Charade (1963)

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

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

Release Date:

5 December 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | Romance | 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:

CIA | Macguffin | Hidden Treasure | European Adventure | Rare Stamp

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 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

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 | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alps, Haute-Savoie, 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:

Continuity: When Mrs. Lampert meets Mr. Bartholemew at the American Embassy the cups that wine is poured into appear and disappear and change positions throughout the scene.

Quotes:

Reggie Lampert: I'm in the book.
Peter Joshua: Are you?
Reggie Lampert: Charles is.
Peter Joshua: Is there only one Charles Lampert?
Reggie Lampert: Lord I hope so!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L'uomo senza memoria (1974)

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.