CHARADE (1963, USA, 113m, PG) ****
Comedy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
dist. Universal Pictures (USA), Rank Film Distributors (UK); pr co. Universal Pictures / Stanley Donen Films; d. Stanley Donen; w. Peter Stone (based on a story by Peter Stone and Marc Behm); pr. Stanley Donen; ph. Charles Lang (Technicolor | 1.85:1); m. Henry Mancini; ed. Jim Clark; ad. Jean d’Eaubonne.
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).
A delightful blend of comedy, mystery and suspense in the Hitchcock mode sees Regina Lampert (Hepburn) fall for the dashing Peter Joshua (Grant) on a skiing holiday in the French Alps. When she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered, she and Peter give chase to three of her late husband’s World War II cronies, Tex (Coburn), Scobie (Kennedy) and Gideon (Glass), who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines. But not everyone is who they seem. Stone’s script wittily twists and turns its plot and is propelled by Donen’s stylish direction and the interplay between the tight cast of characters. Grant and Hepburn’s charming chemistry is colourfully displayed as they trade one-liners. The supporting cast ensures the tone remains consistent and Mancini’s percussive score helps in scenes requiring tension. The film was later remade as THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE (2002).
AAN: Best Music, Original Song (Henry Mancini (music), Johnny Mercer (lyrics) for the song “Charade”)
