PopSyndicate.com

Cary Grant. Grace Kelly. Alfred Hitchcock. What else do you need? Oh yes, a plot…

Today, when people think of Alfred Hitchcock movies, they tend to think of a specific, brief period of time: roughly 1954-1963, incorporating such films as Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, and several more. Less than ten years to represent a man who had a tremendously successful five decade career – and yet, it’s really easy to see why this has occurred. The generation who encountered those films first-run was the progenitor of modern film studies and criticism; those kids saw the films in the theater or on TV – and took them to heart. They all have a unique combination of scope and paranoia that is unique to Hitchcock, and – let’s face it – they have some pretty big stars of the time, too. But what has really kept these films alive, I think, is the nature of their “hooks” - the narrative bait that pulls you in. 1940’s Rebecca is an excellent film, but it lacks the showman aspect Hitchcock used to grip audiences; 1948’s Rope, on the other hand, is probably the earliest film most casual fans will recall long-term, thanks to the stageplay-style presentation. Even in the “magic” mid-to-late ‘50s, there are Hitchcock films that fell into obscurity through a lack of that hook: what sets 1956’s The Wrong Man apart aside from the fact that it’s another thriller about…well…the wrong man?

To Catch a Thief is probably the single most obvious victim of hook-based memories, because it genuinely doesn’t have one. It’s a fairly light romantic thriller, with the usual set pieces replaced by a tour of southern France, and the tension supplanted by a more simplistic, persistent edge to the proceedings. The audience-holding power rests very firmly in the hands of the two leads, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, one of the most obvious yet unobvious pairs in cinema history. And…that’s it. That’s the formula. Big stars. Big vistas. Let’s make a movie.

Okay, that’s not it. To Catch a Thief’s big claim to fame is its innuendo, spoken blithely and fleetingly by Grant and Kelly, hovered on a little more closely by supporting actress Jessie Royce Landis (in a wonderful turn as Kelly’s character’s mother), and telegraphed home through cutaways to firework displays. Even today, the dialogue pops and zings: “What do you say?” asks Kelly, purrs up at Grant. “My only comment would be highly censorable,” he grins back. It all works because of its playfulness, and because of the attraction of those two leads, both boasting comfortable, not-quite-American, not-quite European accents. The gorgeous, aristocratic Kelly is just 26, and though thirty years her senior, the suave and genteel Grant manages effortlessly to be the perfect match. Who could ask for anything more in a movie?

Well, perhaps you’d like a story, yes? But with that kind of screen power, it’s easy to forgive Hitchcock the lack of any real tension, or for that matter, much of a plot – I hesitate to recite any of it here, because it’s completely incidental to the enjoyment of the film. (Okay, since you asked: Grant’s character is a former jewel thief, known as the Cat, who sets out to prove he’s being framed for a new rash of burglaries. Kelly is the young woman who suspects him and, at the same time, falls in love with him. Not exactly complicated stuff.) To Catch a Thief is pure rainy-day enjoyment – it drifts along breezily, and while you may never feel energized by it, you never feel really cheated, either. It’s the perfect ethereal film: easy to forget, but – thanks to the joy of home video – infinitely easy to rediscover. And perhaps, at a time when so many of us know Rear Window or Psycho shot for shot, there’s something to be said for a little forgettable fun…

This two-disc set of To Catch a Thief is #6 in the Paramount Centennial Collection, and actually represents the third DVD release of the film. Fortunately, everyone is going to be very happy with the anamorphic 1.85:1 image, a step up even from the 2007 Special Collector’s Edition. Color is the word of the day here, rich and vibrant, with the exception of skin tones, which seem to have been dialed back ever so slightly; I approve completely. There are some extraordinarily rich greens in this picture – not a color I often see emphasized in cinema (and now I think about it, I wonder why) – along with strong purples, blues and reds. Blacks are just that: black, black, black. Not a lot of shadow definition, and it seems intentionally so. This is one of the most beautiful DVD transfers I’ve seen in a long, long time (probably since 2007’s The Wizard of Oz), so the question begs: why isn’t Paramount releasing this simultaneously in high definition? 

Audio is provided in English 2.0 stereo, English mono, French mono and Spanish mono. Optional subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish, not just for the film but for the video featurettes as well (which is quite nice).

This edition of the film boasts a new audio commentary, provided by USC film professor and historian Dr. Drew Casper. It is, in a word, reverential – so reverential that I had trouble listening for more than 20 minutes at one stretch. Casper takes a “film studies” approach, with much comment on the design of elements within the frame, along with Hitchcock’s famous symbolism. All of that is fine; it’s when he starts sighing wistfully about Hitch’s relationship with Grace Kelly, as if he was actually there, that it starts to become a little…much. Not a bad track, by any means, but definitely rather intense.

The remainder of the special features can be found on the second disc, with some carried over from the previous DVD edition (and thusly noted):

A Night with the Hitchcocks (23 mins.) is an odd way to begin the supplements platter. This is an edited recording of one of the University of the Southern California’s popular annual Hitchcock panels, featuring the late director’s family: daughter Pat Hitchcock and granddaughter Mary Stone. The event is hosted by Dr. Drew Casper. If you’re a Hitchcock aficionado (the only sort of person this will really appeal to), there’s probably not a lot of new information here; even the personal anecdotes seem a bit…muted. The segment closes with a series of ridiculously cloying, PR-friendly comments from Casper and the attending students which very nearly put me off the whole thing.

Unacceptable Under the Code: Film Censorship in America (11 mins.) is the first of several featurettes with overly long, silly titles. Dr. Drew Casper and Dr. Richard Jewell, both Uni. Of SoCal film professors, take us through a potted history of the Hayes Code and, specifically, how it relates to To Catch a Thief. For some reason, this is illustrated mainly with clips from other 1950s films like The Rose Tattoo and A Place in the Sun. A decent featurette – better, I should think, if you’ve managed to completely miss the incredibly unsubtle innuendo in To Catch a Thief. Brilliant stuff, yes, but does anyone misunderstand the fireworks scene?

Writing and Casting To Catch a Thief (9 mins.) has clearly been recycled from the original, 2002 DVD release. Pat Hitchcock and Mary Stone are back, along with author Steven DeRosa, who narrates the pre-production of the film. You can see why they’re still utilizing this; it’s very succinct and leads straight into…

The Making of To Catch a Thief (17 mins.) nicely completes the behind-the-scenes story. Hitchcock, Stone and DeRosa are joined by production manager Doc Erickson and continuity girl Sylvette Baudrot. There are some lovely anecdotes here, and together this and the Writing and Casting featurette present a very complete picture. Good stuff.

Behind the Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly (6 mins.) is made up of some fluffy reflections on the two stars by producer A.C. Lyles and historian Richard Schickel. These are pleasant, but might have been better served edited into a longer production featurette.

Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation (7 mins.) is the last of the three recycled featurettes. This is another set of anecdotes, somewhat more personally-driven, from Pat Hitchcock, Stone, and Baudrot. Very friendly and enjoyable – more so, in fact, than the Night with the Hitchcocks panel - although I’m not sure why this wasn’t moved a little further up to join its fellows from the 2002 DVD release.

Edith Head: The Paramount Years (14 mins.)  is a featurette that Paramount just loves to use again and again and again. I think it’s been on more DVDs than I’ve had hot dinners. Seeing as the featurette spans the entirety of Head’s prolific career at Paramount (as told through interviews with other fashion designers), only a tiny section of this is actually relevant to To Catch a Thief.

The Original Theatrical Trailer (2 mins.) also seems to have been appropriated from an earlier DVD; it’s not in the very best shape, and unlike most Hitchcock trailers, it’s not all that interesting. It’s a very typical ‘50s trailer with overblown narration about “the love affair of the year!”

If You Love To Catch a Thief, You’ll Love This Interactive Travelogue (about 6 mins. combined) must take the biscuit for the absolute daffiest title I’ve ever seen on a special feature. And that’s pretty much okay, because this is the equivalent of a set-top game for To Catch a Thief. Whoda thunk? After a brief introduction, the viewer is presented with a map of southern France; ten locations can be selected with the DVD remote to see film clips and a brief, narrated travelogue. Cute, if superficial. 

Finally, Galleries is split into five parts: “The Movie,” “Publicity,” “Visitors to the Set,” “Production Part 1” and “Production Part 2.” This is quite the archive; there are more than 100 black-and-white photos here, some with captions to identify visitors or crew. My only disappointment was that there are no included posters or lobby cards.

Additionally, a six-page booklet, common to all of the Centennial Collection releases, includes trivia and photographs from the film. Weirdly, a couple of these appear to be colored black-and-white shots, but otherwise I’m all in favor of this type of thing – it’s been too long since booklets were a regular inclusion in DVD cases.

So there we are – the third DVD release of To Catch a Thief, and to my mind, the best yet. However, I’m not sure whether the new content really merits an upgrade from the 2007 Collector’s Edition. The image is, I think, a little improved, but the new featurettes really aren’t that fantastic; the core supplements from the earlier releases remain the best. If you don’t have the 2007 edition, though, do yourself a favor and pick this one up post-haste. It’s a lovely, lackadaisical film with two great stars, beautiful scenery, and a rich color palette. How can you go wrong? At less than $15 online, To Catch a Thief is a steal.

4