? And Monroe was very interested in the part.

I enjoyed reading about the process of taking a story to the big screen. Considering the story was quite risque for the late 50's that was not an easy task. At the same time we are following the career and personal life of Audrey Hepburn. How Audrey and Holly come together makes for a fascinating read.

When I finished the book I decided to watch the movie again, I haven't seen it in years. After all this time I still thoroughly enjoyed the film but I saw it all perhaps with a little more clarity than I did long ago. I have long been a fan of both Hepburn and Capote.

If you have seen Breakfast at Tiffany's you will love this book. If you have never seen the movie and don't know who Audrey Hepburn or Truman Capote are, you will still enjoy this book. It is a great visit to the film and fashion industry of the fifties and early sixties.

Am I recommending Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.?
Yes indeed, I loved every minute of this wonderful book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not compensated for my review, all opinions are my own.