Charade (1963)

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

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

Release Date:

5 December 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | 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:

Trust | CIA Agent | Suspense | CIA | Stamp Collector

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marc Arian	...	Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Claudine Berg	...	Maid (uncredited)
Marcel Bernier	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Georges Billy	...	Man in Stamp Market (uncredited)
Albert Daumergue	...	Man in Stamp Market (uncredited)
Raoul Delfosse	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Lucien Desagneaux	...	Passer-by in the Public Garden (uncredited)
Stanley Donen	...	Man in Elevator (voice) (uncredited)
Colin Drake	...	Hamilton Bartholomew (uncredited)
Jean Gold	...	Man Who Writes in the Terrace of the Cafe (uncredited)
Chantal Goya	...	Extra (uncredited)
Clément Harari	...	German Tourist (uncredited)
Monte Landis	...	Master of Ceremonies at Les Black Sheep Club (uncredited)
Bernard Musson	...	Hotel Receptionnist (uncredited)
Antonio Passalia	...	Italian Representative in the URESCO (uncredited)
Jacques Préboist	...	Ice Cream Salesman (uncredited)
Peter Stone	...	Man in Elevator / Voice of Marine (uncredited)
Anthony Stuart	...	British Representative in the URESCO (uncredited)
Michel Thomass	...	Embassy Driver (uncredited)
André Tomasi	...	Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Roger Trapp	...	Mortuary Employee (uncredited)
Louis Viret	...	Hallmark Employee in the Subway (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Donen

Writing credits
Peter Stone		(screenplay)
Peter Stone		(story) and
Marc Behm		(story)

Produced by
Stanley Donen	....	producer
James H. Ware	....	associate producer (as James Ware)

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(director of photography) (as Charles Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Jim Clark		(as James Clark)

Art Direction by
Jean d'Eaubonne		(as Jean D'Eaubonne)

Costume Design by
Hubert de Givenchy		(gowns: Miss Hepburn)

Makeup Department
Alberto De Rossi	....	makeup artist (as Alberto de'Rossi)
John O'Gorman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Edward Muhl	....	in charge of production
Léopold Schlosberg	....	production manager (as Leopold Schlosberg)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marc Maurette	....	assistant director

Art Department
Auguste Capelier	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Jacques Carrère	....	sound mixer (as Jacques Carrere)
Bob Jones	....	sound mixer
Allan Morrison	....	dubbing editor

Special Effects by
Wally Armitage	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)
Brian Gamby	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Garth Inns	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Henri Persin	....	second unit cameraman
Henri Tiquet	....	camera operator
Vincent Rossell	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Animation Department
Robert Ellis	....	animation

Music Department
Henry Mancini	....	conductor
Rolly Bundock	....	musician: bass (uncredited)
Larry Bunker	....	musician: vibes (uncredited)
Gene Cipriano	....	musician: saxophone (uncredited)
Dominic Frontiere	....	musician: accordion (uncredited)
Douglas Gamley	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Ronnie Lang	....	musician: reeds (uncredited)
Richard Nash	....	musician: trombone soloist (uncredited)
Ted Nash	....	musician: saxophone (uncredited)
John Scott	....	musician: flute, saxophone (uncredited)
Jack Sheldon	....	musician: trumpet (uncredited)
Jack Sperling	....	musician: drums (uncredited)
John Williams	....	musician: piano (uncredited)

Other crew
Maurice Binder	....	main title designed by
Arthur Carroll	....	production executive

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal) (as A Universal® Picture also)
• Stanley Donen Films (as A Stanley Donen Production)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Universal Release)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1963) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Films Española (1964) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Väinän Filmi (1964) (Finland) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MCA Home Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (re-release 2002 new 35mm print)
• United American Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Action Gitanes (1998) (France) (theatrical) (2002) (2003) (2007) (re-issues)
• VCI Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• D3K Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• UAV Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Gotham Distribution (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Unicorn Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Laserlight Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport International Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Weton Wesgram (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Bach Films (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Cinema International Corporation (C.I.C.) (1973) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1963) (Japan) (theatrical)
• ARC (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• ASP (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• CIC Victor Video (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Comolife (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Cosmic Publishing (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• First Trading (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• Forfeited Films (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Grasshopper (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1979) (Finland) (TV) (as MTV1)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Pioneer LDC (1988) (Japan) (VHS)
• Pioneer LDC (1993) (Japan) (VHS)
• Pioneer LDC (1994) (Japan) (video) (laserdisk)
• Startime Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Tone (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• ViewCave (1963) (worldwide) (all media) (Internet) (non-exclusive)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2005) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Berliner Synchron  German dubbing (uncredited)
• Givenchy  Miss Hepburn's clothes by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G (alternate rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #20428) | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Netherlands:6 | Canada:G (Québec) | UK:PG (tv rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991) (2001) (2002) (2003) (2007) (2011) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

24 Rue Censier, Paris, France

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

According to Audrey Hepburn, the scene where Regina spills ice cream on Adam's suit is based on a real-life accident where Hepburn spilled red wine over Cary Grant's suit at a dinner party.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Regina is taken to the morgue to identify her husband's body, the coroner's hands are visible as the body drawer is closed. The coroner's fingers would have prevented the drawer from closing or else his fingers would have been injured.

Quotes:

[after Dyle sees Herman Scobie hanging from the edge of the building]
Alexander Dyle:How are you doing?
Herman Scobie:HOW DO YOU THINK?
Alexander Dyle:If you get bored, try writing 'Love Thy Neighbor' a hundred times on the side of the building!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Columbo: Now You See Him (#5.5)" (1976)

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.