Charade (1963)

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

05 Feb 2007 11:38 AM

Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) is a young married woman who's not sure she ought to be married. Her husband, Charles, is keeping something from her; she just knows it, and she can't live with the uncertainty. She goes on a trip to try to sort things out, and while gone, she meets Peter Joshua, (Cary Grant) a fascinating man who seems interested in her. She, however, is interested in keeping her distance. My favorite line in the movie takes place when she's meeting Peter for the first time and asks him if he'd like to get to know her. She tells him, "I already know a lot of people, and until one of them dies, I can't possibly meet anyone else."

When she arrives home, she is shocked to find that everything has been stripped out of her apartment. The furniture, all the belongings, everything. She's even more shocked at being told that her husband is dead and that he was killed by men who were after some vital information. If she can discover where the information is and get it turned in to the authorities, she could help bring her husband's killers to justice. In the meantime, she is in danger, because those men think she has whatever it is they're looking for.

A funeral is held for Charles, and three mysterious men show up, each with their own way of testing to see if Charles is really dead or not. One sticks him with a pin, another holds a mirror under his nose, and another tries to startle him by sneezing all over the place. Yes, Charles is really dead.

A suspenseful yet funny movie, you will be tense one minute as you see Audrey running from the bad guys, and laughing the next minute, watching Cary take a shower fully clothed. It's a drip-dry suit, you see. You never know from one minute to the next who is a good guy, who is a bad guy, and who you should believe. The key to the mystery will have you shaking your head in disbelief, and the whole thing is set to the unforgettable music of Henry Mancini. It really doesn't get any better than that.

As a side note: When Cary was approached to play this role, he nearly didn't do it. He thought he was too old to play opposite Audrey. That's what he said some years before, when asked to star in "Roman Holiday," and the part went to Gregory Peck. But this time, he relented, and I'm so glad he did. This film is a masterpiece. I wouldn't suggest it for a young child, as the murder and espionage themes might be too mature, but you can enjoy it with your teenagers.

Related Blogs:

Audrey Hepburn

Wait Until Dark

An Affair to Remember

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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Loughney5 (50) 14 Feb 2007 02:01 PM

Carey Grant, Audrey Hepburn, need I say more?!! There just arent movies of this caliber(sp?) anymore. Sigh.....

misspiggy (240) 21 Feb 2007 07:40 AM

This is a wonderfully entertaining movie, an edge-of the-seat type, my favorite kind! And if there was ever a beautiful man, Cary was it.

Tristi Pinkston (10839) 21 Feb 2007 12:56 PM

Definitely a beautiful man. But my husband knows I feel that way and he's fine with it. :)