Recently discovered papers once belonging to Truman Capote have revealed that far from being the pretty, dizzy, loveable, confused bimbo as portrayed by Audrey Hepburn in the classic 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' movie, Holly Golightly was an obnoxious gold-digging tramp.
Or hoe.
Capote's original vision centred on a cheap, nasty, promiscuous slapper who would sleep with anybody for money, and the author's personal papers described in lurid detail how Holly Golightly was destined for a terrible future.
In the original draft of the novel, the Golightly character ended up as a homeless bum who is reduced to selling her disease ravaged body to desperately, disgustingly dirty old men for the price of a shot of rye.
But then something mystical occurred.
It seems that Capote fell in love with his creation and developed her into the character we know today, the zany innocent, cat-loving sweetheart with the 'Moon River' finale in the rain, with the bedraggled cat and her one true love.
John Lydon, of the Sex Pistols and PiL told us:
"I'd much prefer the original version if I had the choice. Pity the old queen never wrote it. It sounds interesting. A bit Hubert Selby 'Last Exit To Brooklyn'esque. A bit Tra La La."
Indeed.
More buried literary gems as we get them.
