TO CATCH A THIEF
US, 1955, 106 minutes, Colour.
Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams, Charles Vanel, Brigitte Auber.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
The popular phrase is ‘Set a thief to catch a thief’. This underlies this rather sophisticated and elegant comedy-thriller set on the French Riviera.
Cary Grant is a gentleman cat burglar (in the Raffles tradition) who finds himself accused of robberies he did not commit. He sets himself then to catch the actual thief.
In the meantime, the film shows the high life of American expatriates on the Riviera. Standing out from these is Jessie Royce Landis with her daughter, played by Grace Kelly. There is also the Scotland Yard inspector, played with panache by John Williams (who had appeared as the inspector in Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder and was Sabrina’s chauffeur father in Sabrina).
The film won an Oscar for best cinematography and, in fact, the film is very beautiful to look at. It is stylish and elegant in sets, décor and costumes. It is also, of course, very elegant with Cary Grant’s suave screen presence as the gentleman thief and Grace Kelly as the potential princess of Monaco. Her presence in Monaco for the filming of To Catch a Thief led to the changes in the history of that small country.
The film was written by John Michael Hayes who also wrote Rear Window, The Trouble With Harry and The Man Who Knew Too Much for Hitchcock. He also adapted a number of Harold Robbins novels and other novels for big-budget spectacular films of the 1960s.
This is not as intellectually challenging as many others of Hitchcock films. However, it is one that is perennially popular, still exerting its sophisticated charm.
1. The significance of the title and the phrases 'Set a thief to catch a thief'? The enjoyment value of the film? Alfred Hitchcock and expectations from Hitchcock?
2. The deliberate style of elegant enjoyment, use of colour, Riviera locations, affluent background, the impact of the stars? The film as being very popular in its time?
3. The humorous aspects of the film, the humorous atmosphere, the wisecracks, the observation of human nature, elegant irony of the dialogue?
4. The impact of the opening, the jewel robberies and the exaggerated reactions? The mystery, the identification of John Robie as the Cat? Audience interest in the mystery, gradual involvement in it, the elements of puzzle, the satisfactory nature of the clues, the range of suspects? Hitchcock's use of suspense, setting of a mystery?
5. The film's constant focus on John Robie for audience identification and interest, and for the solving of the mystery? Cary Grant and his style, manner, wisecracks? His ability to elude the police at the beginning, the hostility that he experienced from his friends in the Resistance? The predicament of being presumed guilty and his methods being imitated? His reaction to the hostility and his determination
to solve the puzzle? The encounter with the man from Lloyds? The plan for trapping the thief? The attitude of the police? The importance of his encounter with the Stevens family? Attractive, the mother at the casino? The cool and cold daughter and her sudden kissing of him? His eluding her and yet attracted towards her? His attraction towards the French girl? Their working together?
6. The film's presentation of hie methods, his examining the house, Frances going with him, the build-up towards the ball, his skill in catching the thief at the end? The melodrama of this at the ball, and the gradual revelation that he was on the roof all the time, the scuffle on the roof?
7. Frances as a Hitchcock heroine? Grace Kelly and her blonde elegant style? Her coolness and distance, the suddenness of the kiss? The exploration of the theme of sexuality and attraction, her being stimulated by Robie's being a thief, her wanting to participate in the robberies? The symbolism of the romance and the literal fireworks? The swimming sequences? dancing at the ball? A portrayal of the cool American woman who has latent passion? Frances in comparison with her mother, the portrayal of the garrulous American woman on tour, her wealth, her humour, her background? The irony of the final remark about mother liking the villa?
8. The picture of the Resistance people, their past, their working together, suspicions and hostility towards Robie especially in the kitchen, the caterer and his being present at the house? The girl and her lack of involvement, her father being killed in the garden, her reaction at her father's funeral? Was the audience surprised at her being The Cat? The melodramatics of her hanging from the roof and confessing?
9. The humour of the insurance man, his very British tone, giving the documents to Robie, his friendship with the Stevens, his participation at the ball?
10. The effect of the set pieces, the chases, the eluding of the police, the ball?
11. Why is this kind of film so popular, the crime genre, the presentation of Americans abroad and their different reactions from those at home, questions of guilt, responsibility?
