"AUDREY AND BILL: A Romantic Biography of Audrey Hepburn and William Holden," by Edward Z. Epstein, Running Press, $25, 240 pages (nf)
The story of a whirlwind romance between two of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars, Audrey Hepburn and William Holden, is told in Edward Z. Epstein’s biography “Audrey and Bill.”
In the early 1950s, a 24-year-old Hepburn arrived in California to film “Sabrina.” She was young, naïve and afraid of the new world she was thrust into. The United States was a lot different than her European home and lifestyle in Switzerland.
Holden was older and experienced, and he quieted Hepburn’s fears. The chemistry between them was real, on and off the screen, and it wasn’t long before they struck up a romance, despite the fact Holden was already married.
Love affairs were a regular thing for Holden, and he promised Hepburn that he was going to leave his wife to marry her. However, Hepburn desperately wanted to be a mother, and Holden wasn’t able to have children anymore. That was a deal breaker, and soon after “Sabrina” wrapped production, Hepburn ended their affair.
Although Holden was heartbroken, he had many other affairs, with names like Grace Kelly and Capucine, and eventually, after over 30 years of unfaithful marriage, divorced his wife.
Hepburn, on the other hand, met and married Mel Ferrer, and together they had one son. Despite marital issues early on, they were married for 14 years before they divorced. Soon after, Hepburn married Andrea Dotti, with whom she had another son.
Although Holden and Hepburn did get to work together again in “Paris When It Sizzles,” they never revived their old romance, but Holden says Hepburn was the only great love of his life.
“Audrey and Bill” goes into great detail of both Holden’s and Hepburn’s tumultuous love lives. Epstein’s writing flows and is easy to read, making this a page-turner. Although the focus is on Hepburn and Holden, other big names of classic Hollywood are brought in, and it is fun to see the connection between all of them. Epstein’s narrative shows readers that even the people audiences glorify on the silver screen are just normal people.
“Audrey and Bill” contains occasional swearing and stories of many infidelities, but no romance is ever described. There is no violence.
Email: mswensen@deseretnews.com