Charade (1963)

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:

On the property list that the police officer gives Reggie, the date says 5/4/63: Audrey Hepburn's birthday.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Scobie is covering "Dyle" with a gun held in his artificial hand, so there's no way that he can pull the trigger.

Quotes:

Inspector Grandpierre: Tell me, Mister Dyle. Where were you at 3:30 a.m.?
Adam Canfield: In my room. Asleep.
Inspector Grandpierre: And you, Mrs. Lampert?
Reggie Lampert: I was, too.
Inspector Grandpierre: In Mister Dyle's room?
Reggie Lampert: No, in my room.
Inspector Grandpierre: Obviously you're telling the truth, for why would you invent such a ridiculous story?

Movie Connections:

References My Fair Lady (1964)

Soundtrack:

Charade

It doesn't get any better than this...elegant Grant and Hepburn...

If you're in the mood for a clever mixture of suspense, romance, humor and some fantastic location shots, treat yourself to CHARADE. Audrey Hepburn was never more appealing than she is here--badly in need of help to discover the whereabouts of the hidden money her late husband's enemies want to find. With her life hanging in the balance, she enlists the aid of Cary Grant--but since all is not what it seems, you're in for some surprising plot twists along a very merry ride.

Just relax and let Cary and Audrey do all the work--with the help of a great supporting cast including Walter Matthau, superb in a surprising supporting role. Stanley Donen keeps it all moving at a brisk pace and Henry Mancini's music is a sheer delight.

Highly recommended as an expert, elegant mixture of humor and suspense, even if it does seem to imitate the Hitchcock way of filmmaking.