Charade (1963): Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant

     Produced and directed by Stanley Donen, Charade (1963) is a superb film that is often referred to as "the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made." Full of mystery, suspense, witty exchanges, screwball banter, beautiful Paris cinematography, a memorable Henry Mancini soundtrack and intrigue, the film has it all. The story concerns a recent widow and the trouble her dead husband left her, with a group of men out to get her and the $250,000 they think she is hiding. Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant are perfect in the lead roles, with great chemistry and sparkling dialogue. The supporting cast is great as well, including Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy. Due to a copyright mistake, Charade entered the public domain upon it's release, so numerous different prints of varying quality exist. 

Charade. 1963

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

"Charade"- movie trailer

Funny Face (1957): Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire

     Using songs from a 1927 Broadway musical of the same name, Funny Face (1957) changed the story around to form an entirely new premise, focusing on the Fashion world of the late 1950's. Full of vibrant colors and lively dancing, directed by Stanley Donen, Funny Face is a marvel to look at. The male lead, played by Fred Astaire, was loosely based on fashion photographer Richard Avedon, and Avedon himself served as a consultant as well as designing parts of the title sequence. Like many of her other films, Audrey Hepburn was paired with a much older leading man in Fred Astaire, who was 30 years her senior. Audrey always maintained the odd pairing was at her insistence, though. Unlike her later musical, My Fair Lady (1964), in which her voice was over-dubbed, Audrey Hepburn did all her own singing in Funny Face... performing four songs, as well as a solo, black-clad bohemian dance routine that has become one of her most Iconic screen moments.

     With change in mind, Quality fashion magazine is looking to add an intellectual feel to their new designs... 

Funny Face. 1957

     They venture to storm a bookstore for an impromptu photo shoot, and bewilder the poor, philosophy-loving store clerk, Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn)... 

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

     Photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) sees something special in Jo's unorthodox beauty... 

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

     and after much convincing, Jo becomes the new face of Quality magazine... 

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

     She is whisked off to Paris... 

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

     for a runway show... 

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

     and a dazzling series of fashion shoots... 

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

     Jo and Dick are showing amorous feelings towards one another... 

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

     and complications arise...

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

Funny Face. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

Love in the Afternoon (1957): Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper and Billy Wilder

     Directed by Billy Wilder, Love in the Afternoon (1957) was the first of eleven screenwriting collaborations between Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. The story concerns an innocent girl's passionate love-affair fling with a rich playboy. Cary Grant was Wilder's first choice for a leading man, but the two could never agree on a deal, so Gary Cooper was offered the role because of his affable reputation on set. Audrey Hepburn is lovely and graceful in her role... pure elegance. Maurice Chevalier is wonderful in his supporting role as well. 

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn and Maurice Chevalier

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper

Love in the Afternoon. 1957: Audrey Hepburn

"Love in the Afternoon"- movie trailer

Sabrina (1954): Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden

     Directed by Billy Wilder, Sabrina (1954) was Audrey Hepburn's follow-up role to her Oscar-winning debut in Roman Holiday (1953). Audrey is in top form in the film, both in ability and appearance. Showing a full, diverse transformation in wardrobe style, Sabrina made Audrey Hepburn a fashion Icon. Strangely, Audrey's two leading male co-stars had polar opposite reactions to her. Humphrey Bogart didn't care for Audrey, and viewed her as an amateurish nuisance. William Holden, on the other hand, fell madly in love with Audrey and the two began a highly publicized affair. Audrey wanted children above all else, though, and Holden's sterility prevented that... so the romance was short-lived.

     Sabrina Fairchild (Audrey Hepburn)... 

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

     is the daughter of the chauffeur for the wealthy Larrabee family on Long Island... 

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

     As long as she can remember, she has had a crush on playboy David Larrabee (William Holden), the younger of the two Larrabee brothers, but he never takes notice of her. The elder brother, Linus Larrabee (Humphrey Bogart) is a strict businessman. Sabrina heads off to culinary school in Paris as a naive girl, and returns two years later as a beautiful woman... 

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

     Suddenly David's view of Sabrina has changed...

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

      and he is fawning over her... 

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

     But Linus has other plans for David, plans that involve an arranged marriage to help his business merger, and Sabrina is messing it up. So, Linus figures he'll steal Sabrina's affections for himself... 

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

     and he begins to pursue her as well... 

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

     and much to his surprise, he begins to fall in love with her... 

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

     Where do Sabrina's affections rest...

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

      and who truly loves her more...

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

Sabrina. 1954: Audrey Hepburn

Wait Until Dark (1967): Audrey Hepburn

     Alan Arkin said the toughest part about his time on the set of Wait Until Dark (1967) was that he had to be mean to Audrey Hepburn. She was such a kind and adorable person, it broke his heart to have to torture her, even if it was just acting. Despite any apprehensions the cast faced, the end result is a top-notch thriller... one that is unique and set the tone for future films in a similar vein.

     A doll has been cut open and used as a vessel for transporting heroin. The runner's plan to abscond with the drugs backfired when she handed the doll off to an innocent photographer, who took it back to the apartment he shares with his wife, a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn)... 

Wait Until Dark. 1967: Audrey Hepburn

     Now Roat (Alan Arkin), a psychopath and his two henchmen are determined to get the drug-stuffed doll back at any cost... 

Wait Until Dark. 1967

     An elaborate ruse to trick the blind woman into handing the doll over doesn't go according to plan... 

Wait Until Dark. 1967: Audrey Hepburn

     She is too smart for the thieves... 

Wait Until Dark. 1967: Audrey Hepburn

     A gripping climax puts Audrey against Arkin in a test of wits and fortitude... 

Wait Until Dark. 1967: Audrey Hepburn

     The blind woman is disadvantaged and overcome with crippling doubt, confusion and fear... 

Wait Until Dark. 1967: Audrey Hepburn

     But somehow, she must manage to stay alive...

Wait Until Dark. 1967: Audrey Hepburn