Truman Capote’s final Breakfast at Tiffany’s manuscript sells for $690,000

Truman Capote’s final manuscript for Breakfast At Tiffany’s has sold for £377,000 ($689,415) at auction.

The typescript, covered in hundreds of Capote’s handwritten edits, sold to an anonymous buyer at Sotheby’s London for more than double the pre-sale estimate of £120,000-£180,000.

It reveals Capote gave his famous heroine Holly Golightly, played in the film adaptation by Audrey Hepburn, a different name – Connie Gustafson.

Dr Gabriel Heaton, specialist in books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, said: “The character of Holly Golightly is, of course, the heart of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the most striking change made by Capote in this draft relates to her.

“Whilst Connie Gustafson may be more plausible as a child bride from Tulip, Texas, she would never have had the impact on the world that she has had as Holly Golightly.

“Undoubtedly one of the great names of modern comedy, it is as magnificently implausible as its owner and connects to her character in a number of ways: ‘Golightly’ reflects the lightness with which she treats the world, her lack of attachment to place and perhaps hints at promiscuity; whilst ‘Holly’ will prickle if you get too close.”

Imdb.com describes the film’s plot as ‘‘A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building, but her past threatens to get in the way’’.

Directed by Blake Edwards, the 1961 film won two Oscars (Best Music, Original Song (Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer for Moon River and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture for Mancini) and was nominated for three other categories.

Hepburn missed out on Best Actress to Sophia Loren in Two Women, George Axelrod received recognition for Best Writing, and Hal Pereira, Roland Anderson, Sam Comer and Ray Moyer missed the gong for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.

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