Charade

film by Donen [1963]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Last Updated: Oct 9, 2024 • Article History

Charade, American comedy caper film, released in 1963, that is a classic of the genre. It was directed by Stanley Donen and features the elegant romantic pairing of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

Grant played a charming international man of mystery who meets the beautiful Regina Lampert (played by Hepburn) while both are on an Alpine ski holiday. Soon after meeting Grant’s character, Lampert learns that her husband, whom she was planning to divorce, has been murdered. She quickly finds herself being menaced by a trio of men who turn out to be her late husband’s one-time coconspirators, with whom he stole a large amount of government money that he then hid for himself. Grant’s mystery man offers to help her track down the stash, and a complicated chase ensues as each person tries to find the fortune first. A romance develops between Grant’s and Hepburn’s characters, despite his unwillingness to reveal his true identity.

Charade, which has been called the best Alfred Hitchcock movie not directed by Hitchcock, is noted for its witty and deadpan dialogue, Henry Mancini-written score, and supporting cast of legendary character actors, including James Coburn, Walter Matthau, and George Kennedy. Hepburn’s line, “At any moment we could be assassinated” was dubbed over to become “At any moment we could be killed” due to sensitivities over the then-recent assassination of Pres. John F. Kennedy. The original line was restored in later versions of the film.