To Catch a Thief (1955)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
David Dodge (novel)

Release Date:

September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

WANTED by the police in all the luxury-spots of Europe!... A catch for any woman!

Plot:

When a reformed jewel thief is suspected of returning to his former occupation, he must ferret out the real thief in order to prove his innocence.

Plot Keywords:

Thief | Cat | Riviera | Burglar | Robbery

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 26

8:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Cary Grant	...	John Robie
Grace Kelly	...	Frances Stevens
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Jessie Stevens
John Williams	...	H.H. Hughson
Charles Vanel	...	Bertani
Brigitte Auber	...	Danielle Foussard
Jean Martinelli	...	Foussard
Georgette Anys	...	Germaine

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Spain:T | Netherlands:6 | Ireland:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #17226) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Canada:G (video rating) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | Norway:12 (1955) | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

There are subliminal shots of a black cat the first few times that John Robie (Cary Grant) appears. John's nickname is "the cat" because of his stealth ability.

Goofs:

Continuity: The letter that H.H. Hughson gives to John Robie with the names of jewelry owners is folded into thirds horizontally, but later at the beach, when John Robie notices it has a wet thumb-print, the letter is folded in half vertically. In addition, the Stevens' address block has changed from 3 lines to 4 lines. "Chambre 541" has moved from the 2nd line to a separate, new 3rd line.

Quotes:

John Robie: Danielle, do me a favor. Don't call me a cat.
Danielle Foussard: I only do one favor a day.
Foussard: [he says something angrily to Danielle in French]
John Robie: Will you do as your father here asks?
Danielle Foussard: [mockingly] Did I brush your fur the wrong way?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Sliders: To Catch a Slider (#5.15)" (2000)

Fully appreciable, at last on DVD, brightly restored in it's original VistaVision ratio.

This underrated Hitchcock piece is his tribute to his obsession with the dazzling Grace Kelly, who's even more beautiful than the Riviera set pieces. Teamed with Grant, they make a perfect couple, in a mischievous love story that's quite unique for Hitchcock. It's as if he decided to leave well-enough alone, and simply provided a series of grandiose setups for his two leads to cavort in; perhaps too surprisingly for Hitchcock devotees. Nonetheless, this is a sophisticated romp that's punctuated with some fine supporting performances. Sadly, Hitchcock would search for a Kelly substitute for the rest of his career; and his remembrance of this "vacation" picture would be a dominant influence in the creation of his dark masterpiece to come, VERTIGO.