To Catch a Thief [Blu-ray]


Customer Rating :
Rating: 4.5

List Price : $22.99 Price : $14.99
To Catch a Thief [Blu-ray]

Product Description

The French Riviera…two luminous stars (Grace Kelly, Cary Grant)… and the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, behind the camera. They all add up to one romantic, dazzling screen thriller in this first time on Blu-ray edition. Grant plays John Robie, a retired jewel thief once known as “The Cat,” who catches the eye of Frances Stevens (Kelly), a pampered, vacationing heiress. But when a new rash of gem thefts occurs amongst the luxury hotels of the spectacular French playground, it appears that “The Cat” is on the prowl once again. Is Robie truly reformed? Or is he deviously using Frances to gain access to the tempting collection of fabulous jewelry belonging to her mother (Jessie Royce Landis)? Romantic sparks fly as the suspense builds in this glittering Hitchcock classic that nabbed an Oscar® for Best Cinematography.

Amazon.com

This minor 1955 work by Alfred Hitchcock, one of the lighter entries of his creative peak in the 1950s, is still imbued with the master's stock themes of shared guilt and romantic ambivalence. It is also hardly lacking in Hitchcockian cinematic inventiveness, such as a famous, often-imitated sequence in which some smooching between stars Cary Grant and Grace Kelly is intercut with a fireworks show that just happens to be going on outside in a Riviera setting. Grant plays a reformed cat burglar who is suspected of reviving his trade, though he knows someone else is using his old methods. A very enjoyable experience, but don't get this confused with Hitchcock's other Cary Grant film of that decade, which was a masterpiece: North by Northwest. --Tom Keogh




    To Catch a Thief [Blu-ray] Reviews


    Amazon.com
    Customer Reviews
    Average Customer Review
    197 Reviews
    5 star:
     (136)
    4 star:
     (39)
    3 star:
     (15)
    2 star:
     (4)
    1 star:
     (3)
     
     
     

    126 of 129 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, It's Better Now!, May 18, 2007
    By 
    Tom S. "filmfan3" (New York City) - See all my reviews
    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
    Amazon Verified Purchase( What's this?)
    After reading the gushing, swooning review from the DVD critic in last Tuesday's NY Times, I immediately ordered the "Special Collector's Edition" of TO CATCH A THIEF from Amazon. When it arrived, I compared it to my original Paramount "Widescreen Edition" from 2002. Well, the critic was right--there's simply no comparison. This new version has a 2.0 Dolby Surround soundtrack (in addition to the original mono version) and a cleaned-up, enhanced, crystal-clear picture, start to finish. It looks like they took the drab, blurry, faded old stock and actually washed it, removing years of dirt and grime and smoke and hair and whatever else was there, not to mention a computerized removal of virtually all scratches and glitches. The result is astounding.

    As for the color, see for yourself. Pay close attention to the first car chase down the mountain, the meeting in the flower market, and the costume ball near the end. Not to mention the many night scenes on rooftops, where... Read more
    Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
    Was this review helpful to you?  Yes No


    60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Restoration, May 9, 2007
    By 
    Ron S. Daschmans (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews
    (REAL NAME)   
    Is there a difference in this latest version of this DVD release? Or is it simply a marketing "repackage"? There is a difference!

    In my opinion, the DVD transfer of this "Special Collector's Edition" is far superior to the original DVD release. In a side-by-side comparison, I was amazed to see the job that was performed on this restoration. While, the original DVD contains plenty of dirt, scratches, conversion-related distortion/noise, etc., the Special Collector's Edition looks nearly pristine.

    There are plenty of scenes in the movie where I experienced, how can I describe it, the illusion of depth and/or three-dimensional effect.

    This version will certainly replace my original copy.
    Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
    Was this review helpful to you?  Yes No


    30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars The 2009 Centennial Collection of "To Catch a Thief" is THE definitive version to own on DVD!, March 23, 2009
    By 
    Dennis A. Amith (kndy) (California) - See all my reviews
    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
    Beautiful, well-casted and a classic romantic, suspenseful thriller from Alfred Hitchcock.

    VIDEO & AUDIO:

    "TO CATCH A THIEF" looks great for a 1955 film on DVD. One thing that Hitchcock really utilized on this film is color. From the beauty of France, set design, costume design. Everything was well done and vibrant. The film looks beautiful and is featured in Widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TV's.

    As for the audio, audio is presented in Dolby Digital English 2.0 Surround/English, French and Spanish Mono.

    As for subtitles, subtitles are in English, French and Spanish.

    SPECIAL FEATURES:

    There are a good number of special features on the Centennial Collection of "TO CATCH A THIEF" with a few new featurettes plus the previous features included in the 2007 DVD release. The majority of the special features are included on the second disc (commentary on the first disc). Included are:

    * Commentary: - The... Read more
    Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
    Was this review helpful to you?  Yes No


    Share your thoughts with other customers:
      See all 197 customer reviews...