To Catch A Thief
To Catch a Thief returns to the big screen this week as we get to enjoy an Alfred Hitchcock classic all over again. To Catch a Thief saw Grace Kelly reunite with Hitchcock, and was one of a string of high profile actresses that worked with the director during his career.
We take a look at some of the actresses who teamed up with Hitchcock and took on some of the director’s most iconic and memorable roles.
- Grace Kelly: Dial M For Murder, Rear Window, To Catch A Thief
Despite having a relatively short acting career, Grace Kelly remains one of the most iconic silver screen actresses, with some of her best and most famous work coming during her collaborations with Hitchcock.
Dial M For Murder was their first collaboration back in 1954, and Hitchcock became one of the last mentors for the actress. The movie as based on the play by Frederick and Knott, and saw Grace take on the role of Margot Mary Wendice, who is wanted dead by her husband after having an affair.
The movie was a critical and commercial hit, and kicked of a three-film partnership between Kelly and the director. To be star in Rear Window, Kelly turned down the chance to star in On The Waterfront: a role that saw Eva Marie Saint win an Oscar.
However, Rear Window saw Kelly get the chance to play an independent career woman on film - a role that she had never had the chance to tackle before. Just as with Dial M For Murder Hitchcock took full advantage of Kelly’s beauty, making her seem almost flawless on screen.
The final Hitchcock film that Kelly starred in was To Catch A Thief back in 1955, in which she starred alongside Carey Grant for the first time. All three of Kelly’s collaborations with Hitchcock were hugely successful - Rear Window in particular going on to be one of the director’s best work.
Hitchcock would offer Kelly the lead role in Marnie, but she was unable to make the film due to her new royal role.
- Joan Fontaine: Rebecca, Suspicion
Joan Fontaine enjoyed an illustrious acting career, and during her time on the big screen, she would work with Hitchcock on two occasions.
Fontaine may have a wide range of great roles under her belt, Rebecca remains one of my personal favourite performances - it is also one of my favourite Hitchcock movies.
Rebecca was a released back in 1940, and was a big screen adaptation of the novel of the same name Daphne du Maurier - this was to be Hitchcock’s first American project. Rebecca is a terrific gothic thriller, which showed Hitchcock off as his suspenseful best.
Fontaine took on the role of the second Mrs de Winter, who is haunted by the memory of her new husband’s first wife. Fontaine would go on to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscars, while the film scooped Best Picture. Rebecca announced Hitchcock on the America stage, and he never looked back.
Fontaine reunited with Hitchcock a year later for romantic psychological thriller Suspicion, starring alongside Cary Grant and Cedric Hardwicke. Fontaine would win a Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth: the only actor to win an Oscar for a Hitchcock film.
- Ingrid Bergman: Spellbound, Notorious, Under Capricorn
Ingrid Bergman was another actress who would work with Hitchcock on three separate occasions between 1945 and 1949.
Spellbound was their first film together, a psychological thriller that saw Bergman team up with Gregory Peck and Michael Chekhov. The movie follows the new head of a mental asylum who turns out not to be what he claims.
Spellbound is another suspense classic from Hitchcock, and had two terrific central performances from both Bergman and Peck. The movie went on to be both a critical and commercial hit when it was released - it remains one of the director’s best works.
A year later Bergman was working with Hitchcock for a second time with Notorious: this time around she was working with Carey Grant. Once again, the movie was a box office smash - one of the most successful films that was released on 1946 - as well as winning over the critics left, right, and centre.
Bergman’s final collaboration with Hitchcock came in 1949 with the lesser-known Under Capricorn, which was based on the novel of the same name by Helen Simpson.
While Under Capricorn is perhaps not one of Hitchcock’s best-known movies, is still sees Bergman deliver another great performance. And with the release of the film, Bergman and Hitchcock’s collaboration came to an end.
- Kim Novak: Vertigo
Kim Novak may have only starred in one Hitchcock film during her acting career, but Vertigo is one of the best and one of the most memorable.
Vertigo hit the big screen back in 1958 and was a thriller that was based on 1954 novel D'entre les morts by Boileau-Narcejac, and saw Novak star alongside James Stewart.
Vertigo follows a retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
Stewart and Novak made a sizzling big screen team, as Stewart’s character starts to lose his grip on reality. The pair deliver terrific and truly memorable performances. It is a shame that Novak never got the chance to work with Hitchcock on any future movies.
Vertigo is widely regarded as one of the best Hitchcock movies of all time, and yet, when it was released it was met by mixed reviews. Over the years, Vertigo has gone on to become a cult and truly iconic piece of cinema.
- Janet Leigh: Psycho
Janet Leigh was another actress who only appeared in one Hitchcock, but it just so happened to be Hitchcock’s most iconic and influential movie of all time… of course, I am talking about Psycho.
Marion Crane is the most famous female character in a Hitchcock - despite being killed off in the first third of the film - something that was almost unheard of at the time.
Leigh was one of the biggest stars at that time, and it was a bold move from Hitchcock to kill off his leading lady so early and in such a violent manner. The shower scene is one of the most iconic in film history, and Leigh one of the greatest horror film actresses of all time.
This bold move by Hitchcock went on to influence a generation of directors, and horror movies were never the same again. Psycho was a critical and box office success, and remains one of the greatest horror movies of all time.
- Tippi Hedren: The Birds, Marnie
Tippi Hedren was another of the actresses who worked with Hitchcock more than once, starting with The Birds in 1963.
The Birds marked the feature film debut for Hedren, as Hitchcock became her drama coach and really gave her an education in acting and filmmaking. However, it was to be a tough shoot for the actress - she was gouged on the cheek by one of the birds - narrowly missed her eye. Despite the difficulties, Hedren would go on to win the New Star of the Year Golden Globe for her central performance.
In 1964, Hedren reunited with Hitchcock for Marnie, which was based on the novel Winston Graham and saw Hedren star alongside Sean Connery. Sadly, this was not one of Hitchcock’s biggest hits, as it was on a moderate box office success.
However, Hedren was the actress who perhaps had one of the most difficult relationships with Hitchcock during her years working with the director.
During his directing career, Hitchcock worked with some of Hollywood’s greatest actresses, and together they delivered an unforgettable movies and performances.
To Catch A Thief is released 8th August.
Tagged in Alfred Hitchcock