Charade (1953)

• Title:  Charade (1953)
• Director:  Roy Kellino
• Date:  1953
• Studio:  Portland Picture
• Genre:  Short Stories, Film Noir
• Cast:  James Mason, Pamela Mason
• Format:  Black and White, Standard
• Format:  R1, NTSC 

"We can reconstruct the crime over dessert."  -- Max

"Because this had to end like this, and because you're more than a little mad, that makes you my perfect love.  This is a love that will never wilt, it will survive like a pressed flower, I shall never learn that you are stupid, or shallow, or inconstant.  Jealousy and disillusion will never make you hateful or dangerous."  -- Max


Though it has the same title as the film reviewed previously (Charade - 1963), this film really has nothing to do with the other.  Rather, it's actually three short films, no more than half an hour each (probably a bit less, I didn't keep close track), connected with scenes between James and Pamela Mason discussing the movie project they are working on.  The film, actually, starts oddly with the two talking to each other - James Mason about his desire to be a producer, and Pamela saying he's an actor who will never be a producer.  He mentions three scripts she'd worked on -- saying they were too short to produce, she counters with the idea of doing a Trio.  Between each completely separate story, and at the end as a concluding bookend we return to the two as themselves talking.

The first story is actually quite a nice film noir piece, tho' the production values are extremely low.  Everything takes place in one set, which isn't too bad, but Pamela Mason's voice-over reminds me of  Victoria Winters from Dark Shadows.  And in one scene, James Mason's menacing appearance at her door is totally spoiled by a boom in the shot.

However, that said -- it does draw you in.  Pamela Mason is a British ex-pat, living in Paris, and trying to become a painter -- and failing miserably.  Her next door neighbor is loud and annoying, especially when she plays the piano -- badly, at all hours of  the night.  Pamela even fantasizes about killing her annoying neighbor.  Then one night she hears the piano being played surprisingly well, followed by an argument and a suspicious thump.  She looks out her door and sees a man standing in the hall under the naked light bulb.  Being an artist, she sketches the man.  Deciding it would be more fun to keep the secret of what she saw -- she tells the police she slept soundly that night and saw and heard nothing.

Suddenly, "Max" (James Mason), the man she had seen in the hall appears -- he's rented the apartment next door.  Yes, the dead girl's apartment.  He's aware of  the room's history, but it doesn't bother him.  The two get to talking and before long, Pamela is painting his portrait.  As she finishes painting when he isn't there, she writes "Portrait of a Murderer" on the painting, then covers it with a canvas.

Max arrives, and tells her he's been attending the trial of  the man who is accused of killing her neighbor.  He mentions some details from the man's defense, and demands to have the original sketch she drew.  Looking at the sketch, they see a detail mentioned by the man which had never been mentioned before.  Pamela tries to convince "Max" she loves him and will never betray him.  He kills her anyway.  Two French policemen finding the body, also find the portrait...

and we return to James and Pamela Mason, discussing that "Max" will most certainly be caught.

The second story, Duel at Dawn based on an Alexandre Dumas story, has the former boyfriend of a countess challenging her current fiance to a duel.  The conditions of the duel sound impossible, one man is certain to die.  The Countess (Pamela Mason) is so distressed she writes a letter to her fiance telling him she'll die as well if  he doesn't survive -- she also tells her maid to stay there out of sight and tell her who survives.  She also writes a letter of  intent to her father.  The maid, sees the Countess's ex-boyfriend leave the dueling barn.  However, unbeknownest  to her both men survived -- the duel was a trick, meant to test Mason's courage.  However, before the Countess can go all Juliet at the news her maid brings her of her fiance's death, Mason arrives just in time.  Realising what she was about to do -- he swears off dueling for life.

The third story, The Midas Touch concerns a boring captain of  industry, who's only talent is making money.  He's so good at it he finally gets bored and takes off for England where he holds a series of  low jobs before becoming a butler and falling for the Lady's maid (Pamela Mason).  However, when the head of  the household decides to take his Yacht to the US, he's faced with a problem -- he wants to marry the maid and live a quiet life.  Somehow, instead, he ends up back in New York, captain of industry again, but now married to the maid -- who's now an aspiring actress.

Overall, I liked the first piece best -- Mason was quite menacing, and the use of mirrors to get tricky shots was interesting to watch.  Use of a single set is quite stagey, but at the end becomes effectively claustrophobic.  It's a pity that single story wasn't extended to full movie length, and the intermediate dialogue between Pamela and James Mason cut.

The second piece isn't bad -- tho' it's predictable, and James Mason's character, tho' the "hero" for once, is quite annoying as well (he does put his "honor" over his fiancee's life).

The third story is just plain awful... no doubt about it.

Overall, tho' the first story is worth watching, the rest of  Charade (1953) isn't really worth it.  I'm glad this was only an extra feature on another film I bought (Charade 1963) rather than something I really paid for.

Recommendation:  Turn it off after the end of the first story
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang