Princess on the Run: The Roman Holiday Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
Princess on the Run: The Roman Holiday Quiz
Image: tmdb

About This Quiz

Take the charming Audrey Hepburn in one of her first major films, add a dashing leading man and throw in some of Italy's most famous sites and you've got "Roman Holiday." Take our quiz to see how much you remember about this iconic '50s film.
Where is Ann when she meets Joe for the first time?
the palace
a park bench
on a boat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After she is given a sedative to help her relax, Ann sneaks out of the embassy and falls asleep on a park bench. When Joe finds her sleeping there, he takes her to his apartment to keep her safe.

What does Ann tell Joe that her name is?
Elizabeth Scott
Anna Jones
Anya Smith
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ann, who is really the princess of an unnamed country in Europe, tells Joe her name is Anya Smith so he won't suspect her true identity.

How much will Joe earn for an exclusive interview with the Princess?
$50
$500
$5,000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By going along with her claims to be Anya Smith, Joe hopes to earn $5,000 writing an exclusive story about Princess Ann -- never revealing to her that he is a reporter.

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What does Ann do after leaving Joe's apartment?
buy lunch
go back to the embassy
get a haircut
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ann borrows a thousand lire from Joe, then uses the money to cut her hair short. The barber Mario Delani then invites the incognito princess to a dance that evening.

What is the name of Joe's photographer friend?
Irving
Ian
Eric
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Joe promises his buddy Irving a percentage of the take if he can capture some pictures of the princess to use in the article Joe is writing.

Why is Ann nearly arrested by the polizia?
prostitution
buying drugs
reckless driving
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ann is nearly arrested for reckless driving, but Joe saves the day when he tells the police that the pair are in a hurry to get to the chapel and get married.

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What is the Bocca della Verita?
Wall of Lies
Mouth of Truth
Eye of Doom
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Joe and Ann visit the Bocca della Verita, or Wall of Truth. According to legend, liars who stick their hands into the Mouth of Truth will have the appendage bitten off. Joe scares Ann in the film by pretending to lose a hand in the stone monument.

Where is the dance held that Joe and Ann attend?
a barge
a cafe
the embassy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Joe and Ann head to a barge dance on the Castel San'tAngelo, where they share their first true romantic moment in the film.

Where do the pair kiss for the first time?
on a riverbank
in a car
at the dance
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After the guards spot the princess at the dance, she and Joe jump overboard to escape. Along the banks of the Tibor River, the two share their first kiss.

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Why does Ann return to the embassy?
out of money
offended by Joe
a sense of duty
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It is only a sense of duty and obligation to her family and country that spurs Ann to return to the embassy and her role as the princess.

Joe decides not to sell his story.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After sharing a romantic day with the princess, Joe decides against selling the story, stating simply, "I have no story."

What scandalous picture does Irving take?
Ann smoking
Ann nude
Ann kissing Joe
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Irving uses a camera hidden in a cigarette lighter to take a picture of Ann smoking her first cigarette. He later gives her the camera and all of the pictures, reassuring her that her secrets are safe.

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How does the film end?
Joe and Ann marry
Joe gets a job working for Ann
Ann returns to her duties and leaves Joe behind
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fans of happy endings may wish to look elsewhere; "Roman Holiday" ends with Joe watching Ann walk away, wondering what might have been.

Who is Joe's editor?
Mr. Harvey
Mr. Wesley
Mr. Hennessy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Played by Hartley Power, Mr. Hennessy is Joe's newspaper editor boss. Joe fails to deliver on his promise to write an exclusive article for Hennessy to publish on the princess.

What does Joe give Ann to sleep in at his apartment?
nothing
pajamas
silk nightgown
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When Joe hands Ann a set of pajamas to sleep in, she is overjoyed -- because she is used to sleeping in dowdy old nightgowns.

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Where does Joe "accidentally" run into the princess after she leaves his apartment?
Spanish Steps
Pantheon
Colosseum
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Joe runs into the princess at the Spanish Steps, where she is eating a gelato. He pretends that the meeting was a coincidence, but he went there with the intention of running into her and trying to score a scoop.

Audrey Hepburn was not the first choice to play Ann.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Producers were so set on hiring Hepburn for the role that they agreed to wait while she finished starring in "Gigi" on Broadway, no matter how long the show ran. After "Gigi," closed on May 31, 1952, filming for "Roman Holiday" began just three weeks later.

What did Ann famously drive in the film?
Vespa
Harley
Peugoet
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The two-stroke Vespa driven wildly through the streets by Ann created one of the movie's most memorable scenes.

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Who wrote the poem "Arethusa" that Ann quotes in the film?
Keats
Shelley
neither
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ann and Joe debate whether it was Percy Bysshe Shelley or John Keats who wrote "Arethusa." Turns out, Joe was right -- it was Shelley, not Keats, who penned the words.

What does Ann always have before bed?
wine and cheese
castor oil
crackers and milk
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As a delicate princess, Ann is always sent to bed with a belly full of crackers and milk. After her adventure in Rome, she finally develops the confidence to turn down the meal.

Whose music is featured in the "Roman Holiday" musical?
Cole Porter
Frank Sinatra
Etta James
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cole Porter's songs, including "Night and Day" and "Easy to Love," feature prominently in the 2016 pre-Broadway production.

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Who played Joe Bradley in the film?
Gregory Peck
Cary Grant
Humphrey Bogart
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It was Gregory Peck who played Joe after Cary Grant turned down the part, citing correctly that the princess was the true star of the film.

Who was originally set to direct the film?
Orson Welles
John Ford
Frank Capra
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Frank Capra planned to direct the film, with Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor as Joe and Ann. Eventually, things fell apart and he passed the film to William Wyler at Paramount.

How much was screenwriter Dalton Trumbo paid for the story?
$50,000
$100,000
$500,000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dalton Trumbo, who was under a Communist-related blacklist at the time, had a friend submit his screenplay for him. The friend collected a $50,000 fee, which he passed on to Trumbo. It wasn't until decades later that Trumbo was recognized for his role in the film.

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How did William Wyler get Hepburn to cry on cue?
cut an onion
yelled at her
pictures of dead animals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After Hepburn extended the shoot late into the night because she was unable to cry on cue, director William Wyler yelled at her to get the waterworks going.

Gregory Peck insisted on sharing top billing with Hepburn.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although Peck was the bigger star and should have had top billing, he insisted on sharing the top spot with Audrey after seeing what a talented actress she was.

What year was a remake of the film released on NBC?
1977
1987
1997
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A 1987 remake of "Roman Holiday" featured Tom Conti as Joe Bradley and Catherine Oxenberg as Princess Elysa.

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Sales of Vespas increased thanks to the film.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vespa sold 500,000 scooters in the three years after "Roman Holiday" came out -- the same amount they sold in the six years prior to the film's release.

Why was the movie shot in black and white?
color technology wasn't available at the time
money
artistic vision
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's hard to believe that an iconic film like "Roman Holiday" was made on a strict budget, but money is what kept the film from being filmed in color. William Wyler was so set on splurging in order to film on location in Rome that he was willing to shoot in black and white because it was cheaper than color.

Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for her role as Ann.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hepburn picked up the Oscar for Best Actress at the 1954 Academy Awards, then promptly lost her statue. She later found it in the ladies room.

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