10 Shameless Alfred Hitchcock Rip-Offs

6. Charade (1963)

charade Charade is perhaps the classiest Alfred Hitchcock rip-off that you are likely to see. Starring Hitch's regular leading man, Carry Grant (in what would be one of his final film roles), alongside the ever marvelous Audrey Hepburn - Charade contains several elements that would feel fitting in one of Master of Suspense's pictures. Peter Stone's (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) screenplay sees a newly widowed woman on the run from a host of crooks who aim to steal her husband's vast fortune. Complete with a narrative involving mistaken identity, women in peril, suspense, witty dialogue, sweeping romance, a nerve shredding score from Henry Mancini, and an aesthetic Hitchcock himself would be proud of, Charade stands well above most other Hitchcock-inspired features. Director Stanley Dolen (Funny Face, Singin' In The Rain) utilizes the only pairing of Grant and Hepburn to maximum effect - with the pair having an unforgettable and truly charming on-screen dynamic. Charade was remade as The Truth About Charlie in 2002 starring Thandie Newton and Mark Wahlberg, which is a serviceable Bourne-style update, yet fails to capture the nostalgic charm of its predecessor.
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Student. Generally obsessed with all things film, television and pop music. Worshiper of John Waters, Stock-Aitken-Waterman, and awful Madonna films. You can find me on Twitter at @AndrewSMcArthur.