Marty and Cindy cover a hidden favorite with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, 1963 Charade

Charade - Production & Development

• Original script (The Unsuspecting Wife) was rejected by seven studios before Peter Stone serialized it in Redbook—then all wanted it.

• Cary Grant initially declined; Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood were considered before Grant returned.

• Filming began Oct 1962 in Paris; ski scenes shot Jan 1963 in Megève, French Alps.

• Grant (59) objected to the age gap; script revised so Hepburn’s character pursues him.

• Peter Joshua was named after director Stanley Donen’s sons.

• Shot alongside Paris When It Sizzles (1964) using many of the same locations.

Cast Connections & Trivia

• Grant hoped to work with Audrey Hepburn again, but never did.

• Hepburn and Grant were both heavy smokers; Grant quit in 1957.

• Cast includes four Oscar winners: Hepburn, Matthau, Kennedy, Coburn; Grant never won.

• Matthau, Kennedy, and Stone later collaborated on Mirage (1965).

• Screenwriter Peter Stone cameoed (embassy elevator voice by Donen).

• Grant and Matthau both played Walter Burns in separate The Front Page films.

• Grant (Archie Leach) once toured with the Marx Brothers; his film reference is layered.

• Ice-cream scene came from a real Hepburn mishap with Grant’s suit.

• Child actor Thomas Chelimsky later became a physician.

Hitchcock Echoes

• Often called “the best Hitchcock film Hitchcock never made.”

Opening spiral credits echo Vertigo (1958).

• Shower, rooftop, and chase scenes mirror North by Northwest (1959).

• Boat-kiss-to-darkness recalls Hitchcock’s tunnel ending symbolism.

• “Thief” line nods to To Catch a Thief (1955).

• Several actors overlap with Hitchcock films.

Paris Locations

• Showcases 1963 Paris: Champs-Élysées, Les Halles, Palais-Royal, Comédie-Française.

• American Express office (Rue Scribe) and Les Halles no longer exist as filmed.

• Puppet theater: Théâtre Vrai Guignolet (since 1818).

• Metro scenes shot on Line 1 (later extended to La Défense).

• Château de Chillon painting foreshadows Hepburn’s Swiss home purchase.

Stamps, Score & Style

• The $250,000 MacGuffin is rare stamps hidden on an envelope.

• Includes Monaco Princess Grace stamps (Grace Kelly co-starred with Grant).

• Henry Mancini’s score later influenced/plagiarized internationally.

• Funeral cue previews Two for the Road (1967).

• Hepburn’s wardrobe (Givenchy) exceeds what her luggage suggests.

• Credits by Maurice Binder (later James Bond fame).

Release, Legacy & Public Domain

• Film entered public domain due to missing copyright notice.

• Result: many poor-quality prints; best versions come from restored releases.

• Included in the Criterion Collection.

• Selected for the National Film Registry (2022).

• John F. Kennedy screened and praised it in 1963.

• Dialogue was altered post-assassination; later restored.

• Grant referenced the theme in his final film (Walk, Don’t Run, 1966).

• Appeared across multiple AFI nominee lists (comedy, thrills, romance, score).

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Marty and Cindy review a little thought of Christmas comedy movie about escaped convicts and holiday redemption.

Origins & Production

• Based on Albert Husson’s French play “La cuisine des anges” (1952); Paramount bought rights weeks after the Paris premiere

• Broadway adaptation “My Three Angels” (Sam & Bella Spewack) ran 344 performances at the Morosco Theatre in 1953

• Working title: “Angels Cooking”; filmed mid-1954 but not released until July 7, 1955

• Spewacks sued Paramount in Nov. 1955, claiming their stage version was used scene-by-scene without credit

• A 1989 remake (De Niro, Sean Penn, Demi Moore; dir. Neil Jordan, written by David Mamet) shares little beyond the title

Bogart & Curtiz

• Fourth and final Bogart–Curtiz collaboration; prior films: Angels with Dirty Faces, Casablanca, Passage to Marseille

• Bogart embraced the lighter tone — and reportedly pranked the meticulous Curtiz with fake dog droppings on set

• Neither Bogart nor Curtiz was under contract; both came to this Paramount film as free agents

• Second Bogart film set on Devil’s Island — the first was Passage to Marseille (1944), also directed by Curtiz

The Cast

• Joseph (Bogart): the strategist and sole thief — Albert and Jules are technically murderers

• Jules (Ustinov): forger, cook, keeper of Adolphe the viper; many critics said he stole the film from Bogart

• Albert (Aldo Ray): physically imposing but warm-hearted — the gentle giant contrast is the running joke

• André Trochard (Basil Rathbone): imperious villain — his first film feature in nearly a decade

• Adolphe the viper bites both André Trochard and nephew Paul — both die; earns an animated halo at film’s end

Music

• Opening song borrows the melody of “Plaisir d’amour” — same tune Elvis used for “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961)

• “Sentimental Moments” (composer Frederick Hollander) was recorded by Eric Clapton for his 2018 Christmas album

• Hollander also wrote “Falling in Love Again” for Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel (1930)

Quick Facts

• Set Christmas Eve/Day 1895, Cayenne, French Guiana — shot entirely on Paramount studio sets

• Grossed $3 million in 1955 — 34th highest-grossing film in the U.S./Canada that year

• AFI nominated it for its Top 100 Funniest American Movies list (2000)

• NY Times panned it; Philly Inquirer said Bogart was miscast; Variety called it “breezy”; Hollywood Reporter was enthusiastic

• Audrey Hepburn, Van Heflin, and Irene Dunne were among those considered before final casting

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Cindy and Marty talk about the early family comedy about a arrogant but loving father, Life With Father.

From Broadway to the Screen The original play opened November 8, 1939, and ran 3,224 performances — the longest non-musical run in Broadway history, a record it still holds. Warner Bros. paid $500,000 plus 50% of profits for the film rights, a record sum for a stage property at the time. The playwright, his co-author, and Clarence Day's widow all had veto power over every aspect of the production — not a word of dialogue could be cut without their approval.

The Red Hair Problem Because all the Day men were redheads, the entire principal male cast had their hair dyed on a Sunday morning. Midway through the process, the water for the entire block was shut off for street repairs — leaving the actors at risk of losing their hair to the potent dyes of the era. A crew member saved the day by suggesting they dilute the dye with cold cream.

The Cast Irene Dunne hated the role of Vinnie, calling her too "rattle-brained." Director Curtiz had to plead repeatedly before she agreed. If she had refused, Mary Pickford — retired for 13 years — had already done screen tests and seen the part as her comeback vehicle. Both Shirley Temple and Ann E. Todd tested for the role that went to 15-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, on loan from MGM.

William Powell This was Powell's third and final Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He lost to Ronald Colman — his close friend in real life — for A Double Life, and by all accounts took the loss graciously.

Supporting Standouts Edmund Gwenn, playing the long-suffering Reverend Dr. Lloyd, had just won the Supporting Actor Oscar for Miracle on 34th Street — also released in 1947. Martin Milner, playing son John Day, was the only natural redhead in the cast; he later starred in Adam-12 and Route 66.

The Public Domain Misfortune Due to a clerical error, the film's copyright was never properly renewed, and it fell into the public domain in 1975. This led to decades of inferior releases from degraded prints — a poor fate for a beautifully photographed Technicolor film. Despite this, it holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

One Last Fact Clarence Day Jr., who died in 1935, never knew his family memoir would become the longest-running non-musical play in Broadway history, a major Hollywood film, and a network television series.

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Marty and Cindy review one of the 60’s best screen musicals about the farce of corporate advancement.

FROM BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD

The Broadway production opened October 14, 1961, ran 1,417 performances, and won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Actor for Robert Morse. It also won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize in Drama—only the fourth musical to receive that honor.

Robert Morse, Rudy Vallee, Ruth Kobart, Sammy Smith, and Michele Lee all recreated their Broadway roles for the film. It was Michele Lee's feature film debut.

The Mirisch Company paid $1,000,000 for the film rights in 1964; total production costs reached approximately $2.5 million.

THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

Shepherd Mead's satirical self-help book was published by Simon and Schuster in 1952—a genuine career-advice parody that mocked the genre while participating in it. The jokeworks because the advice isn't entirely unlike what real business books of the era offered.

CASTING AND CHARACTERS

Tony Curtis expressed interest in playing Finch in 1964, though he was nearly 40. Dick Van Dyke was briefly considered but dismissed the idea himself. Tony Randall was considered for the book's narrator voice; the role went to Carl Princi.

Finch states he is 27 in the film. Robert Morse was 36 during production.

The character's name, J. Pierrepont Finch, nods to J. Pierpont Morgan. The VP of Advertising's name, Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington, spells BBDO—a real advertising agencygiant. Biggley's desk is shaped like a question mark.

THE SONGS

All of Rosemary's solo songs were cut. To compensate, Michele Lee was given a full version of "I Believe in You" earlier in the film, making Finch's washroom performance the reprise.

"Coffee Break" was filmed but cut due to Radio City Music Hall's strict two-hour limit. The footage was subsequently lost—the song survives only on the soundtrack album.

"I Believe in You" was the score's only genuine hit, recorded by Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Bobby Darin, and Dionne Warwick. It appeared on the AFI's 2004 nominees for Greatest Songs in American Film History.

BOB FOSSE AND CHOREOGRAPHY

Bob Fosse's Broadway choreography was retained rather than replaced—unusual for Hollywood adaptations. His style is visible throughout: turned-in knees, corporate precision, human bodies conforming to institutional geometry.

The "Brotherhood of Man" finale—a gospel revival erupting immediately after the board votes to destroy Finch—is the film's choreographic centerpiece.

Fosse's film directing debut came later with Sweet Charity (1969); by 1973 he won the Oscar, Tony, and Emmy in the same year—the only person ever to do so.

PRODUCTION DETAILS

The World Wide Wicket exterior was the Union Carbide Building at 270 Park Avenue, demolished in 2021.

The film was shot in widescreen (2.35:1) by cinematographer Burnett Guffey, with visual gags contributed by cartoonist Virgil Partch. The score was conducted by Nelson Riddle.

CULTURAL REFERENCES

The original book was serialized in Playboy—hence Gatch's line "I really have to stop reading Playboy."

Ponty's reference to "unrigged" game shows nods to the 1957–58 game show scandal.

George Fenneman, the TV host in the film, was the real-life announcer onGroucho Marx's You Bet Your Life.

In the stage tradition, Twimble and Wally Womper are played by the same actor. Sammy Smith, who originated both roles on Broadway, does so here as well.

LEGACY

The film failed to recoup its investment despite critical praise and holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Broadway revivals starred Matthew Broderick (1995) and Daniel Radcliffe (2011). The 1987 film The Secret of My Success and the 1988 Working Girl both revisit similar themes.

Tucker Smith (Ice in West Side Story) and Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies each appear in uncredited roles.

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Marty and Cindy break down one of Cindy’s favorite suspense film, The Bad Seed from 1956

THE BROADWAY CONNECTION

•       Five original Broadway cast members recreated their roles on screen, including Nancy Kelly (Tony winner for the role) and Patty McCormack—director LeRoy insisted on them over bigger Hollywood names.

THE PRODUCTION CODE FIGHT

•       Warner Bros. paid $300,000 for the rights despite PCA warnings. The Code forced a complete reversal of the original ending—Rhoda had to die and Christine had to survive. Three different endings were reportedly shot, and the last five pages of the script were withheld from cast and crew until filming.

CASTING WHAT-IFS

•       Bette Davis wanted the lead. Paul Henreid tried to buy the rights himself to direct with Davis. Alfred Hitchcock turned down the chance to direct.

PATTY McCORMACK

•       During the Broadway run, she performed on the live CBS sitcom Mama at 8:00 PM Fridays, then cabbed across Manhattan—changing costumes in the taxi—to make an 8:40 PM curtain. She never missed one.

•       Her Oscar nomination helped establish the precedent of nominating child actors in standard competitive categories rather than giving honorary juvenile awards. She later returned to the franchise in 2018 and 2022, playing a psychiatrist named Dr. March—a nod to the original novelist.

EILEEN HECKART

•       Her two scenes fall exactly one hour apart and each lasts exactly five minutes. That’s ten minutes of screen time total—enough to earn her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

DETAILS WORTH KNOWING

•       Henry Jones (Leroy the janitor) also voices the radio announcer who reports the school tragedy—a subtle doubling most viewers miss.

•       The piano piece Rhoda plays is “Au Clair de la Lune,” a traditional French children’s song. The apartment sets feature wall art resembling Rorschach blots, including one depicting a woman holding a baby at arm’s length in a menacing way.

•       The backlot exterior used for the Tidewater Arms would later appear as Doose’s Market in Gilmore Girls.

BOX OFFICE & LEGACY

•       Earned $4.1 million against a $1 million budget—one of Warner Bros.’ biggest hits of 1956. The 1992 musical Ruthless! and the 1993 film The Good Son both drew direct inspiration from it.

•       The curtain-call epilogue—where the cast takes a bow and Kelly spanks McCormack—was meant to relieve audience tension. Viewers today find it either charming or deeply strange.

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Marty and Cindy talk about one of the rest trend setting rom-coms of the 30’s, It Happened One Night.

FILM OVERVIEW

·       Title: It Happened One Night

·       Release Year: 1934

·       Director: Frank Capra

·       Screenplay: Robert Riskin

·       Source Material: “Night Bus” (Samuel Hopkins Adams, 1933)

·       Studio: Columbia Pictures

·       Starring: Clark Gable (Peter Warne), Claudette Colbert (Ellie Andrews), Walter Connolly (Alexander Andrews), Roscoe Karns (Oscar Shapely)

·       Runtime: 105 minutes

·       IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025316/

ACADEMY AWARDS AND “GRAND SLAM” HISTORY

·       The first film to sweep the five major Academy Award categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay.

·       One of only three films to achieve that “grand slam” (the others are One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Silence of the Lambs).

RELUCTANT STARS AND ON-SET TENSION

·       Claudette Colbert complained frequently during production and reportedly told a friend she had just finished “the worst picture” she’d ever made—only for it to become her most celebrated role.

·       Colbert accepted the part after being offered double her usual salary and a short, tightly scheduled shoot.

·       Clark Gable was loaned to the production by MGM; multiple accounts frame the loan as punishment connected to studio politics and Gable’s personal life.

·       Gable’s first interactions with Capra were reportedly tense, but the two eventually developed mutual respect.

THE HITCHHIKING LEG AND THE BODY DOUBLE

·       When Capra wanted a leg-reveal for the hitchhiking scene, Colbert initially refused.

·       A body double was used, but after seeing the double’s leg, Colbert insisted on doing the shot herself—famously objecting that the double’s leg was not “her leg.”

·       The moment became one of the most referenced gags in romantic-comedy history, echoed across later films and cartoons.

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Marty and Cindy lament over the Hitchcock 80 minute  apartment thriller, Rope. 

Rope (1948)

Production & Filming

• Hitchcock shot the film in 10 takes, each 4½ to 10 minutes long.
• At the end of each reel, the camera pushes into a dark object to disguise the cut.
• Props and even walls were mounted on casters so crew could silently move them.
• Hitchcock usually completed only one segment per day.
• The final segments were re-shot due to dissatisfaction with sunset lighting.
• During one take, a camera dolly reportedly ran over a cameraman’s foot. He was removed quietly to avoid stopping the shot.
• A stagehand once rushed into frame to catch a glass that an actress nearly dropped — the take was kept.
• Because of cables and moving lights, actors had to navigate the set carefully.

Historical Firsts

• Hitchcock’s first color film
• Average shot length: 435.7 seconds
• One of the earliest experiments in “continuous take” filmmaking
• Theatrically paired in the U.S. with the cartoon Hare Splitter (1948)

Literary & Stage Origins

• Based loosely on the real Leopold and Loeb murder case
• Adapted from Patrick Hamilton’s play, retitled Rope’s End on Broadway
• Major changes from stage to screen:
• Added characters (Janet, Mrs. Wilson, Kenneth)
• Changed Cadell’s age and role
• Relocated from England to New York

Casting & Performers

• Cary Grant was first considered for Rupert
• Montgomery Clift was originally considered for Brandon
• Stewart was paid $300,000 of the $1.5 million budget
• Final theatrical film for Dick Hogan (David)
• Final film of Joan Chandler
• Douglas Dick was the last surviving cast member (d. 2015)

Cultural Notes

• Banned in several cities due to implied homosexuality
• David’s name is spoken 73 times
• Each of the five men wears a different colored suit
• In Brazil, titled Festim Diabólico (“Devilish Feast”)
• Included in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

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Marty and Cindy talk about the Cold War comedy Dr. Strangelove and all the trivia associated with the movie.

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Source Material: Red Alert by Peter George

Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, James Earl Jones

Genre: Political satire / Black comedy

Setting: The Pentagon War Room, a B-52 bomber, and Burpelson Air Force Base

Peter Sellers & Performance

·       Paid $1 million—55% of the film’s budget.

·       Originally cast in four roles but did not play Major Kong due to injury.

·       Improvised the famous ‘Mein Führer! I can walk!’ line.

Military Realism & Impact

·       The Pentagon refused cooperation with the production.

·       B-52 cockpit recreated from a single magazine photograph.

·       The film reportedly contributed to review of nuclear safeguards.

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Marty and Cindy chat about the home building comedy, Mr. Blanding Builds His Dream House

Director: H.C. Potter

Starring: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas

Genre: Domestic comedy / social satire

Setting: New York City and rural Connecticut

Based on the semi-autobiographical book by Eric Hodgins, the story draws directly from the author’s own disastrous attempt to build a house in Connecticut.

Hodgins was editor of Fortune magazine, bringing a professional-class perspective to postwar domestic anxiety.

The house built for the movie still exists in Malibu, California, at coordinates: 34 degrees 5' 41"N 118 degrees 42'43"W on the old 20th Century Fox Ranch.

Has had three remakes (in order of release): Hollywood's The Money Pit (1986) starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, Sweden's The Dream House (1993) starring Björn Skifs and Suzanne Reuter, and Hollywood's Are We Done Yet? (2007) starring Ice Cube and Nia Long.

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Marty and Cindy review the Peter O’Toole and Audrey Hepburn caper comedy How to Steal a Million

Production Background

·       Directed by William Wyler, known for balancing sophistication, romance, and meticulous visual composition.

·       Produced during a transitional era in Hollywood when glossy romantic capers were giving way to grittier New Hollywood films.

·       Shot largely on location in Paris, giving the film an authentic European atmosphere rarely matched by studio backlots.

·       The film blends genres: romantic comedy, heist film, and art‑world satire.

Casting & Performances

·       Audrey Hepburn stars as Nicole Bonnet, playing against type as the daughter of a charming art forger.

·       Peter O’Toole brings effortless wit and romantic charm as Simon Dermott, the suave burglar-turned-ally.

·       Hugh Griffith provides broad comic relief as Charles Bonnet, whose fraudulent art collection drives the entire plot.

·       The chemistry between Hepburn and O’Toole was a major critical selling point of the film.

Reception & Legacy

·       The film was a commercial success and remains a staple of mid‑1960s romantic caper cinema.

·       It is often remembered as one of Audrey Hepburn’s most charming late‑career performances.

·       The movie influenced later romantic heist films that emphasize wit and elegance over realism.

·       Its tone anticipates later art‑theft comedies and light capers rather than serious crime dramas.

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