To Catch A Thief

UK Release Date. 31 October 1955
Certification. PG
Running Time. 1 hour 46 mins
Director. Alfred Hitchcock
Cast. Brigitte Auber, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams.
Rating. 49%

Review.

Following the seminal Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock released To Catch A Thief starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. The film sits uncomfortably amongst the director's back catalogue, for To Catch A Thief is lightweight and lacks substance when compared to the likes of Rear Window, Psycho or Vertigo.

Cary Grant had announced his retirement from acting in 1953, but was persuaded to come out of retirement by Alfred Hitchcock to make To Catch A Thief. Bronzed, elegant and impeccable as ever Grant plays John Robie, a once infamous but now retired jewel thief, known as 'The Cat.' His domestic idyll is shattered when a series of robberies amongst wealthy tourists on The French Riviera lead to Robie becoming the lead suspect. 

In a convoluted plan to clear his name, Robie manoeuvres an introduction to wealthy American widow, Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her attractive daughter, Frances (Grace Kelly), who he believes may be a potential target for the jewel thief. Frances falls for him - but does she fall for John Robie or The Cat?

To Catch A Thief suffers from a distinct lack of chemistry between the lead actors. The normally alluring Grace Kelly may be clothed in a stunning wardrobe by renowned costume designer, Edith Head [a monochrome swimsuit, coverup and broad-brimmed sun hat turn heads in the Hotel Carlton, in particular] but Kelly, for once, is overshadowed by the haute couture and glamourous surroundings. The timeless beauty is colder than ever before as the ultimate glacial Hitchcock blonde. This, combined with the noticeable age difference between the two lead actors [Cary Grant was 50 years old and Grace Kelly was 25 years old at the time of time filming], results in an on-screen romance that is superficial, ingenuine and insipid. 

The real star of To Catch A Thief is the Côte d'Azur itself. Panoramic vistas gloriously fill the widescreen format and the film revels in the opulence of the south of France.