To Catch a Thief (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| To Catch a Thief | |
|---|---|
| Image:Tocatchathief1.jpg Original film poster | |
| Directed by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Produced by | Uncredited: Alfred Hitchcock |
| Written by | Novel: David Dodge Screenplay: John Michael Hayes |
| Starring | Cary Grant Grace Kelly Jessie Royce Landis John Williams Charles Vanel Brigitte Auber |
| Music by | Lyn Murray |
| Cinematography | Robert Burks |
| Editing by | George Tomasini |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | Image:Flag of the United States.svg August 5, 1955 |
| Running time | 106 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$ 2,500,000 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
To Catch a Thief is a 1955 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis and John Williams. The movie is set on the French Riviera, and was based on the 1952 novel of the same name by David Dodge. The screenplay was written by John Michael Hayes. The film is a blend of intrigue, romance, and humor.
[edit] Synopsis
John Robie (Cary Grant) is a notorious, retired jewel thief called "The Cat" who spends his time tending to his vineyards in France. A series of robberies that resemble his style leads the police to believe that the cat is up to his old tricks again.
Robie enlists the aid of insurance man H.H. Hughson (John Williams) in order to prove his innocence. Robie's plan is to catch the new cat burglar in the act. To do this, he obtains a list of the most expensive jewels on the Riviera from the reluctant Hughson. The first names on the list are Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her daughter Francie (Grace Kelly). Robie becomes acquainted with them in order to stay close to their jewels. Francie is suspicious of Robie's motives. She is certain that he is behind the recent thefts, but at the same time she is attracted to him. Robie fends off Francie's advances, at least at first.
One night, Jessie's jewels are stolen and Francie believes that Robie has taken them. He goes into hiding, believing he knows now who the new thief is, and plans to catch him. He stakes out a house where he believes the new burglar will strike. He is attacked and in the ensuing struggle kills a man the police later claim to be the thief. The only problem is that the man had a "peg leg", which would have made it impossible for him to climb over the rooftops.
Francie apologizes to Robie and offers to help catch the real thief during a masquerade party. The French police plan to arrest Robie during the party. Robie puts on an elaborate costume that hides his face; at some point, he and Hughson switch places, leaving Robie free to stalk and capture the real burglar red-handed with the jewels on the roof and force her (Brigitte Auber) to confess.
After everything is cleared up, Robie returns to his vineyards and Francie races after him to tell him how much she loves him. When it appears that he has given in, she remarks that her mother will love living with them, to his great consternation.
[edit] Trivia
- The filming of To Catch a Thief on the French Riviera plays a pivotal role in Wu Ming's novel 54. The action takes place in the Springtime of 1954, and nearly all the characters in the novel (including Cary Grant, an Italian American mafioso nicknamed "Steve Cement", and two Parisian gangsters from the Rififi movie) cross each other's path in Cannes and Nice.
- Hitchcock makes his trademark cameo as a bus passenger sitting next to Grant.
- In this film Jessie Royce Landis plays Cary Grant's potential mother-in-law. In North by Northwest she would be his actual mother.
[edit] External links
- To Catch a Thief at the Internet Movie Database
- Alfred Hitchcock Fans Online - To Catch a Thief (1955)
- To Catch a Thief review by Tim Dirks, The Greatest Films
| Alfred Hitchcock's films |
|---|
| 1920s: The Pleasure Garden • The Mountain Eagle • The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog • Downhill • Easy Virtue • The Ring • The Farmer's Wife • Champagne • The Manxman • Blackmail • 1930s: Juno and the Paycock • Murder! • Elstree Calling • The Skin Game • Mary • Number Seventeen • Rich and Strange • Waltzes from Vienna • The Man Who Knew Too Much • The 39 Steps • Secret Agent • Sabotage • Young and Innocent • The Lady Vanishes • Jamaica Inn • 1940s: Rebecca • Foreign Correspondent • Mr. & Mrs. Smith • Suspicion • Saboteur • Shadow of a Doubt • Lifeboat • Aventure Malgache • Bon Voyage • Spellbound • Notorious • The Paradine Case • Rope • Under Capricorn • 1950s: Stage Fright • Strangers on a Train • I Confess • Dial M for Murder • Rear Window • To Catch a Thief • The Trouble with Harry • The Man Who Knew Too Much • The Wrong Man • Vertigo • North by Northwest • 1960s: Psycho • The Birds • Marnie • Torn Curtain • Topaz • 1970s: Frenzy • Family Plot |
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