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 | murder | funeral | 

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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:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German Italian

Release Date:

5 December 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charade

Filming Locations:

Seine River, 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

Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) quotes a line from My Fair Lady (1964) ("On the street where you live"). The film version starred Audrey Hepburn the following year, and Grant was offered male lead.

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Goofs

When Peter Alexander Adam Brian chases Regina down into the Metro, they arrive at track level and they emerge at the St. Jacques stop. When they leave, they exit beneath a sign that says Sortie. One can see that only the signs have been changed. The pipes and stains on the wall are the same.

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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 Greedy (1994)

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Soundtracks

Charade
Lyric: Johnny Mercer,
Music: Henry Mancini

User Reviews

Still Going Strong Past 50!

I have found many films just aren't as good as I remember seeing as a kid. A wide-eyed youngster gaping at a big silver screen at the theater can be more memorable than a middle-aged guy seeing that film decades later on a small television.

However, here is one film that is EVEN BETTER than I remembered it. Yeah, it's a little dated here and there, but not much, just mainly Audrey Hepburn's dialog. However, the story with all its twists is just as suspenseful and fun to watch as it was over 50 years ago. I've seen this three times in the last two years, after that long, long absence. (Tip: spend the extra money to get the Criterion DVD disc. It is the only clear, sharp copy of this film I have seen.)

The story's strength lies in getting the viewer involved. One never knows whether Gary Grant is a good guy or a bad guy. The dialog between Grant and Hepburn is very entertaining as the latter tries to figure out the same thing. There are lots of good lines, particularly by Grant. That in itself makes this film fun to watch multiple times. The pacing of this story also is good; the film moves fast and spaces the action out smartly.

This has to be one of the best movies ever to come out of the 1960s. I have never known anyone who didn't like this film.