To Catch A Thief (1955) (BD) [Blu-ray]

My preference is for Hitchcock's grittier suspense movies, but "To Catch a Thief" has so many things going for it, I can't give it less than 5 stars! It's the early 50's and in an introduction, we see the arms only of a black-gloved thief stealing jewelry. Then to a French Villa, where the housekeeper sees a newspaper heading: "The Cat Prowls Again?" The column continues, "Is it true, or just a rumor - that John Robie, former cat burglar of Paris before the war, is once again on the prowl? Fashionable resorts on the Riviera are being regularly looted by a skillful jewel thief. Robie, once a hero of the French Resistance Army, was said to have reformed - however, the style of this new crime wave is certainly his." Robie, in his French sailor-like striped sweater with rakish red & white scarf, is not amused when the police arrive in force to "talk" to him. He escapes (cleverly) and goes to the restaurant of another reformed thief/Resistance fighter, Bertani. Robie tells him that he is not behind the new robberies, but no body believes him: "What I can't understand is how this thief can imitate me so perfectly. It has to be someone who knew every detail of my technique.... I've got to catch this imitator myself." And that's what he does, aided by Mr. H.H. Hughson, an insurance agent who is very nervous indeed. Hughson manages an introduction to a likely future burglary victim, the redoubtable Mrs. Stevens and her cool calm and exceedingly beautiful daughter, Frances. There are so many fabulous scenes between Grace Kelly and Cary Grant that it needs a book to describe them. And Grant has his humor on in several more scenes, such as when he's trying to escape through a flower market and a diminutive gray-haired flower seller stops him. These are the extras on the one-disc DVD "Special Collector's Edition": 1. Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich and Laurent Bouzereau. Bogdanovich knew both Hitchcock and Grant, and Bouzereau co-wrote a book about Hitchcock with the director's daughter, Pat Hitchcock. "To Catch a Thief" was filmed right after the very successful "Rear Window", and Bogdanovich said that the later movie has more of a vacation quality to it; Hitchcock could be more relaxed. In his own words, Hitchcock could rely on the charm of two leading actors "who were beyond charming". Grant was 50 years old when he filmed "To Catch a Thief", and he looks great. Bogdanovich and Bouzereau agree that he was in great shape, even though he never exercised. Or, rather, Bogdanovich tells us, Grant once told him that "he never exercised, he just made love." Grace Kelly fell in love with Prince Rainier right after "To Catch a Thief", so it's her last movie. 2. "Writing and Casting 'To Catch a Thief' " a 2002 short with commentary by Pat Hitchcock (his daughter), Mary Stone (Hitchcock's granddaughter) and Steven deRosa (author, "Writing with Hitchcock"), accompanied by movie shots and stills as well as personal movies and photos. One of the things they touch on is how Hitchcock got the innuendo-laden dialogue and shots between Grant and Kelley past the PCA (Production Code Association). 3. "The Making of 'To Catch a Thief' ". The extras # 2, 3 and 4 were pretty much all filmed together, and then they divided them into three extras. Nothing wrong with it, but they could have put it into one long featurette. Commentators in this short are Mary Stone, Doc Erickson (production manager), Steven deRosa, Pat Hitchcock and Sylvette Baudrot (continuity in France). Baudrot remembers that Grant showed up for filming the beginning in a dress shirt with buttonholes on the collar. The film was supposed to take place right after the war, in '48-'49, and Baudrot told Hitchcock that the shirt-style was more modern and American, at that. And that's why John Robie is wearing a sweater with a scarf tied around his neck! I also got a kick out of one of Mary Stone's reminisces. Her grandfather liked happy endings, she says, but he liked to have a last little twist at the end. In this case, the very last scene has Grant and Kelly embracing on his villa's porch and Kelly murmers, "So this is where you live. Oh, Mother will love it up here."!! 4. "Alfred Hitchcock and 'To Catch a Thief': An Appreciation " The same people as #2 & 3. Still interesting tidbits, just not sure why they divided it up like this. 5. "Edith Head - The Paramount Years". This documentary was filmed in 2002 and has also been an extra on a DVD release of "Sunset Blvd.". I hadn't seen this documentary before, however, and I really enjoyed it. Head's career spanned 60 years, 40 of them with Paramount. Commentors include David Chierichetti (Edith Head biographer), Tzetzi Ganev (head of Custom-Made Dept for Western Costume at Paramount), Bob Mackie (fashion designer) and Rosemary Clooney (actor, who knew Head from the movie "White Christmas"). Head got her first big break when the lead costume designer didn't get along with mega-star Clara Bow. He gave Bow's assignments to Head, who learned a big lesson from that which she carried throughout her whole career: Get along with everybody. Head had told people that Hitchcock was her favorite director, and "To Catch a Thief" was "her all time favorite film". 6. Trailer Lovely movie. I watch it for the humor - which can be tongue-in-cheek. Such as when Robie escapes by boarding a bus and ends up in the back seat. Between a woman with a bird in a cage and ... Alfred Hitchcock! Happy Reader

What may be considered a minor work for Hitchcock, "To Catch A Thief" would be considered a great film if directed by anyone else. This little jewel from Monaco is in fact a great film, which has been overshadowed by its less glamorous siblings such as "North By Northwest". As retired jewel thief John Robie "The Cat" Cary Grant is every inch a study in grace, strength and agility in all areas of his life, be it eluding the French police to escaping the finely set trap of Pacific Northwest Heiress Grace Kelly. He is as always the perfect image of a movie star and brings with him all the charm and style we expect from Cary Grant, but just beneath the surface there is something else. John Robie is someone who is hiding the real man he used to be submerged below the smooth glamour of his post war persona. He is very like the Cockney Archie Leach that lived buried deep below the skin of Cary Grant. This makes his performance all the more complex and compelling to watch. The duality of the star mirrors the duality of the character. Grace Kelly is of course the perfection of all the blonde, icy hot, impossibly smart and beautiful objects of the Hitchcock world. But she two is hiding something in her performance in this film as she did all of her films. Just like Grant she is an imposter hiding behind a movie star. It is all in her voice, that beautiful upper mid Atlantic accent that no one else in her Philadelphia background shares. Her Frances Stevens is from the Northwest but by way of Bryn Mawr or Wellesley she has eradicated her past almost as well as Robie The Cat. Almost, that is except for the presence on this trip to the south of France of her bejeweled and earthy Mother. Thus in the high and rarefied atmosphere of Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo, these two imposters meet and are drawn by mutual understanding and attraction into a perfect little Hitchcock mystery. To watch these two unearthly beautiful actors as they move through the hotels, beaches and villas of the area is to watch perfection in every sense of divine fakery and double sided joy of their beauty and talent. Jesse Royce Landis appears as Kelly's mother and with only a few words and a look nearly steals the picture. She is the only person in the story who is not hiding who she really is and in so doing is the comic center of not only the jewel thief's attentions but the pictures as well. She is the hook upon which the crook hangs. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes who also wrote such varied fair as "Butterfield-8", "Peyton Place" and "Rear Window" here in this work comes up with some of the most clever lines and double entendre in the genre: John Robie: Say something nice to her, Danielle. Danielle: She looks a lot older up close. Frances: To a mere child, anything over twenty might seem old. The dialog is funny and full of delirious wit and a little wisdom as well. Just like the two main characters in the film, "To Catch A Thief" is a great film hiding behind the mask of it's reputation as one of it's genius director's lesser efforts, don't buy it for a second. It is first-rate entertainment and not a paste imitation among the jewels of Hitchcock's repertoire. A finely crafted gem.

If you've owned a copy of "To Catch a Thief" in any format over the years I can tell you right now that you might want to donate them to your local library or just throw them out. Paramount's superb Blu-ray restoration of this Hitchcock classic is what all others will be measured against in years to come. If I could give it 10 stars I would. This is one of the most pristine picture transfers I've ever seen and certainly merits early consideration for "Blu ray of the Year". The restoration team at Paramount has given "Thief" a high Bitrate(38.00) and they deserve the highest praise possible for bringing back all the brilliance of this Hitchcock classic. The film won a 1955 Oscar for Cinematography(Robert Burks)and this blu-ray edition brings those beautiful colors back and then some. Greens, yellows, blues, whites and reds just jump off the screen. Check out the flower market scene as well as the costume ball at the end of the film and you will be astounded. And the French Riviera has never looked more beautiful in this blu-ray transfer. In fact, after I watched the film a second time I wanted to book a flight and head over there. Hitchcock made eleven films in the decade of the Fifties starting with "Stage Fright"(1950) and ending with "North by Northwest"(1959) but the detail on this Blu-ray release is just eye popping. Cary Grant had just turned 50 when he made "To Catch a Thief" and he looked great. Trim and fit with not an ounce of fat and with a deep tan to go with his good looks. There is a scene on the beach after he goes for a swim and you can almost see every hair on his chest, that's how pristine this blu-ray transfer is. Not to mention Grace Kelly. She had a lot of freckles. The ones on her face were covered up with make-up, but you can clearly see the ones on her chest in the scene she has with Grant when she wants him to look at the necklace she's wearing. I missed the necklace and saw the freckles instead. That's the brilliance of this blu-ray. The only disturbing part of the film(and this is minor) is the scene with her driving fast in a sports car with Grant as her passenger along the winding roads of Cannes. Considering that she died in a car crash on these same roads in 1982 at the early age of 52, was somewhat unnerving to me. Who could have known. She was a beautiful woman and a very good actress. She made eleven films between 1951 and 1956 before retiring to become a real life Princess. Cary Grant and Grace Kelly were a class act something that is solely missing in today's film stars. "To Catch a Thief" on Blu-ray is highly recommended. Buy it!! And many thanks to the great restoration team at Paramount Home Video.

(Reviewing Paramount 14637): "To Catch a Thief" is the kind of classic movie from the 1950s for which Blu-ray/HD technology was made, and this disc does not disappoint. The many exterior shots of the south of France are breathtaking: the details of the villas on promontories, the helicopter scans of the coastal cities, the blue of the Mediterranean: the sexual fireworks display (no pun intended) at night. Robert Burks, Hitchcock's cinematographer throughout the 1950s and early '60s, deservedly won an Academy Award for his work here. I'm astonished by how well the process shots from the '50s (scenes shot in a studio against a projected background) still hold up against a technological improvement like Blu-ray, capable of highlighting all the flaws. I see no such here. As for detail: 1080p HD differentiates each of the dozens of fine stripes in Cary Grant's casual knit-shirt, if that's where your eyes gravitate (though I'd bet they'll be focused elsewhere). I cannot detect vast improvement in audio quality over Paramount's DVD predecessors, but the sound is crisp, clear, and balanced. Also included are an abundance of special features, though none of them is new to this edition: they previously appeared in Paramount's DVD Centennial Edition. As for the movie: While (to my taste) not in the same league as "Vertigo," "North by Northwest," or "Psycho," I cannot give "To Catch a Thief fewer than five stars. Hitchcock produced more profound movies than this but few that are more uninhibitedly entertaining. It's probably the best comedy he ever produced, with a cast that radiates old Hollywood charm: notably, Cary Grant, in a late-career-defining role, and Grace Kelly at the crest of her fame. The script by John Michael Hayes competes with that for "Rear Window" (from the year before) as the wittiest any writer ever gave Hitchcock. (You can sense Hitchcock and Hayes's glee at filling the scripts with double entendres that the censors wouldn't catch but the audiences couldn't miss.) The audience is privileged to laugh, make love with two of the screen's sexiest actors, and revel in the "picture travelogue heaven" of Nice and Cannes in mid-twentieth century. Highly Recommended.

John Robie, a retired jewel thief once known as "The Cat" sets out to prove his innocence after a string of recent thefts leaves him as the police's only suspect... I'm on a mission to watch all of Grace Kelly's movies and have been starting with her Hitchcock films first. This was my third (Rear Window & Dial M For Murder are the others) and I honestly think this may be her best performance yet. I loved her portrayal of Frances Stevens who was a little sassy, a bit bold, and a lot beautiful. Cary Grant himself was intriguing as John Robie and I enjoyed watching the sparks fly between these two. I think my favorite character of all though was Frances's mother, whose forthright and open manner cracked me up. John Williams (a London insurance representative) was a great addition to the cast too. And while there is a dash of romance this was much more of a mystery than anything else. Set upon the French Riviera, the scenery was lovely and only added to the mystique and excitement. There was so much action and adventure that I was never once bored either. In fact my only issues would be with the very heavy accents which often made it hard to follow along and the fact that lots of things were spoken in French too, which I unfortunately don't speak. I also found the backgrounds of some scenes grainy looking. That being said I still enjoyed this film very much and am so glad that I finally got around to watching it. I viewed the 2017 blu-ray version which had a clear and crisp picture (except for some of those backgrounds) especially for a nearly seventy year old movie. This edition also had a ton of special features which include: Commentary * A Night With the Hitchcocks * Unacceptable Under the Code: Censorship in Hollywood * Writing & Casting * The Making Of * Behind the Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly * Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation * Edith Head: The Paramount Years * An Interactive Travelogue * Galleries. Below are some facts and information about the movie that I compiled from the back of the case and/or gathered from other sources... Release Year: 1955 Running Time: 1 hour 46 minutes Image: Color (Technicolor & VistaVision) Genre: Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Suspense Rating: Not Rated (Originally Rated PG) Studio: Paramount Pictures Awards: Won 1 Oscar

This movie is one of my absolute favorite Cary Grant movies.

This is a wonderful Blu-ray of a perfect film, it's top notch, the colors pop. The details are sharp and it only enhances the already wonderful performances and flawless directing. This is a MUST for any Hitchcock/Grant fan to own! One of my favorite films, if you love style and romance, excess, wit, charm and drama To Catch A Thief is what it's all about. The Brosnan version of The Thomas Crown Affair and Before The Sunset all pay tribute to To Catch A Thief, the original stylish thriller. For me Pierce Brosnan will always be today's generation Carry Grant. I so wish someone with balls and of course a good directing and editing sense would redo or at least pay homage to To Catch A Thief with Pierce Brosnan in the lead. This film with Carry Grant and Grace Kelly can never be replaced but it can be enjoyed by a new generation. Like The Great Gatsby with DiCaprio sometimes a new version must be made for people to discover how great the original is. I do consider the Baz Luhrmann Gastby superior to the Redford version but I love both and would love to see Lurhmann do a new take on TCAT but at the same time I realize that no one would be able to surpass the genius of Alfred Hitchcock. What I love about this movie beyond the style, sophistication and great actors/characters is the irreverence. Here Grant and Kelly play in a playland of money and power and intrigue. The show Remington Steel so reminds me of To Catch A Thief and it's no coincidence that in the pilot episode when Stephanie Zimbalist finds a load of various passports in Pierce Brosnan's hotel room they are under the names of characters Carry Grant played in the movies and among them is John Robie. To Catch A Thief is very different from most of Hitchcock's films, it's a very tight story with high style and more fun than drama or thrills or horror. It's a classic far above and beyond most films made today and the Blu-ray is a flawless image of a flawless classic film.

Hitchcock's next film after Rear Window is a breezy light comedy about a former jewel thief John Robie (Cary Grant) and a rich young American woman Frances "Francie" Stevens (Grace Kelly) traveling the Riviera with her mother Mrs. Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis). At first Francie is attracted to Robie because she gets a sexual thrill out of the idea of romancing and then catching a thief, especially a thief as handsome and sophisticated as embodied by Mr. Grant. Due to a rash of jewel thefts among some of the richest people along the Riviera, the police suspect that Robie has fallen back into his life of crime. Determined to prove his innocence, Robie decides only he can catch the real thief. After her mother's jewels are stolen, Francie, at first still not convinced that Robie isn't a thief, decides to help him, with the full cooperation and help of her mother. The three, along with the assistance of insurance agent Hughson (John Williams) set a trap for the cat burglar at an elaborate costume party given by one of Riviera society's richest inhabitants. This picture has all the great Hitchcock touches that have become his trademarks: the beautiful playgrounds of the very rich, a handsome cast all dressed to perfection by Edith Head, enough action and plot twists to keep things moving along at a nice clip, and the "surprise" ending when the real thief is revealed. Add all that with screenwriter John Michael Hayes's witty and sexually charged dialogue (filled with double entendres) and you have a movie movie that is tough to beat. If Rear Window elevated Kelly to superstar status, To Catch A Thief helped solidify and perfect her image as the hot and cold running blond of the 1950s. The cast is in top form, with Landis turning in a great comic performance that is both witty and profound. The color cinematography won an Academy Award for capturing the beauty of the Riviera (and it is picture-postcard-perfect). This film is a must for Hitchcock, Grant, and Kelly fans, and for anyone else who enjoys a movie for which popcorn was invented.

Great movie, really enjoyed it.

Wow! What an upgrade over any previous available version. The french landscapes are stunningly presented with vivid rich (and correct) colour. The Dolby Vision/VistaVision combo delivers another winner following November 2024's 4k release of 'White Christmas'. A joy to behold. The bigger the screen the better - I watched this on a 65 inch. It's a great movie too with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly showing why they are such beloved, true movie stars and with Hitch directing you have the recipe for a perfect 105 minutes. Paramount has given us a mixed bag of 4k releases over the years but with this one they can collectively pat themselves on the back.

Class one by four outstanding actor!

L'ho comprato per ascoltarlo e leggerlo in inglese. Lo avevo visto quando ero giovane! Adoro i vecchi film con attori meravigliosi, scomparsi da tanto tempo ma sempre belli da riguardare. Edoarda Paolini

One of my niece's favourite movies. L Fowden