Charade (1963)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Peter Stone (screenplay)
Peter Stone (story) ...

Release Date:

5 December 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

You can expect the unexpected when they play..."Charade"

Plot:

Romance and suspense in Paris, as a woman is pursued by several men who want a fortune her murdered husband had stolen. Who can she trust?

Plot Keywords:

CIA | Macguffin | Hidden Treasure | European Adventure | Rare Stamp

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Peter Joshua
Audrey Hepburn	...	Regina Lampert
Walter Matthau	...	Hamilton Bartholemew
James Coburn	...	Tex Panthollow
George Kennedy	...	Herman Scobie
Dominique Minot	...	Sylvie Gaudet
Ned Glass	...	Leopold W. Gideon
Jacques Marin	...	Insp. Edouard Grandpierre
Paul Bonifas	...	Mr. Felix - Stamp Dealer
Thomas Chelimsky	...	Jean-Louis Gaudet

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German | Italian

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G (alternate rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alps, Haute-Savoie, France

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The character of Peter Joshua was named after Stanley Donen's two sons: Peter and Joshua.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Regina, fleeing Canfield, rides the Metro from Saint Jacques (signs prominently seen) to Palais Royal (mentioned several times in dialog). From Saint Jacques one cannot get anywhere near Palais Royal without changing trains at least once; but of course she never does (because Canfield would have another chance to catch her).

Quotes:

Alexander Dyle: What do I have to do to satisfy you? Become the next victim?
Reggie Lampert: That's a start anyway.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: Cold Stones (#6.11)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Charade

Who buried this film?

When I first saw "Charade", I was convinced for the longest time this was a Hitchcock movie. Small wonder; Hitchcock all but set the standard for quality mystery films. Still, I give director Donen my sincerest apologies. Anyway, where did this film go?? Its tasteful humor, colorful characters and intelligent plot make "Charade" one of the best mystery movies ever made, but it's not well known even among classic films.

"Look for it. Look as hard and as fast as you can." This film ranks with "Clue", "The Name of the Rose" and "The 39 Steps" as one of the most enjoyable mysteries of all time. Makes a great dating/party movie.