Daily Dialogue — August 26, 2012
JOE. The Mouth of Truth. [He stands on one side, Ann the other. Irving watches from behind, taking out another cigarette.] The legend is that if you’re given to lying, you put you’re hand in there [points to the mouth] it’ll be bitten off.
ANN. Ooh, what a horrid idea.
JOE. Let’s see you do it.
She looks up worried, but seeing Joe looking at her feels a resolve and, tentatively, she puts her hand towards the mouth.
Irving, “lighting” his cigarette, looks on.
Ann moves her hand, closer and closer but, losing her nerve at the last minute with a giggle, she pulls it back.
ANN. Let’s see you do it.
JOE [he looks worried for a moment, then finds his nerve] Sure.
Joe takes a step forward, moving his hand onto the lip of the mouth.
Ann, unblinking, leans forward from the tension.
Joe slides his fingers into the mouth and then his hand up to the wrist. Suddenly he gives out a loud cry, pulling back, as if the mouth has hold of his hand and won’t let go.
Ann screams and rushes to his side, pulling at him from behind.
Joe takes out his hand, apparently severed at the wrist and Ann screams in fright, putting her hands over her face. Smiling, he lets his hand spring open, out of his sleeve.
ANN [laughing, as Joe takes her in his arms as she throws herself toward him, playfully beating her fists at him] You beast! it was perfectly alright! You’ve never hurt your hand!
JOE [letting her go] I’m sorry, it was just a joke! Alright?
ANN [laughing still] You’ve never hurt your hand.
JOE [calming her] I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Ok?
ANN [regaining her composure] Yes.
JOE. Alright, let’s go. [They turn to leave and he cries out, jumping away from the Mouth] Look out! Ann screams, running out of the building. Joe follows her, laughing, followed by Irving.
— Joe (Gregory Peck), Ann (Audrey Hepburn), Roman Holiday (1953), screenplay by Dalton Trumbo (originally uncredited) and Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton, story by Dalton Trumbo (originally uncredited)
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The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is comic set piece, suggested by Shaula Evans. Today’s suggestion by Teddy Pasternak.
Trivia: The original writer, Dalton Trumbo, was blacklisted as one of the legendary Hollywood Ten, and therefore could not receive credit for the screenplay, even when it won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay. Instead, his friend, Ian McLellan Hunter, took credit for the story and accepted the Oscar. Trumbo’s wife, Cleo, was finally presented with the award in 1993, long after his death in 1976. The Oscar she received was actually a second one, because Hunter’s son wouldn’t give up his father’s Oscar. Thus, two awards for Best Screenplay of 1953 exist. The story credit was corrected to credit Trumbo when the restored edition was released in 2002, nearly fifty years after the original release.
Dialogue On Dialogue: One of the most memorable moments in this delightful movie.