Editor’s note: As 2018 drew to a close, we shared our favorite car movies as an alternative to the Hallmark holiday movies that some people watch this time of year. So this year we’re adding a twist to the series, sharing the 10-favorite motorcycle movies selected in a poll of the ClassicCars.com Journal staff. The series begins today with No. 10 Roman Holiday.
OK, so Roman Holiday may be just as sappy as the sappiest of those Hallmark holiday flicks. But ignore (if you can) the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck and realize that this 1953 movie that won three Oscar Awards was largely responsible for the popularity of the Vespa and other motor scooters in the United States.
Not only did the movie bring Academy Awards to Hepburn, writer Dalton Trumbo and costume designer Edith Head, but earned five other nominations, including William Wyler for best picture and best director.
Yes, Eddie Albert also was nominated for best actor in a supporting role, but we know the star of the movie was the Vespa scooter that carried Hepburn, the princess on the loose, and Peck, the American news reporter, on their wild ride through Rome.
Even the respected movie website IMDB.com notes, “The leads’ tandem use of the Italian Vespa 2-stroke scooter kindled an unprecedented public interest in the vehicle after the movie’s release.”
Note: Your significant other may not want to spend time with you watching our full top-10 alternative list to the Hallmark holiday movies, but with this one’s romantic plot (and stars), Roman Holiday might earn you some cuddle time on the couch.
