Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: John Michael Hayes, David Dodge, Alec Coppel
Stars: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis
Synopsis: A retired jewel thief sets out to prove his innocence after being suspected of returning to his former occupation.
Nobody can accuse Alfred Hitchcock of being sentimental. Despite that, the classic director has always found a way to fill his films with life. Despite that, To Catch a Thief features beautiful locations, cinematography, costuming, and equally beautiful actors, but all in the service to a cynical detachment absent from his other films.
The director is a master for a reason. He loves a grand set-piece and dynamic camera movements. Despite having everything in place to deliver yet another tentpole, he lets the grand locations and wide shots do the work. It’s like he was phoning in the job, but he still has his directorial impulses driving him to do the smarter, more difficult thing on occasion. It’s not a lazy job, but it certainly isn’t his most devoted.
Cary Grant stars as John “The Cat” Robie, an infamously retired cat burglar. Now with a new reputation and a new life in the French Riviera, the police question him regarding a string of burglaries using his old Cat trademarks. Realizing the only way to clear his name is to catch the new thief, he runs into a wealthy tourist, Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis), and her beautiful daughter, Frances (Grace Kelly).
As Robie attempts to find the new Cat, he also contends with romantic interest from Frances, as well as Danielle (Brigitte Auber), the daughter of his old French Resistance friend, Foussard (Jean Martinelli). With the new Cat still on the loose, and the Stevens’ jewels as the bait, Robie must find the thief, clear his name, and juggle romance at the same time.
It’s a complete change of pace for Hitchcock’s usual films. While there are some life or death stakes, there isn’t that level of darkness or suspense involved. Instead, everything has a sheen of beauty. It’s not like the director has ever shied away from beautifully lensing glamorous people, but that seems to be his main objective in this film. Even within the narrative, the momentum is softened. A high-speed car chase is shot from a distance, more focused on the exotic locale than the actual circumstances of the chase.
70 years later, 51-year-old Grant romancing the 22-year-old Kelly and being actively pursued by 26-year-old Brigitte Auber doesn’t look great. Regardless of the age gap, the two women throw themselves at Grant with reckless abandon and without motivation. For a director with a keen eye and previous examples of complex female characters, he forgot to develop anything resembling a personality for either woman.
That aforementioned cynical detachment from Hitchcock extends to the cast. Grant is stifled in his role, sporting sharp suits, ascots, and a George Hamilton tan. For a man who has worked successfully with Hitchcock in the past, the actor seems less than enthused on this go around. Kelly, at least, seems to be having a bit of fun. It also doesn’t help that she is one of the most stunningly beautiful women to have ever existed, and this is arguably the film where she looks the best. Despite the cast’s beauty, their performances aren’t the reason to watch the film.
The real stars are cinematographer Robert Burks (who won the Oscar for his work), master costume designer Edith Head (also Oscar nominated), and the French Riviera. The film is an absolute visual knockout. Between scenic seaside car rides, idyllic locales, and the flawless face of Kelly, I can imagine few other films with such visual panache and glamour.
It’s one of those films that would work perfectly on cable TV while you do chores around the house. Unfortunately, when you pay attention, things turn out rather hollow. At 106 minutes, it’s an easy watch. It just never reaches the highs of Hitchcock’s earlier (and later) efforts.
To Catch a Thief is one of the more glamourous films of the decade, but it’s by no means the film which Hitchcock should be known for. It’s still pretty solid, and that’s impressive in its own right for a director who seems to be on cruise control.
