There are many Alfred Hitchcock films, that build to the climax. To Catch a Thief, doesn’t do that as well as his other films. Its main function is putting Cary Grant and Grace Kelly together. It is one of the best pairings, in a Hitchcock movie. Cary Grant was still a star. Grace Kelly was a major star in Hollywood. She is a prime example of Hitchcock’s ability to bring out talent. Grant and Kelly’s characters are opposites in the movie. They do set the screen on fire with their sparks. It is a tribute to their talent, that they do this convincingly. It probably helps, that the film was shot on The French Riviera.
Cary Grant plays John Robie. He is a former jewel thief, who was pardoned, by the government. He got this by working with the french underground, during the war. He is living a comfortable lifestyle, in a nice house. Robie’s nickname was The Cat, when he was on the wrong side of the law. His lifestyle is disrupted, when jewel thefts occur, with his mode of operation. Hitchcock, shows his directing style; with black cats crawling on the roof, when the robberies happen. Robie is pursued by the police, and must prove his innocence. He is taken to safety, by a young french woman, Danielle Foussard. They go to a club, where Robie meets Frances Stevens, (Grace Kelly). Frances is there with her mother, Jessie, (Jesse Royce Landis). The main reason they are there, is to find a suitable husband, for Frances. John Robie, with the help of an insurance agent, H. H. Hughson has gone undercover. He poses as a an American industrialist. This doesn’t fool Frances Stevens, and she deduces who Robie is. She teases him by talking about jewels, and showing him hers. She even goes so far as to suggest a working partnership. The back and forth between Cary Grant and Grace Kelly is a highlight of this very different Hitchcock film. The relationship between Frances and John Robie, causes tension. This is between Frances and Danielle Foussard (Brigitte Aubor). It escalates into a verbal cat fight, with each trading barbs about their respective ages. It is fun to watch. John Robie doesn’t interfere, and seems slightly amused by it.
Frances and Robie are enjoying each other’s company. Their happiness is interrupted by the police. Frances and Robie get into her sports car, to elude law enforcement. This begins a well choreographed chase scene. During this exciting chase, Grant’s character is showing his fear. This is not because he fears being caught. It is that he fears Frances’s driving. The two manage to survive, and the police crash into a brick barrier. The couple later are in the dimly lit house of Grace and Frances Stevens. The lighting is a dim green. This is a way of Hitchcock, showing their tenuous relationship. Later, when Robie kisses Grace, fireworks are shown in the sky. It is a timeworn device, but it works well.
Robie and an insurance agent, H. H. Hughson, (John Williams), have worked out a plan. They hope to catch the thief, at a costume ball. This is a lavish affair, with everyone, dressed as courtesans of Louis XIV. The police thought the thief was caught, but wasn’t. Robie was involved in a struggle, the week before, and the suspect was killed, injuring Robie in the fight. Robie is in disguise, but the police recognize his voice. They pursue him but don’t get him. H. H. Hughson, has put on the costume, and Robie can pursue the thief. He has put on his former work clothes. The thief is at work stealing jewelry. The police shine the spotlight, and see Robie. They fire shots, and nearly hit Robie. He gets away, and pursues the real thief, and completes the film’s title.
To Catch a Thief was a success. It proved Hitchcock was able to do great things with a camera. The real proof came when his cinematographer, Robert Burks, won an Oscar. It was well deserved, with beautiful shots of the French Riviera, and key nighttime shots. Cary Grant, was disenchanted with Hollywood, and had retired from films. Hitchcock: the director, who made him a solid dramatic actor, persuaded him to come back. Grant did this, and made several successful films, retiring years later. Grace Kelly, unlike Grant, was not a movie star; until Hitchcock cast her in his movies. Her natural ability, charm and her drive, made her the perfect heroine. She was from Philadelphia society, and was considered the black sheep of the Kelly family. She worked hard and achieved her dream, of being an actress. Hollywood was much better for it. The most interesting thing is why Hitchcock chose the French Riviera for the location. It was because he wanted a vacation. The filming of this movie probably was.