Audrey Hepburn, R I P - tribute to the late motion picture actress - Editorial

National Review, Feb 15, 1993 by Taki Theodoracopulos

Her teeth were not straight, her feet were too big, her chest was slightly flat, yet she lit up the screen with her elegance, beauty, and pixieish charm, as aristocratic and stylish a presence as Hollywood ever tolerated. Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for playing a princess in Roman Holiday, a role that came to her as naturally as any blueblood. Which she was. Her mother was a Dutch baroness, her father a British lawyer. She had a impossibly regal, elegant neck, large eyes that said it all, and the most melting of smiles. She could also play the waif, and when she did, teenage girls would cut their hair a la Audrey or, better yet, Holly Golightly, a part no one has ever dared play since.

She was a true European actress whom Americans took to their heart, because John Q. Public realized early on that what you saw is what you got. Hepburn never had to take her clothes off, and never uttered a swear word on or off the screen. Although she played so many different kinds of roles, her forte was the stylish comedy, and legendary bitchy types such as Noel Coward, Cecil Beaton, and Truman Capote were unreconstructed fans of hers. And, like Garbo, she knew exactly when to quit.

She lived a quiet and altruistic life, based in Switzerland but traveling full time for UNICEF. When relaxing in Gstaad she chose as her sport cross-country skiing, and although she skied slowly, she was ever so elegant. She was not so lucky in her private life, but found real happiness in the last ten years with her Dutch companion. What she will be remembered for most is her fragile beauty, inside and out. Throughout her life she was a role model for the young. She died the day rock-and-roll became the official White House music, which may or may not be an omen.