Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.

Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman

By: Sam Wasson

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Audrey Hepburn is an icon like no other, yet the image many of us have of Audrey - dainty, immaculate - is anything but true to life. Here, for the first time, Sam Wasson presents the woman behind the little black dress that rocked the nation in 1961. The first complete account of the making of Breakfast at Tiffany's, Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. reveals little-known facts about the cinema classic: Truman Capote desperately wanted Marilyn Monroe for the leading role; director Blake Edwards filmed multiple endings; Hepburn herself felt very conflicted about balancing the roles of mother and movie star.

With a colorful cast of characters including Truman Capote, Edith Head, Givenchy, "Moon River" composer Henry Mancini, and, of course, Hepburn herself, Wasson immerses us in the America of the late fifties before Woodstock and birth control, when a not-so-virginal girl by the name of Holly Golightly raised eyebrows across the country, changing fashion, film, and sex for good. Indeed, cultural touchstones like Sex and the City owe a debt of gratitude to Breakfast at Tiffany's.

In this meticulously researched gem of a book, Wasson delivers us from the penthouses of the Upper East Side to the pools of Beverly Hills, presenting Breakfast at Tiffany's as we have never seen it before - through the eyes of those who made it. Written with delicious prose and considerable wit, Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. shines new light on a beloved film and its incomparable star.

©2010 Sam Wason (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Wonderful story that is both funny and touching.

This is a little amuse bouche of a story. It is light and playful but it is well written and satisfying. The narrator is warm and the story never gets swallowed up in gossip or slander. I loved it.

It went so fast!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you are a movie nut and love reading about behind the scenes you will love this book. I am crazy about Audrey anyway. She survived the Nazi invasion and she was just a young girl. She went on to be such a star and made wonderful movies.

What did you like best about this story?

The inside look at Audrey Hepburn's personality.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

What is not to like? He is just the BEST,

Any additional comments?

This was an interesting and fun look at that time and how times were changing.

Fun and informative for film buffs

Well written and entertaining, quite a bit of interesting behind-the-scenes info about the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I wish there had been more about impact of the movie in the years following its release. Grover Gardner is one of Audible’s best narrators.

Excellent!

The narration is great. The book is wonderful, a real inside look into the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's and other movies of the time, and what life was like back then. Tells about the producers, directors, and actors. Interesting insights into the lives of actress Audrey Hepburn and author Truman Capote, revealing how their lives and loves went, for better or worse. Really great listen! It is really amazing.

Always Audrey

Audrey Hepburn, her beauty, and class were one of a kind. Fifth Avenue 5 A.M. Is about the making of Breakfast at Tiffany's, but it takes you through the career of one of my favorite actresses - Audrey Hepburn, her career choices, and her personal life. The difficulty of making the movie at a time when censors prohibited the material depicted in the film. Dealing with Truman Capote and his preferred actress - Marilyn Monroe, and the difficulty placing a director. I really enjoyed this story and the inside of Hollywood's Players.

fascinating

Loved it. Held my attention from beginning to end. After listening I went out and bought a collection of Audry's movies on DVD so I could watch the ones I've missed

Great read

A excellent, smart and entertaining book about American moviemaking , sensibility and the key intriguing personalities and their roles in the making an iconic movie that represents so much in the changing late 1950’s into the 60’s.

So fabulous, never a dull mom, Great reading!

The perfect listen if you love movies and Breakfast at Tiffany’s in particular. Amusing, full of insider Hollywood tidbits. A re-listen is in order. Only one tidbit missed - from Wiki-Moon River is a real river in Savannah, Georgia, where Mercer grew up. His home overlooked the river and he had fond memories of the place.
Loved every minute of it!

Brilliant and lively

If you are fascinated by iconic Hollywood movie- making, this should definitely be on your list reads.