Charade

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Charade

Released Dec 5, 1963

1h 54m

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

54 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

After Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) falls for the dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World War II cronies, Tex (James Coburn), Scobie (George Kennedy) and Gideon (Ned Glass), who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines. But why does Peter keep changing his name?

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Critics Consensus

A globetrotting caper that prizes its idiosyncratic pieces over the general puzzle, Charade is a delightful romp with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn's sparkling chemistry at the center of some perfectly orchestrated mayhem.

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Ed Potton

Times (UK)

Directed with an arched eyebrow by Stanley Donen, the film was released just weeks after John F Kennedy's assassination, giving shellshocked Americans a welcome bite of Hollywood candyfloss.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 12, 2020

Full Review

Penelope Houston

Sight & Sound

Charade allows itself to get slightly tangled up in its own plot.

Mar 3, 2020

Full Review

G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

Few thrillers create as much sheer joy and happiness as Charade, in which Cary Grant spoofs his Alfred Hitchcock persona, Audrey Hepburn exudes her usual magnetic charm, and Paris is as scenic as ever.

Mar 3, 2020

Full Review

Mike Scott

Times-Picayune

(In addition to starring) the perfectly paired Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn — who seems to know precisely how adorable she is in this particular role — ... it’s got a fast-moving, twist-filled plot, too. The result is a funny and stylish old-school romp.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 14, 2024

Full Review

Edward Porter

Sunday Times (UK)

Some of its scenes are there just to let the two stars be their usual elegant selves in Parisian locations: Hepburn’s Givenchy wardrobe is a treat in itself. Yet all this refinement doesn’t keep the film from acting tough at times.

Nov 14, 2022

Full Review

Jennifer O’Callaghan

PopMatters

Hepburn combined comic timing with her trademark grace and the wide-eyed innocence she’s known for.

Sep 12, 2022

Full Review

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Tony L

What a horrible movie. A cast of super stars that couldn't act, a pretty that was always pretty even in life and death situations, an actor that always looked like he was acting, silly twists that looked that they pulled them out of their butt holes, endless faults...

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/10/25

Full Review

Tiffany S

I don’t think I could trust someone who wasn’t at least charmed by “Charade.” One of the few older films my husband loves as much as I do. Exudes silliness, cleverness…it’s just the cutest romp. And don’t sleep on the soundtrack. Mancini had as much fun as the characters!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/25

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Merick H

Action, romance, murder, mystery, twists, turns, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Walter Matthau, what's not to love! It's fun. It's charming. It will keep you guessing right up to the end. It's a wonderful film!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

Full Review

Will G

A great film about France. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn did a nice job. There were some twists. I liked the intro scene. The way they got the large sum of money was interesting. Overall a very good film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/25

Full Review

bao s

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. That's all I need to say. But I'll add: Delightful title screens, decent cinematography; it's worth a watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

Full Review

Russ G

Actually notable today only for the botched copyright that accidentally put it in the public domain via a technicality that forced a change in copyright law. It drew an audience chiefly via the May-December pairing of the chic Hepburn and veteran leading man Cary Grant. It's not nearly as "Hitchcockian" as its defenders like to claim. Sir Alfred would have been embarrassed by the ludicrous "MacGuffin" around which the plot revolves. Our protagonists remain woefully dense about the mystery which perhaps gave the audience a sense of mental superiority that was worth the $1 1963 admission charge.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/25

Full Review

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Stanley Donen

Director

Cary Grant

Peter Joshua

Audrey Hepburn

Regina 'Reggie' Lampert

Walter Matthau

H. Bartholemew

James Coburn

Tex Panthollow

George Kennedy

Herman Scobie

Charade: Official Clip - Rooftop Fight

2:51

Charade: Official Clip - Lying Black Foot

2:12

Charade: Official Clip - When Strangers Meet

1:50

Charade: Official Clip - Who Can You Trust?

2:15

Charade: Official Clip - The Game is Over

2:00

Charade: Official Clip - Whatever Your Name Is

2:10

Charade: Official Clip - Mr. Lampert's Funeral

3:27

Charade: Official Clip - The Most Valuable Stamp

1:55

Charade: Official Clip - Herman Attacks

2:44

Charade: Official Clip - Tex Threatens Regina

1:16

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Synopsis

After Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) falls for the dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World War II cronies, Tex (James Coburn), Scobie (George Kennedy) and Gideon (Ned Glass), who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines. But why does Peter keep changing his name?

Director: Stanley Donen
Producer: Stanley Donen
Screenwriter: Peter Stone, Marc Behm, Peter Stone
Distributor: UAV Entertainment, Criterion Collection, Laserlight Entertainment, Universal Pictures, D3K Entertainment, Reel Media International [us]
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 5, 1963, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Mono

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