To Catch a Thief: Hitchcock's Classic Romantic Thriller Celebrates 70 Years (Limited Edition 4K Steelbook)

The Film:

Whenever people talk about the Master of Suspense, Sir Alfred Hitchcock, it's usually in regards to his most popular works, such as "Psycho," "Vertigo," "Rear Window," "North by Northwest," and "The Birds." Now it's certainly not limited to just those few, but they do appear to be the ones that pop up in conversation most of the time, leaving many others that don't seem to get nearly as much attention, though obviously many of those are considered classics as well.

One of his works that doesn't really get mentioned that often is his 1955 romantic thriller "To Catch a Thief" (adapted by John Michael Hayes from the novel by David Dodge), a lighter work from the auteur that happens to be celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. In honor of this milestone, Paramount is releasing a brand new Limited Edition 4K Steelbook, featuring the film in Ultra High Definition and packed with lots of special features, so as usual, it's time to go back and examine another classic to see if it's worth bringing more attention to, or if there's a reason as to why it's not brought up quite as often.

The film opens with a series of jewel heists on the French Riviera, with the police immediately becoming suspicious of former jewel thief John "The Cat" Robie (Cary Grant). They confront him, but he is able to slip away and meet up with his old friend Bertani (Charles Vanel), owner of a restaurant whose staff is made up of John's former associates, who are not happy with him because his supposed activities brings them under suspicion. The police eventually find John, but he's able to slip away again with the help of Danielle (Brigitte Auber), daughter of the restaurant's wine steward.

John quickly realizes that the best way to prove his innocence is to catch whomever is actually committing the crimes, so he enlists the help of insurance agent H.H. Hughson (John Williams), who provides him with a list of people in the area who own expensive jewelry. Under the guise of an American tourist in the lumber business, he gets close to Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her daughter Frances (Grace Kelly), eventually leading to a close relationship with the latter. Will his little deception work, or is he doomed to take the fall for crimes he didn't commit?

As mentioned, "To Catch a Thief" is much lighter fare than Hitchcock typically delivered during his prolific career, certainly much lighter than the aforementioned titles above. In fact, while it's usually referred to as a "thriller," it would be fair to say that that's perhaps over-stating it just a little. There's a thrill or two to be had in the form of a brief car chase and in John's pursuit of the actually thief near the end of the film, but to call it an outright thriller could be deemed just a little misleading.

As far as romance, it has plenty of it to spare between its two impeccable leads, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, who have a wonderful chemistry throughout, a chemistry that becomes even more fascinating as certain truths are discovered. This gives the film its light, playful feeling, even as it goes about its cat-and-mouse game of John trying to clear his name, and in turn makes it a rather enjoyable romp that doesn't take itself too seriously. As such, for those who find some of Hitchcock's other works to be a little too much, this could be seen as a more mild alternative.

When it comes to the film's ending, it does make it a little too easy to figure out who the actual culprit is, being somewhat in the vein of a Scooby Doo mystery where there aren't many characters to choose from and we can place where everyone is in order to eliminate suspects, but it doesn't detract from the fact that it's wrapped up rather well. In the end, it may not be the most memorable outing that Hitchcock ever made, but it's still a pleasant diversion that provides some fine performances and a fair amount of entertainment. As the film celebrates its incredible 70th anniversary, it's definitely worth revisiting, or checking out for the very first time if you've somehow missed this lesser-discussed work from the Master of Suspense.

Video/Audio:

"To Catch a Thief" comes to 4K in a 1.85:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of excellent quality. The film has been beautifully upgraded, perfectly highlighting its gorgeous locations & costumes. Likewise, the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio track is marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Paramount has done a wonderful job in both departments for the film's new 4K release.

Special Features:

Commentary by Dr. Drew Casper, Hitchcock Film Historian

Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on To Catch a Thief (7 Minutes)

A Night with the Hitchcocks (23 Minutes)

Unacceptable Under the Code: Censorship in Hollywood (12 Minutes)

Writing and Casting To Catch a Thief (9 Minutes)

The Making of To Catch a Thief (17 Minutes)

Behind the Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly (6 Minutes)

Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation (8 Minutes)

Edith Head: The Paramount Years (14 Minutes)

This new edition comes with a multitude of extras, including a commentary from a film historian and a little over 90 minutes of featurettes that focus on areas such as the making, writing, and casting of the film, the stars, the director and his family, and more. Definitely plenty of great material here for anyone looking to learn more about the film.

Conclusion:

Sir Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" may not be the auteur's most memorable outing, but it remains a rather enjoyable romp that features two fine performances from its leads, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, a touch of excitement, and a fair amount of entertainment throughout, making for a light & playful romantic thriller that's worth revisiting or discovering for the first time as the film celebrates its remarkable 70th anniversary.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on Limited Edition 4K Steelbook starting tomorrow.

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