CHARADE at Wahnfried

At Wahnfried McGregor

On Friday 28th at 5pm we have our last Audrey Hepburn film CHARADE (1h54mins) also starring Cary Grant with Walter Matthau and James Coburn.

The film spans three genres: suspense thriller, romance and comedy.

Regina Lampert (a stunning Audrey Hepburn in the chicest Givenchy) in gorgeous Megève, has decided to divorce her husband, Charles, because of all his secrets and lies. Before she can, Charles is found dead - pushed off a train. When Regina returns to Paris, she's found her apartment empty, the closets bare, and a French detective, who tells her Charles supposedly left with $250,000 on his way to South America. A note left for her to come to the US Embassy where she meets Hamilton Bartholemew (Walter Matthau), who tells her Charles stole the money from the US government, and they want it back. Soon, three men show up, threatening her for the return of 'their' money. She's terrified, because she knows nothing of any of this, nor where the money is. Dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) is there to help Regina, in director Stanley Donen's soufflé of a film, hailed as the 'best Hitchcock film he never made.' One part glamour, one part Hepburn, Grant (as well as Matthau, Coburn, Kennedy, and many more), whipped stylishly together, in one of Mr Donen's best-loved films, and after watching it, you'll agree.

‘’ Audrey fingers Cary's dimpled chin and asks, "How do you shave in there?"
Just one of the many marvellous moments in Charade, one of Cary Grant's and Audrey Hepburn's best films. There's a quarter of a million dollars floating around instant-widow Hepburn but nobody can SEE IT (it's right in front of their eyes). Filled with running jokes, colourful and eccentric oddities (such as trench coat-wearing George Kennedy with his hook and the little guy who won't stop sneezing), funny set-pieces (like the funeral scene, and Audrey's priceless exaggerated reactions) and suspenseful sequences, not to mention Audrey and Cary looking smashing together. This is one of 50 best films ever made, as good as "Casablanca" and "My Fair Lady". In fact, I think it's better.’’ IMBd reviewer