Charly
“A love story that begins with an incredible experiment!”
Synopsis
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.
Top Cast
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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
William Dwyer
Joey
Dan Morgan
Paddy
Marianna Case
Young Woman (uncredited)
Leon Collins
Tap Dancer (uncredited)
Harry Cooper
Conference Attendee (uncredited)
Frank Dolan
Eddie (uncredited)
Randee Lynne Jensen
Woman (uncredited)
Ralph Nelson
Convention Speaker (uncredited)
Donald Warnock
Conference Attendee (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Berlin International Film Festival (exact date unknown)
Festival / Special Debut
September 23, 1968
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 31, 2005
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$950K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$815K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.86x
-$135K deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Ralph Nelson
- Screenplay & Story
- Stirling Silliphant
- Original Score
- Ravi Shankar
- Original Title
- Charly
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
- Production Budget
- $950K
- Worldwide Gross
- $815K
- Production Studios
- ABC Pictures, Cinerama Releasing Corporation
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Ralph Nelson
Stirling Silliphant, Daniel Keyes
Ravi Shankar
Arthur J. Ornitz
Fredric Steinkamp
Selig J. Seligman, Ralph Nelson
Department Leadership Roster
John DeCuir
Production Design
Hazel Roy
Costume Design
Stirling Silliphant
Screenplay
Ralph Nelson
Director
Ralph Nelson
Producer
Fredric Steinkamp
Editor
Arthur J. Ornitz
Director of Photography
Ravi Shankar
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Charly.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Charly.
Mid Hunting List
A list of mids found by Mid Hunters
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list_Science_Fiction
Movies categorized under Science_Fiction
Movies - Live Action
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Classic Movies Collection
Copy of TMDB public list 8294149 - Classic Movies Collection
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Frequently Asked Questions About Charly
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Charly about?
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.
Who directed Charly?
Charly was directed by Ralph Nelson.
Who stars in Charly?
The principal cast of Charly includes Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney, Ruth White.
When was Charly released and how long is it?
Charly was released in 1968 with a total runtime of 1h 43m.
What was the box office and production budget of Charly?
Charly had a reported production budget of $950K and grossed $815K at the worldwide box office (0.86 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Charly?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Charly was composed by Ravi Shankar.
Is Charly based on a book or true story?
Charly is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Daniel Keyes".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Charly?
Charly holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).