Cary Grant And Alfred Hitchcock's Intense Thriller On Paramount+ Is The Perfect '50s Throwback

If you were to think of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller in which Cary Grant finds himself at the center of a mystery after having experienced a case of mistaken identity, you'd probably think of "North by Northwest." But while 1955's "To Catch a Thief" might be a lesser known entry in the Hitchcock oeuvre, it's every bit as worthy of your attention as Grant and Hitch's 1959 collaboration. If you happen to have overlooked this lesser-known Hitchcock thriller, it's available to stream right now on Paramount+.

One of Alfred Hitchcock's best films, "To Catch a Thief" is the last of three collaborations between the director and Grace Kelly and the third of four with Grant. It came in the wake of 1954's "Rear Window" and was a decidedly less tense affair than that seminal thriller. But while "North by Northwest" and even 1946's "Notorious" might typically garner more praise in conversations about the Grant/Hitchcock collabs, as one of several underrated Hitchcock movies worth watching, "To Catch a Thief" deserves just as much attention.

The romantic thriller was an adaptation of David Dodge's 1952 novel of the same name and starred Grant as a former jewel thief who finds himself the object of suspicion in the wake of several robberies. Kelly plays his love interest and the pair's chemistry is undeniable in a film that, with its visual splendor, seems to be celebrating the coming together of these two iconic Hitchcock collaborators.

"To Catch a Thief" stars Cary Grant as retired cat burglar John Robie, who simply wants to spend his days amid the vineyards of the French Riviera but quickly finds himself pulled into a classic Hitchcockian debacle. A series of jewelry robberies in the area puts Robie in the spotlight, with local authorities suspecting the former thief of reverting to his old ways. In an attempt to clear his name, Robie tracks down the owners of the most expensive jewels in the area, the first of which is Grace Kelly's Frances Stevens, the daughter of rich American widow Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis).

Of course, a romance blossoms between Robie and Frances, but when the latter's jewels are stolen she starts to suspect her new beau might have been involved. Facing criminal charges and the loss of his newfound love, Robie finds himself in a race against time to find the real thief, clear his name, and restore his relationship.

With its spectacular settings, erudite leading man, and his effortlessly glamorous love interest, "To Catch a Thief" was one of many proto-James Bond movies in the Hitchcock oeuvre. It was also a less intense affair than some of the director's more well-known suspense films, but what it lacked in intensity it made up for with beautiful vistas and a palpable chemistry between Grant and Kelly.

In 2022 we heard rumblings of a "To Catch a Thief" remake starring Gal Gadot which seems to have been mercifully held up. Instead, we can do the more sensible thing and watch the original on Paramount+ right now.