+

poster of To Catch a Thief
Rating: 7.3/10 by 1412 users

To Catch a Thief (1955)

An ex-thief is accused of enacting a new crime spree, so to clear his name he sets off to catch the new thief, who’s imitating his signature style.

Directing:
  • Alfred Hitchcock
  • Herbert Coleman
  • Daniel McCauley
Writing:
  • David Dodge
  • John Michael Hayes
Stars:
Release Date: Wed, Aug 03, 1955

Rating: 7.3/10 by 1412 users

Alternative Title:
Houdt den dief - BE
Kelepçeli âsik - TR
Met dieven vangt men dieven - NL
Tyv fanger tyv - NO
Uhvatite lopova - HR
Да хванеш крадец - BG
Вловити злодія - UA
Спіймати злодія - UA

Country:
United States of America
Language:
Français
English
Runtime: 01 hour 46 minutes
Budget: $2,500,000
Revenue: $8,750,000

Plot Keyword: hotel, jealousy, villa, police, expensive restaurant, age difference, cat, jewelry, falsely accused, fireworks, masked ball, picnic, nice, roof, côte d'azur, southern france, blonde, french riviera, on the run, cat burglar, riviera, man on the run
Subtitle   Wallpaper   Watch Trailer    

Cary Grant
John Robie
Grace Kelly
Frances Stevens
John Williams
H. H. Hughson
Brigitte Auber
Danielle Foussard
René Blancard
Commissaire Lepic (uncredited)
William 'Wee Willie' Davis
Big Man in Kitchen (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
Masquerade Party Guest (uncredited)
Bernard Sell
Casino Patron (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock
Detective (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt
Jewelry Clerk (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock
Man Sitting Next to John Robie on Bus (uncredited)
Roland Lesaffre
Bertani Employee (uncredited)
George Boyce
Party Guest (uncredited)
John Alderson
Detective at the Costume Ball (uncredited)
Alberto Morin
Detective (uncredited)
Manuel París
Croupier (uncredited)
Gladys Holland
Elegant French Woman / Additional Voices (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey
Party Guest (uncredited)
Barry Norton
Frenchman (uncredited)
Louis Mercier
Croupier (uncredited)

John Chard

The big man was in jovial mood with this one. To Catch A Thief, is, when all is said and done, a softer entry on the great Alfred Hitchcock's CV. By his own admission it was a film he viewed as "lightweight", but such is the great mans talent, his softer cinematic efforts still punch the buttons and are films that many filmmakers can readily learn from. In this one Hitchcock is purely making an entertaining piece for those in the right frame of mind, a splendid mixture of comedy and romance which also culminates in no shortage of dramatic entertainment as well. Cary Grant is perfectly debonair as the cat burglar John Robie, who here has to catch a thief because he is the chief suspect for a spout of robberies on the French Riviera. Into the mix is that vision of beauty that is Grace Kelly, this is a woman who could melt the Antartic just by walking over it! Kelly as Frances Stevens spends the majority of the film trying to get into John Robie's pants and this puts a delightful sexual tension into the unfolding story. We get some sparkling scenes here, such as a firework display as the two protagonists flirt and then kiss, thus making the film easy on the eye, and some delicious slices of humour dot themselves throughout as Hitchcock indulges in his wink wink innuendo. The plinking score from Lyn Murray works a treat during a roof top cat sequence, while the ending stays just above average without really having an any over dramatic impact. All in all it's a very tidy effort that is always worth spending time with on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a glass of vino in hand. 7/10

JPV852

Fluffy mystery-romance-thriller excels thanks to the wonderful charms of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. For me, this is a lesser Hitchcock film but still had plenty of fun and entertainment value even though there's nothing really noteworthy in terms of the story or any particular scene. **3.75/5**

CinemaSerf

Cary Grant is on excellent form in this ultra-sophisticated crime caper. Having long since retired to life on the Côte D'Azur, "John Robie" finds himself at the centre of enquiries as his "Cat" appears to have resurrected itself and is robbing rich folks of their jewels. John Williams again steals his scenes - this times as the insurance adjuster "Hughson" who is convinced, enough, by Grant's protestations to agree to work with him to find the true culprit. Enter the wealthy Jessie Royce Landis ("Jessie"), a self-made American millionairess and her glamorous daughter "Frances" (Grace Kelly). The mother is determined to find a match for her girl - and well, the romantic roots are well and truly planted. Hitchcock keeps us guessing for quite a while as the romantic and criminal threads develop in parallel before tying together in quite an exciting climax. At times I have found Kelly to be just a touch too aloof, but here she still has enough of a foot on the ground to play her part well providing for an engagingly mischievous chemistry between the two of them.. The attention to detail is super, too - and it's easy to become subsumed in the lazy, rather vacuous, but very enviable lifestyle of the rich and famous!


My Favorite

Welcome back!

Support Us

Like Movienade?

Please buy us a coffee

scan qr code