To Catch a Thief (1955)
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Synopsis: A supposedly reformed cat burglar, out to prove himself innocent of a recent crime spree, tries to capture the thief who's terrifying the French Riviera. Cary Grant is devastatingly elegant as the reformed thief, John Robie, and charming enough to attract the attention of the lovely Frances... A supposedly reformed cat burglar, out to prove himself innocent of a recent crime spree, tries to capture the thief who's terrifying the French Riviera. Cary Grant is devastatingly elegant as the reformed thief, John Robie, and charming enough to attract the attention of the lovely Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly), a wealthy and spoiled American traveling the Riviera with her widowed mother (Jessie Royce Landis). However, things do not begin on a romantic note. Robie is more interested in clearing his name than in pursuing the beautiful American, but the two will not go their separate ways so easily. When Mrs. Stevens has her jewels stolen, the snubbed Frances puts the police on Robie's trail. Now the dashing Robie will have to win the confidence and assistance of Frances if he is to ever set things right. The stars are radiant together, with an entrancing chemistry that sparkles, especially in the impromptu ad-libbed dialogue of the picnic scene. A series of elaborate set pieces combined with dramatic Riviera scenery make the film an enduring glamorous spectacle, featuring a fireworks kissing scene that is truly a classic. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Auber, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams
Screenwriter: John Michael Hayes
Producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Composer: Lyn Murray
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Reviews
Hitchcock and screenwriter John Michael Hayes posited voyeuristic spectacle as the essence of cinema in Rear Window; in To Catch a Thief they validate their thesis with plenty of spectacle to be voyeuristic over.
It's one of Hitchcock's lightest and most purely enjoyable exercises.
The heart of the film hinges on the enjoyable Côte d’Azur romance between Kelly and Grant.
Grace Kelly brings a sometimes-frosty but incredibly radiant charm to her role.
Prototypical Hitchcockian tale of stylish intrigue and intensity highlighted by the dashing dimension of the Grant/Kelly collaboration. A classic cat-and-mouse romance caper that impeccably flourishes

