Visit the NYC Tiffany & Co. from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'!
Here for the bathtub-couch and the cat named cat!
BY: V. RHODES
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), motion picture, Paramount Pictures.
LOCATION
Tiffany & Co.
727 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022, United States
If Tiffany & Co. is going to get named-dropped in the title, it’s probably going to get a big feature. Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) goes to Tiffany’s a few times throughout this movie, and mentions it even more. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) was the first time Tiffany’s had ever been used as a filming location. The jewelry shop was apparently “grateful for the kind words and free publicity.” As Breakfast at Tiffany’s is as iconic as Audrey herself, I would say that the free publicity went a long way. This October will mark the 60th anniversary for this piece of film history!
PLOT
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) is based on the Truman Capote book of the same name. It follows Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), a young New York socialite, navigating life in New York City. When Holly becomes interested in a new neighbor, she gets scared that her past threatens to get in the way.
AS SEEN ON SCREEN
OPENING SCENE
The first scene in the movie shows Holly window shopping while enjoying a coffee and a Danish. Despite this iconic opening, in 1960 it was reported by the New York Times that “Miss Hepburn, it developed, had no affection for the Danish, preferring ice cream at Schrafft’s.”
PHOTO TIPS: If you’re going to retake this iconic picture, I would go early! There are always lots of other girls dressed in black dresses trying to recreate this magic. Also, it is New York City and it is 5th Avenue - meaning everyone and their mother is walking around! You might need to wait around, but the picture will be worth.
TIFFANY SHOPPING SCENE
Holly later returns to Tiffany’s with Paul (George Peppard). They ask if there are any items for purchase under $10. The clerk, looking confused, tells them that he can sell them a Tiffany’s sterling silver telephone dialer at $6.75 including tax. (Which is about $60 with inflation). But as Paul says, he was looking for ‘something more romantic in feeling’. The pair end up getting a ring engraved that Paul found inside a Cracker Jack box.
FUN FILM FACTS
#1 MOON RIVER
Paramount wanted to remove the movie’s famous track, “Moon River.” The rumour is that mild-mannered Hepburn answered “over my dead body.” The song would go on to win one of two Academy Awards for this film for Best Original Song. The other being Best Music.
#2 MARILYN MONROE
Truman Capote (author of the Breakfast at Tiffany’s) wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role of Holly Golightly. Marilyn didn't take the part in part because her acting coach and advisor, Paula Strasberg, said she should not be playing a lady of the evening.
#3 THAT DRESS
The iconic black Givenchy dress worn in the opening scene was custom made for Audrey. On December 5th, 2006, it sold at auction for $807,000 (£4670,000) in London. What happened to the other two? Well, one resides in the Givenchy archives, and the other is the Museum of Costume in Madrid. But this isn’t even the most expensive dress Audrey Hepburn wore in film history. Her white ruffled dress from My Fair Lady (1964) was worth about $300,000 when it was owned by actress Debbie Reynolds. (Debbie had a large collection of movie memorabilia and hosted exclusive auctions before her passing). In 2011, the My Fair Lady dress sold to an anonymous buyer for $3.7 million.
TODAY
In 2012, Breakfast at Tiffany’s was deemed ‘culturally, historically, and aesthetically” significant by the U.S. Library of congress, and has been preserved in the National Film Registry. Audrey Hepburn’s ‘high-bun, big sunglasses, black dress, large cigarette holding’ look is regarded as one of the most iconic images of 20th century cinema. The character Holly has become synonymous with Audrey herself, even though it was her role as Princess Ann in Roman Holiday (1953) that won her an Oscar.
60 years later, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is still cemented in pop-culture. Audrey posters are still hung in dorm rooms, and that little black dress with big sunglasses are always sold at Halloween. It is this movie that has often been cited as getting a new generation interested in classic Hollywood movies. Audrey is remembered as the face of an era. She embodies everything that is glamorous, old Hollywood. And Breakfast at Tiffany’s is, of course, a part of that legacy.
LASTING IMPACT
This scene was famously recreated for an episode of Gossip Girl (S01 E04). As Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) idolizes Audrey Hepburn, throughout the series she dreams of being in different old Hollywood classics. Of course, always playing Audrey.
See our full post: The Blair Waldorf Guide to NYC
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IMAGE CREDIT
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References
Movie Maps: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Heyman, Jess. “Happy Birthday, Audrey Hepburn! 10 Things You Never Knew About ‘Breakfast at Tiffany's’.” Vouge, 4 May, 2015.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Wiki
Woods, Laura. “The Most Valuable Movie Memorabilia Ever Sold”. Yahoo! Finance, 7 August 2019.
“Auction frenzy over Hepburn dress.” BBC NEWS. 5 December, 2006.