Roman Holiday (1953 William Wyler)

Easy to forget that this treasure is one of Wyler's, for which Audrey deservedly won an Oscar (and BAFTA), as did writer Ian McLelland Hunter, who was fronting for blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. (John Dighton also has a credit.) Naturally, all the acting is great - Hartley Power (Dead of Night), Harcourt Williams (ambassador), Margaret Rawlings, Paolo Delani (hairdresser), Eddie Albert and Gregory Peck.

Alékan always looked younger than his age. In 1953, already 44, he was co-opted to shoot Roman Holiday when the first choice, Franz Planer, stormed out after a row with the director, William Wyler.

"Who are you?" demanded Wyler when the intensely shy Alékan arrived on the set. He gave his name and was treated with instant disdain. "I thought you'd be older," Wyler snapped. Come Oscar time, however, Alékan and Planer, who had begun work on the picture, were jointly nominated for Academy Awards.

(Source: Telegraph obituary. Alékan shot La Belle et la Bête.)

Q's right - she is absolutely iconic, and the on-location Rome filming was also a landmark decision. Whether Wyler made her film scenes over and over again I'm not sure (the biography is not well rated).

Immensely enhanced by George Auric's unpredictable music (also from Belle et Bête). It's a corker.

Peck's character is certainly no gentleman - yet he is in the film's most satisfying conclusion.

Why isn't this film in my Top 200? Because I'm an idiot.