AUDREY HEPBURN
âParis is always a good idea.â
âFROM SABRINA
Audrey Hepburn may never have lived in Paris, but thanks to the many movies she filmed on location there, she will forever be linked with the City of Light. In her movies, Paris isnât just a backdrop but is often a central character; the films simply wouldnât have worked anywhere else.
The most obvious example of the cityâs star power is in Sabrina, in which Paris actually plays a pivotal role (even though none of the movie was actually filmed there). Sabrina goes off to Paris a provincial young girl and returns a woman of the world. She exclaims to Linus, âParis isnât for changing planes, itâs for changing your outlook! For throwing open the windows and letting in ⊠letting in la vie en rose.â Edith Piafâs signature song winds its way through the movie.
Sabrina also marked the beginning of Hepburnâs enduring relationship with legendary French designer Hubert de Givenchy, who in the 1950s was still a rising star. Rumor has it that when they met, he was expecting Katharine Hepburn to walk through the door, not Audrey. But she won him over, and it was the start of a lifelong friendship. Givenchy went on to design many of Hepburnâs costumes for later films. Givenchy couldnât have asked for a more elegant model for his designs, and he was deluged with clients after Sabrina came out. Hepburn, in turn, benefited from having the designer help her develop her signature style.
In Love in the Afternoon, a youthful Hepburn takes up with Gary Cooper, their liaison centered in a Ritz hotel room that overlooks the Place VendĂŽme. Sheâs again wearing Givenchy (perhaps a bit of a stretch since sheâs playing an impoverished student).
In the thriller Charade, Hepburn runsâsometimes literallyâall over Paris until she lands in the arms of Cary Grant. The director took them both out for dinner before filming started, and Hepburn was so nervous about meeting Grant for the first time that she spilled a glass of red wine down his suit. The incident was later incorporated into the film (but with ice cream instead of wine).
Paris-set Funny Face is known to be Audrey Hepburnâs favorite film. An ode to fashion, a tribute to the city, and an enduring classic, this movie juxtaposed two contrasting worlds in Paris: the black turtleneckâwearing intellectual circle (the âEmpathicalistsâ) and the glittering world of haute couture. Rain drenched Paris for weeks during the filming, but Hepburn probably didnât notice; she was fulfilling her childhood dream of dancing with Fred Astaire.
Paris When It Sizzles was not a success, and is considered one of the few missteps in Hepburnâs illustrious career. Although it features scenes set at the Eiffel Tower and around the Champs-ĂlysĂ©es, it fizzled, rather than sizzled.
Even without a permanent address in Paris, Hepburn and the city will always share a strong association, as much to do with their shared grace and style as with the films she worked on there.
HEPBURNâS PARIS
M: KLĂBER
Exit onto av. KlĂ©ber and cross the street to the discreet but sumptuous HĂŽtel Raphael (1; 17 av. KlĂ©ber), where Hepburn started each day when she was in Paris. It was her favorite hotel, and she was known for redecorating her suite completely with her own furnishings down to the last detail in order to create a sense of home while she was filming here. Head up to the Arc de Triomphe (one of the sites featured in Funny Face) and descend the Champs-ĂlysĂ©es. Turn left on av. Matignon. To the right is the garden where the puppet theater (2) in Charade is located. It still operates today (Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays at 3, 4, and 5 P.M.). Just beyond it, along av. Gabriel, is what remains of the MarchĂ© aux Timbres (3), which plays a key role in the film. Continue through the gardens. Just beyond the ThĂ©Ăątre Marigny, head south on av. W. Churchill to the Pont Alexandre III (4), Parisâs most elaborate bridge, also featured in Funny Face. Retrace your steps and head down the allĂ©e Marcel Proust past the U.S. Embassy (5), another important location in Charade. Turn up rue Boissy dâAnglas and turn left on rue du Faubourg-St-HonorĂ© to pay homage to the actress at Givenchy (6; 28 rue du Fbg. St-HonorĂ©). This isnât the couturierâs studio where Hepburn first met Hubert de Givenchy, but itâs a convenient place to remember Audreyâs classic style and the extraordinarily successful relationship that she enjoyed with the designer. Backtrack, and continue down the street, peeking up rue Castiglione to the Place VendĂŽme (7). Hepburn filmed Love in the Afternoon with Gary Cooper at the Ritz located on this square. Head south on rue Castiglione and turn left on rue de Rivoli. Stop for a chocolat chaud at Angelina (8; 226 rue de Rivoli), one of Hepburnâs favorite spots, and still an immensely popular salon de thĂ©. As you sip your hot chocolate in this timelessly elegant settin g, consider Hepburnâs line about Parisâs influence in Sabrina: âI have learned how to live; how to be in the world and of the worldâŠâ Cross into the Tuileries and stroll up to the Petit Carrousel, where Hepburn so charmingly releases the balloons in Funny Face. Beyond it is the Louvre; Hepburnâs descent down the steps in front of The Winged Victory of Samothrace in her red dress, calling out to Fred Astaire, âTake the picture!â is one of the most iconic moments in film. Head north out of the gardens and cross into the Palais Royal (9), site of the famous, nail-biting chase at the end of Charade. Catch the metro at Palais RoyalâMusĂ©e du Louvre.
VICTOR HUGO
âAn invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.â
Victor Hugo was more than just a writer. He was a poet, a politician, a novelist, a pioneer of the Romantic style, and a self-appointed ambassador for the poor and disenfranchised. He leapt to fame at an early ageâearning a royal salary for his poetry by the age of twentyâand throughout his life, he used that power to bring attention to the misfortunes of others.
Born in the town of Besançon in 1802, Victor Hugo began writing as a child and was still just a teenager when he received his first accolades from the prestigious AcadĂ©mie Française for two poems he had submitted. By the age of thirty, with the publication of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, heâd become one of the countryâs most admired writers. Not one to rest on his laurels, he continued to write prolifically, and also ventured into politics. Initially a monarchist, he switched sides, eventually becoming a vocal promoter of human rights and the poor. In fact, when NapolĂ©on III took over the government in a coup dâĂ©tat, Hugo, having vilified the new leader, went into self-imposed exile for the following twenty years, living in Belgium and the Channel Islands for most of that time.
In 1862, while Hugo was still in exile, he published Les MisĂ©rables. Hugoâs sprawling novel is an emotional powerhouse, exposing the sordid underbelly of Paris and the struggles of its inhabitants in haunting detail. The city of Paris itself is a central and defining character in his magnum opus. On the day it came out, bookstores were mobbed, and thousands of copies sold out in a single day. His books gave voice to a population that rarely had any, and he became the embodiment of hope for millions.
Indelibly shaped by the city he inhabited, Hugo in turn made a significant mark on Paris. We have The Hunchback of Notre Dame to thank for the fact that the legendary cathedral is still with us today. Hugoâs novel about Quasimodo and Esmeralda inspired renewed interest in the landmark, which led to its being restored. (In fact, this renovation sparked a new appreciation for Gothic architecture across the country and led to the preservation of many of Franceâs Gothic buildings.)
Later in his life, when he finally returned to his beloved city after his exile, he was elected to the Senate and continued to champion the cause of the poor through politics and writing. An unprecedented two million people turned out for Hugoâs funeral procession in 1885, which began at the Arc de Triomphe and led across the city to his final resting place at the PanthĂ©on.
HUGOâS PARIS
M: BASTILLE
Exit the place de la Bastille via rue St-Antoine and turn right on rue de Biragues. Enter the Place des Vosges and turn right beneath the arcades to reach the MusĂ©e Victor Hugo (1), located in the squareâs southeast corner. Hugo lived on the third floor (2e Ă©tage) with his wife and four children for eighteen years before his exile. It was here that he wrote the notes for what would one day become Les MisĂ©rables. The museum not only contains interesting artifacts, but also displays the authorâs living spaces, complete with beautifully paneled rooms, a recreation of his elaborate Salon Chinois, his bedroom with his own bed, and an imposing sculpture of the author by Rodin. Exit the square the way you entered, turn right on rue St-Antoine, then left on rue du Pont Louis-Philippe. Cross the Ăle St-Louis onto Ăle de la CitĂ©, then turn right onto rue du CloĂźtre Notre-Dame, passing the CafĂ© Esmerelda (named after one of the characters in Hugoâs The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). Notre Dame (2) rises before you. In desperate need of repair back in Hugoâs day, it was in danger of being demolished until the book appeared. Today, after a thorough cleaning, itâs looking more splendid than ever. Fans of the book should follow in the steps of Quasimodo and Esmerelda and climb the towersâyouâll be amply rewarded for your efforts with lovely views. Interestingly, many of the iconic gargoyles werenât added until the restoration, fueled by the novelâs popularity. Descend and cross over to the Left Bank. Turn right on the quai to reach Laperouse (3; 51 quai des Grands Augustins), where Hugo frequently dined. It remains one of Parisâs most romantic and beautifully preserved restaurants. (If youâre not up for a full meal here, enjoy a drink in the intimate ground-floor bar.) Head down rue Dauphine, veer right onto rue de Buci, then turn right on bd. St-Germain. As you admire the Cathedral St-Germain-des -PrĂ©s (4) on your right (the oldest cathedral in Paris), give thanks once again to Hugo, who led the restoration effort. Continue down bd. St-Germain to the MusĂ©e des Lettres et Manuscrits (5; 222, bd. St-Germain). A handwritten letter that Hugo wrote to George Sand and several poems and manuscript pages penned by Hugo do a good job of bringing the legend to life. Catch the metro at SolfĂ©rino.
Bonus: Backtrack ...