Breakfast at Tiffany's: Music From The Motion Picture - Collaborations

Collaborations

Blake Edwards and Henry Mancini met through Mancini’s wife whom Edwards had known for a number of years. After connecting they decided to collaborate on the television show Peter Gunn, for which Mancini created the title theme. When Edwards learned he would be directing Breakfast at Tiffany’s he chose Mancini as his partner. Both times their partnership scored gold, and went on to work collaborate on four other films together. All the credit for the song “Moon River” cannot be given to Mancini, as Johnny Mercer provided the lyrics for the song. The pair of artists also had a smooth relationship, which resulted in the creation of this song. After Mancini played the melody for Mercer, he offered three different variations of lyrics and the two decided on a final combination. Mancini believed that Hepburn’s recording was the best. He is quoted saying, “Moon River was written for her. No one else has ever understood it so completely. There have been more than a thousand versions of "Moon River", but hers is unquestionably the greatest.”* Mancini held complete adoration and respect for Audrey Hepburn and the feeling was mutual; after watching the film Audrey wrote a letter to Mancini saying, “Your music has lifted us all up and sent us soaring. Everything we cannot say with words or show with action you have expressed for us. You have done this with so much imagination, fun and beauty. You are the hippest of cats - and the most sensitive of composers!”