Movie Info:
Writer: John Michael Hayes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams, Charles Vanel, Brigitte Auber, Jean Martinelli, Georgette Anys
Rating: N/a
Studio: Paramount Studios Home Entertainment
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: August 5, 1955
DVD Release Date: March 24, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.49
It’s surprising that I’ve never seen To Catch a Thief, not only because I am a huge fan of Cary Grant, but I’m also a huge fan of Hitchcock. It’s one of the films that just slipped through the cracks and I never got to watch it, until now. Boy am I glad I did. There isn’t anything like a Hitchcock movie, especially one with Cary Grant in it. They make an affable team, with the two playing well off of one another.
Adding in the screenplay by John Michael Hayes makes this movie a win-win-win. Hayes worked on other popular Hitchcock titles, such as Rear Window and The Man Who Knew Too Much, both high on my list of favorites. I’ve seen both of them numerous times, which brings me back to the baffling question of why I never saw this film. I’m guessing it’s partly because I never got the chance to see it on television, the place I ended up seeing most of Hitchcock’s movies while growing up, though I did own my own VHS copy of The Man Who Knew Too Much and North by Northwest.
What isn’t to like about To Catch a Thief? This movie features the incredibly talented Cary Grant. I believe he is one of the greatest actors of all time (if not the greatest). He’s joined by the incredibly gorgeous Grace Kelly, whose beauty was only matched by her ability to perform. Add in a Hayes script, Hitchcock direction, his trademark cameo, the most awesome cinematography (Academy Award winning), great costumes, a lovely location and we’ve got a movie! I keep saying it over and over for classic Hollywood films. The elements all come together in an attempt to achieve perfection and they succeed!
I should mention that this is one of the only Hitchcock films to which Paramount still retains the rights. I feel grateful for that merely because Hitchcock truly was/is a master when it came to directing (and I work a lot with Paramount!). He’s stand out and there will never be anyone as good as him in the thriller and horror genres. I have yet to find a Hitchcock movie I don’t like, and To Catch a Thief is near the top, now, on my list of favorites.
The To Catch a Thief: Centennial Collection Plot
You might have guessed this is about a thief. Well, it’s actually about a retired jewel thief named John Robie (Cary Grant). Robie is fairly well known for the jewel heists he’s pulled off. In fact, he’s known by the affectionate moniker, “The Cat.” Being retired gives Robie a chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He’s basking in the glow of the sun on the French Riviera, where he lives and tends to his vineyards.
When several jewel heists, mimicking the style of Robie’s thefts break out, the police are sure he’s back in the heist game. When they attempt to arrest Robie for the crimes, he manages to escape before they can haul him off. Robie hides out with a group of ex-cons, who he was friends with when he was a part of the French Resistance. Of course, many are on parole and Robie showing up sparks up anger, and blame is placed on him for the mess.
Bertani (Charles Vanel), Foussard (Jean Martinelli) and the others aren’t surprised when the police show up at Bertani’s restaurant looking for Robie, but he’s able to escape thanks to the help of Foussard’s daughter, Danielle (Brigitte Auber), who has a thing for him. Wanting to prove he is innocent, Robie hires a friend of Bertani, an insurance man by the name of H. H. Hughson (John Williams).
The plan is to catch the thief. They will need to find out who the new cat burglar is in order to prove that Robie is not responsible for the crimes being committed. Then Robie can go back to his quiet, unassuming life in the South of France. To do that though, he has to find the most expensive jewels in the Riviera, to use them for bait, and that is easier said than done.
Add in a complicated relationship with Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her daughter Francie (Grace Kelly), whom own the jewels that Robie plans to use as bait. With Danielle jealous and Francie flirting with fire, in more ways than one, they’ll have to partner up if they truly want to catch a thief!
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Replayability:
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Audio/Visual:
I can’t tell you want the 2007 Special Edition of To Catch a Thief looked like. However, I can guess that it’s pretty close to what you receive with the Centennial Collection. What it will come down to purchase wise is whether or not the special features match up. People owning the 2002 disc will definitely want to upgrade, because the sound and video offer a much bigger improvement with this collection.
Things begin with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with anamorphic widescreen. The colors have improved greatly in this version of To Catch A Thief. Flesh tones take on a more realistic look and the scenery tends to look more natural, as well. The rest of the colors are acceptable, if not good. There are some issues with compression errors and various bouts of noise, dirt, and aliasing, but this is a film that comes from the 50s. All things considered, this is by far the best transfer (of this film) to be offered on DVD.
When it comes to audio, you can choose from a Dolby Digital Stereo or Mono track, though in all honesty there is not a huge amount of difference between the two tracks. The sound runs a tad low, but in the right volume setting things are easy to hear and they sound good. Once the volume was adjusted I did not have to spend time toying with it. There isn’t anything truly negative to report here other than the fact that things are pretty centered channel wise. Still, it could be much worse. There are additional tracks available in both French and Spanish. Subtitles are also available in English, French, and Spanish.
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Audio: 
Bonus Features:
To Catch a Thief has a variety of special features that fans of Hitchcock and this film should enjoy. Things begin with a commentary by a Hitchcock film historian, Dr. Drew Casper. This was an incredibly interesting commentary because Casper dissects the film and Hitchcock in a number of ways. It certainly isn’t a light listen, as it is filled with much information and thought provoking dialogue. Hitchcock enthusiasts will want to listen to this one at least once.
Next up is “A Night with the Hitchcocks.” This nearly 25 minute featurette is centered on a USC director’s film class. Alfred Hitchcock is being studied and his daughter, Pat and his granddaughter Mary are there to answer questions. The two women tackle questions about movie interests, his life, and modern film interpretation. There are a few good moments here, but some of the questions asked are definitely not very interesting.
“Unacceptable Under the Code: Film Censorship in America” looks at how Hitchcock moved around issues of censorship even though it was something that he was constantly forced to deal with. A few things are looked at in this featurette from the topics in To Catch a Thief to the corrupt years of Hollywood’s Silent era.
“Writing and Casting To Catch a Thief” is pretty much what it sounds like. Mary Stone, Stephen DeRosa, Pat Hitchcock, and various others discuss the casting choices that Hitchcock made with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Some footage of the film makes this a much more interesting featurette.
“The Making of To Catch A Thief” lasts for about twenty minutes and talks about location choices, costume design, the striped shirt, and how Hitchcock ran his films. There are plenty of good moments in this. In fact, it ended up being one of my favorite featurettes in the bunch.
“Behind the Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly” looks at the two iconic Hollywood stars that most everyone is familiar with and loves. Grant’s life prior to acting is looked into as is the infatuation that the world had with the beautiful Grace Kelly.
“Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation” is one of the final featurettes in the bunch. This seven minute featurette is a fun little addition that has Pat Hitchcock and Mary Stone talking about Hitchcock, his public and private image, the type of father he was, and even things like his thoughts on the French.
Special features wrap up with some Photo Galleries, a Travelogue, Interactive Map, a Theatrical Trailer, and one more featurette, “Edith Head: The Paramount Years.”
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Bottom Line:
While this is anything but typical of Hitchcock and the body of work so many adore, To Catch A Thief still has a place in the Hitchcock vault that you cannot ignore. Some call it a vacation movie for Hitchcock, but it is still beautifully done and deserving of the Hitchcock name. The acting was amazing, though it’s hard to say anything less of Grant and Kelly. The real decision on whether or not you need to purchase this will depend on whether or not you already picked up the 2007 Special Edition. If you do not own it then I highly recommend you pick this up. However, if you do you might just want to sit this one out as the quality is similar so all you would be missing out on is the special features.
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Technorati Tags: To Catch a Thief, Hitchcock, Alfred Hitchcock, Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Classic Movie, DVD Review, Centennial Collection
