Friday, May 6, 2016

Friday Flashback: Rec. #97: Charade

I decided to start doing Friday Flashbacks in case you missed some early posts the first time around. You're busy; I understand.



What: Charade is one of my favorite "Audrey Hepburn runs around Paris" films (of which there are several --- I have a whole list). In this one, she's being pursued by some sinister men who are after a mysterious fortune that was supposedly stolen by her recently murdered husband. 

Cary Grant runs around Paris with her, and the two Movie Stars are so charming you can almost forget the 25-year age gap that makes their on-screen romance kind of ooky. The mystery/suspense portions hold up remarkably well, thanks in no small part to the deliciously written bad guys.

Representative quote: "Of course, you won't be able to lie on your back for a while, but then you can lie from any position, can't you?"

Bonus representative quote: "She batted them pretty little eyes at you, and you fell for it like an egg from a tall chicken!" [that's from Tex, one of the baddies]

You might not like it if: When it first came out in 1963, some critics hated the movie because of its drastic tonal shifts, from suspense to comedy to romance and back again.

How to get it: Due to a copyright omission in the released print, this film is actually in the public domain, so it's not hard to find. The fabulous score by Henry Mancini is under copyright, though.

Connection to previous Wreckage: Audrey Hepburn is also menaced in Wait Until Dark (Rec. #26). Poor Audrey.

And see more of Hepburn running around Paris with List: #41: Audrey Hepburn Runs Around Paris.



[Originally posted 4/6/11.]

No comments:

Post a Comment