Breakfast at Tiffany’s

A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building. A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building.

• Director: Blake Edwards
• Genre:Comedy / Drama / Romance
• Runtime:110 minutes

Cast

Audrey Hepburn : Holly Golightly
George Peppard : Paul ‘Fred’ Varjak
Patricia Neal : 2-E (Mrs. Failenson)
Buddy Ebsen : Doc Golightly
Martin Balsam : O. J. Berman

Early on a fall morning, a lone taxicab deposits Holly Golightly at the Tiffany’s jewelry store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Holly eats a pastry and drinks coffee while admiring the window displays, then strolls home.

At her brownstone apartment building, Holly successfully fends off her date from the night before, who has been waiting in his car all night and is angry that she disappeared during their evening together. Holly then meets Paul Varjak, a new tenant. After feeding her nameless pet cat, Holly chats with Paul as she hurriedly prepares to visit Sing Sing prison, a weekly routine from which she earns $100 for an hour’s conversation with Sally Tomato, an incarcerated mob boss. Holly does not seem to realize that she is passing coded messages for Sally’s drug ring.

Outside the brownstone, Mrs. Failenson (referred to as “2E” throughout the film) arrives and is introduced as Paul’s “decorator.” Holly drops by to escape a drunken date and sees Mrs. Failenson leave money and kiss Paul goodbye. It is revealed that Paul is a writer who hasn’t been published since 1956 and that Holly, at the age of 14, ran away from home with her brother Fred, who is in the army.

Paul attends a wild party at Holly’s, where he is introduced to José da Silva Pereira, a handsome, rich Brazilian, and to Rusty Trawler, a pudgy, rich American. Paul also meets O. J. Berman, who is Holly’s “agent.” O.J. tells him about Holly’s transformation from a country girl with a thick accent into a classy Manhattan socialite, but adds that she is a wild spirit, difficult to pin down, and still can’t tell if she is “a phony.”

Holly is accompanied by Paul to visit Sally at the Sing Sing prison. Back home, Paul can hear Holly singing “Moon River” from her windowsill. Mrs. Failenson rushes into Paul’s apartment, worried about a strange man outside. Read more