Review of To Catch a Thief (1955) by Konrad R — 07 Aug 2013

A fun ride from HItchcock. This leans more to the action-romance side. It shows the playfulness that Hitchcock alone can execute and still seem classy. There is a scene where Grant and Kelly are in a room together with the fireworks going on outside. The interplay between the scene in the room and the fireworks outside would not have been pulled off by anyone else. Hitchcock's cameo in a bus also reveals his tongue in cheek approach that works well in this tale of high class society exposed to the underground professional thieves.

Grant plays a long retired thief who was forgiven after WWII for fighting on behalf of the French resistance. Any slip ups and he would be sent to jail for a long time. A series of jewelry robberies from people's hotel rooms imitate Grant's M.O. (motus operandi) and he becomes the main target of a lazy police force. Grant joins up with an insurance agent who works for the main company that insures the jewelry of many tourists visiting France. Grant tries to think ahead with the help from the insurance agent to catch the thief. In the process Grant meets Kelly and her rich mother. Kelly puts the moves on Grant and is drawn in to the mystery.

Overall, this is a film that is well done and provides great sequences in the rich French coastal vicinities. There are great scenery shots, chase scenes and dialogue. Grant came off as a lot more serious in this film than in others, but his charm was still evident. Kelly also played excellent the role of the repressed rich girl in search for excitement but also in control of her situation. The mystery itself seemed shallow, but the relationships between all the characters and the chemistry make it a fun ride. Great fun to watch.