DVD Corner's blog

To Catch A Thief Blu-ray Review

“To Catch A Thief” isn’t among Hitchcock’s best.

As part of the new Paramount Presents line of Blu-rays, 1955’s “To Catch A Thief” gets a new home video release. For those that may not be familiar, it’s an Alfred Hitchcock film set in the French Riviera about a former car burglar (John) who is looking to catch a copycat burglar in order to clear his name. Along the way, he falls for the daughter of a wealthy widow named Frances. 

Based on the book by David Dodge and written by John Michael Hayes, “To Catch A Thief” is a rather frustrating film. While some Hitchcock fans are fond of this romantic “thriller,” I’ve always wished it amounted to more. There’s no doubt that the setting and lush location shooting greatly benefits the film as does the combined star power of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Outside of that, the slow paced, drawn out story is a thriller in search of thrills. As many of you may know, Alfred Hitchcock was frequently known as the Master of Suspense, but ‘Thief’ lacks that edge and suspense that Hitchcock is synonymous with. It feels too safe and mainstream for Hitchcock and the film suffers for it. The cheesy score by Lyn Murray, the dreadful screen projections and anti-climactic ending don’t exactly help either. It’s telling that the most engaging part of the entire story is John’s criminal past and war past that we never seen on screen. If only that was the movie instead…

As mentioned above, ‘Thief’ is driven by star power and, in that respect, the movie soars. Grace Kelly is enchanting and banters well with Cary Grant (who is as suave as ever). The two truly do try to elevate the material as best as they can.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? The film has been remastered from a 4K transfer and the result is a Technicolor beauty. The film has never looked better!

Audio Track: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. How does it sound? A nice clean hi-def audio experience. Note: Multiple language options are available as well. 

Extras:
* “To Catch A Thief” theatrical trailer
* “Behind The Gates: Cary Grant And Grace Kelly”- A 2009 6 minute extra that reveals some history about the film’s 2 stars.
* “Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on To Catch A Thief”- A new 7 minute extra in which the famed film critic discusses the history of this Hitchcock film.
* A solo scripted commentary by Hitchcock film historian Dr. Drew Casper which provides more info about the film.

April 22, 2020 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Classic Movie, Grace Kelly, Paramount Presents, To Catch A Thief Blu-ray Review, To Catch A Thief Paramount Presents