Charly

"A love story that begins with an incredible experiment!"

1968 1h 43m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 124

DramaRomanceScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An experiment on a simpleton turns him into a genius. When he discovers what has been done to him he struggles with whether or not what was done to him was right.

“A love story that begins with an incredible experiment!”

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Cast

Cliff Robertson
Charlie Gordon
Claire Bloom
Alice Kinian
Lilia Skala
Dr. Anna Straus
Leon Janney
Dr. Richard Nemur
Ruth White
Mrs. Apple
Dick Van Patten
Bert
Edward McNally
Gimpy
Barney Martin
Hank

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ralph Nelson
Writers: Stirling Silliphant
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 86% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

58 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ralph Nelson, shot by Arthur J. Ornitz. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ravi Shankar. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Fredric Steinkamp shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Cliff Robertson and Claire Bloom and Lilia Skala carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A love story that begins with an incredible experiment!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ralph Nelson directs. Arthur J. Ornitz behind the camera. Ravi Shankar scores. Fredric Steinkamp cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 86% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
358 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Directed by Ralph Nelson, shot by Arthur J. Ornitz. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ravi Shankar. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Fredric Steinkamp shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Cliff Robertson and Claire Bloom and Lilia Skala carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A love story that begins with an incredible experiment!".
9IMDB entry: tt0062794 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur J. Ornitz
Original score: Ravi Shankar
Editing: Fredric Steinkamp
Production design: John DeCuir
Costume design: Hazel Roy
Makeup / hair: Vin Kehoe
Runtime: 103 min · 1h 43m
Status: Released
Budget: $950,000
Box office: $814,666
Return: 86% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Charly (1968)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
Academy Award for Best Actor

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Ralph Nelson

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-01-04
★ 7/10
Cliff Robertson is at the top of his game as the eponymous character who has learning difficulties. He has been attending night classes under "Dr. Kilman" (Claire Bloom) for almost two years, determined to improve his reading and writing, and it is she who thinks it might be possible to get him onto a scientifically-backed course that could ultimately result in profoundly correctional surgery. He has to struggle and work hard - often trying to outfox a genetically altered mouse - to convince "Dr. Straus" (Lilia Skala) and "Dr. Nemur" (Leon Janney) that he is suitable - and that's whilst, meantime, holding down a job at a bakery where his colleagues are not averse to rather cruel and thoughtless practical jokes. Eventually, he prevails but is what emerges from the surgery really sustainable? This is one of those stories where the underlying morals seeking conformity and acceptance are merged with the promise of largely unfettered scientific advances that pay scant regard to any broader or future ramifications of their progress. It's a bit of a slow start, but an effective chemistry gradually develops between "Charly" and his doctor as the ethics start to kick in and we all begin to wonder if (or not) this engaging character is on the right path. It's quite thought provoking at times and the dialogue and direction provide a film that offers us choices - it's not just black and white judgement or analysis. Not always an easy film to watch, but worth it, I'd say.

Production companies