Charade (1963)

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?

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Peter Stone (screenplay), Peter Stone (story),

Stars:

Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

Regina is about to divorce her husband when she finds that he has been murdered after converting every penny they owned to cash, which is also missing. She meets Cary Grant who changes his name every 15 minutes or so and is interested in her husband's money, which seems to have come from a WWII payroll he stole. His partners in crime are also very interested in where the money is, as he stole it from them as well. Everyone assumes Regina MUST know where the money is. The situation becomes more tense when the searchers begin turning up dead.

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Plot Keywords:

cia agent | suspense | cia | trust | cleft | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German Italian

Release Date:

5 December 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charada

Filming Locations:

24 Rue Censier, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Stanley Donen Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to the suspense, the stars, and the frequent plot twists, many people believe that this is an Alfred Hitchcock film. He was not involved in the making of the film at all. This confusion has prompted fans of the film to call it "the best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made".

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Goofs

Charles' body, thrown from a fast-moving train, could not possibly have fallen straight away from the camera in the opening scene.

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Quotes

Adam Canfield: Heroin, peppermint-flavored heroin.

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Connections

Referenced in Gossip Girl: Enough About Eve (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Charade"
Lyric: Johnny Mercer
Music: Henry Mancini
Performed by Chorus (uncredited)

User Reviews

a perfect piece of classy and classic entertainment

I'll be brief. This romantic comedy thriller hybrid is an absolute treat. Starring the classiest of actors in both Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn and directed with continental style and flare by the incomparable Stanley Donen, this film is not to be missed. The photography (especially noticable in the new DVD version), Henry Macini's score, the taught and crisp script, the perfect supporting cast all add up to make a perfect piece of entertainment. I agree with many of the other IMDB writers- it is criminal that this film is not respected more. It is a blueprint of what makes a movie fun. A perfect 10 out of 10.