In 1961, Audrey Hepburn made ‘Moon River’ famous. A year later, a river was named after it

Audrey Hepburn’s performance of “Moon River” in *Breakfast at Tiffany’s* helped make the song famous, while lyricist Johnny Mercer gave its imagery a personal connection to Savannah, Georgia. The story traces how a film song became linked to the city and, in 1962, inspired the naming of a river there.

Henry Mancini composed the music and Mercer wrote the lyrics, drawing on memories of his Savannah home. Hepburn was not the original choice for Holly Golightly: Truman Capote had wanted Marilyn Monroe, who declined, and Shirley MacLaine and Kim Novak also turned down the role before Hepburn accepted it. Mancini’s appreciation of Hepburn’s gentle singing helped shape the song for her voice.