Charade (1963)

Directed by: Stanley Donen | 113 minutes | thriller, comedy, romance, crime | Actors: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot, Ned Glass, Jacques Marin, Paul Bonifas, Thomas Chelimsky, Grégoire Aslan, Claudine Berg, Marcel Bernier, Raoul Delfosse, Stanley Donen, Colin Drake, Clément Harari, Monte Landis, Bernard Musson, Jacques Préboist, Peter Stone, Michel Thomass, Roger Trapp

Stanley Donen. His name will not immediately ring a bell with everyone, but his films all the more. Donen was responsible for the greatest musical film of all time, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ (1952). the film’s lead actor, Gene Kelly, was a close friend of the director for many years and made two more of his best films with him, the groundbreaking ‘On the Town’ (1949) and the sugary sweet ‘It’s Always Fair Weather’ (1955) . Their magical formula of dance, song and charm guaranteed great success. But all good things come to an end and after ‘It’s Always Fair Weather’ the formula for success seemed a bit burned out. Both gentlemen then focused on their own careers, putting the friendship on the back burner. However, Donen had more friends in Hollywood with whom he was building his way. Among them, Cary Grant, with whom he founded the independent production company Grandon. He also got along well with Audrey Hepburn. “I couldn’t sing or dance at all. Still, Stanley asked me for the lead role in ‘Funny Face’, alongside a celebrity like Fred Astaire. For Stanley, I said yes,” Hepburn confessed in an interview.

Donen, Hepburn and Grant made one film together, ‘Charade’ (1963). This stylish film revolves around Regina ‘Reggie’ Lampert, a young, wealthy woman who enjoys all that Paris has to offer. However, she is not very fond of her husband; she would prefer to divorce him. Then the news reaches her that he has been found dead along the track. It turns out that he has kept a lot of things from her, including his real name. In addition, he had the sweet sum of $250,000, with which he planned to flee to South America. Three gentlemen who were after him, Tex (James Coburn), Scobie (George Kennedy) and Gideon (Ned Glass), turn out to be his old buddies with whom he stole US government money during the war. They feel they are entitled to their share of the money. They think Reggie knows where he hid it, but he doesn’t. Then suddenly a handsome man who calls himself Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) shows up. He poses as Reggie’s guardian angel but also appears not to be completely clear on the spine. Every time he is unmasked, he comes up with a new story and a new name. Reggie doesn’t know what to do with it but is so charmed by him that she continues to trust him. And that despite the fact that everything indicates that he is on her tail just as much as the three other men.

‘Charade’ is a film like they are no longer made. Of course, the film relies heavily on the charismatic protagonists Grant (obviously aged and graying but still equally attractive) and Hepburn, who were both at the height of their fame. Grant felt a bit uncomfortable in the romantic lead. He was nearly sixty and thought the public would resent him for chasing Hepburn, 25 years his junior. A solution was found after some adjustments by screenwriter Peter Stone. He rewrote the script so that Hepburn was the one who tried to hit on Grant and not the other way around. The actor could live with that just fine, since he, like so many others, was very charmed by Audrey Hepburn. Incidentally, in his private life Grant had no qualms about entering into a relationship with a much younger woman; at the time of the production of ‘Charade’ he got in touch with the 33 years younger (!) actress Dyan Cannon, the mother of his only child, with whom he would later have a short-lived and much-discussed marriage.

In the 1950s and 1960s, thrillers with a dash of romance and comedy, as they were more or less invented by Hitchcock, were extremely popular. ‘North by Northwest’ and ‘To Catch a Thief’ (both with Grant in the lead role) were therefore the great examples for Stanley Donen. He knows how to approach the style of the master of suspense with ‘Charade’ and adds some of that unadulterated charm that so characterized his own films. ‘Charade’ has therefore become an irresistible and very stylish film – what do you want, with style icons Hepburn and Grant as the main attractions – that never takes itself too seriously. A breath of fresh air compared to the Nouvelle Vague movement that emerged from Europe in the same period. The tension – because it is indeed prominent thanks to the many unexpected plot twists – is exactly in balance with the amount of romance and humor. Grant in particular is responsible for the comical note, judging by the large dose of self-mockery he displays. Besides the always charming protagonists, who can really do little wrong, the support cast also stands its ground. With James Coburn (‘The Magnificent Seven’), George Kennedy (‘Cool Hand Luke’) and Walter Matthau (‘The Fortune Cookie’), it is not the least of the actors who accompany Grant and Hepburn in this film, who incidentally provide is from an atmospheric jazzy soundtrack by the legendary Henry Mancini (‘Theme from The Pink Panther’).

Movies like ‘Charade’ are there to be cherished. Despite the fact that the emphasis is mainly on the romantic aspect, the film has a very exciting denouement that leaves you on the edge of your seat as a viewer. The play with identities has often been imitated in later films, but almost always with less style, less charm and less star power. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn have an irresistible chemistry despite the age difference and it’s a joy to see the two together in the only movie they would make together. Definitely recommended!