Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955)

EXT - BEACH - DAY.
Enter John from a changing cubicle. CUT TO-

EXT - CANNES STREET - DAY. John.
He sees Francie. He walks to Carlton Hotel. CUT TO-

EXT - CARLTON HOTEL - DAY. John, Francie.
They get into her car. CUT TO-

EXT - COUNTRY ROAD - DAY.
When they stop at a villa, John and Francie drive in and the two men
stay outside. We get the two men's POV momentarily and can see
Francie's car and John and Francie walking in. CUT TO-

EXT - VILLA - DAY. John, Francie.
They converse a lot, getting to know each other. DISSOLVE TO-
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

FADE IN.
INT - FRANCIE'S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT. Francie, John, waiter.
Exit waiter. A romantic and quite sexual scene transpires between John
and Francie. The scene ends with an image of the fireworks, while the
two embrace and kiss passionately. FADE TO BLACK.
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

FADE IN-
INT - FRANCIE'S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT. Francie.
She's lying across a couch, sleeping. CUT TO-

EXT - HOTEL BALCONY - NIGHT. John.
DISSOLVE TO-

INT - ROBIE'S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT. John.
Enter Francie, completely distraught. She accuses John of robbing her
mother Jessie's jewels.
Exit John. DISSOLVE TO-
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

INT - JESSIE'S ROOM - NIGHT. Jessie.
Jessie is opening the door. Enter John. They move into the bedroom. CUT
TO-

INT - JESSIE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT. Jessie, John.
John tells Jessie who he really is.
Enter Francie.
There's a knock on the door. Francie answers it. We follow her and when
she comes back to the room (with the police), John is gone. CUT TO-

EXT - ROOFTOP - NIGHT. John.
As we see John make his getaway, we can still hear the previous scene
(in Jessie's bedroom) play out. FADE TO BLACK.
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

FADE IN-
INT - JESSIE'S ROOM - DAY. Jessie, Francie.
Mother and daughter are arguing. DISSOLVE TO-

INT - COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE - DAY. Lepic, policemen.
Lepic is giving orders to his policemen. DISSOLVE TO-

INT - BERTANI'S KITCHENS - DAY. Policemen, kitchen staff.
It looks like the police are leading a number of the men away
(presumably to be questionned). DISSOLVE TO-

INT - ROBIE'S VILLA - DAY. Two policemen, John's maid.
The policemen have obviously just burst in and are beginning the
process of searching the villa. DISSOLVE TO-

EXT - CANNES BEACH CLUB - DAY. Danielle, policemen.
DISSOLVE TO-

ESTB-
Lighthouse pier. CUT TO-

EXT - LIGHTHOUSE PIER - DAY. John, Hughson.
John tells Hughson his plan of attempting to catch the Cat at the
Silvers' villa that night. FADE TO BLACK.
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

FADE IN-
EXT - PIER BESIDE SILVERS' VILLA - NIGHT.
Various shots of the villa at night. In each one, we can always make
out some movement in a tree or a bush, showing there is someone or some
ones hiding and waiting.
Suddenly, there is a fight between John and some unseen men. One falls.
Some suspense as we wonder which one and wait until waiting police get
to the body and see, in a striking image of the dead man's face (with
water over it), that its Foussard the wine steward. FADE TO BLACK.
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

FADE IN-
EXT - NEWSPAPER STALL - DAY. Jessie, Francie.
The scene opens with a newspaper vendor selling newspapers with the
headline, 'LE CHAT EST MORT'. Francie sees this, buys one and explains
to her mother that the Cat appears to have bee killed and that he was
the wine steward in a restaurant. DISSOLVE TO-

INT - COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE - DAY. Lepic, Hughson.
Lepic has the same newspaper (as seen in the previous scene) in front
of him. Hughson is trying to get a straight answer to his question, 'Is
the Cat really dead?'.
Enter John. John doesn't believe Foussard was the Car, not least
because the man had a wooden leg, an accident going back to the war. He
tells Lepic and Hughson that he is going to Foussard's funeral where he
expects to see the real Cat. DISSOLVE TO-

ESTB-
Cemetary. CUT TO-

EXT - CEMETARY - DAY. John, Danielle, Bertani, mourners.
Danielle exclaims that it is because of John her father is dead. John
hits her and leaves. CUT TO-

EXT - OUTSIDE CEMETARY - DAY.
Enter John. The CAMERA pulls back to reveal Francie waiting in her car.
The two talk and Francie admits her love for John. John treats her
coolly.
Exit John. FADE TO BLACK.
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

EXT - SANFORDS' VILLA - NIGHT.
Enter Jessie, Francie and John.
John is wearing a mask covering his face. He sees Lepic talking to
Bertani and he, Jessie and Francie go over. They make it obvious that
the masked man is John.
Exit John. Bertani informs as many of his colleagues that Robie is
here.
Enter John, still masked. John and Francie begin to dance.
Sequence of shots, focussing on John and Francie, each one starting
slightly elevated and lowering as it goes .. and each time, a policeman
entering the frame. DISSOLVE TO-

EXT - SANFORDS' VILLA - NIGHT.
Same scene later.
The music has changed and is more up-tempo. Still, John and Francie
dance their waltz. DISSOLVE TO-

EXT - SANFORDS' VILLA - NIGHT.
Same scene later.
The music is now slow and languid and still, John and Francie dance
their waltz.
The music stops and Francie whispers something to John, before they
both leave. Exit John and Francie, with the police looking after them.
CUT TO-
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

INT - VILLA CORRIDOR - NIGHT. John, Francie.
John and Francie walk to her room and go in. Enter two policemen. The
policemen see the two go in. Exit Francie and John (into her room). One
of the policemen tells the other to keep watch on the window from a
balcony. Exit one of the policemen. CUT TO-

INT - STEVENS' ROOM - NIGHT. Francie, John.
When John removes his mask, we can see that it was actually Hughson
(since the time John went up to Jessie's room alone).
Francie goes the window, opens it and looks up fearfully. CUT TO-
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EXT - COUNTRY ROAD - DAY.
Two cars racing along the road. DISSOLVE TO-

EXT - RIVIERA ROAD - DAY.
The cars continue along. DISSOLVE TO-

ESTB-
Robie's villa. The sound of screeching car tyres can be heard. DISSOLVE
TO-

INT - ROBIE'S VILLA - DAY.
Enter John. Enter Francie immediately after.
CUT TO BLACK and Paramount logo.

THE END.
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

I think, considering how pretty the film looks in general, and all the
incredible scenery we're going to get to see, putting the titles in a
travel agent's window is a stroke of brilliance.

Even Lyn Murray's flamboyant score buoys us along and really sets the
mood for an enjoyable romp in the French Riviera.

Fergal #.
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

There's a distinctive 'cat motif' on the music score, a riff played on
a flute, IIRC. I've tried to trace its existence and development in the
film but constantly forget to .. always getting sidetracked by the damn
film itself!?

Seriously though, the little musical passage begins here, with the
literal cat on the screen. I know its also heard at the very end, when
Robie's about to catch the new Cat, Danielle.

Other than that, I can't say at the moment.

Fergal #.
 >> Stay informed about: Scene by Scene: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955) 

I think it wonderful how fast Hitchcock and his screenwriters get us
into the story of John Robie. First, the robberies .. then, the police
readying themselves to pounce on the usual suspect and we're off,
racing to some destination.

Hitchcock then takes us to that destination *before* the police arrive
and we get introduced to a man, who we learn was an infamous cat
burglar fifteen years before and is now apparently reformed. All this
without one word spoken to that effect.

Fergal #.
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