Charade | Eastern North Carolina Now

    
Let's Stop the Charade

   Drawing parallels between reality and fantasy has become a hobby of mine. It is not because I have any pertinent insight into anything, it is just that I often wake up at 3:00 AM with these thoughts running through my mind. I am not sure how to self diagnose this condition. ADHD or SCT. I am not even sure there are enough letters in the Alphabet to describe my strange mental condition. But putting all that aside I offer this latest early morning excursion into irrationality.

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Let's Stop the Charade

   Here is a review of Music, Movie, Life or Politics, You be the judge. Back in 1963 when I was a "Hopeless Romantic", I saw a movie that told me all I needed to know about life and politics. Well that may be a bit of a stretch, but in retrospect, it at least pointed the fallacy of being a Hopeless Romantic. On second thought it served to confuse me more because it had the classic Hollywood Ending. Apparently, the main characters lived happily ever-after (nobody lives ever-after, but one out of three ain't bad). Fade to the credits. It was recently shown on Turner Movie Classics which may have prompted this article. TMC

   The Movie was "CHARADE" staring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. It was not until a year later that I fell in love with Audrey Hepburn. Perhaps my favorite musical ever was "My Fair Lady" which was released in 1964.

    Charade was indeed a life lesson. A wife falls out of love with her husband because he is a crook who stole gold bars during World War II. He converted the gold to cash and planned to leave the country for South America for good. Before he leaves, he is killed. None of the money is found in his possessions. She knows nothing about the money, but realizes that it is her duty to find it to return it to its rightful owner, namely the US government. In the course of the plot unfolding she runs across many duplicitous people who are obviously just crooks looking for the money as well. She eventually meets a seemingly honest guy who appears to have her best interest in mind, but he too presents a fraudulent facade. Naturally, she falls in love with who she thinks is the honest guy.

   Everyone in the movie except her is clearly not "TRANSPARENT," which is a term that has been bandied about in the last few years. Nothing is as it seems. No one actually appears to be what they actually are. Everyone seems to have an ulterior motive. How can she tell who to trust? All of this occurs in a city, Paris (or Washington) that could not exist without a heavy infusion of "OTHER PEOPLES MONEY."

   Does any of this ring a bell today? What is life's lesson from this fifty-four year old movie? How does it relate to Politics? Unfortunately, I don't have the answer but if you replace the red words above with these suggestions, you may see my long and tortured parallel.

• Wife = Voter
• Husband = Political Party
• Crook = Politician
• Cash = Votes
• Killed = Elected
• Money = Fraudulent ballots
• Honest guy = Savior

   If you wrap it all up in a catchy tune by Henry Mancini and sung by Andy Williams, you have the perfect masquerade.

Charade

Henry Mancini & His Orchestra & Chorus

When we played our charade
We were like children posing
Playing at games, acting out names
Guessing the parts we played

Oh what a hit we made
We came on next to closing
Best on the bill, lovers until
Love left the masquerade

Fate seemed to pull the strings
I turned and you were gone
While from the darkened wings
The music box played on

Sad little serenade
Song of my heart's composing
I hear it still, I always will
Best on the bill
Charade

Written by Henry N. Mancini, Johnny Mercer • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group

   Feel free to sing along with Andy.



   Just for the record, I am no longer a "Hopeless Romantic." just a "Curmudgeon Romantic." There is apparently no cure for this condition or a bleeding heart. Just ask Bernie. The movie is certainly worth watching even without the political contortions of this article.

   If there are any readers still with me at this stage, they may be saying "Please Lord, Give him wings to get to the point!" Here are just a few:

• National politics is a Charade, both sides play it.
• Appearances can be deceiving.
• If you are in love with a person (ideology) you are easily deceived by them or it.
• Truth is rarely a politician's or con man's objective. Election, power and money are.
• If you are really looking for a savior, do not look for him or her on earth. Philippians 3:20

   Here is the link to Amazon DVD or perhaps you can see it on NetFlix. Charade on Amazon