cinephiliabeyond: The first out of five movies that Alfred Hitchcock made with VistaVision and his t
cinephiliabeyond: The first out of five movies that Alfred Hitchcock made with VistaVision and his third and final collaboration with the magnificent Grace Kelly, To Catch a Thief is the master’s welcome and precious break from the phenomenal but somber thrillers that marked his career during the fifties. Set in the unbelievably charming Mediterranean landscape of the French Riviera, To Catch a Thief is a highly polished romantic thriller which tells the story of an experienced, masterful but retired burglar forced to catch the mysterious criminal molesting the insanely rich visitors of the Riviera. Cary Grant plays the charming protagonist whose shady history easily makes him the prime suspect for the French police, but if it wasn’t for the combination of three influential factors, we would hardly have the chance to see Grant in this picture. The star announced his retirement from acting, but simply couldn’t say no to Hitchcock’s invitation for dinner. Grant was allegedly intrigued by the story to some degree and reluctantly accepted to read the screenplay, but warned Hitchcock not to get his hopes up. It was then, at the end of dinner, that the old fox delivered the punch that destroyed Grant’s defenses, as he informed Grant on the two, seemingly casual pieces of information. The film is to be shot on the French Riviera, and Grace Kelly agreed to play the lead female role. Retirement, it seemed at that moment, was something that Grant could easily put on hold.Adapted from a novel by David Dodge, written by John Michael Hayes, the man with whom Hitchcock worked on the brilliant Rear Window, shot with the Oscar-winning talents of the cinematographer Robert Burks and based on the dynamic, seductive interplay of the two classic Hollywood superstars under the spotlight, To Catch a Thief turned out to be a splendid eye-candy of an audience-pleaser. It even led to another Grant-Hitchcock collaboration a couple of years later, in North by Northwest. To much of Hitchcock’s disappointment, he failed in each and every attempt to lure Kelly back to Hollywood in the years that followed, since she moved to Monaco and married Prince Rainier, but this lovable cat-and-mouse story was indeed the final film the two of them made together. When talking about the numerous merits of one of Hitchcock’s most relaxed, least intense pictures, it would be a crime not to mention the work of the Oscar-nominated costume designer Edith Head, or the great composer Lyn Murray. But all in all, the main power of To Catch a Thief lies in its entertaining and clever writing, top-notch on-screen chemistry between Grant and Kelly, as well as the impressive visuals and breathtaking setting that contributed to the creation of a classic romantic flick that proves the versatility and talent of one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema.Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘To Catch a Thief’: Bringing Cary Grant Back From a Premature Retirement and Saying Goodbye to Grace Kelly Nice article. I will add that Cary Grant was enticed by being allowed to choose (and keep) his wardrobe for the film. -- source link