10 Things I Love About 'To Catch a Thief’ 1955

 

Golden beauty Grace Kelly and darkly handsome Cary Grant make a
sizzling screen team in Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 hit "To Catch a Thief."

I’ve only seen clips of Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief over the years, until I wrote this post. Released in August 1955, the romance heist film seemed fluffy to me, compared to his other '50s classics. Well, I was right… and wrong. 

Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 hit, "To Catch a Thief," was light comedy and suspense, 

with great style and romance.

Hitch’s To Catch a Thief IS total fluff, but it's also stylish, smart, sexy, and totally FUN fluff. Here’s at least 10 reasons why!

Great director, stars, & scenery made '55's "To Catch a Thief" a picnic to film.

Grace Kelly looks ravishing in her Edith Head gowns, as she seduces Cary Grant, 

in 1955's "To Catch a Thief."

#1: Grace Kelly as Francie Stevens, a game rich girl on holiday, is a pleasure. Kelly pursues Cary Grant’s reformed thief, and she is confident, bright, funny, and coolly sexy while doing so. Tan and very blonde, Kelly looks stunning in her Edith Head costumes. Like another timeless '50s film icon, Audrey Hepburn, Grace followed her own style sense. Aside from classic clothes, Grace's hair and makeup are subtle. No stiff, matronly hairdos or stenciled, overstated makeup, which was so common in post-war Hollywood films, even with young actresses. Grace's golden locks aren't brassy, like the other blonde bombshells. Kelly's gowns are stellar and her '50s casual wear is fun, not frumpy or fugly. In a word, Grace looks magnificent. Kelly is also fun and relaxed, classy but not pretentious, and she and Cary Grant have a great rapport and chemistry.

Cary Grant as suspected jewel burglar John Robie, in Hitchcock's 1955 hit,
 "To Catch a Thief."

 Grace Kelly gowned by Edith Head & Cary Grant looking handsome in a tux.
 Hitchcock's 1955 hit, "To Catch a Thief."

#2: Cary Grant at 50 is at the very peak of his leading man persona in To Catch a Thief, as one-time jewel thief John Robie. Cary's charm was contrasted with his enigmatic side, used well by Hitchcock, especially in darker roles, such as Notorious and North by Northwest. Here, Hitch and Cary play the Grant-type character mostly for light humor. And Cary's gift for physical comedy is on display, like the chase scene through a farmer’s market floral display. Grant is effortlessly bemused and amusing, as the former thief suspected by everyone as up to his old tricks again. Cary's fit, graceful, and super-stylish. Cary looks like a million and has a deep tan that George Hamilton would kill for! Grant had impeccable taste and Hitchcock was fine with him selecting is own wardrobe.

Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 hit, "To Catch a Thief."

#3: In To Catch a Thief, actually filmed the summer of '54, Alfred Hitchcock's storytelling was tight, the mix of exterior and interior filming seamless, the notion that a blonde actress could be sexy and smart was fresh, and escapist romance didn't have to be mindless. Hitchcock was quoted as saying that he didn't make films that were a slice of life, but piece of cake. To Catch a Thief is one tasty slice of cinematic cake.

Cary Grant's suspected thief escapes by bus, only to end up seated next to 

director Alfred Hitchcock,  in 1955's "To Catch a Thief."

I think Alfred Hitchcock was at his very peak in the first half of the 1950s. Films like Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Dial ‘M’ for Murder, and To Catch a Thief were all precise and taut storytelling. Hitch had some big hits after Thief , but they became longer and eventually more repetitive and belabored—Marnie is the perfect example of what torpedoed his film director standing. The notable exception was 1960's Psycho, which was Hitchcock's rebuttal to critics that he could indeed make down and dirty thrillers, with just as much directorial style. Then it was right back to leisurely suspense films, while trying to create a new Hitchcock blonde—all of which was swiftly becoming passé.

Grace looking chic in Edith Head fashions, in Hitchcock's stylish
1955 hit "To Catch a Thief."

#4: Edith Head designs some gorgeous gowns for Grace Kelly, and assembles some classic day looks as well. Head was at her zenith in the 1950s, dressing seemingly every star, but notably three top young actresses: Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor.

Grace Kelly in a gown fit for a future princess and Jessie Royce Landis
as her outspoken mother, in 1955's "To Catch a Thief."

Head gets dinged by some critics as a prolific rather than inspired designer. I think she walked the fine line of pleasing her studios (Paramount and then Universal), directors, and stars very well, while developing an enduring reputation. Head's career lasted 5 decades and won her 8 Oscars, which should speak for itself.  Hitchcock loved Head because she understood what he wanted. Edith liked working with Hitch because he trusted her to do her job. 

Michelle Auber as the French girt with an eye for Cary Grant's "The Cat,"
in 1955's "To Catch a Thief."

#5: The supporting cast is all in great form: Jessie Royce Landis as Kelly’s blunt mother; John Williams as the insurance detective; and Brigitte Auber, who played tomboyish Danielle, is still alive at 101! The international cast mixes well with the American and British stars.

The beautiful scenery and stars were a huge part of Hitchcock's 1955 smash hit, 

"To Catch a Thief."

#6: The French locales, selected from various parts of the southern France coast, are breathtaking. One of the reasons that some of the location shooting was so eye-catching is that To Catch a Thief was one of the first films to use a helicopter for filming. Most of the interiors were shot back on Paramount's lot. The sets are gorgeous and they are seamlessly woven with the location outdoor shots.

"It's true, Cary. Fireworks are '50s film symbolism for sex!"

#7: The cinematography, the score, and all the production values are top notch. Paramount’s color in Vista Vision is lovely and superior to the color films of mid-century MGM and WB. Hitch was now working with some of his favorite people, in front of and behind the camera. And the final results showed onscreen.

#8: Thief’s script by John Michael Hayes is witty and fun. Some risqué lines and the lovers acting like grownups are refreshing to see in a mid-1950s film are refreshing. 

To wake up in this French villa every day with Cary Grant would be heavenly!

 1955's "To Catch a Thief."

#9: The home of Grant's reformed burglar is most impressive, inside and out. I imagined living there while watching To Catch a Thief!

Grace Kelly's rich girl embraces the splendors around her: the Riviera, Cary
 Grant, and her Sunbeam Alpine sports car! From 1955's "To Catch a Thief."

#10: Kelly’s rich girl’s car is a gunmetal blue Sunbeam Alpine that would pair perfectly with John Robie’s villa.

Grace Kelly wet and wonderful here as the rich girl who is after Cary Grant's
 smooth ex-criminal, in 1955's "Too Catch a Thief."

Some things that I didn’t love about To Catch a Thief are minor quibbles: Grant trying to pass himself as a business man from Oregon—seriously! Or Hitch trying to palm Auber off as younger than Kelly. She's 3 years older and looks even more so! Grace’s Francie treated as an old maid and handed off to a stranger 25 years her senior by mother Landis was patently ridiculous—though he WAS played by Cary Grant. And though Kelly herself found older men attractive off-camera—but that's another story! Finally, this gorgeous movie begins with a huge close-up of a frumpy matron in the morning, hairnet and all, shrieking that her jewels are gone, is so repulsive. An example of Hitch's perverse sense of humor?

Cary Grant at 50 was in fine form, in 1955's "To Catch a Thief."

To Catch a Thief may not be the most suspenseful Alfred Hitchcock film, but it's one of his most stylish, a perfect light entertainment. Enjoy!

Grace Kelly gets the last word, but Cary Grant gives the final reaction, 
in 1955's "To Catch a Thief."

North by Northwest 1959

The Alfred Hitchcock catch me if you can classic, North by Northwest, was the film forerunner to the modern summer blockbuster. My take: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/08/north-by-northwest-1959.html

Rear Window 1954

Rear Window remains one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best Technicolor blockbusters. My take:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/06/hitchcocks-rear-window-still-thrills.html

‘Fame is the Name of the Game’ Cool or Campy '60s TV?

 

Tony Franciosa flashes a grin and his chest as randy reporter Jeff Dillon
in 1966's "Fame is the Name of the Game." 

 

Fame is the Name of the Game is one of the many TV movies that Universal Pictures cranked out in the '60s and '70s. This 1966 offering was later reworked as the much superior TV series, The Name of the Game. 

"Fame is the Name of the Game" was a Universal Pictures TV movie that
 evolved into the TV series "The Name of the Game." 

Tony Franciosa plays cocky reporter Jeff Dillon at Fame magazine. He takes up the case of a young woman’s death, a high class call girl, which results in multiple threats.  The reason why Dillon is so driven in pursuing a story that he literally stumbled upon—a gut feeling—seems weak. Especially as he's getting grief from all quarters, every person he talks to drops dead, plus a few beat downs for his troubles. Fame is the Name of the Game feels very TV hero, instead of real. That doesn't stop our star reporter, or him flirting with every woman he encounters, including a sexy artist, portrayed by Jill St. John.

Just another Casual Friday at Fame magazine! 

Franciosa was one of those actors who played sexy and sexist jerks, flying in the face of the liberated late '60s, and acting more akin to the early ‘60s Playboy era. Tony was segueing into TV at this point in his career. A little too pretty, glib, and affected to be a top movie leading man, he was more George Peppard than Paul Newman. Flashing his chest and Chiclets smile, while spouting sexist come-ons and put-downs, was Tony's stock and trade opposite sex bombs like Jill St. John, Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch, and Jacqueline Bisset. And natch, they were all a dozen years younger than Tony. While Franciosa was indeed attractive, his smarmy delivery wouldn't get him to first base today. 

Tony Franciosa as Jeff Dillon, with a souvenir from his last journalism jaunt,
 in "Fame is the Name of the Game." 

Jill St. John fared best when she spoofed her sex bomb image, whether opposite Sinatra, James Bond, or Tony's Jeff Dillon. As Leona Purdy, whose artist's pad looks like a swanky bordello, Jill's style today looks like an Austin Powers fembot. The finale's a hoot, with villain Jack Klugman shooting at Tony and Jill in a parking garage, with St. John sporting a black and white hound’s-tooth mini, a clear plastic jacket, and yes, white go-go boots!

Imagine being chased by two gun men and you have Jill St. John
in THIS get-up?! From 1966's "Fame is the Name of the Game."

From the back side!

Jill St. John had her redhead bombshell look down at this point. On the '60s bimbo bombshell scale, Jill St. John was below Raquel Welch and Ann-Margret, but above Joey Heatherton, on the ‘60s sex bomb food chain!

Jill St. John and views of her 'do! 1966's "Fame is the Name of the Game."

Yet, Jill was becoming increasingly fun in spoofing her image and is quite funny as Leona, who figures in this mystery and falls instantly for Jeff. Jill sports different hair and costumes in every scene and is outrageous in her flirting with Tony’s Jeff. Unfortunately, Game’s aging male screenwriter gives her some clinker chauvinistic lines, making her seem a husband-hunter, when she could have her pick. Thrown in for a finale twist is a nod to The Maltese Falcon, making her a femme fatale. Thankfully, St. John’s natural intelligence and humor off-set all this!

At first, I thought this jumpsuit was a Bob Mackie. Close! Ray Aghayan
 designed number, originally worn by Angie Dickinson for "The Art of Love."

Susan Saint James was just 20 when she made her film debut in 1966's
"Fame is the Name of the Game." 

Susan Saint James made her screen debut here as quirky editorial assistant Peggy—Chan here, later Maxwell in the TV series. Though she's the butt of smarmy Dillon’s barbs, Susan's Peggy is plucky and smart, if inexperienced.  Susan sports some unfortunate styles and unflattering '60s makeup. But those big brown eyes and husky voice come through. Susan went on to have a long TV career, starring in three series: The Name of the Game; McMillan and Wife; and Kate and Allie. She became a top comic actress, with warmth and charm.

Susan Saint James sporting heavy duty '60s eye makeup in 1966's
"Fame is the Name of the Game." 

Fame is the Name of the Game boasts a strong guest star lineup: Jack Klugman as the eccentric, sadistic, baddie; rat-a-tat-tat voiced George Macready as the original publisher Glenn Howard (later played by Gene Barry); Robert Duval as the grieving hubby of the dead woman; and Jack Weston as Tony's boss. Lee Bowman, and especially Jay C. Flippen, offer strong characters that Dillon encounters. Nanette Fabray has a bit as a flirty hotel phone operator—she was also married to Game’s producer/writer Ranald MacDougall.

Jack Klugman as the daylight-hating villain in 1966's
"Fame is the Name of the Game." Dr. Evil's grouchy brother?

Jack Klugman as the daylight-hating bad guy is good, but his dour demeanor had already typecast him as a comic grump. As a James Bond-esque villain, Jack barely seems mobile, much less imposing. 

Director Stuart Rosenberg became a big name shortly after this Game, due to his association with Paul Newman. Cool Hand Luke was the most successful of their collaborations. Here, Rosenberg goes in for some showy camera shots that border on the absurd.

No, Jill St. John's artist doesn't paint this way! From 1966's "Fame is the Name of the Game."

For a lunch date, Jill St. John makes yet another costume change,
from a bikini to a fur hat! 1966's "Fame is the Name of the Game."

The script is convoluted but also clichéd, given a hip surface veneer, typical of aging screenwriters like Ranald MacDougall in the increasingly permissive era. The comedic moments’ sensibilities are on par with a ‘60s Bob Hope movie.

The plot is run of the mill, convoluted, and too tedious to describe! When The Name of the Game later made its debut, the stories were more unique and stylishly presented, with younger writers, instead of dated studio writers like MacDougall. The downside was the three rotating male leads were all insufferable: smarmy Tony, pompous Gene Barry, and stiff Robert Stack. Thankfully, Susan Saint James reprised her role of Peggy Maxwell. And the series boasted excellent guest stars and up and coming directors like Steven Spielberg. 

Tony Franciosa as globetrotting reporter Jeff Dillon 

in 1966's "Fame is the Name of the Game." Tony was 38 at the time.

As for Fame is the Name of the Game, it's fun for star watching and as a '60s flashback. And Jill’s groovy fashion parade! Finally, if the story seems familiar, it’s a loose remake of Alan Ladd’s Chicago Deadline, from 1949.

Jill St. John as an artist with a checkered past! 1966's "Fame is the Name of the Game."

Watch The Name of the Game’s most famous episode, LA 2017, for the combined imagination of Steven Spielberg and the knowledge of Philip Wylie, for a look at the future that is mostly on-target—sadly. My take: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-name-of-game-la-2017-1971.html

When I was a grade school-age kid, The Name of the Game was one of those "grown up" TV shows that I loved. This episode, titled Ordeal, starred regular Robert Stack as hard-nosed Dan Farrell, Crime magazine reporter. Jessica Walter guest stars, in a showcase, sort of a mini-I Want to Live! My look:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-name-of-game-ordeal-for-jessica.html

Story is Real Star of ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ 1997

 

John Cusack is a writer who gets the story of a lifetime from a murderous antiques
 dealer, played by Kevin Spacey, in 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

I loved the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, published in 1994, like millions of other readers. I was very disappointed in the film version, when it was released in 1997. I recently re-watched the Clint Eastwood-directed take on the Savannah-set, real-life murder and found it more enjoyable. Still, it confirmed what I recalled as its flaws, and why Midnight failed at the box office.

Jude Law is ready for his close-up as the shot boy toy,
in 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." 

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was one of those novelized non-fiction stories inspired by Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Jim Williams is a subtly charming/creepy wealthy man, up for murder charges of his very young male lover, Danny Hansford, in 1981.

Kevin Spacey scores a bull’s-eye as the charming but sinister antiques dealer
accused of murder, in 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

But Berendt's tone was lighter, reminding me of Dominick Dunne's novels on high society types and their scandals. Berendt admitted to taking artistic license in regard to certain characters and chronology, yet the story itself—of the infamous shooting—is true.

Some unorthodox research is required in the courtroom drama,
1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

Clint Eastwood takes things a step further: the fictionalized protagonist that's a stand-in for the author now becomes involved with a local woman, who is already dating a colorful pianist. The problem is the real-life woman never dated either of the real-life men, because they were gay. While the faux romance is pleasant enough, it takes up too much time in the already convoluted true story. The motivation is also questionable: was this rote romance meant to placate mainstream audiences contending with Midnight's many “colorful” characters? 

Alison Eastwood & John Cusack play fictionalized characters in a fictional romance,
 in 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Pleasant but superfluous!

Berendt wasn't even in Savannah when the murder took place, but chose to place himself earlier in the name of storytelling. The author arrived after trial two; Eastwood condenses the four trials into one. So, take the book and film of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil with a pillar of salt. Maybe the story will get an excellent documentary treatment one day. Still, the core story intrigues.

Director Clint Eastwood with star John Cusack, in 1997's
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." 

While I still think Clint Eastwood was not stylistically a good fit for the tale—where was Mike Nichols or Norman Jewison?—Clint accomplished two goals, streamlined storytelling and directing good performances.

The men of 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

When all the debits are set aside, one can still enjoy Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’s story of life among Savannah's quirky characters, disrupted by an unsavory killing. In retrospect, the rich in detail story might have been better served as a cable mini-series. There is a certain amount of style in Midnight, Eastwood uses Johnny Mercer songs on the soundtrack—his family once owned the house where the murder occurs. The cinematography of lovely Savannah is a plus. Some of the actual participants, including notorious Lady Chablis, are cast.

John Cusack plays the fictionalized version of John Berendt, author of
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

Though the story feels like the lite version of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, what is served is well-done. The performances are solid. I like John Cusack, who plays the fictionalized author John Kelso, and he gives a charming, wry performance. But in this out-sized tale, he's a bit overshadowed. What a shame that Robert Downey, Jr. wasn’t available, an actor of great style and humor. Sigh, Downey was then at the height of his personal issues. He would have been much more interesting to see, interacting with the wacky locals and the silky villain. 

Kevin Spacey is subtly charming and creepy as the wealthy man up for murder
of his young male lover, in 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

As the charming killer who claims self-defense, Kevin Spacey gives a restrained yet charismatic performance as wealthy antiques dealer, Jim Williams.  How ironic that Kevin played such a sinister, dualistic character, considering what would come later. However, I think Spacey is a great actor, no matter what his personal problems. And like most great actors, Spacey can be prone to overacting. Eastwood preferred understatement from his actors and gets subtlety from Spacey. Kevin Spacey's scenes with John Cusack remind me of the cat that's about to chomp the canary. Compare Kevin's observantly sly Savannah gentleman in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil to his hammy southern politician in House of Cards.

Jude Law may be rough trade, but Kevin Spacey has a few tricks up his sleeve in
 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

Jude Law's wild redneck Danny Hansford (Billy Hanson in the film) was not a big character in the book, and gets even shorter thrift here. What Law does get to do livens things up and he certainly has the animal magnetism. 

Bang, bang, Jude hit the ground! Law is the local hothead who doesn't get the last
 shot, but gets the last look, in 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

Alison Eastwood, though superfluous to the story, is direct and charming as Mandy, the local love interest to the visiting author. Paul Hipp is very charismatic as pianist Joe Odom; Jack Thompson is solid as the lawyer whose thankless job is to get Jim Williams off in self-defense. In the film, the real lawyer (Sonny Seiler) plays the judge! Oh, to have been a fly on the wall, watching Clint Eastwood direct The Lady Chablis as herself—who’s quite amusing as the drag queen diva in transition.

Love a great courtroom drama! 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"
 isn't great, but it's still a good watch.

Some of the book's colorful characters are charming cameos: flamboyant socialite Serena Dawes (Dorothy Loudon); Luther Driggers, who walks around with horseflies strung to his coat (Geoffrey Lewis); pianist Emma Kelly, the Lady of a Thousand Songs, played herself; and especially voodoo priestess, Minerva (Irma P. Hall). 

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil disappointed the critics and many fans of the book, which should have been a no-brainer. This also happened later with adaptations of huge bestsellers Angela's Ashes and The Goldfinch. This just shows there is no set formula to bring a popular story from page to screen. 

The haunting graveyard statue of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

Oddly, the film talent has far outlived the real-life characters!

Danny Hansford, name changed to Billy Hanson in the film, was born in 1960, and killed May 2, 1981. On January 14, 1990, eight months after his acquittal, Jim Williams died at his home, partly of heart failure, at age 59.

Nancy Hillis aka Mandy Nicholls, died at Savannah's Chandler Hospital in 2016, at aged 68. Joe Odom died in 1991, from complications of AIDS. He was 43.

The Lady Chablis died in 2016 from pneumonia, at age 59.

The Lady Chablis, in a 'Dynasty' moment, plays herself
in 1997's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

As for the film-makers:

Director Clint Eastwood was 96 years old on May 31, 2026, born 1930. Eastwood retired from film-making this year, as well.  

Author John Berendt is 86 years old, born December 5, 1939.

Kevin Spacey will be 67 on July 26, born 1959.

John Cusack John Kelso turned 60 on June 28, born 1966. Cusack was just 30 while filming 1997's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. 

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil the movie is solid and will hopefully take you straight to the book!

"Y'all come back now, ya hear?" Kevin Spacey in 1997's
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

Play Misty for Me

My look at 1971’s Play Misty for Me, Clint Eastwood in his directing debut:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/05/clint-eastwoods-directorial-debut-play.html