Audrey Hepburn's Birthday
On May 4, 1929, Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born in Brussels. The mother of the future movie star, Baroness Ella van Heemstra, came from an ancient Dutch aristocratic family. Before her marriage to Audrey's father, Ella van Heemstra was married to Hendrik van Ufford, who had the title of Jonkheer, the lowest title in the hierarchy of the Dutch aristocracy. In 1925, Ella van Heemstra divorced Ufford, leaving her two sons for this marriage. Audrey's father, Joseph Anthony Victor Ruston, was a financial worker. He had Irish, Austrian and Hungarian roots. Prior to his marriage to Ella van Heemstra, he was married to a Dutch woman, Cornelia Bisschop. Some time after his marriage to Ella and the birth of Audrey, at the insistence of his wife, he changed his surname to Ruston-Hepburn, since he considered himself a descendant of James Hepburn, the third husband of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.
Audrey's parents were sympathizers of Hitler and Nazi Germany, since they considered the dominance of Jewish representatives in the financial sphere unacceptable. Sympathy for Nazi Germany was manifested in their vigorous activities to raise funds for the British Union of Fascists. However, the shared political views did not prevent Joseph Ruston from leaving his family when Audrey was 6 years old. Audrey Hepburn later recalled that this was the most "traumatic" event in her life, because, as she said, "the child must have both a dad and a mom."
Joseph Ruston moved to London and concentrated entirely on financial work for the British Union of Fascists. When World War II broke out and collaboration with pro-Nazi organizations became a crime in Great Britain, Joseph Ruston moved to Ireland and his traces were lost. Audrey in the early 60s through the Red Cross tracked down her father in Dublin, where he eked out a rather miserable existence. Until the end of his life, which came in the early 80s, Audrey financially supported her father. And mother Ella van Heemstra, left with three children, in 1937 sent Audrey to a private school in East Kent, England. True, Audrey did not have to study for a long time in England. In 1939, Great Britain declared war on Germany, and her mother took Audrey to Holland, because she hoped that Holland, as in the First World War, would be able to stay away from the war, maintaining neutrality. Audrey's family settled in the city of Arnhem, where her grandmother lived and where 10-year-old Audrey Ruston began to study ballet at the Arnhem Conservatory and very quickly became the star of her class.
Holland did not manage to stay away from the pan-European massacre unleashed by Nazi Germany. The invasion of Holland by German troops, during which the Nazis equally famously exterminated both Jews and completely pure-blooded Dutchmen, quickly deprived the Baroness of illusions about the nature and goals of Nazism. Moreover, her family suffered. The sister's husband was executed only on the basis of suspicions of links with the Resistance, the eldest son was taken to Germany to work in the so-called labor camps, the youngest son was forced into hiding to avoid the fate of his older brother. And 13-year-old Audrey, in her free time from school, arranged street dance performances. The money collected during these performances was donated to the needs of the Dutch Resistance. In addition, at the risk of her life, she distributed underground newspapers and delivered messages and food to downed Allied pilots hiding in the forests. And, finally, at her insistence, the family hid a wounded Allied pilot who was shot down during the Battle of Arnhem.
Soon after the landing of the Allied forces in Normandy, the city of Arnhem, which actually found itself on the front line, was almost completely destroyed. And besides, the Nazis, in response to the actions of the Dutch Resistance and the strikers, blocked the supply channels of the city with food. Very often, Audrey's family had no other food other than tulip bulbs, which were used to bake bread. As a result of malnutrition, Audrey developed acute anemia, respiratory problems and edema. According to many, it was these problems that provoked in adulthood cancer problems in Audrey Hepburn and her early death at the age of 64.
At the end of the war, Audrey's older brothers were able to return home, and the family moved to Amsterdam, where Audrey continued her ballet studies at a ballet studio created by Sonia Gaskell, the famous star of Diaghilev's Russian Seasons. Audrey Ruston's teacher was the Russian ballerina Olga Tarasova. In the same place, in Amsterdam, Audrey Ruston first encountered cinema, starring in 1948 in the cameo role of an air stewardess in the educational film "Dutch in 7 lessons". In the same 1948, Audrey Ruston received a scholarship from the famous English "Rambert Dance Company" and moved to London. However, soon Marie Rambert, the founder and mistress of the Dance Company, with her usual directness said that, despite the obvious talent of the ballerina, due to her high growth and, most importantly, poor health due to hunger during the war years, Audrey would not become a prima ballerina. And then Audrey Ruston decided to focus on acting. And then she changed her last name Ruston to Hepburn.
Audrey Hepburn began taking private acting lessons. Her mother, who, having gone bankrupt because of the war, began to work as a cook and housekeeper in wealthy families, helped daughter pay for these lessons. Audrey Hepburn received several cameo roles in several theaters in London, did not hesitate to participate in chorus line. She was eventually registered as a freelance actress with the Associated British Picture Corporation. This allowed her to receive in 1951-1952 several episodic, sometimes unnamed, film and television roles. One of these films - "Monte Carlo" - was filmed in Monte Carlo. While filming in Monte Carlo, Audrey Hepburn caught the eye of the French writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. At this time, the play "Gigi", based on the novel by Colette, was preparing for a production on Broadway. Colette insisted that Audrey Hepburn play the lead role. And she was absolutely right: the newspaper The New York Times called Audrey Hepburn "a hit in the performance", and she was awarded the Theatre World Award for the most outstanding debut on Broadway. But most importantly, Audrey Hepburn in this role caught the eye of William Wyler, who was preparing to shoot the film "Roman Holiday". The producers intended to propose the role of Princess Anne in this film to Elizabeth Taylor, but Wyler convinced them to change their mind in favor of Audrey Hepburn.
The role in "Roman Holiday" became the first leading role of Audrey Hepburn in a full-length feature film and immediately brought her three most prestigious film awards: an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a British BAFTA award. Audrey Hepburn's filmography includes 26 roles in full-length feature films. 7 of these 26 films entered the Golden Thousand. Thanks to this indicator and her dazzling beauty, Audrey Hepburn is included in the list of the 100 most beautiful and sexy Actresses in the world cinema, compiled by FilmGourmand.
Audrey Hepburn's acting talent was awarded 26 film awards, the most prestigious of which, in addition to the above awards for her role in "Roman Holiday", are another Golden Globe, three more British BAFTA awards, three Italian David di Donatello awards, the prize of the San Sebastian film festival.
It is impossible to speak or write about Audrey Hepburn without emotional trepidation. Genuine, not superficial aristocracy literally shines in all her roles. In her life there were a hungry childhood, executions of relatives, the hardships of the fascist occupation. And her eyes are always filled with the warmth of compassion and wisdom. In her professional and social activities, the main feature is self-sacrifice. Self-sacrifice in the name of a common cause. Which, most likely, led to a premature end. Self-sacrifice without any protrusion of their charity and narcissism. And as a result - a great, bright, filled to the brim, and such a short life! Great woman! Great Actress! As usual, in honor of the birthday of the great Actress, we want to remind her fans of shots from the best films with her participation.
