(Ladies, maybe if you bought your jewelry from Wal-Mart, you wouldn’t be targeted by burglars. Just a suggestion…)
CAST: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams, Charles Vanel, Brigitte Auber, Jean Martinelli, Georgette Anys.
DIRECTOR: Alfred Hitchcock
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and silly rich people straight ahead…
Whoever hooked up Alfred Hitchcock and Grace Kelly needs to get a cut of the Master’s estate. Seriously. The Hitchcock-Kelly pairing provided Hitch with one of his most memorable leading ladies, and was basically the equivalent of the John Hughes-Molly Ringwald match-up that would come along in the 80’s. Gosh, I hope Hitch doesn’t mind the comparison. My bad, if so. But let’s face it: SIXTEEN CANDLES was basically to 80’s teens what REAR WINDOW was to their parents. Just play along.
Anyhow, it’s common knowledge that the three films Grace Kelly starred in for Hitch are also three of the strongest in the Master of Suspense’s canon. With her performances in DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954), REAR WINDOW (1954), and TO CATCH A THIEF (1955), Kelly perfected a Hitchockian archetype that had been bubbling in his films as far back as THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS (1935): The Hitchcock Blonde.
What is The Hitchcock Blonde? Well, she is usually characterized by: (1) blonde hair (duh), (2) gorgeous looks, (3) a cool and detached demeanor, (4) raw sensuality burning beneath that frosty surface, and (5) ambiguous - and possibly deadly - intentions. Essentially, The Hitchcock Blonde is a bit of a seductive wild card. She hides her feelings beneath a coldly beautiful exterior, has suspect loyalties, and is either your savior - or your slayer. And you don’t know which until the last minute.
Modern variations on The Hitchcock Blonde include Catherine Trammell (Sharon Stone) from BASIC INSTINCT, Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin) from SEA OF LOVE, Joyce Kingsley (Kate Capshaw) from BLACK RAIN, Heather Evans and Diana Baylor (Kim Basinger and Uma Thurman) from FINAL ANALYSIS, and Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) from DIE ANOTHER DAY - to name just a few. As you can see, this archetype gets around - and Alfred Hitchcock created it.
However, no one portrayed The Hitchcock Blonde more effectively (or famously) than Grace Kelly did in TO CATCH A THIEF. She is unsurpassed - even among Hitch’s own leading ladies, a list of blondes that includes Janet Leigh, Madeleine Carroll, Tippi Hedren, Kim Novak, and Vera Miles. In fact, it seems that the characters that Kelly played in DIAL M FOR MURDER and REAR WINDOW were practice for her role as the coolly aloof (but also hot-blooded) Francie Stevens.
But before we go into too much detail about Francie, let’s talk about the true protagonist of TO CATCH A THIEF. That would be Mr. John Robie (Cary Grant). As our story opens, a string of jewel robberies has hit the French Riviera and its hotels. We know this because of a montage sequence that shows the robberies - and then the histrionic Drama Queen owners rushing onto their balconies to scream, “My jewels! My jewels! Somebody stole MY JEWELS!!!” Thankfully, none of the owners are dudes, because that would be a crime too gruesome to even contemplate.
This doesn’t bode well for John. See, he was a jewel thief nicknamed “The Cat” for the French resistance during the War (that would be World War II, children), and now it appears that whoever is jacking the nouveau riche of the French Riviera is also copying Robie’s style. In other words, the cops don’t have to look far for a prime suspect. The only problem is John is a retired jewel thief and now spends his days on his lovely hillside villa growing grapes and flowers. But is he really retired? Or is he also growing, ahem, rubies and diamonds and pearls? These are questions that the cops themselves want to resolve - so they can go back to tanning themselves on the beach at Cannes.
John, not taking this obvious frame job lying down, bolts out of his house when the cops show up. He makes it to the restaurant of former compatriot Bertani (Charles Vanel), who tells him that word on the street is this: That Fucking John “The Cat” Robie Is Up To His Usual Bullshit Again. Enraged, John maintains his innocence. To calm him down, Bertani feeds John a clue: someone was asking about jewelry owners on the French Riviera just the day before, and he might know something about the robberies. Bertani promises to get the man’s name and give it to John.
Meanwhile, John needs to elude the cops, and does so with the help of someone on the kitchen staff. She is Danielle (Brigitte Auber), a coquettish twenty-something who has major googly-eyes for John. Danielle is convinced that John did the robberies - and wants to run off to South America with him. Right then, John realizes something: someone who not only believes you to be guilty, but is also somehow turned on by the possibility, is probably not the best person to have as an ally when trying to prove your innocence. So he has Danielle drop him off at the beach club in Cannes, where he searches for a less insane comrade to help him on his mission.
Sure enough, Bertani coughs up the name of the mysterious gentleman who was snooping around about jewelry owners on the Riviera. Turns out he is one H. H. Hughson (John Williams), an insurance agent from Lloyds of London. Concerned by the recent rash of thefts, the home office basically sent Hughson to the Riviera to investigate. How many of you think it took less than five seconds for Hughson to accept that particular assignment? Upon meeting one another, Hughson gives John a list of jewel owners currently vacationing there. Something wrong with this picture?
Anyhow, on the list are the names of Jessie and Francie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis and Grace Kelly). Wealthy mother-daughter socialites, Jessie and Francie are basically gallivanting around the world wearing the finest in expensive jewelry - and John and Hughson believe that they could be next on the faux Cat’s list.
John determines to infiltrate their circle and keep a close eye on the two women. He does this by pretending to be a millionaire lumberman from the Northwest. Riiiiiiight. Oooookay. No wonder Francie takes one look at him and basically whispers, “Bullshit.” She’s far too cool and aloof, though, to actually do that. She just kind of smiles her Mona Lisa Smile and stares off into the distance - while John does his best to ingratiate himself with Jessie, who is apparently not as smart or as quick a study as her daughter.
Finally, Francie allows her frosty façade to thaw a little. She invites John for a drive through the surrounding countryside. After a chase through hair-pin curving roads and treacherous mountain passes, Francie drives to an awesome overlook that, uh, overlooks the French Riviera. During an innuendo-laced meal where Francie coos seductively about “breasts” and “legs” while handing chicken pieces to John, we are reminded of how clever and coy sexuality used to be in movies. These days, it’s considered pretty subtle when you march right up to someone and say: “I’m not even going to lie. I want to eat your zucchini. Whole. And by 'zucchini' I actually mean your penis. How’s three o’clock for you?”
But I digress. So… Francie eventually drops the clever and coy flirtation and basically tells John the following: (1) she knows he’s not from the Northwest, (2) she knows he’s not a millionaire lumberman, (3) she knows he’s spying on her and Jessie, (4) she knows he is really John “The Cat” Roby and is accused of the recent string of jewelry robberies in the area, and (5) she’d love to be his accomplice.
So, basically, John is stuck with another Danielle. Fucking great. What’s a guy gotta do to get some decent help around here?
Anyhow, John tries to fend off the advances of Francie, who is rapidly shaping up to be Sharon Stone from the original ending of SLIVER. In other words, under the respectable surface of the classy blonde chick lies an evil freak waiting to be unleashed. Which doesn’t bode well for John, because its hard enough to prove your innocence and solve a mystery without some rich groupie hanging on your leg. Okay, alright. Francie isn’t exactly hanging on his leg. She’s hanging on his, well, dick.
So… Will John be able to track down the real robber? Is Francie really eager to be his accomplice? What happens when Jessie’s jewelry is stolen? Will Francie still be so cavalier then? Or will she go Full-Tilt Psycho Banshee on John? Does Jessie even fucking care about her stuff? Will Hughson regret teaming up with John? Or will John confirm his faith? Or will Hughson kick the crap out of him? Who is the burglar? Bertani? Francie? Jessie? Danielle? Or has it - gasp! - really been John all this time? Has he been pulling that “would-I-write-a-book-about-killing-someone-and-then-actually-kill-them-like-I-described-in-my-book-give-me-a-fucking-break” defense that Sharon Stone used to basically cock-tease an armada of cops in BASIC INSTINCT? Oh, my God! Is the burglar… Sharon Stone herself?
Go forth and get shocked. I know I was. But then again I was five when I first saw this movie. What will be your excuse?
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Considered by many to be “fluffier” than most of Hitchcock’s other films, TO CATCH A THIEF is essentially about two-hours of serious eye candy: the gorgeous French Riviera, the elegant buildings, the rolling countryside, and the hypnotic beauty of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
Part of the reason that TO CATCH A THIEF isn’t taken quite as seriously as, say, REAR WINDOW, VERTIGO, or PSYCHO is that no lives are actually at stake in the unfolding mystery. Sure, John Roby’s reputation is endangered - but we never doubt for a second that he’ll eventually be exonerated. None of the other characters are imperiled - just their jewelry. Fortunately, Alfred Hitchcock’s considerable talent turns the story into a gripping and suspenseful ride.
TO CATCH A THIEF is grand entertainment that is also a terrific showcase for the French Riviera, Cary Grant, and Grace Kelly. All three are show to their maximum advantage here. The cinematography is so lush and vibrant that you feel like you’re actually right there with the characters. It also enhances the already-abundant attractiveness of the leads.
Cary Grant is his usual debonair self, and he doesn’t forget to leaven his performance with some humor. He’s a great lead, combining handsome features, solid gravity, and the right amount of lightness. It’s obvious why Hitch came back to him, time and time again. Look at all the films Hitch and Grant collaborated on: SUSPICION, NOTORIOUS, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, and this one. They’re some of the best in the Hitchcock oeuvre.
But, in my mind, this film belongs to Grace Kelly, who turns Francie Stevens into one of the best Hitchcock heroines out there. Smart, seductive, soulful, with a reckless streak that you can tell both excites and scares John, Francie is clearly ahead of her time and helped pave the way for stronger, more complex women in suspense films. Compared to the other Hitchcockian characters she played (Mary in DIAL M FOR MURDER, Lisa in REAR WINDOW) Francie is a more layered and complex character. I doubt anyone else could’ve portrayed her in the same alluringly confident and surprisingly vulnerable way that Grace Kelly did.
By the way, Kelly would win the Best Actress Oscar the same year for THE COUNTRY GIRL - further proof of her versatility and talent.
Bottom line: if this is Hitchock’s version of “fluff,” then I say bring on the “fluff.” If it’s Hitchcock, it’s all good.
