Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

So smart and entertaining it should come with its own popcornPeople

Coinciding with the sixtieth anniversary of the film version of Truman Capotes Breakast at Tiffanys, the acclaimed, New York Times bestseller that is the definitive account of Audrey Hepburn and the making of the cultural landmark filmnow updated with a new introduction by the author.

In Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M., Sam Wasson goes beyond the legend to explore the woman inside the little black dress and the film that captured the imagination of the nationin 1961when the staid propriety of the Eisenhower years gave way to the glamorous modernity of the Kennedys. With a colorful cast of characters including Truman Capote, Edith Head, Givenchy, Moon River composer Henry Mancini, and, of course, the iconic Audrey Hepburn herself, Wasson immerses us in the America of the late fifties and early sixties before Woodstock and birth control, when an alluring, not-so-virginal girl by the name of Holly Golightly melted hearts, raised eyebrows, and forever transformed Americans notions of fashion, film, sex, and culture.

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. includes an 8-page black-and-white photo insert.

Reviews

A bonbon of a book . . . as well tailored as the little black dress the movie made famous. Janet Maslin, New York Times Anyone even slightly interested in Capote/Hepburn/Breakfast at Tiffanys will delight in [Wassons] account. USA Today So smart and entertaining it should come with its own popcorn. People This splendid new book is more than a mere making-of chronicle. Wasson has pulled it off with verve, intelligence, and a consistent ring of truth...compulsively readable. Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. is both enjoyable and informative: everything a film book ought to be. Leonard Maltin, author of Leonard Maltin's 151 Best Movies You've Never Seen A fascination with fascination is one way of describing Wassons interest in a film that not only captures the sedate elegance of a New York long gone, but that continues to entrance as a love story, a style manifesto, and a way to live. New York magazine Crammed with irresistible tidbits[Wassons] book winds up as well-tailored as the kind of little black dress that Breakfast at Tiffanys made famous. New York Times Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. offers lots of savory tidbits [from the making of Breakfast at Tiffanys]. Mr. Wasson brings a lively and impudent approach to his subject. Wall Street Journal Sam Wasson is a fabulous social historian. . . . [Fifth Avenue, 5 AM] is as melancholy and glittering as Capotes story of Holly Golightly. The New Yorker A brilliant chronicle of the creation of Breakfast at Tiffanys. Wasson has woven the whole so deftly that it reads like a compulsively page-turning novel. This is a memorable achievement. Peter Bogdanovich Wassons story is part encyclopedia, part valentine, and worth reading just to find out what exactly went into making the amazing party scene. The Huffington Post Wasson offers enough drama to occupy anyone for days...The whole thing reads like a cool sip of water. Daily News Reads like carefully crafted fiction[Wasson] carries the reader from pre-production to on-set feuds and conflicts, while also noting Hepburns impact on fashion (Givenchys little black dress), Hollywood glamour, sexual politics, and the new morality. Capote would have been entranced. Publishers Weekly (starred review) A breezy tale of dresses and breakfast pastries, this is not.... The subtexts of Breakfast at Tiffanysmaterialism, sexual freedomwere decidedly more complicated. Women's Wear Daily Rich in incident and set among the glitterati of Americas most glamorous era, the book reads like a novel[Wasson] has assembled a sparkling time capsule of old Hollywood magic and mythmaking. Kirkus Reviews The anecdotes are numerous and deftly told. This well-researched, entertaining page-turner should appeal to a broad audience, particularly those who enjoy film history that focuses on the human factors involved in the creative process while also drawing on larger social and cultural contexts. Library Journal Reading a book about a movie is seldom as entertaining as watching the film, but Wassons is the rare exception. Christian Science Monitor [We] couldnt put down Sam Wassons new book, Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M..... Along with juicy film gossip, the book offers behind-the-scenes insight on how Hepburn and designer Hubert de Givenchy created Holly Golightlys iconic style. AOL Stylelist Sam Wassons exquisite portrait of Audrey Hepburn peels backs her sweet facade to reveal a much more complicated and interesting woman. He also captures a fascinating turning point in American history when women started to loosen their pearls, and their inhibitions. I devoured this book. Karen Abbott, author of Sin in the Second City Audrey Hepburn dances through the pages of Sammy Wassons portrait of a movie and a little black dress that were game changers at the dawn of the sixties. Both juicy and informative, Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. provides the inside story while giving Hepburn her due as a true modern original. Molly Haskell, author of Frankly, My Dear: Gone with the Wind Revisited

Author Bio

Sam Wasson is the author of A Splurch in the Kisser: The Movies of Blake Edwards and the forthcoming Paul on Mazursky. He is working on a book about Bob Fosse. He lives in Los Angeles.