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

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Peter Stone (screenplay), Peter Stone (story) | 1 more credit »
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Popularity
2,865 ( 742)
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

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

In what's been called 'the best Alfred Hitchcock film which he didn't direct,' a man is thrown off a train, and when the police locate his wife, it turns out she knew nothing about him - not even his real name. After her are four men, who insist she's in possession of a huge amount of money which they believe to be theirs. If she doesn't give it to them, she'll be killed. Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Is Anyone Really Who They Seem To Be? See more »


Certificate:

Passed | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Debut of the 1963 Universal logo, which featured a more realistic globe and outer space scene than the previous, as well as Van Allen belts. This logo would remain in use until Bird on a Wire (1990). See more »

Goofs

How do Hepburn,Grant and Matthau get into the theatre so easily when all theatre exit doors are padlocked from the inside. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Jean-Louis Gaudet: Oh, la!
Reggie Lampert: Don't tell me, you didn't know it was loaded. Sylvie! Oh. Can't he do something constructive, like start an avalanche or something?
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Crazy Credits

During the last scene, the screen splits into a checkerboard screens showing their ending kiss along with Cary Grant's funniest scenes from the movie and "The End." See more »

Alternate Versions

When first released, Hepburn's line "at any moment we could be assassinated" was dubbed over to become "at any moment we could be eliminated" due to the Kennedy assassination. Subsequent releases have "assassinated" restored to its place in the film. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Can't Hardly Wait (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

Charade
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Music by Henry Mancini
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User Reviews

 
The Best Hitchcock Movie Hitchcock Never Made!
13 July 1999 | by dtbSee all my reviews

CHARADE is the best Hitchcock movie Hitchcock never made! With romance, sophisticated comedy, and stylish suspense (including a smattering of graphic-for-its-era violence) balanced out deftly, CHARADE is the movie that made me a fan of both Peter Stone and Stanley Donen (yes, I actually saw this before I ever saw one of Donen's musicals!). Every other line is sparklingly quotable, and Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn are among my favorite screen couples; pity this was their only big screen teaming (I liked the wry way they kidded the age difference between them, too). James Coburn, George Kennedy, and Walter Matthau (all Oscar winners now!) are in top form in these early screen appearances of theirs. Both Hepburn and Paris look their sophisticated best, and the theme is my favorite by Henry Mancini next to the PINK PANTHER theme. Do try to get ahold of the marvelous Criterion Collection DVD of CHARADE; it's well worth seeking out, with nifty extras including an utterly delightful commentary track by Stanley Donen and the late Peter Stone. By the way, CHARADE is also piggybacked onto the DVD of Jonathan Demme's well-meaning but disappointing remake, THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE. On a related note, Donen's second Hitchcock spoof/homage, ARABESQUE, was released as part of a Gregory Peck boxed DVD set. I'm glad ARABESQUE is available on DVD, but I wish they'd recorded a commentary track by Donen and Sophia Loren while they're both still alive and reasonably well. But I digress...watch CHARADE today! :-)


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German | Italian | Spanish

Release Date:

5 December 1963 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Charade See more »

Filming Locations:

Seine River, Paris, France See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$173,057
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stanley Donen Films See more »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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