![]() It’s a fantastic, gorgeous and gripping thriller, one of Hitchcock’s best. The To Catch a Thief filming locations span Nice, Cannes, Monaco and lots of cute villages in between. Robie receives help in the form of Grace Kelly’s wealthy American tourist Frances and her mother. When a copycat burglar starts stealing jewellery around his neck of the woods, he must go into hiding and find the real culprit before the police find him. To Catch a Thief (1955) follows Cary Grant’s John Robie, a retired cat burglar living the quiet life in his Côte d’Azur villa. But all of the To Catch a Thief locations around the South of France do make me crave quaint mountainside villages, uber-luxurious hotels and the dreamy Mediterranean climate of the French Riviera. And I don’t fancy hitching through the Scottish highlands handcuffed to anyone as in The 39 Steps (1935). Psycho (1960) isn’t a great advertisement for American motels. Please read the disclaimer here.Īlfred Hitchcock films don’t tend to be very wanderlust-inspiring. Check her biography for more information.This post may contain affiliate links. She died in 1982 in an automobile crash on a winding Riviera road - just like the one she is portrayed as driving on in this film. Actress Grace Kelly became a real life Princess when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco and went to live in the city-state not far from where To Catch a Thief was filmed. Parents may want to tell their children about the extraordinary life of this movie’s starlette. Stevens retorts, “Everyone likes to gamble, and you will too when the stakes are right.” What did she mean? How is risk taking like gambling? How did John Robie apply this same line of reasoning to the insurance industry? When Frances criticizes her mother for gambling, Mrs. Why do we justify some types of dishonesty, but not others? Is there really a difference? He sites taking ashtrays and towels from hotel rooms and fudging expense allowances as his proof. In a conversation between John Robie (Cary Grant) and a representative of the insurance company responsible for covering the costs of the stolen jewelry, the ex-thief accuses the agent of being dishonest. ![]() Relying on mounting suspense instead of escalating violence - this movie is a rare catch indeed in the mystery/thriller genre. Skillfully directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this well-constructed story from 1955 really shines with intelligent characters and subtle threats. Those familiar with the real life story of Grace Kelly and her royal marriage will also find the scene where she drives recklessly along a winding stretch of road to be an eerie foreshadow of the car accident that claimed her life in 1982. All the while, the audience is torn between wanting to believe in the handsome man’s reformation, yet fearing his charm is insufficient for his lack of remorse over past indiscretions.Īlthough it suffers from slight glamorization of crime and portrayals of smoking, drinking, and gambling amongst the society set, the film still presents an engaging cat and mouse whodunit. With romantic sparks flying as high as fireworks over the Mediterranean, the headstrong pair exchange velvet-gloved sexual innuendos. Using all her seductive powers, the bedazzled blonde sets her own trap to catch a tiger by the tail. ![]() Pampered and bored, the heiress pounces on the opportunity for some adventure. Steven’s very eligible daughter Frances (Grace Kelly) figures out his true identity. However, his ruse runs into complications when Mrs. Using his gentleman’s demeanor, Robie pretends to be an American lumber tycoon, and cozies up to Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis), a wealthy and diamond-bedecked widow. That means anticipating the next victim of the real burglar. Knowing his innocence will be questioned until the copycat criminal is found, Robie determines to catch the impostor himself. Because the modus of operation is so similar, the police drop by his home hoping To Catch a Thief. Now, even after staying clean for fifteen years, a rash of recent robberies along the French Riviera has local authorities dusting off his file. Once known as “The Cat,” the former jewel thief thought he had paid his debt to society by serving his prison sentence in active military duty during World War II.
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