The film has been criticized for its portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi, Holly's bucktoothed, stereotyped Japanese neighbor. They character was played by Mickey Rooney, who wore yellowface makeup to change his features to that of a Japanese person.

Although an instrumental version is played over the film's opening titles, the lyrics are first heard in a scene where Paul discovers Holly singing "Moon River" and accompanying herself on the guitar while sitting on the fire escape outside their apartments. The song not only won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, it also won the 1962 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

When Tooley enters Paul's apartment, worried that she's being followed, Paul investigates and eventually confronts Doc Golightly, Holly's estranged husband.

Doc explains that Holly's real name is Lula Mae Barnes and that they were married when she was 14. He wants to take her back to Texas, but Holly refuses to return with him, and he leaves broken-hearted.

Holly and Paul perform some petty larceny, shoplifting a pair of Halloween masks. Her mask is a cat, and his is a dog.

HOLLY: Oh, what about the weather report?
SALLY: Oh, yes. Snow flurries expected this weekend in New Orleans.
HOLLY: Snow flurries expected this weekend in New Orleans? Isn't that just the weirdest? I bet they haven't had snow in New Orleans for a million years.

According to the telegram she receives, Fred died in a jeep accident at Fort Riley, Kansas.

When she plans to marry Jose, she tries to learn Porguguese. A very complicated language. 4,000 irregular verbs.

HOLLY: I'll be back--me and my nine Brazilian brats. They'll be dark like Jose, of course, but they'll have bright green beautiful eyes. I'll bring them back, all right, because they must see this. Oh, I love New York.

Although the ring is engraved at Tiffany's, he gets it out of Doc's Crackerjack box.