Charade (1963)

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)

Stars:

Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations.

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	...	Sylvie Gaudet
Ned Glass	...	Leopold W. Gideon
Jacques Marin	...	Insp. Edouard Grandpierre
Paul Bonifas	...	Mr. Felix
Thomas Chelimsky	...	Jean-Louis Gaudet

Storyline

When Regina Lampert's husband, Charles, is found alongside a train, murdered. In no time she's left broke, homeless, and with the French police, the American government, and 3 rather insistent men all thinking she knows where the money they say Charles stole is located. Gorgeous Audrey Hepburn and debonair Cary Grant sparkle in the film, which has been called 'the best Hitchcock film he never made'. It's fun, suspenseful, and stylish. Fall in love with Paris and a wonderful cast in this deservedly well-loved Stanley Donen film.

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Plot Keywords:

investigation | assumed identity | reference to william shakespeare | deception | murder | 

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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:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to the suspense, the presence of Cary Grant, the structure of the screenplay, and the frequent plot twists, many people believe this was a Sir Alfred Hitchcock film. Hitchcock 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 Hitchcock never made."

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Goofs

When Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant arrive at the stamp market, workers on ladders can be seen starting to put a new cover on the completely roofless Berkeley Café in the background. However, a few minutes later, when Grant runs to catch a cab, the building is directly behind him, and the new roof is long since complete.

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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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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.

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Connections

References North by Northwest (1959)

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Soundtracks

Charade
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Music by Henry Mancini

User Reviews

Audrey fingers Cary's dimpled chin and asks, "How do you shave in there?"

Just one of the many marvelous moments in "Charade", one of Cary Grant's and Audrey Hepburn's best films. There's a quarter of a million dollars floating around instant-widow Hepburn but nobody can SEE IT (it's right in front of their eyes). Filled with running jokes, colorful and eccentric oddities (such as trenchcoat-wearing George Kennedy with his hook and the little guy who won't stop sneezing), funny set-pieces (like the funeral scene, and Audrey's priceless exaggerated reactions) and suspenseful sequences, not to mention Audrey and Cary looking smashing together. This is one of 50 best films ever made, as good as "Casablanca" and "My Fair Lady". In fact, I think it's better.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German Italian Spanish

Release Date:

5 December 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charade

Filming Locations:

Seine River, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$173,057

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stanley Donen Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1