Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn Beguile with Style in Charade

One of the 1960’s most entertaining and classy whodunnits, Universal’s Charade offers up the ideal one-time pairing of two of the cinema’s most indomitable, singular and attractive talents, Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. This romantic comedy/thriller has often been compared to the similarly-themed works of Alfred Hitchcock (such as Rear Window and North by Northwest), but with Stanley Donen helming the production with vitality and skill, Charade maintains a breezy, adult sophistication all its own, aided by Henry Mancini’s ear-catching score and title song, and an ingenious screenplay by Peter Stone and Marc Behm (based on their 1961 short story The Unsuspecting Wife) detailing the adventures a young widow, Regina Lampert, encounters after the untimely death of her mysterious husband, Charles, with the equally-impenetrable Peter Joshua entering the scene to assist Regina as they try to discover the whereabouts of $250,000 supposedly left by Charles. Armed with the film’s considerable assets and on-location shooting in Paris, the combo of Grant and Hepburn draw audiences into the movie from the film’s opening scene, wherein the easy chemistry between the stars as they meet at a posh ski report indicates viewers are in for a riveting, highly enjoyable scenario for the film’s exceptionally paced 113-minute running time.

Prior to Charade, Stanley Donen had established himself as a top director of light musical comedies, both in tandem with Gene Kelly (On the Town, Singin’ in the Rain) and George Abbott (The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees) and solo (Royal Wedding, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face) Charade marked Donen’s biggest hit as a director since Brides, and the amiable, lively tone so important to the film owes much to Donen’s experience behind the camera in the musical/comedy domain. Donen smoothly mixes the romantic and comic aspects of the story with the starker material, which allows a more mature tenor to the film than found in most of his previous work. Donen would build on Charade’s success with Arabesque and a re-teaming with Hepburn for 1967’s Two for the Road, one of the best movies for both artists, before his career ebbed thereafter. However, Donen would have a final late-career highlight in 1998, singing and dancing to “Cheek to Cheek” on the Oscars after receiving Honorary Academy Award.

Cary Grant, in the midst of a great run of late-career hits (Houseboat, North by Northwest, Operation Petticoat, That Touch of Mink), finished his career as Filmdom’s ultimate romantic leading in sublime fashion via Charade (only his change-of-pace role in Father Goose and Walk, Don’t Run were to follow). One of Charade’s chief assets is the unpretentious nature of the film, which makes repeat viewing of the film very easy to take. Although the plot at times may seem far-fetched, nothing comes across as forced or too cute, thanks to Grant’s casual, spontaneous interplay with Hepburn and the manner in which Donen keeps their great teaming front-and-center throughout much of the film. Grant had built his indelible screen persona over three decades, and plays in Charade with the ease, confidence and charisma of a star in full control of his substantial gifts. His frequently low-key, deadpan delivery opposite Hepburn’s spry playing has great appeal, and also leads to a bigger payoff when Peter suddenly displays a more colorful side (such as an impromptu shower in one of the movie’s most animated moments). Few stars have had such a meritorious late-career surge, and it’s richly satisfying to watch Grant enact Peter with his star power and talent undiminished.

Audrey Hepburn, looking typically sensational in an array of Givenchy, is clearly on her A game in one of the best roles of her career. She’s also allowed to be sexier than in possibly any other film, with Regina on-the-make with Peter immediately after she lays eyes on him at the film’s outset. It’s a lot of fun to see the normally much reserved Hepburn spiritedly perform with verve and wit, while also simultaneously demonstrating her keen dramatic skills when needed (in one of the film’s more intriguing moments, Regina simply states “I’m very cold” when asked if she loved her husband, and Hepburn adeptly coveys the conflicting emotions the character is feeling at this key moment). With Grant, the script allows her to be forthright in showing Regina’s clear interest in Peter (it’s reported that, due to their age difference, Grant wanted Regina to put the moves on Peter), and Hepburn is funny and endearing in depicting Regina’s boldness in trying to form stronger relations with Peter. Hepburn clearly enjoys working with Grant, allowing them to sell the romantic elements with a relaxed, effervescent elegance (they both have terrific moments complementing each other's perfection), and pulling off a possible error in a scene involving ice cream without missing a beat. With Regina at the forefront of the plot throughout the film, Hepburn adeptly dives into each facet of the meaty part with compelling sincerity and focus, fully pulling the audience into Regina’s plight along the way. 

Walter Matthau, in the chief supporting role of Carson Dyle, a former WWII colleague of Charles now very interested in finding the $250,000, had a nice success following a Tony Award on Broadway and before his bigger impact with a second Tony for The Odd Couple, then Billy Wilder’s The Fortune Cookie in 1966, which brought Matthau an Oscar, then leading roles in movies. As three henchmen also formerly associated with Charles during WWII, a trio of actors make very strong impressions. James Coburn shows great individuality in portraying Tex with a suave seediness that would come in handy a few years later with his breakout success as Derek Flint. After a 1961 film debut, the physically imposing George Kennedy establishes himself as a character actor of note as Herman, the muscle of the group who spars vividly with Grant in the film’s most exciting action sequence. Ned Glass also brings a sense of threat to the movie as the sneezing, seemingly weak-but-disturbingly-ominous member of the group. Finally, Jacques Marin valuably adds humor and a terse air to his scenes to as the befuddled inspector trying to uncover the mystery surrounding the missing $250,000.

Released in late 1963, Charade proved to be perfect escapist entertainment for masses seeking a star-powered vehicle created with cleverness and charm, with the film ultimately gaining $6,150,000 in U.S./Canadian film rentals (according to Variety), placing it among the top five box-office hits of 1964. The film was an important hit for Hepburn, helping to solidify her position as one of the decade’s chief female stars after her Breakfast at Tiffany’s success allowed her to thrive in more mature roles, with a win as Best Actress at the British Academy Awards and a Golden Globe nomination also coming her way. Grant was cited at the Globes as well, while Stone and Behm were by the Writers Guild of America and Mancini and Johnny Mercer scored the movie’s sole Oscar nomination for the movie’s lovely title song. Enduringly droll, suspenseful and surprising, the scintillating, distinctive Charade remains a top-notch example of how a well-crafted mystery/comedy, perfectly cast, directed and produced, can persist in delighting and mesmerizing audiences decades after its release. For Grant and Hepburn, the movie and their striking work therein serves as a reminder of why each are essential, cherished stars of classic cinema.

As a P.S., I've done a few dozen tribute videos of my favorite classic movie genres and stars, including ones for Grant and Hepburn. The Cary Grant tribute can be view here and the Audrey Hepburn homage here.