I’ve just stumbled across an interview with Sam Wasson on Huffington Post, author of the new book Fifth Avenue, 5 AM. I know I’ve featured this book quite a few times already, and even an interview or two with the author, but I think this one in particular deserves some attention because it gives far more light into the book and why it was written than any other article I’ve read so far. It’s a good read, fairly short but entertaining and packed with information, and it also features the Breakfast at Tiffany’s trailer that yours truly posted on YouTube a few years ago.

I shall be getting a copy soon to review for you, but in the meantime, has anyone read it or at least flipped through it in the bookstore? What are your thoughts?

- Our Dutch friend Joop says that dear Audrey was recently voted the most beautiful woman ever, which is quite an achievement! Lovely picture and short story (in Dutch) here.

- A dress from Funny Face recently went up for auction and was sold for the impressive price of $56,250.00, though I can’t seem to find which dress it is. Anyone? You can read more here. (From Kendal)

- And finally, an article on how Audrey Hepburn shaped sex. It’s an interview with Sam Wasson, author of the new Fifth Avenue, 5 AM book, and the interview was done at Café Audrey in Hollywood, a place where I’ve spent quite a bit of time! You can read the interview here, but be warned that Sam drops the F-bomb towards the end.

(at Café Audrey in 2008)

Anyway, the book is called Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman, and delves into everything from filming to the adaptation from wandering novella to sparkling screenplay, to Audrey’s impact on fashion and the formation of the modern woman. It looks to be a great read, I can’t wait to get my grubby mitts on it!

Intrigued? You should be. And if you are in either New York or Los Angeles, you’re in luck: the author, Sam Wasson, will be onhand to discuss the film and the book, and to sign copies if you would like. Here’s the information:

For New York: This Thursday, July 8th at 7:30 PM, there will be a screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s at the Cinema Arts Centre, and Sam will be there to speak. Ticket prices include admission to the film, discussion, reception and book signing afterward, though you will have to pay for a book separately. Details are here.

For Santa Monica: Next Wednesday, July 14 at 6 PM, there will be a book signing event at Every Picture Tells A Story, and afterward there will be a screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and a panel discussion to follow at the Aero Theatre just across the street. Information here.

For Los Angeles: Three weeks from now, on Monday July 26 at 7 PM, there will be a signing with Sam at Book Soup on Sunset Blvd. No word on a discussion, but if this is the only event you can make it to, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind fielding a few questions as he signs your copy of the book. Details here.

What fun! I love that New York and Santa Monica also threw together screenings of the film as well. If you’ve never seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s on the big screen, well … you don’t know what you’re missing. It was meant to be seen that way, and to feel the energy of the audience around you is astounding. If you are anywhere remotely near any of these events, please try to go! I will be at the Santa Monica signing and maybe drop by the Sunset Blvd one just for fun. And if you can’t make it, don’t despair. Other events might be forthcoming, and you can still buy the book at a regular bookshop, or Amazon has it reduced to quite a nice price, if I do say so.

Here’s the story: Mark Shaw was assigned to photograph a new starlet, Audrey Hepburn, on set and around the Paramount Studios lot for a spread in Life Magazine. We all know the pictures now, including the shots of Audrey wearing a large man’s dress shirt and little else, which thoroughly scandalized her mum. David said that while Life’s records showed that the original film negatives had been returned to his father Mark, Life was notoriously bad at recordkeeping and it was supposed that the negatives had just been lost forever. David had begun to scan prints of his father’s pictures when Mark’s first wife died, and as the estate were going through her things, they stumbled across a box in her basement with all these wonderful film negatives in it. They scanned the negatives for beautiful, crisp pictures for the book, and printed a select few to be available as prints to purchase at the exhibit. While it was quite crowded and there was a lot going on, I do believe I overheard quite a few orders for prints, which made me very happy. And David said that he was under the impression that Audrey was still as popular as ever and would always be that way, which made me happy. In fact, he said that after going through all these photos: “It was impossible to take a bad picture of her. Even first thing in the morning, no makeup, hair a mess, she was great!”

Here’s some pictures from around the shop:









Many, many thanks to the lovely Beth for letting me know about this fun event, for letting me show up, and for letting me take all the pictures I wanted. You’re the best! Thanks as well go to David Shaw for putting this book together and listening to me ramble; Caroline Bloxsom, the director of licensing for Audrey’s estate, for also listening to me ramble and answering my questions; and George Takei for being so lovely and talking to me. He and his husband are the sweetest people.

Okay then! If you can’t wait, you just neeeeed this book, then your local retailer should have some copies. If they don’t, then there’s always good ol’ Amazon to do the trick. Their price is really good, too! If you’re feeling a bit broke and pinched right now but really wish you could have an Audrey fix to take your mean reds away, well then… I’ll just have to give a copy or two away in a contest once I’m back from traveling, won’t I? It’s been so long since I’ve given something away, it seems only fair. In celebration of Audrey’s upcoming 80th birthday and a beautiful new book, it only seems right. Stay tuned.

special is happening on what would have been our fair lady’s 80th birthday, so you shall know shortly after I do. I will, of course, be taking loads of pictures where I can (there’s no photos allowed in the exhibit, but I’ll see what I can do in the name of journalistic integrity) and bringing back as much information as possible for everyone that can’t just jump out to Germany at the drop of a hat. (There’s also rumors that the exhibit may be coming back to the US for a mini-tour, but nothing is confirmed.)

While perusing the exhibit’s site, I found a link to some cool little thing that I swear wasn’t there before. You can now submit a picture of yourself to be featured in a photo collage of Audrey for the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund! The catch is that it’s about €10 to submit a picture of yourself — or pay for a friend to upload their own picture — but nearly all the proceeds go directly to the Children’s Fund and their All Children In School program. You can find more information here, though be warned that it’s entirely in German. I can give you translations if you want, or you can run it through Babelfish or some other online translator.

Lastly, the gallery exhibit/book signing event in L.A. is tonight and I will be there. Pictures are definitely allowed, so if you’re in the neighborhood and can drop by, do so! There’s supposed to be previously unseen pictures of Audrey up, plus, there’s a picture book to thumb through. Who doesn’t love Audrey themed picture books?

And Saturday morning I will be flying out to Paris and from there to Berlin. I’ll be back in Paris for two weeks and will try to hit every Audrey landmark in the city that I can to share with all of you, but I’m also there on “business” (researching a screenplay) and modeling, so I may be a bit loopy from jetlag and not sleeping. We’ll see how it goes . . .

Whew, it’s been hectic around here lately! I think things may settle down around September or October, but until then, be prepared for more sporadic — yet cool — updates. Just a short while ago I received a letter about a new gallery exhibit opening at the end of the month in Los Angeles, and it coincides with a new book on Audrey. Double the goodies!

The book is called Charmed By Audrey: Life on the Set of Sabrina, and from what I can tell it’s mainly a picture book featuring loads of snaps from photographer Mark Shaw. Have a gander at the cover of the book (left), I know you know his work.

Anyway, the grand opening is Tuesday April 28th from 6-8 PM, and Mark Shaw’s son David will be onhand to sign copies of the book, which will be for sale. There will also be prints available on display, and if you can’t make it to opening night, don’t fret. The exhibit will stay on the walls until June 26th, and can be found at Svenska Mõbler, 154 N. La Brea Ave in Los Angeles.

I’m planning on being there, taking a bullet for all you fans scattered throughout the world who can’t make it. I know, it’s such a difficult job, but someone must do it. If you can come, leave a comment and let me know! I’ll keep an eye out for you.

P.S. You can see some prints online by clicking here, if you’re impatient. There’s also a lot of Jackie Kennedy, some early pre-Velvet Underground Nico and some amazing behind the scenes Balmain, for all you fashionistas.

P.P.S. There’s also a great photo exhibit coming to London soon, but I’m waiting on some more information before I post about it. Stay tuned!

Update: if you can’t make it to opening night and don’t find the book in your local bookshop, it is available on Amazon. And thanks to the lovely Beth for all the info!

And just a reminder: Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the new picture book by photographer Howell Conant, will be released on May 28! This book is supposed to be chock-full of all sorts of Breakfast at Tiffany’s goodies, including many never before seen or very rare photos taken from production and publicity shoots for the film.

The first, Tiffany Pearls, has been mentioned here before, and showcases Tiffany’s many masterpieces involving pearls. Audrey, as Holly Golightly, is featured on the front cover and on the inside of the dust jacket. I had never looked over the book in person, and now that I have I must say that you’d either have to be an obsessive Audrey Hepburn collector or just really like pearls to buy this book. Audrey herself is hardly mentioned despite her covergirl appeal, and the pictures in the book are nothing we haven’t seen before. It is a beautiful book to look over, though. (For the record, the pearl strands Audrey is wearing in the film are in fact imitation pearls used many times by Paramount Studios.)

Bejewelled by Tiffany, however, has a little more to offer. No new or interesting pictures, and still not a lot of Audrey mentions, but it does give some interesting history on the Tiffany diamond, which Audrey wore for publicity photos of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Word had it that Audrey was one of only two people to ever wear the diamond, but I could never find out who that mysterious other person was. Bejewelled was kind enough to offer more information! It turns out that a Mrs. Sheldon Whitehouse wore the Tiffany diamond a scant four years before Audrey, and Mrs. Whitehouse also wore it as a necklace, although in a different setting. The “ribbon” necklace setting was designed especially for Audrey to wear for the Breakfast at Tiffany’s photos, and the necklace was dismantled shortly afterwards. The mounting for the diamond was reused with an aquamarine stone and sold, and the rest of the ribbon necklace was reworked and sold as well. So there are two lucky people out there with jewelry that only Audrey Hepburn has worn before them! I wonder where they are now.

You can read the full article from Film Buff Stuff here.

Also, I received an early present today (which I bought for myself):

If this book is really as good a deal as it seems to be, there might be a few copies turning up in contests soon . . .