To Catch a Thief (1955 Alfred Hitchcock)

Keeps getting better the more you look at it (and colourful south of France locations look brilliant on Blu-Ray). For example, near the beginning is a most interesting car chase shot mainly from a helicopter. The reason for this is that we don't know that Cary Grant's car is being driven by his housekeeper, but Hitch doesn't want us to know that until the moment of pay-off.

More evidence that the James Bond series came from Hitchcock: another fast car driven by woman sequence (it comes from Notorious and ends up in Thunderball) and all the stuff about speedboats and the beach could also be in Thunderball; plus the very way Grant moves and looks is like a Connery blueprint.

The famous shot of Jessie Royce Landis stubbing out her cigarette in an egg is a sign of the director's disgust of this particular food item (interesting then that insurance agent John Williams is treated to a delicious Quiche Lorraine ("Ah yes, I've heard of these")).

Another entertaining collaboration with John Michael Hayes, with some of A team in evidence - Burks, Tomasini - but the music here is by Lyn Murray (real name Lionel Breeze!) and interestingly sounds in arrangement like Herrmann (bassoons, oboes) though the latter's collaboration with Hitch didn't begin until the same year's Trouble with Harry.

One of the most amusing directors' appearances with Grant looking directly at Hitchcock (a moment that used to be lost altogether on cropped TV prints).

Screen cap courtesy DVD Active

The bird is Grace Kelly, should anyone not know, and she did not die on the mountain roads because of her lack of ability behind the wheel but because she suffered a stroke which caused her to lose control. She was Princess Grace for 26 years, at least. I love the shot in the fireworks sequence, when her face is in shadow but her diamond necklace is lit.