To Catch a Thief (1955) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error To Catch a Thief ( 1955 ) PG | 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.

Director: John Michael Hayes (screenplay), David Dodge (based on the novel by) Stars: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 46 titles created 13 Mar 2011 a list of 24 titles created 28 Apr 2012 a list of 24 titles created 22 Sep 2014 a list of 45 titles created 9 months ago a list of 25 titles created 2 weeks ago Title: To Catch a Thief (1955) 7.5/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 nominations. See more awards » Videos A family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble on to an assassination plot and the conspirators are determined to prevent them from interfering. Director: Alfred Hitchcock An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to murder his wife. When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock The trouble with Harry is that he's dead, and everyone seems to have a different idea of what needs to be done with his body... Director: Alfred Hitchcock A woman is asked to spy on a group of Nazi friends in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them? Director: Alfred Hitchcock True story of an innocent man mistaken for a criminal. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory. Director: Alfred Hitchcock Mark marries Marnie although she is a habitual thief and has serious psychological problems, and tries to help her confront and resolve them. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A shy young heiress marries a charming gentleman, and soon begins to suspect he is planning to murder her. Director: Alfred Hitchcock Two young men strangle their "inferior" classmate, hide his body in their apartment, and invite his friends and family to a dinner party as a means to challenge the "perfection" of their crime. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A serial murderer is strangling women with a necktie. The London police have a suspect, but he is the wrong man.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock A psychotic socialite confronts a pro tennis star with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder - a theory that he plans to implement. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people. Director: Alfred Hitchcock Edit Storyline American expatriate John Robie living in high style on the Riviera is a retired cat burglar. He must find out who a copy cat is to keep a new wave of jewel thefts from being pinned on him. High on the list of prime victims is Jessie Stevens, in Europe to help daughter Frances find a suitable husband. The Lloyds of London insurance agent is using a thief to catch a thief. Take an especially close look at scene where Robie gets Jessie's attention, dropping an expensive casino chip down the décolletage of a French roulette player. Written by Dale O'Connor <daleoc@interaccess.com> For a moment he forgets he's a thief--and she forgets she's a lady!

See more » Genres: Rated PG for some action violence, mild suggestive material and smoking | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 22 August 1955 (Brazil) See more » Also Known As: Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief See more » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Trivia Before the film was released there was some concern that the age difference between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly was too great. He was 50 and she was 24. See more » Goofs When Robie and Hughson are walking at the flower market, they look back at a few men following them. As they do, a woman in a bright pink dress is walking towards the two men behind them, but as they turn back, the same woman (who should have been behind them) is walking towards Robie and Hughson. See more » Quotes can be seen again and again 15 March 2005 | by Tashtago (Vancouver,Canada) – See all my reviews Like most of Hitchcock this is a film that withstands repeated viewings.

A light crime farce it is nevertheless full of great Hitchcock touches- a particular favorite of mine is the chase through the flower market with Cary Grant's comic encounter with the old flower seller. Grace Kelly was perhaps the sexiest of all movie stars in that she could combine the glamor of a Katherine Hepburn or Elizabeth Taylor with the earthy sexiness of Marilyn Monroe. Witness her first surprise kiss with Cary Grant and his reaction. This is priceless acting and one of the reasons Grant is considered one of the greatest actors in movie history. John Williams is also excellent as the very British insurance agent and Jesse Royce Landis (who played Grant's mother in North by Northwest ) is also on hand for a number of fine moments. Although slim in terms of drama this has to rank among the top ten of Hitch's films. 30 of 41 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes ‎To Catch a Thief (1955) directed by Alfred Hitchcock • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd 5 Absolutely stunning cinematography. Grace Kelly is as beautiful to look at as any of the glorious French landscapes in the film. Sadly both Kelly and Grant are stiffer than usual here.

The narrative itself is not too captivating. The usual wit and innuendo characteristic of Hitchcock films fell decidedly flat this go around. There are definite attempts in the dialogue but nothing that really sticks or feels remotely playful. The attempts at commentary on the insurance business even felt week--they barely get enough jabs in to call it a commentary. Honestly it's pretty short. I would watch just for the beauty of it all. Jesus I'm such a bitch for green lighting. Seriously look at these: Review by Jye Briscoe ★★★½ A light and intriguing Hitchcock film is brought down by an overly simple plot that slightly lulls in the second act. Cary Grant and Grace Kelly are fun to watch in this one, but the plot seemingly stalls in the middle portion of the film until things pick up again in the final 25 minutes. But I guess that just shows how great a director Alfred Hitchcock was that even his duller films are still incredibly enthralling and have you guessing until the end. Review by Keith LaFountaine ★★★★ There can be no larger testament to Hitchcock's immense talent than the fact that the majority of his films are incredibly solid, entertaining, and interesting.

To Catch a Thief is not a film commonly mentioned when we hear about Hitchcock, nor is it one that film professors or cinephiles will insist you must study, but it is a good film nonetheless. Cary Grant plays his usual suave, collected, slightly dangerous persona, while Grace Kelly remains as vivacious and alluring as ever, with an interesting - albeit very stereotypical - character. Both are always fun to watch. Hitchcock's direction remains as taut as ever, especially during the rooftop scenes, and the writing is snappy and fun. I can only imagine how much fun Hayes had trying to write the most obvious sexual innuendo without getting in trouble with the censors. Overall, a very fun and solid turn from Hitchcock that is sadly underrated. To Catch A Thief (1955) by Art Buchwald The Cat Prowls Again? Is it true, or just a rumor - that John Robie, former cat burglar of Paris before the war, is once again on the prowl? Fashionable resorts on the Riviera are being regularly looted by a skillful jewel thief.

Robie, once a hero of the French Resistance Army, was said to have reformed - however, the style of this new crime wave is certainly his. Even if he's innocent, he'll need all his old adroitness escaping the suspicious opinions of a doubtful police. Robie, wearing a black and white horizontally-striped shirt and a red kerchief (resembling a cat collar) is cutting roses in his outside garden - he is semi-retired, cultivating grapes and flowers. After hearing the screeching tires of an approaching police vehicle with five officials inside, he quickly runs upstairs to his bedroom. When the police arrive and surround his home, his maid Germaine (Georgette Anys) calls for him - he effeminately walks down the stairs where a few officers greet him, describe their accusations, and command him to go with them to Nice for questioning. When he returns to his room to change his clothes, he locks the door, fixes up a shotgun, and fires it. As the men break down the door, his car is heard roaring away - but he is on the roof looking down at the scene.

When the police finally catch up with his car after chasing him through spectacular scenery [a similar car chase returning to Robie's villa symmetrically ends the film], and both cars are blocked by a herd of sheep, they realize that they have been diverted - Germaine is driving his car. With his house devoid of detectives and cleared for escape, Robie boards a bus to Cannes and sits in the rear seat. He watches through the back window as the detectives return to his villa. He is squeezed on the bench seat between a cage containing two fluttering birds (enticing to a cat) and a portly passenger. [This is director Hitchcock in his customary cameo. Grant turns and is startled to see him. Hitchcock stares ahead and ignores his star.] In Cannes, he strides down stone steps into a coastal restaurant on the French Riviera owned by restauranteur Bertani (Charles Vanel), one of his old colleagues from the war. When the wine steward Foussard (Jean Martinelli) (with a white streak in his hair and a limp in his stride) first notices Robie, he prematurely pops the cork on a bottle of champagne and it bubbles over.

The restauranteur's staff, other ex-accomplices of Robie's, are suspicious and wary of him as he peers into the glassed-in kitchen area. As Robie glances away for a second, a raw egg splatters on the glass pane in front of him - obliterating his face and expressing their furtive hostility. After avoiding the brutish advances of one of the staff, Robie turns and speaks to Bertani - he claims ("insists") his innocence and that he had nothing to do with the robberies: "I haven't stolen a piece of jewelry in fifteen years." A skeptical Bertani "perhaps" believes that he hasn't returned to his former job. (It is revealed that Robie was an American who had been imprisoned, alongside Bertani and some of his kitchen staff, during World War II and the Nazi occupation of France. When the Germans bombed the prison and they all escaped, they served in the underground Resistance movement.

When they were paroled-rehabilitated after serving in the Resistance, Robie remained in France and gained notoriety as a former jewel thief, claiming that he never stole again.) The kitchen help (his former comrades), however, assume that Robie is "responsible" for the robberies that bear his mark. (They also may envy his wealth and life of ease.) They angrily believe that he "let them down" and is jeopardizing their freedom. Robie responds: "And now if there's any crime on the Riviera, we're the first to be suspected by the police." Although retired from the burglary business, he can't understand how the crimes bear such a striking, copy-cat similarity to his own methods. [Bertani is filmed from below, while Robie is filmed from above.] To clear his name, Robie realizes that the only way to prove that he ISN'T the Cat is a very dangerous proposition. He has to investigate by himself (as a very skillful policeman) and find the real thief who is imitating his crimes.

By putting himself into the thief's perspective, by imagining and identifying himself as the Cat burglar, and by anticipating and outdoing the copy-cat burglar's next move, Robie will use his burglary experience to ultimately unmask the real culprit: What I can't understand is how this thief can imitate me so perfectly. It has to be someone who knew every detail of my technque. Maybe somebody in the police...He picks perfect victims and only the right stones. Goes up walls, over the roofs, down through the skylights. Leaves no clue and then disappears in the night...If somebody caught this imitator, we'd all be off the hook, wouldn't we?...No one believes me, but the police are chasing the wrong man. Someone's got to start chasing the right one...I've got to catch this imitator myself...I can anticipate him, try to figure out his next move, and then get there ahead of him and catch him with his hands right in the jewel case...The biggest problem is time. I've got to hit this copy-cat before he hears I'm after him.

To catch him in the act, I need better information than he has, the kind that takes months to dig out. He asks for Bertani to help him, especially to find out more about possible targets - rich people who own jewels: "Where they live, which room they keep the stones in, what time they usually go to sleep, how much they drink, whether they have dogs, guns, servants, insurance." Bertani presents him with the business card of a man who recently came to the restaurant and asked many "strange questions" about "crime and criminals," and "about the jewels (my) clients wear." Robie is alerted that the police have trailed him to the restaurant, so he is helped to escape by the smitten young, blonde daughter of the wine steward, Danielle Foussard (Brigitte Auber). [Coincidentally, she is wearing a similar, look-alike shirt - with red and white horizontal stripes - an obvious hint that she is in his identical line of work!].

Robie is to be whisked away by speedboat (a boat named "Maquis Mouse" - a deliberate play on Maquis (the French Underground) and Mickey Mouse) to the Beach Club in Cannes, where he is to await Bertani's phone call. In the wine cellar as they leave, Danielle teasingly labels Robie "Mr. Cat," and then asks when he expresses upset: "Did I brush your fur the wrong way?" The detectives spot the speedboat departing and pursue Robie by plane to his destination. During the boatride, water splashes on Robie, and Danielle again toys with him: "It must be true what they say. Cats don't like water." She suggests that a "man should never regret his past." She remembers how he taught her English in her childhood, and she views his current easy life filled with "excitement, danger, affluence" (by living on his earlier profits). Bitter but not angry, she doesn't believe that he is innocent.

Even though he's probably responsible for the recent robberies, she still propositions him to marry her and go to South America to escape the police: Danielle: I was just thinking about you, imagining you in your expensive villa enjoying life, while we work like idiots for a loaf of bread. Robie: I work for a living too raising grapes and flowers. Danielle: And rubies, and diamonds, and pearls...I've always dreamed of going to South America. People say it's a virgin country. I can cook, sew, keep my mouth shut and peddle stolen jewels on the black market... Before arrival at the Beach Club, he changes into red-plaid swim trunks, and is deposited near the shore. On the beach, he reclines on the sand in front of a beautiful, lanky blonde (Grace Kelly) in a turban and sunglasses who is applying sun-tan lotion. A lechorous, male beach attendant [a police informant?] stands menacingly above Robie with a message about a phone call from Bertani, with additional information about the man who asked questions in his restaurant about jewels: "He will wait for you at the entrance of the flower market in Nice. He will find you.

I told him you will be tossing a coin in the air." As the beach attendant does pull-ups, he strains to overhear the phone conversation. At the Nice flower market, Robie is met by a well-dressed, proper and respectable man - an insurance company agent from Lloyd's of London named H. H. Hughson (John Williams). His company is in the business of insuring the jewelry of wealthy clients. Robie (now using the alias of "Smith") guiltlessly makes an "intriguing" and "unorthodox" proposition that resembles gambling: "a little help in return for some of your losses." He requests a list of Lloyd's of London's most prominent, richest clients ("the top half-dozen names...the addresses, habits, whatever you've got, descriptions of the stones and settings") - those who will be the Cat burglar's next victims. Hughson realizes when he tentatively agrees, that he's taking a risky "big chance": Robie: What happens to you if I'm caught? Hughson: I might be embarrassed, even censured officially. Robie: They could put me away for good. Hughson: You made a bad choice of professions.

Robie: Then, let's come to an understanding. I'm doing you a favor. I take all the risks. You get all the jewelry back. Hughson: Mr. Smith. It strikes me that only an honest man would be so foolish. Robie: Thank you. After their bargain is sealed, the police catch up with Robie when he tumbles over large baskets of flowers and angry female flower-sellers in the market detain his escape. In the next scene after being led away by police, Robie has returned home, where he sits on his veranda with Hughson and drinks wine before a lunch of Quiche Lorraine. Still on parole, he has been given a brief reprieve ("provisional liberty based upon insufficient evidence") for ten days. During their meal's conversation, an impatient Robie is anxious to get the list of rich clients from Hughson, so that he can investigate, catch the real burglar, and prove his innocence.

He must have evidence that is "pretty convincing for the examining magistrate." He also admits, to Hughson's consternation, that he killed 72 people in the war ("not one of them was insured"), and that his maid once strangled a German general "without a sound." They discuss the motivations for Robie's past crimes and career as a thief, and how he transferred trapeze artistry skills to burglary. Explaining why he steals, Robie also candidly denies being a self-less Robin Hood, and then forces a moral comparison between his occupation and Hughson's thievery in his own petty business: Hughson: How did you - I mean, why did you...? Robie: Why did I take up stealing?...To live better, to own things I couldn't afford, to acquire this good taste which you now enjoy and which I should be very reluctant to give up. Hughson: Oh, you mean you were frankly dishonest. Robie: I tried to be. Hughson: You know, I thought you'd have some defense, some tale of hardship - your mother ran off when you were young, your father beat you, or something. Robie: Naah, no.

I was a member of an American trapeze act in the circus that traveled in Europe. It folded and I was stranded, so I put my agility to a more rewarding purpose. Hughson: You have no other defense. Robie: No. For what it's worth, I only stole from people who wouldn't go hungry... Hughson: I take it you were a sort of modern Robin Hood. I mean, you gave away most of the proceeds of your crimes. Robie: Kept everything myself. Well, let's face it, I was an out-and-out thief, like you. Hughson: Steady, old man. Robie: No, no, wait a minute. Have you ever taken an ashtray from a hotel or a towel? Hughson: Souvenirs, they expect that. Robie: You're given an expense allowance to pay for all the meals you eat on the job. Right? But this meal is free. Now, are you going to deduct the price of a lunch from your expense account? Well, of course you're not. It would be stupid. Do you agree? Hughson: Yes. Robie: You're a thief.

Only an amateur thief, of course, but it will help you to sympathize with us professionals. Robie concludes by asserting that when items are stolen from hotel rooms, "they don't come looking for you." He also notes, however, that when a diamond bracelet disappears in France, they shout: "John Robie, the Cat!" By contrast, Hughson doesn't have to justify his honesty to anyone: You don't have to spend every day of your life proving your honesty, but I do. Well, let's get down to business. (He extends his hand.) The list? Concerned about the success of their bargain, Hughson reluctantly gives in and entrusts Robie with the detailed list of heavily-insured clients - each with a detailed notation of the jewels they possess. He also informs Robie that the police have been informed about their plan and "they thought it a splendid idea because they hope you'll make a mistake and provide them with the evidence they need against you." One of the clients includes Robie's "first bait" - the affluent, nouveau riche American widow, an oil millionairess named Mrs.

Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) who is traveling with her beautiful blonde daughter Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly). They are staying in Cambre 541 at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes. The Stevens' have principal pieces of jewelry insured for and valued at $280,000.00. When asked if Hughson knows the Stevens, he mentions that he is having dinner with them the next evening. At the hotel during dinner, Hughson advises the blunt, feisty, red-haired Mrs. Stevens to safeguard her jewels in the hotel's safe, but she retorts unperturbed: "I didn't buy these things for my old age. I bought them to wear." She accentuates the fact that she will pay for his dinner: "Put your money away, Hughson. You can cheat a little on your expense account." She also complains about petty tipping. Walking across the far end of the room, a "handsome" Robie attracts Mrs. Stevens' attention. She calculatingly tells her cool, reserved, and quiet daughter, who wears a virginal and icy blue gown, that she would like to buy him: I wouldn't mind buying that for you.

On their way from dinner to the casino, Mrs. Stevens - who is husband-hunting for her daughter - also counsels her about gambling (for men!): "When the stakes are right, you'll gamble." In the lobby of the hotel, they overhear Robie mentioning to a jewelry salesman that he is an American from Portland, Oregon. On opposite sides of the roulette wheel table in the casino, Robie and Mrs. Stevens gamble. While Robie plays with his gambling plaques in his hands, the chips are precariously placed above the deep cleavage of an elegant French woman (Gladys Holland) - a closeup shows the sexy view from his perspective. He non-chalantly drops a 10,000 franc gambling plaque down the front of her dress between her breasts. She gasps and clutches at herself as he apologizes - and then she lightly dismisses the 'accident.' Rather than let him retrieve the chip, she pays him off with an equivalent amount of chips from her stack. When he adds: "I trust you too. I won't count it," Mrs. Stevens laughs amusedly. Robie (using the alias of "Mr.

Burns") contrives to meet Hughson and the Stevens' - and he is invited to share drinks at their table. Frances sits very erect and quiet in her seat at the table - and is often seen in profile. Mrs. Stevens regales them with humorous stories of her late husband, a down-to-earth, home-town man named Jeremiah [she later calls her husband a "swindler"]. Their oil ranch was discovered only after he died - she became a lonely millionaire overnight: He never realized how valuable the ground was he had his feet on...We had a ranch. It wasn't a very big one. No plumbing. A little thing out back. Poor Jeremiah, he'll never know how close he came to twenty million barrels of oil. She complains, after becoming half-drunk on bourbon, that nobody calls her 'Jessie' anymore. [The actress' name is Jessie Royce Landis!] After asking that the men call her "Jessie," she also forthrightly promotes the availability of her daughter (improperly educated and made phony at a "finishing school" in her opinion) for 'Mr. Burns' as a prospective suitor - after all, he's a successful lumber businessman: Mrs.

Stevens: How come you haven't made a pass at my daughter? (To Frances) And don't say, 'Oh, Mother!' to me. Mr. Burns, I asked you a question. Robie: Very pretty, quietly attractive. Mrs. Stevens: Yeah, but too nice. Sorry I ever sent her to that finishing school. I think they finished her there. She compares her impersonal, cold, and lifeless jewelry to the warmth of her late husband: And so to bed where I can cuddle up to my jewelry...as rare and wonderful as they are, I think I'd rather have a hundred thousand Jeremiahs. Robie escorts both women to their separate hotel suites - first Jessie, and then Frances. To his complete surprise, and to prove her mother wrong, Francie unlocks her door, turns - and then after a warm glance into his eyes, she places her arm around his shoulder and passionately kisses him. After she shuts her door, he slowly turns toward the camera with a smile on his lip-stick stained lips.

View All Critic Reviews (43) Audience Reviews for To Catch a Thief I'm not sure there's anything extra special about this film, but compared to a great many, its craft and its plot are excellent. The colours are beautiful, and Grace Kelly absolutely shines. The suspicion cast on Cary Grant's character keeps you watching - and of course, guessing - right to the very end, constantly ratcheting up the tension in the way only Hitchcock can. It's one of the director's least disturbing and most accessible works, and unlike a lot of his early stuff, it doesn't feel dated - justifiably called a classic. Daniel Perry Super Reviewer This is once again Hitch making a film that's a mix of romance and thrills, although here the focus is more on the romance. That's really not a bad thing though. The film is really straight forward, but it's still solid and good. I mean, it's about a jewel thief on the loose, with the prime suspect being a reformed cat burglar trying to move on with his life. He tries to start up a relationship with an heiress, who, despite having feelings for him, is still very suspicious of him.

What really makes the film stand out are the strong performances (decent overall, but not the best work for the performers), and the stunning cinematography, which was at least nominated for an Oscar. The locations are good too, but really come alive just for the wonderful camera work. All in all, a solid, entertaining Hitch romp, though in the grand scheme of things, it's in the middle of his filmgraphy in terms of greatness, but that also basically means that if another director made it, it would probably be at the top of their list. Chris Weber Super Reviewer Not the best, but when you have Cary Grant AND Grace Kelly, it's hard to hate it. Jennifer D Super Reviewer Hitchcock uses Grant for what he's best at in this suspense/comedy classic. This is good warm up for the Grant/Hitchcock masterpiece "North By Northwest" made four years later.

Graham Jones Movie Review: TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock | Festival Reviews Home Movie Review: TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Movie Review: TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: TO CATCH A THIEF, 1955 Review by Steven Painter SYNOPSIS: American expatriate John Robie living in high style on the Riviera is a retired cat burglar. He must find out who a copy cat is to keep a new wave of jewel thefts from being pinned on him. High on list of prime victims is Jessie Stevens, in Europe to help daughter Frances find a suitable husband. Lloyds of London insurance agent is using a thief to catch a thief. Take an especially close look at scene where Robie gets Jessie’s attention, dropping an expensive casino chip down decolletage of French roulette player. REVIEW: The French Riviera is the setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief (1955).

This movie is beloved by audiences and typically dismissed by film theorists and critics. The disappointment expressed by critics is understandable. But so is the joy coming from any audience that watches. In this movie we see the French Riviera at its best. Robert Burks won an Academy Award for his color cinematography. Grace Kelly is cool, charming and elegant. This is one of her best performances and probably the best of her three Hitchcock films. The others being Dial M for Murder (1954) and Rear Window (1954). Cary Grant is also great in this movie. He always gave great performances when working for Hitch, but this one is special. These are the reasons why audiences enjoy To Catch a Thief. The story is the main reason why theorists and critics dismiss it. It revolves around a series of burglaries. Grant plays John Robie, also known as The Cat. Robie used to be a great cat burglar, specializing in jewelry. He became a well-respected hero during World War II though when he joined the Resistance against the Nazis. His good name is being dragged through the mud when a new cat burglar takes to the streets stealing jewelry. Of course everyone believes Robie is the one doing all the taking.

He is able to avoid the police in the opening sequence of the film. He ends up on a passenger bus into town. This is where Hitchcock makes one of his best cameo appearances, be sure to check it out. Once in town Robie goes around to old friends to see what they can dig up about the new cat burglar. They don’t give him much and he makes his way to the hotels on the Riviera. His only ally seems to be insurance agent Hughson, played by Hitchcock stalwart John Williams. Hughson’s priority is to insure the jewelry of a wealthy American woman who is on vacation with her daughter, Francie, played by Kelly. Here Robie and Francie fall in love. Francie seems fascinated by Robie’s former career as a burglar. The mystery and suspense is put on the backburner as the two stars’ romance develops. Although there is a daring car chase in which Kelly drives through the winding hills of the Riviera. This is an eerie scene to watch considering what would happen to Kelly later when she became Princess of Monaco.

Now, I’m not someone who thinks there should be suspense in every scene or that romance has no place in a mystery film, but the techniques Hitchcock uses are not very original. This is one of the reasons why I’m not a huge fan of this movie. For instance there is a scene where Kelly and Grant are kissing. That is intercut with fireworks. I haven’t seen that this month. I guess I just expect something different from a technical pioneer like Hitchcock. The mystery gets started again as the romance gets hotter. The climax of the movie takes place at a costume party. Edith Head did a marvelous job in designing the costumes for this movie. She did a great job on costume design for all movies she did, but the gowns she designed for Grace Kelly in the three Hitchcock pictures are ones that stand out. Hitch loved working with her and all the leading ladies adored her designs. The most suspense in the movie comes during a rooftop chase. This is well done and adds something new to the Hitchcock cannon, but it is not the reason why people watch To Catch a Thief. This scene, and really the whole movie, needs to be watched on the big screen.

That way you can fully appreciate the gorgeous cinematography of Robert Burks and the great gowns of Edith Head. One of the main reasons why I disliked the movie is that I knew who the cat burglar was early on. I’m not sure if other people will figure it out that quick, but if they do then it could be a long ride to knowing that you are right. Not that there isn’t great scenery and great acting to help pass the time. It’s just that I expected a little bit more from Alfred Hitchcock. Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day. Great way to get your story out: Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month: Share this: To Catch a Thief (1955) Author: smatysia (feldene@comcast.net) from Houston A bit of a departure for Alfred Hitchcock, somewhat lighter and with less of the trademark suspense. Thoroughly enjoyable, though. Cary Grant was playing Cary Grant by this time, and no one could do it better.

And Grace Kelly, what eye-candy! The snappy dialog with the sexual innuendo was done perfectly. And huge kudos to Brigitte Auber, who was gorgeous and very good. An interesting aside was that Grant's character, while pretending to be someone else, claimed to have been an American circus acrobat, which Grant sort of was early in life (albeit English, not American.) Grant (with his accent) could really never be mistaken for an American, even though he usually played one. Also it was a little eerie to see Grace Kelly driving so fast on those French Riviera cliffside roads, in light of what happened to her later. (Of course, she obviously wasn't doing so, they were using back-projection) Anyway, this film is a must for fans of Hitchcock, Kelly or Grant. Grade: A Was the above review useful to you?

To Catch a Thief (1955) - Alfred Hitchcock | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie To Catch a Thief (1955) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Genres - Mystery , Romance | Sub-Genres - Romantic Mystery | Release Date - Jan 23, 2013 (USA - Rerelease) | Run Time - 103 min. | Countries - USA | MPAA Rating - PG AllMovie Rating twitter Synopsis by Hal Erickson A jewel thief is at large on the Riviera, and all evidence points to retired cat burglar Cary Grant . Escaping the law, Grant heads to the Cote D'Azur, where he is greeted with hostility by his old partners in crime. All of them had been pardoned due to their courageous activities in the wartime Resistance, and all are in danger of arrest thanks to this new crime wave. But Grant pleads innocence, and vows to find out who's been copying his distinctive style. With the reluctant aid of detective John Williams , Grant launches his investigation by keeping tabs on the wealthiest vacationers on the Riviera.

One such person is heavily bejeweled Jessie Royce Landis , who is as brash and outspoken as her daughter Grace Kelly is quiet and demure. But "still waters run deep," as they say, and soon Kelly is amorously pursuing the far-from-resistant Grant. Part of Kelly's attraction to Grant is the possibility that he is the thief; the prospect of danger really turns this gal on. Being Cary Grant, of course, he can't possibly be guilty, which is proven in due time. But by film's end, it's obvious that Kelly has fallen hard for Grant, crook or no crook. Occasionally written off as a lesser Alfred Hitchcock film (did we really need that third-act fashion show?), To Catch a Thief is actually as enjoyable and engaging now as it was 40 years ago. Though the Riviera location photography is pleasing, our favorite scene takes place in a Paramount Studios mockup of a luxury hotel suite, where Grant and Kelly make love while a fireworks display orgasmically erupts outside their window. And who could forget the scene where Jessie Royce Landis disdainfully stubs out a cigarette in an expensive plate of eggs?

Adapted by frequent Hitchcock collaborator John Michael Hayes from a novel by David Dodge To Catch a Thief won an Academy Award for cinematographer Robert Burks . Characteristics Time Out says 3 out of 5 stars One of the most lightweight (and not even particularly deceptively so) of Hitchcock's comedy-thrillers; a retreat from the implications of Rear Window into the realm of private jokes and sunny innuendo, with a Côte d'Azur romance that hinges on Kelly's testing of retired high-line thief Grant, to find whether 'The Cat' has indeed been neutered or is still able to prowl the Riviera rooftops. Even determined analysts Rohmer and Chabrol had to take comfort in celebrating Hitch's 'flowers of rhetoric': the famous image of the cigarette stubbed out in an egg, and the cheeky cliché of cross-cutting foreplay and fireworks. By: PT To Catch a Thief (film) - Wikiquote To Catch a Thief (film) From Wikiquote Jump to: navigation , search To Catch a Thief is a 1955 film about a former thief suspected of a new series of crimes who tries to find the real culprit and the woman who romances him.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock . Written by John Michael Hayes , based on the novel by David Dodge . Wanted by the police in all the luxury-spots of Europe!... A catch for any woman! Palaces are for royalty. We're just common people with a bank account. [to Robie] You've got a very strong grip - the kind a burglar needs. Mrs. Jessie Stevens[ edit ] Dialogue[ edit ] Hughson: You are a man of obvious good taste in everything. How did you - I mean, why did you...? Robie: Why did I take up stealing? To live better, to own things I couldn't afford, to acquire this good taste which you now enjoy and which I should be very reluctant to give up. Hughson: Oh, you mean you were frankly dishonest. Robie: I tried to be. Hughson: You know, I thought you'd have some defense, some tale of hardship - your mother ran off when you were young, your father beat you, or something. Robie: Naah, no. I was a member of an American trapeze act in the circus that traveled in Europe.

It folded and I was stranded, so I put my agility to a more rewarding purpose. Hughson: You have no other defense. Robie: No. For what it's worth, I only stole from people who wouldn't go hungry. Hughson: I take it you were a sort of modern Robin Hood . I mean, you gave away most of the proceeds of your crimes... Robie: Kept everything myself. Well, let's face it, I was an out-and-out thief, like you. Hughson: Steady, old man. Robie: No, no, wait a minute. Have you ever taken an ashtray from a hotel or a towel? Hughson: Souvenirs; they expect that. Robie: You're given an expense allowance to pay for all the meals you eat on the job. Right? But this meal is free. Now, are you going to deduct the price of a lunch from your expense account? Well, of course you're not. It would be stupid. Do you agree? Hughson: Yes. Robie: You're a thief. Only an amateur thief, of course, but it will help you to sympathize with us professionals. Mrs.

Stevens: [to Robie] How come you haven't made a pass at my daughter? [to Frances] And don't say, "Oh, Mother!" to me. Mr. Burns, I asked you a question. Robie: Very pretty; quietly attractive. Mrs. Stevens: Yeah, but too nice. I'm sorry I ever sent her to that finishing school; I think they finished her there. Danielle: Don't you think it's foolish to remain here without knowing what will happen to you? But if you were in South America with me, you will know exactly what will happen. Robie: You make it sound dangerous either way. Danielle: It would be so much nicer to be killed by love, no? Robie: Uh, pardon me while I get the water out of my ear. Danielle: John, you know what sort of men they are at Bertani's. Another robbery and they will do something to you. Robie: Well, I'd better get back. Danielle: [about Francie] But what has she got more than me? Except money, and you are getting plenty of that. Robie: Danielle, you are just a girl. She is a woman.

Danielle: Why do you want to buy an old car if you can get a new one cheaper? It will run better and last longer. Robie: Well, it looks as if my old car just drove off. Francie: [swimming up] No, it hasn't, it's just turned amphibious. I thought I'd come out and see what the big attraction was. Robie: Yes. Francie: And possibly even rate an introduction. Robie: [to Danielle] Oh, uh, you didn't tell me your name. Danielle: Danielle Foussard. Robie: Miss Foussard - Miss Stevens. Francie: How do you do, Miss Foussard. Mr. Burns has told me so little about you. Robie: Well, we only met a couple of minutes ago. Danielle: That's right, only a few minutes ago. Francie: Only a few minutes ago? And you talk like old friends. Danielle: Ah well, that's warm, friendly France for you. Robie: [to Francie] I was asking about renting some water-skis. Would you like me to teach you how to water ski?

Francie: Thank you, but I was women's champion at Sarasota, Florida, last season. Robie: Well, it was just an idea. Francie: Are you sure you were talking about water-skis? From where I sat, it looked as though you were conjugating some irregular verbs. Robie: Say something nice to her, Danielle. Danielle: She looks a lot older, up close. Robie: Ohhh - Francie: To a mere child, anything over twenty might seem old. Danielle: A child? Shall we stand in shallower water and discuss that? Francie: Enjoying yourself, Mr. Burns? Robie: Oh yes, it's very nice out here, with the sun and all. Francie: Well, it's too much for me. I'll see you at the hotel. Robie: [laughing nervously] I'll go with you. Danielle: But Mr. Burns, you didn't finish telling me why French women are more seductive than American women? Robie: I know what I'd like to tell you! Francie: Do you want a leg or a breast? Robie: You make the choice.

Francie: If you really want to see fireworks, it's better with the lights out. [She turns off the lamps in the room one by one] I have a feeling that tonight, you're going to see one of the Riviera's most fascinating sights... I was talking about the fireworks. Robie: I never doubted it. Francie: The way you looked at my necklace, I didn't know. You've been dying to say something about it all evening. Go ahead. Robie: Why, have I been staring at it? Francie: No, you've been trying to avoid it. Robie: May I have a brandy? Francie: Please. Robie: Do you care for one? Francie: No. Thank you. Some nights a person doesn't need to drink. Doesn't it make you nervous to be in the same room with thousands of dollars' worth of diamonds and unable to touch them? Robie: No. Francie: Like an alcoholic outside of a bar on election day. Robie: [laughs] Wouldn't know the feeling. Francie: All right.

You've studied the layout, drawn your plans, worked out your timetable, put on your dark clothes with your crepe-soled shoes and your rope. Maybe your face blackened. And you're over the roofs in the darkness, down the side wall to the right apartment, and the window's locked. All that elation turned into frustration. What would you do? Robie: I'd go home, get a good night's sleep. Francie: Oh, what would you do? [She steps into the darkness that hides only her face] The thrill is right there in front of you, but you can't quite get it - and the gems glistening on the other side of the window, and someone asleep, breathing heavily. Robie: I'd go home, get a good night's sleep. Francie: Wouldn't you use a glass cutter, a brick, your fist - anything to get what you wanted? Knowing it was just there waiting for you? Robie: [sips his brandy] Oh, forget it. Francie: Drinking dulls your senses. Robie: Yeah, and if I'm lucky, some of my hearing.

Francie: [fondles her necklace] Blue-white with just hairlike touches of platinum. Robie: You know, I have about the same interest in jewelry that I have in politics, horseracing, modern poetry, or women who need weird excitement: none. Francie: Hold this necklace in your hand and tell me you're not John Robie, 'the Cat.' John, tell me something. You're going to rob that villa we cased this afternoon, aren't you? Oh, I suppose 'rob' is archaic. You'd say, 'knock over'? Robie: [pained] Oh - Francie: Don't worry, I'm very good at secrets. Robie: Tell me, have you ever been on a psychiatrist's couch? Francie: Don't change the subject. I know the perfect time to do it: Next week, the Sanfords are holding their annual gala. Everyone who counts will be there. I'll get you an invitation. It's an 18th-century costume affair. There will be thousands upon thousands of dollars' worth of the world's most elegant jewelry. Some of the guests will be staying for the weekend.

We'll get all the information, and we'll do it together. What do you say? Robie: My only comment would be highly censorable. Francie: [sits alluringly on the couch, displaying both her necklace and bare decolletage] Give up, John. Admit who you are. Even in this light, I can tell where your eyes are looking. [He sits down] Look, John. Hold them. Diamonds. Only thing in the world you can't resist. Then tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. [She kisses his fingers, one by one, then puts her necklace in the palm of his hand] Ever had a better offer in your whole life? One with everything? Robie: I've never had a crazier one. Francie: Just as long as you're satisfied. Robie: You know as well as I do this necklace is imitation. Francie: Well, I'm not. [They kiss] Francie: I called the police from your room and told them who you are and everything you've been doing tonight. Robie: Everything? The boys must have really enjoyed that at headquarters!

Wanted by the police in all the luxury-spots of Europe!... A catch for any woman! For a moment he forgets he's a thief -- and she forgets she's a lady!

Question: Who directed the 1955 film ‘To Catch a Thief’?
Answer: Alfred Hitchcock