From ugly duckling to ethereal swan

HEPBURN. Sophisticated beauty and unique charmer.

One of my favorite film actresses is Audrey Hepburn, because of her sophisticated beauty and unique charm. Despite her ladylike demeanor, she had sex appeal, which was what made her so uniquely appealing!

The world first fell in love with her in “Roman Holiday,” with Gregory Peck and Eddie Albert. Her physical features weren’t perfect, but her nose went so well with her expressive eyes. Her grace and reed-like body helped augment her sense of fashion.

In her heyday, Hepburn was the most popular star in Hollywood, despite the presence of “conventional” beauties like Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor. She became a fashion icon after she was chosen as among the World’s Best Dressed Personalities, along with the likes of Grace Kelly and Gloria Vanderbilt.

Screen version

Like Vivien Leigh, she won an Oscar for her first Hollywood film. She is also remembered for portraying Eliza Doolittle in the screen version of the stage musical, “My Fair Lady,” where she did an exceptional job, especially in the sequence where the “ugly duckling” finally turns into an ethereal swan.

I bought a DVD of her version of “Sabrina.” I didn’t enjoy the recent remake because it didn’t have Hepburn’s charm. The new actress wasn’t bad, but she wasn’t “special” like Audrey. In the movie, when Hepburn was again transformed into a swan, there were oohs and aahs from the audience!

Audrey never overestimated her talents. She once admitted that she was dramatically inferior to Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. She wasn’t above Hollywood romances, but she kept her affairs private. (She was reported to have had an affair with William Holden during the shooting of “Sabrina.”)

When “Sabrina” was made in the ’50s, the actress started a fashion trend—so, there were the Sabrina collar, sleeves, hat and hairdo. It wasn’t hard for her to start a trend because she was tall, slim and graceful!