tocatchathief

Arguably, the two most glamorous movie stars of the 1950s were Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. So,
it was only natural that they would eventually be paired in a film. What ultimately came together
was the best possible situation. Grant and Kelly were snagged by director Alfred Hitchcock for the
high budget, exotic thriller, “To Catch a Thief.”

This particular entry in the Hitchcock legacy is one of the most beloved by fans, and
understandably so. It ranks with “North by Northwest” as one of those suspense flicks everybody
seems to cite amongst their favorite “Hitches.” It’s glamorous, to an astounding degree, with Kelly
and Grant both looking at their best and most expensive. The locations, much filmed on site along
the French Riviera, only add to the high fantasy gloss. So, if you just let go and get caught up in
the eye-candy, “To Catch a Thief” is the definitive high-budget glamour feature of the 1950s.

Cary Grant is a famous jewel thief, known as “the Cat.” He’s been in retirement since the war and
lives up in the hills above the French Riviera. Now, jewelry is being stolen from rich tourists all
across the Riviera and the burglar is using Grant’s distinct methods. Grant claims he’s being
framed, and even though the French police are want to arrest him, he strikes up a deal that if he
can get a list of all the high-risk jewelry in the area, he’ll catch the thief. Along the way, he meets
Grace Kelly, the daughter of a rich American tourist who possesses the jewelry Grant hopes to use
as bait. Kelly and Grant begin a flirtatious association, while Grant tries to keep his identity and his
mission a secret.

Again, the joy in watching this movie is to see the cinematic fantasy of two perfect people living
almost perfect lives in an exotic, expensive locale. Aside from this aesthetic facet, the story is much
like “North By Northwest” in that there isn’t necessarily a Hitchcock-style hook involved. There’s no
psychotic killer or psychological twist really. Grant and Kelly’s conversations are the most
interesting aspect of the movie as they test each other’s psyches in pointed ways with sexual
subtext and aggressive dialogue.

The surrounding plot is almost immaterial. There are a few moments that engage, the masquerade
ball in particular. Hitchcock also manages to craft a cast of characters where any of them could be
the Cat and right up until the end, I was guessing. Additionally, the atmosphere is often interesting
and Hitchcock’s cinematography is as dynamic as its ever been.

I can understand why this movie was a hit in its day. I don’t think it maintains its impact like “Rear
Window” has over the decades, but it is certainly good filmmaking. My real beef with this movie was
Grant’s lack of personality as compared with “North By Northwest.” Here, he is more reminiscent of
his role in “Notorious,” more cold and suave than charismatic. Still, the movie is good fun if not as
thrilling as you’d expect from Hitch’.