Goodbye Charlie (1964)

61% of users liked it
(343 ratings)

George Axelrod's Goodbye Charlie flopped on Broadway with Lauren Bacall in the lead, but fared a little better as a film vehicle for Debbie Reynolds. Charlie (Harry Madden) is an inveterate philanderer who is shot dead by jealous husband Walter Matthau. Through a celestial fluke, Charlie's soul… More George Axelrod's Goodbye Charlie flopped on Broadway with Lauren Bacall in the lead, but fared a little better as a film vehicle for Debbie Reynolds. Charlie (Harry Madden) is an inveterate philanderer who is shot dead by jealous husband Walter Matthau. Through a celestial fluke, Charlie's soul enters the well-rounded body of Debbie Reynolds. In this form, Charlie/Debbie seeks to settle old scores with her murderer as well as several other enemies. As if these aren't complications enough, Charlie's best friend Tony Curtis falls in love with Debbie, knowing full well that Debbie isn't really Debbie. If you liked Goodbye Charlie once, you'll love it twice: Blake Edwards retooled the whole megillah for Ellen Barkin, added a trendy feminist underlining, and came up with Switch (1991). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 56 min.
Directed By: Vincente Minnelli
Written By: George Axelrod, Harry Kurnitz
Genres: Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1964 Wide

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Minnelli wanted Marilyn Monroe for the lead, and indeed Debbie Reynolds is doing too much in this comedy about gender reversal and transgressive conduct, though Tony Curtis has some good moments

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

At times tasteless but generally breezy gender switching comedy and certainly better than the awful remake "Switch". Debbie is glamorous and ribald, Tony suitably exasperated and its interesting to see Ellen Burstyn this early in her career.