Charade - A movie that keeps you guessing.

Released in 1963, Charade is a quick-paced, fun, romantic thriller directed by Stanley Donen. The film balances these different genres quite nicely, with the audience getting a healthy dose of comic relief down time in between the riveting scenes.

I want to preface this post with the following: Since there are so many wonderful things to say about Charade, I'd like to break my posts down into special segments. This initial post will focus on the set up of the plot.

The movie opens with birds chirping and an otherwise silent scan across a peaceful countryside setting on a early foggy morning. Slowly the camera pans to railroad tracks and the siren of an approaching train is heard. As the train moves over the tracks, a body falls from the other side of the train. The train sounds its siren once more, and the camera moves to reveal the face of the dead man, bloody and with eyes open...a seemingly fresh murder victim. Cue the up tempo Henry Mancini score and Maurice Binder title graphics.

Take a look:

The title credits transition to a beautiful ski resort scene where the audience is introduced to Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn), a woman on vacation with her friend Silvi and "nephew" Jean Louis. She relates to her friend that she suspects her husband, Charles Lampert, of involvement in some, for lack of a better word, sketchy activities and is contemplating divorce. Not soon after, a handsome stranger named Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) introduces himself to Regina with an almost impeccable choice of timing.

Regina, a French to English translator, returns to Paris to find her's and Charles' apartment torn apart, stripped of all its furnishings, and seemingly ransacked. An inspector from the French police shows up and takes Mrs. Lampert in for questioning, which confirms Regina's suspicions of Charles. It is explained to Regina that, while she was away, her husband auctioned off all of their belongings for an estimated quarter of a million dollars and that somehow he came across that sum of money by dishonest means. So you're probably thinking why not just hunt down the money by looking for Mr. Lampert?

It turns out that Mr. Lampert is the man who was thrown off the train at the beginning of the movie. All that was found with him on the train (presumably he was taking advice from The Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run"), was his travel bag, in which there were a few francs, a ticket of passage, one letter, a key to their apartment, a comb, a fountain pen, a toothbrush and a tin of toothpowder. There was also a passport, plus three other ones...all in Charles' name.

Regina with the inspector

Strangely enough, Regina begins to learn more about her husband after his death. She holds a funeral for Charles, with only herself, her good friend Silvi, and the inspector in attendance. Intermittently, very unseemly characters arrive. Silhouette lighting is used very effectively in this scene, as initially the knowledge of Charles' friends and relations is cloaked in secrecy. The first to enter and approach the casket is a short older man with skittish behavior, Gideon, whose allergies cause the corpse to experience some heavy sprinkling. Next to enter to parlor, is a tall tough-looking man, Tex, who pulls out a mirror and checks for any signs of the body breathing. Later, the door at the entrance is thrown open, and a perturbed stocky man with a trench coat, Scobie (aka Herman), paces towards the casket and sticks the dead body with a needle. Already stunned by the bizarre occurrences, Regina is startled when the last character approaches her directly. The man communicates his condolences with a heavy accent and hands Regina a letter from the US Embassy.

At the US Embassy, Regina meets Mr. Bartholomew (Walter Mathau), a diplomat and CIA administrator. He explains to Regina that Mr. Charles Lampert was really Mr. Charles Vaas, and that the $250,000.00 was stolen from the US government. More details are divulged to Regina later in the film. With his initial explanation, Mr. Bartholomew shows Regina a picture of Charles with 3 other men, during their service in WWII. She recognizes them as Gideon, Tex, and Scobie, from the funeral. After explaining that the government must get the money back, and that she must be on the look out for the other men as they will be hot on the money trail as well, Mr. Bartholomew recruits Regina to work as an agent.

Quite unexpectedly, in the midst of her troubles, Regina gets a welcome visit from Peter Joshua, who says he heard the news of her husband's death and decided to look her up. He becomes a friend and love interest of Regina's, helping her get a temporary new place to stay, in a hotel room right next door to his, conveniently. She tells him about her work as an agent, and that she has no idea where the money is, but that she must find it. After returning to the hotel one evening, following a fun turned horrifying experience for Regina (see the scene below for the fun part), she bids Peter good night and enters her room to be confronted by a visibly angry Scobie, who threatens her to hand over the money, rushes at her, raises his arm, and tries to strike her with his mechanical claw (that's right, no, he doesn't have a normal hand). When he misses, Regina calls for Peter, who has it out with Scobie. Eventually, Peter follows after Scobie, who escaped out the window. Then we get our first "switch" or shocking turn of events...Gideon, Tex, and Scobie are all in one room together. Peter enters nonchalantly and reveals himself as their coconspirator.

The Orange Game

Regina is not far behind however, as she gets phone tip from Scobie telling her that Peter's real name is Dyle and that he is after the money too. This sets up a fun scene where Regina gets to try out her spy skills and track down Peter. Confirming that he is in fact Dyle, Regina tells him that she is on to him...He explains it away, by saying that he is Alex Dyle and brother of Carson Dyle, a man who was in the war with the other four men, but was left for dead because he wouldn't go along with their scheme to steal the money.

In conference with Mr. Bartholomew, Regina learns more of the story behind the $250,000.00 which still hasn't been located. All three of the men were part of military espionage unit with her husband to deliver money (in gold) to French underground. Instead they reported that the German's seized the money, meanwhile having buried it. There was no proof to arrest the men. And Carson Dyle was left for dead...but Carson Dyle had no brother.

Again conveniently, Mr. Bartholomew instructs Regina to find out who Peter Joshua/Alex Dyle is. Regina is now left is a confusing situation, wanting to believe Alex, but not able to trust him because of his lies. Peter Joshua/Alex Dyle sums it up when he tells Regina: "I don't understand you at all - one minute your chasing me around the shower room the next your accusing me of murder." The set up is all very cozy for a nice romantic relationship to flourish, meanwhile threats fly, lies abound, more name changes result, and the thing on everyone's minds...the money...is no where to be found.

Women make the best agents

Eventually, a long journey leads them to the gardens near the Champs Elysees on a Thursday at 5:00 in the afternoon. From there a showdown ensues, accompanied by the fast paced Charade theme that opened the film. After an entire film full of twists and turns, it would be anything, but fitting, if there wasn't at least one last "switch" at the end...In fact, there are a few...The element of suspense is held right up to the end and I can confidently say that the ending will not disappoint.