To Catch a Thief (1955)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
David Dodge (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

WANTED by the police in all the luxury-spots of Europe!... A catch for any woman!

Plot:

When a reformed jewel thief is suspected of returning to his former occupation, he must ferret out the real thief in order to prove his innocence.

Plot Keywords:

Thief | Cat | Riviera | Burglar | Robbery

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 26

8:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Cary Grant	...	John Robie
Grace Kelly	...	Frances Stevens
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Jessie Stevens
John Williams	...	H.H. Hughson
Charles Vanel	...	Bertani
Brigitte Auber	...	Danielle Foussard
Jean Martinelli	...	Foussard
Georgette Anys	...	Germaine
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Adrian	...	Detective (uncredited)
John Alderson	...	Detective at the Costume Ball (uncredited)
Martha Bamattre	...	Kitchen Helper (uncredited)
René Blancard	...	Commissaire Lepic (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	French Waiter (uncredited)
Nina Borget	...	Frenchwoman (uncredited)
Margaret Brewster	...	Cold-cream Woman (uncredited)
Lewis Charles	...	Man with Milk in Kitchen (uncredited)
Frank Chelland	...	Chef (uncredited)
Wilson Cornell	...	Shepherd (uncredited)
Reinie Costello	...	Spanish Girl (uncredited)
William 'Wee Willie' Davis	...	Big Man in Kitchen (uncredited)
Dominique Davray	...	Antoinette (uncredited)
Louise De Carlo	...	Spanish Girl (uncredited)
Gloria Dee	...	Persian Slave Girl (uncredited)
Kathleen Desmond	...	French Shepherdess (uncredited)
Lala Detolly	...	French Queen (uncredited)
Guy De Vestel	...	Detective (uncredited)
Dolores Ellsworth	...	Persian Girl (uncredited)
George Ellsworth	...	Shepherd (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Woman at Costume Ball (uncredited)
Russell Gaige	...	Mr. Sanford (uncredited)
Steven Geray	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Michael Hadlow	...	Monaco Policeman (uncredited)
Jean Hébey	...	Police Inspector Mercier (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man Sitting Next to John Robie on Bus (uncredited)
Gladys Holland	...	Elegant French Woman (uncredited)
Jeshurun Howard	...	Boy (uncredited)
Beverly Ruth Jordan	...	French Shepherdess (uncredited)
Lorraine Knight	...	French Huntress (uncredited)
Bela Kovacs	...	Detective (uncredited)
Jeanne Lafayette	...	Frenchwoman (uncredited)
Donald Lawton	...	Detective (uncredited)
Eddie Le Baron	...	Frenchman (uncredited)
Roland Lesaffre	...	Claude (uncredited)
Edward Manouk	...	Kitchen Helper (uncredited)
Jonathan Marlowe	...	Prince (uncredited)
Jerri McKenna	...	French Princess (uncredited)
Don Megowan	...	Detective at Costume Ball (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Detective (uncredited)
George Nardelli	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Paul Newlan	...	Vegetable Man in Kitchen (uncredited)
Barry Norton	...	Frenchman (uncredited)
George Paris	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Manuel París	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Joan Patti	...	Spanish Girl (uncredited)
Leonard Penn	...	Monaco Policeman (uncredited)
Albert Pollet	...	Croupier (uncredited)
John Powell	...	Boy (uncredited)
Loulette Sablon	...	Frenchwoman (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Frenchman (uncredited)
Otto F. Schulze	...	Chef (uncredited)
Lal Singh	...	Maharaja (uncredited)
Adele St. Mauer	...	Woman with Birdcage on Bus (uncredited)
Marie Stoddard	...	Mrs. Sanford (uncredited)
Aimee Torriani	...	Woman in Kitchen (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt	...	Jewelry Clerk (uncredited)
Geni Whitlow	...	Persian Slave Girl (uncredited)
Phyllis Young	...	Spanish Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
John Michael Hayes		(screenplay)
David Dodge		(novel)
Alec Coppel		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (as Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief)

Original Music by
Lyn Murray		(music scored by)

Cinematography by
Robert Burks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini		(edited by)

Art Direction by
J. McMillan Johnson		(as Joseph MacMillan Johnson)
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Arthur Krams

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervision
Bud Bashaw Jr.	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Harry Ray	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
William Davidson	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
C.O. Erickson	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
C.O. Erickson	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert Coleman	....	second unit director
Daniel McCauley	....	assistant director
Ralph Axness	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Paul Feyder	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Al Mann	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)
Joe Keller	....	props (uncredited)
Robert McCrillis	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recording
Harold Lewis	....	sound recording
Howard Beals	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Paul Franz	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
George Swarthout	....	sound cable man (uncredited)
August Van Koughnet	....	stage engineer (uncredited)
Bill Wistrom	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
W. Wallace Kelley	....	photography: second unit (as Wallace Kelley)
Bill Avery	....	still photographer (uncredited)
George Gall	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
James Grant	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Vic Jones	....	electrician (uncredited)
Gene Liggett	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
William Schurr	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Darrell Turnmire	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ed Fitzharris	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Grace Harris	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Other crew
Elsie Foulstone	....	dialogue coach
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Sylvette Baudrot	....	script supervisor: France (uncredited)
Claire Behnke	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Vincent McEveety	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount British Pictures (1955) (UK) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Amazonas Film (1992) (Germany) (theatrical) (subtitled version)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Spain:T | Netherlands:6 | Ireland:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #17226) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Canada:G (video rating) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | Norway:12 (1955) | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In this film Jessie Royce Landis plays Cary Grant's potential mother-in-law. In North by Northwest (1959), she would play his actual mother.

Goofs:

Continuity: John says he'll leave his clothes with Danielle, but later, when he is at the flower market, he's in the same clothes.

Quotes:

H. H. Hughson: The pastries are light as air.
John Robie: Germaine has very sensitive hands and an exceedingly light touch. She strangled a German general - without a sound.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Ties: To Snatch a Keith (#2.10)" (1983)

Great chemistry between the leads

The best thing about this film is the chemistry between leads Grant and Kelly. Grant is as debonair as usual and Kelly was never more glamorous. The costumes she wears are very flattering to her and she is to the clothes. The dialogue between them sparkles throughout and is a pleasure to watch even if the course of their relationship is predictable. Grant's self-deprecating in-jokes are another nice touch. Further pleasantly adding to the fantasy ambience is the spectacular photography of the French riviera. John Williams is also great as the insurance investigator, the type of character he played in Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder (also with Kelly) and in the Doris Day-Rex Harrison film, Midnight Lace. This film is not one of the most psychologically involving in Hitchcock's pantheon but it is not designed to be. It is enjoyed best as what it was produced to be: glossy high production value escapist fare. 8/10.