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 Regina knows where the money they say Charles stole, is. 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, suspensful, and stylish. Fall in love with Paris and a wonderful cast in this well-loved Stanley Donen film.

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Plot Keywords:

investigation | assumed identity | deception | rare postage stamp | bound hand and foot | 

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Taglines:

Oh, la!

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

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)

Gross USA:

$13,474,588

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,Stanley Donen Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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) (1990).

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Goofs

During the Seine cruise, the rear projection plates are repeated. The boat passes the same building, the Institut de France, twice - once when Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant are standing and yet again later when they are seated.

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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

Referenced in Walk Don't Run (1966)

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Soundtracks

Charade
Lyric: Johnny Mercer,
Music: Henry Mancini

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.