HITCHCOCK BLONDE!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtEgfYq2pNx0IZiFCdJTM-_xPWq0LAw6RAbF47HqZVvWvRjhx72y2iIMHZ2j9xW7qwb5bg9zoVwdZ20YVz8rGDStrs8-nABizsXqw1opVk1Qgx_XCk__1DU1l4Np_llA3eZscx_Ysa3wv/s1600/grace+kelly+hitchcock+blonde+bordered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtEgfYq2pNx0IZiFCdJTM-_xPWq0LAw6RAbF47HqZVvWvRjhx72y2iIMHZ2j9xW7qwb5bg9zoVwdZ20YVz8rGDStrs8-nABizsXqw1opVk1Qgx_XCk__1DU1l4Np_llA3eZscx_Ysa3wv/s400/grace+kelly+hitchcock+blonde+bordered.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It began long ago, the succession of beautiful blonde actresses who combined feminine refinement and sex appeal in a way that director Alfred Hitchcock could not resist depicting onscreen many times. Over the course of his career, Hitchcock honed this character type to a fine point and his final blonde stars were scrupulously stylized to evoke a very specific image.<br /><br />Some of the most memorable:<br /><br /><a name='more'></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXEKS7m5UjmwozE87MNHEkjDVll65uY03oOMwyZEDxY8HjEstnVCs1r9TMFrHMv3_PUVImrJTtOaIKCa3LXwhLXiI4MQ7caY-8mOKsQ7rell48KAVDmcNMJFiCSiNuFdChdY_zTHg3_A6/s1600/joan+barry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXEKS7m5UjmwozE87MNHEkjDVll65uY03oOMwyZEDxY8HjEstnVCs1r9TMFrHMv3_PUVImrJTtOaIKCa3LXwhLXiI4MQ7caY-8mOKsQ7rell48KAVDmcNMJFiCSiNuFdChdY_zTHg3_A6/s1600/joan+barry.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Joan Barry</b> (Emily Hill in <i>Rich and Strange</i>, 1931) London-born Barry first worked with Hitchcock when she dubbed Anny Ondra's voice for the sound version of <i>Blackmail</i>. She later starred in another of the director's early sound films, <i>Rich and Strange</i>. In addition to being a blonde, Barry possessed a delicate beauty that Hitchcock would seek again and again. (Note: This British actress shouldn't be confused with the brunette American actress who was legally entangled with Charlie Chaplin)</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5ktNVFUf-Hy7qJgDe9nxKDRw_5b-KzOuAIqKkdIEMCa8Z6y405xBzU_BsbMWayFk_InXtkmgJ6Nw7BFILz-9I-XbY1j_bhGMbaXcx8NZGxzRvLDtU350I4-RnBAL8QN4SiMBO4JM0Z4Z/s1600/madeleine_carroll3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5ktNVFUf-Hy7qJgDe9nxKDRw_5b-KzOuAIqKkdIEMCa8Z6y405xBzU_BsbMWayFk_InXtkmgJ6Nw7BFILz-9I-XbY1j_bhGMbaXcx8NZGxzRvLDtU350I4-RnBAL8QN4SiMBO4JM0Z4Z/s1600/madeleine_carroll3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Madeleine Carroll</b> (Pamela in <i>The 39 Steps</i>, 1935, and Elsa Carrington in <i>Secret Agent</i>, 1936) Often referred to as the first of Hitchcock's "ice cool" blondes, Carroll bore a physical resemblance to Joan Barry, but possessed an aloof quality with which Hitchcock was particularly taken.  Her career skyrocketed with the success of <i>The 39 Steps;</i> following <i>Secret Agent</i> she signed with Paramount and made several films in the U.S. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qKB_2_34niC47SQXUb9SQZSbS9Z7hl2VjaOCzFD-ucKRA9Mu7mJn-54so-ghnFafntRodfW3Vq3_k1d7h3DUjB1wMuUE9MAL0559XnrXPMx3mCcPpphy0LwKeRNXdZiifS7b-7ZSEesJ/s1600/Carole+Lombard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qKB_2_34niC47SQXUb9SQZSbS9Z7hl2VjaOCzFD-ucKRA9Mu7mJn-54so-ghnFafntRodfW3Vq3_k1d7h3DUjB1wMuUE9MAL0559XnrXPMx3mCcPpphy0LwKeRNXdZiifS7b-7ZSEesJ/s1600/Carole+Lombard.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Carole Lombard</b> (Ann Smith in <i>Mr. & Mrs. Smith</i>, 1941) Hitchcock's only screwball comedy, <i>Mr. & Mrs. Smith</i> starred one of Hollywood's great comediennes, the lovely Lombard. She sparkled as the beautiful,  well-heeled Mrs. Smith who, though more stubborn than aloof, was certainly intelligent and fashionable. Hitchcock said he directed at Lombard's request; it was the last of her films released during her lifetime.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Grace Kelly</b> (Margot Wendice in <i>Dial M for Murder</i>, 1954, Lisa Fremont in <i>Rear Window</i>, 1954, Frances Stevens in <i>To Catch a Thief</i>, 1955) The quintessential "snow covered volcano" that all others are measured against, Kelly was one of the definitive beauties of the 1950s. An icon of elegance and refinement, she effortlessly portrayed the haughty allure that so appealed to Hitchcock. Miss Kelly, at the height of her icy heat, appears in the photo at the top of the page as well as the video below...</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNudROVSnrEZz98TrTVo-YZIhWF5rGX4PBFxUef1kOPAinZ6ZgyjJXWI_OsH6P74_k5yafbe8xlfgNw9X9MbQKTEo_aJwK4p4Eg7T02HWKAykY4tfw7ggXWq_hC82_RAZosLgQBPs6TjWq/s1600/kim+novak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNudROVSnrEZz98TrTVo-YZIhWF5rGX4PBFxUef1kOPAinZ6ZgyjJXWI_OsH6P74_k5yafbe8xlfgNw9X9MbQKTEo_aJwK4p4Eg7T02HWKAykY4tfw7ggXWq_hC82_RAZosLgQBPs6TjWq/s200/kim+novak.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Kim Novak</b> ("Madeleine Elster"/Judy Barton in <i>Vertigo</i>, 1958) Novak was a top movie star in the '50s and a departure from the type Hitchcock had previously cast as his blonde love objects. Among other things, Novak was more voluptuous than those before her. In <i>Vertigo</i>, her sultry appeal was toned down with a chic and often subdued wardrobe as well as quiet but very precise makeup. In a new "twist," Novak wore her hair in an up-do through most of the film - the memorable "French Twist" Hitchcock explored with his camera. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBHT0lncG5D3hOnYwgv4ShZLx4FOa5lsPGiJQiCCEEEpC2ujPGN2kREV8Vtm-7BqCYPjraezg-RX9KUWtdVDMIGghnPMj20guqKkz5qzsrKDgn4R9e6jomZqhCY9kdCIRNf8iQFBKeZuA/s1600/eva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBHT0lncG5D3hOnYwgv4ShZLx4FOa5lsPGiJQiCCEEEpC2ujPGN2kREV8Vtm-7BqCYPjraezg-RX9KUWtdVDMIGghnPMj20guqKkz5qzsrKDgn4R9e6jomZqhCY9kdCIRNf8iQFBKeZuA/s1600/eva.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Eva Marie Saint</b> (Eve Kendall in <i>North by Northwest</i>, 1959) Though not a sex symbol like Novak, Saint was also different from the women Hitchcock had cast before her. A method actress, she was known for starring in films like <i>On the Waterfront</i> and <i>A Hatful of Rain</i> as well as live TV dramas - what Hitchcock called "kitchen sink" roles. However, she got the full treatment once chosen to play Eve and was coiffed, gowned and made up to seductive, slightly brittle perfection. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVz8gazRCZoNfUgSX5nycfvsVdNeHUMwdMAbeIVCMVLTuwyr5983mbyRmr8kc7fBh4j4_D-Kvl_qGC1Cb5t3ay_c4A8wElxUNQ3ob1tXA5Iprj50bXO7Vj6Ku6d4tTnOUWyaGjdeayTPa/s1600/tippi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVz8gazRCZoNfUgSX5nycfvsVdNeHUMwdMAbeIVCMVLTuwyr5983mbyRmr8kc7fBh4j4_D-Kvl_qGC1Cb5t3ay_c4A8wElxUNQ3ob1tXA5Iprj50bXO7Vj6Ku6d4tTnOUWyaGjdeayTPa/s200/tippi.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Tippi Hedren</b> (Melanie Daniels in <i>The Birds</i>, 1963, and Marnie Edgar in <i>Marnie</i>, 1964) Hitchcock's final pale-haired icon, Hedren's was the most controlled expression of the archetype. More model than actress, Hedren's mannequin-like qualities seem emphasized by heavily sprayed bouffant hairstyles, a sophisticated and strictly coordinated wardrobe and fastidious makeup. Hitchcock coached Hedren closely and constantly, intensely involved in her every move. Her career faltered when she bought out her contract with Hitchcock following <i>Marnie</i>. <b><br /></b><br /><b></b><br /><b></b><br /><b><br /> <i>Francois Truffaut and Alfred Hitchcock discuss "the Hitchcock Blonde"</i></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i>Hitchcock</i></b>:You know why I favor sophisticated blondes in my films? We're after the drawing-room type, the real ladies, who become whores once they're in the bedroom.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i>Truffaut</i></b>: What intrigues you is the paradox between the inner fire and the cool surface.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i>Hitchcock</i></b>: Definitely...Do you know why? Because sex should not be advertised...because without the element of <i>surprise</i> the scenes become meaningless. There's no possibility to <i>discover </i>sex. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pEnNyXPKAUQ" width="560"></iframe></div><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For more Hitchcock leading ladies, <a href="http://evesreellife.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/more-hitchcock-heroines-blonde-and-not-so-blonde/" style="color: #990000;">Click here</a>...</div>

Alfred Hitchcock Carole Lombard Eva Marie Saint Grace Kelly Joan Barry Kim Novak Madeleine Carroll Roar Foundation HITCHCOCK BLONDE!

It began long ago, the succession of beautiful blonde actresses who combined feminine refinement and sex appeal in a way that director Alfred Hitchcock could not resist depicting onscreen many times. Over the course of his career, Hitchcock honed thi…

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Break out the champagne (the '55 Hitchcock)...

<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuu-j93w_O4SAZI35_v2b7KGevhXQy_WvDxLVNBYtMHbsY7tmgjWZVU4lXBmrhAWqRtI6pkot7SRLI8Bw5oqSnZi8-8vbfmusmfX2mnM8dp463edZ0RLidEHP9uPZBuJ-oW7h3pXhK_54/s1600/cote+d+azur.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuu-j93w_O4SAZI35_v2b7KGevhXQy_WvDxLVNBYtMHbsY7tmgjWZVU4lXBmrhAWqRtI6pkot7SRLI8Bw5oqSnZi8-8vbfmusmfX2mnM8dp463edZ0RLidEHP9uPZBuJ-oW7h3pXhK_54/s1600/cote+d+azur.bmp" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sometime just after Labor Day it began to seem that 2010 suddenly accelerated and was careening headlong toward Halloween…Thanksgiving…Christmas.  Each holiday quickly came and went and, what seems like moments later, 2011 is here.</span><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In my life, 2010 was a year highlighted by reconnecting with old friends and making new ones…so today I celebrate the old year along with the new.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Traditionally, of course, champagne is the <i>drink du jour</i> at New Year’s, and so champagne it shall be now. A bottle of ‘96 <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Dom Pérignon Ros</span>é<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> would be great, but I’m in the mood for something really special…an old favorite… Hitchcock’s distinctive ’55 </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">vintage</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> from the </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Cote d'Azur. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">To Catch a Thief</span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> (1955), or “Hitchcock champagne,” boasts a rare combination of elegance and flair. Light-bodied with a smooth finish that lingers, it remains unmatched, though it has been imitated far and wide for decades.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A jaunty score sets the tone as the opening credits roll over a shot of an international travel service with a poster in its window, “If you like life, you’ll love France.” The tinkling keys of a grand piano hint at continental sophistication and adventure long before the first scream bemoaning stolen jewelry issues from a Riviera hotel balcony.</span></span> <br /> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48Sgpw1nuTnGKA-hGWpGyPdQwOaT7n03Owk9uy7NmHcFMWFTNuebRjyaRRf1IL2SDRiAlyPMIflEK8rOeDZOaYHCfQLdUwz65_Al6d5ZsB3w2qQqY95hbdjGH0ShuV8axK6eP9sPlFOax/s1600/sainte+jeannet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48Sgpw1nuTnGKA-hGWpGyPdQwOaT7n03Owk9uy7NmHcFMWFTNuebRjyaRRf1IL2SDRiAlyPMIflEK8rOeDZOaYHCfQLdUwz65_Al6d5ZsB3w2qQqY95hbdjGH0ShuV8axK6eP9sPlFOax/s320/sainte+jeannet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Robie's Sainte-Jeannet villa</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial;">Quickly enough the action takes off with a colorful cruise through the Cote d'Azur as the French police speed to the village of Sainte-Jeannet and the hillside villa of retired jewel thief and prime suspect, John Robie (Cary Grant). The film has just begun and cinematographer Robert Burks has already heralded Hitchcock's first film in VistaVision/Technicolor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Alfred Hitchcock and Robert Burks had initially worked together five years earlier, following the director's return to the U.S. after making two films in England. Hitchcock was beginning production on <b>Strangers on a Train </b>for Warner Bros. and the studio cinematographer assigned to the project was 40-year-old Robert Burks. This would be the beginning of a fabled partnership.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aJ-LFhxBKGBVxsOpoMXKA9LFUFZ3nn0ZmbCFLYOEwnvpwl08JKliUAQyoatZUrp6FC-Dip7VCoYoKQA50NGVH3tOnfqGOOUi2pIb5WsF8-LzdqT_BHBSyPcbdGA-ZkwEtTMLr_Yyfm-6/s1600/robert+burks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aJ-LFhxBKGBVxsOpoMXKA9LFUFZ3nn0ZmbCFLYOEwnvpwl08JKliUAQyoatZUrp6FC-Dip7VCoYoKQA50NGVH3tOnfqGOOUi2pIb5WsF8-LzdqT_BHBSyPcbdGA-ZkwEtTMLr_Yyfm-6/s200/robert+burks.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cinematographer Robert Burks</span></td></tr></tbody></table> <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Burks began his career in the Warner Bros. special effects lab at 19 when Hal Wallis, who liked shadows and high contrast from his cinematographers, was in charge of production. Burks, who apprenticed under James Wong Howe, worked his way up, becoming a DP and then a cinematographer by 1948.</span></span><br /><br /><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The early influence of German expressionism on Hitchcock corresponded nicely with the influences Burks absorbed at Warner Bros. and the two collaborated on twelve films from 1951 – 1964, every picture Hitchcock made during that period except <b>Psycho</b>. Like Burks, Hitchcock had detailed knowledge of special effects and tended to devise scenes featuring complex imagery. One of the most memorable scenes in all of Hitchcock came in <b>Strangers on a Train</b>, the scene in which Robert Walker’s strangulation of Laura Elliott is reflected in the lens of a pair of fallen glasses. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />Robert Burks was Oscar-nominated for <b>Strangers</b> and again for <b>Rear Window</b>. With <b>To Catch a Thief</b>, he won the Academy Award for Best Color Cinematography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From 1955 – 1958, Burks shot five Hitchcock films in VistaVision/Technicolor; four of the five were for Paramount Pictures.</span></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzr8W-czTC3FMiCGK16WWGMNjigxqu6CxCVVO-PuVsxPiv1AqVSTVL9SfVDGpGd9prBf7E4__YFzTxtlIjTyWtpwvPhEtKGSG2wduZYjDmyRFyufRfBx73micT6qZm-hBiBCqakqV5Mikq/s1600/filming+TCat+in+VV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzr8W-czTC3FMiCGK16WWGMNjigxqu6CxCVVO-PuVsxPiv1AqVSTVL9SfVDGpGd9prBf7E4__YFzTxtlIjTyWtpwvPhEtKGSG2wduZYjDmyRFyufRfBx73micT6qZm-hBiBCqakqV5Mikq/s200/filming+TCat+in+VV.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hitchcock on the set with VistaVision camera</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />Paramount had been the only major studio to balk at the widescreen CinemaScope system when it came into use in 1953, and set out to develop a process of its own. The studio worked with Eastman Kodak and came up with VistaVision, a method that delivered a higher resolution, widescreen version of 35 mm. The VistaVision process printed down large format negatives to standard 35 mm, creating a finer-grained print and improved image. The use of Technicolor's dye transfer process was key to VistaVision image quality.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />For his first VistaVision/Technicolor excursion, Hitchcock contrived a stylish romantic thriller fueled by dazzling starpower.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtLE882JFOZgUtqIjSrnbv55ZduFCRVVu9gm11qpDvjVoBrfLE00ow453l5wdjAcWI6gYh43NRBsrtwr2t5H31LrfvgystnxYvCWDdlM7uhB9P_ipuuR5i-HUHsKKdpcNFLVCHUanhqoX/s1600/TCAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtLE882JFOZgUtqIjSrnbv55ZduFCRVVu9gm11qpDvjVoBrfLE00ow453l5wdjAcWI6gYh43NRBsrtwr2t5H31LrfvgystnxYvCWDdlM7uhB9P_ipuuR5i-HUHsKKdpcNFLVCHUanhqoX/s200/TCAT.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cary Grant and Grace Kelly</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Robert Osborne remarked, when he introduced TCM's most recent screening of <b>To Catch a Thief</b>, that it had “the best asset any film could have...Cary Grant.” Good point. This was the third of Cary Grant’s four Hitchcock pictures and it came nearly ten years after their last collaboration, <b>Notorious</b> (1946), one <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of</span> the best films in either man’s illustrious filmography. In the interim, Hitchcock’s career had gone into and dramatically come out of a slump. During the same period, Grant had continued to make popular films, but had increasingly moved away from the kind of part he had trademarked – the dapper, self-effacing man of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following <b>Dream Wife </b>(1953), Grant retired, dissatisfied with the films he was being offered. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>But then he was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>approached by Alfred Hitchcock who had a project in mind with the requisite amount of elegance and comedy to attract him. </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">With <b>To Catch a Thief</b> Cary Grant returned to type; John Robie, “The Cat,” is a dashing charmer, “a man of obvious good taste” very few could or would want to resist. Grant seldom departed from type for the remainder of his career.</span></span> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoJXaYjZ9ofOEJ5VFOE-jaUbsAeQQPtBML85fsIj7ONQ1VlAayIENcDsIObokCFf-ggUJve55Qm2kRvG-03vylAwZR-sic_Vf9Ujgfd0YDDiigJlpDf4Ezm_gfXGPEHZ1kSZAfJfkPoft/s1600/last+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoJXaYjZ9ofOEJ5VFOE-jaUbsAeQQPtBML85fsIj7ONQ1VlAayIENcDsIObokCFf-ggUJve55Qm2kRvG-03vylAwZR-sic_Vf9Ujgfd0YDDiigJlpDf4Ezm_gfXGPEHZ1kSZAfJfkPoft/s320/last+scene.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cary Grant and Grace Kelly</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>To Catch a Thief </b>was the third and final film Grace Kelly made with Hitchcock, who would have worked with her for the rest of his career had she not left movies <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">at the height of her stardom to marry Prince Rainier. </span>Hitchcock’s breathtaking onscreen vision of Kelly brings to mind Josef von Sternberg’s cinematic exaltation of Marlene Dietrich 20 years earlier. Kelly was a beautiful woman but among the handful of films she made, her image as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a screen goddess achieved perfection only in her films with Hitchcock. In <b>To Catch a Thief</b> she plays a spoiled rich girl, the ultimate "snow covered volcano" and "Hitchcock blonde."</span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y5C_Wc0Ior6XOQknst_xU10BJT7TDn8OiWVjwkcmhJdK-8t-xkWLrqr-fbM4IagH0gezvhBJDtS7HoARoIcpDXP8wGvG1taFUGP1oCvbZcTUW8Gvzn6TAaIZKN2d7O3hoHAoduYiepxa/s1600/TCAT+Jessie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y5C_Wc0Ior6XOQknst_xU10BJT7TDn8OiWVjwkcmhJdK-8t-xkWLrqr-fbM4IagH0gezvhBJDtS7HoARoIcpDXP8wGvG1taFUGP1oCvbZcTUW8Gvzn6TAaIZKN2d7O3hoHAoduYiepxa/s200/TCAT+Jessie.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jessie Royce Landis</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The pairing of Grant and Kelly is irresistible. The two are perfect for the roles of debonair thief/innocent man and haughty/hot debutante, and they literally generate fireworks together.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In her first Hitchcock outing, Jessie Royce Landis portrayed Kelly’s jovial, down-to-earth, bourbon-sipping mother. Hitchcock liked to include colorful women as supporting characters in his films, ranging from the silly (Florence Bates in <b>Rebecca</b>, Patricia Collinge in <b>Shadow of a Doubt</b>) to the clever and wisecracking (Thelma Ritter in <b>Rear Window</b>,  Barbara bel Geddes in <b>Vertigo</b>). Royce Landis portrayed two of the most appealing of the latter type in this film and <b>North by Northwest</b>.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Actor John Williams appeared in his third Hitchcock film with <b>To Catch a Thief</b>, this time as an insurance agent helping Robie track down the real jewel thief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His H.H. Hughson is a fine foil for Grant’s Robie. Their early scenes provide Hitchcock the opportunity to have some fun with a favorite theme, the ambiguity of guilt and innocence...Robie tells Hughson flatly that though he “only stole from those who wouldn’t go hungry,” he “kept everything myself.” Chiding Hughson for stealing hotel sundries and cheating on his expense account, Robie comments, “I was an out and out thief…like you.” Robie emphasizes his point with the throwaway line, “I wish I’d known someone in the insurance racket when I went into the burglary business.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAMDio0AmddkrFXfJpPwo8RBcWrGDzjg0vhSntaTSrnp9bQ99AzG7VsDOefNmShmdsQbHJZB0OL11czH0OIHYsFaVIlPs2n1B5iLkSFT6tyWUy6SFqG4Youd2B0oCFBw-PJnlisdolSfB/s1600/robies++villa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAMDio0AmddkrFXfJpPwo8RBcWrGDzjg0vhSntaTSrnp9bQ99AzG7VsDOefNmShmdsQbHJZB0OL11czH0OIHYsFaVIlPs2n1B5iLkSFT6tyWUy6SFqG4Youd2B0oCFBw-PJnlisdolSfB/s320/robies++villa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cary Grant, John Williams, Georgette Anys</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Hitchcock toys with guilt and innocence again when Robie refers to the sensitive hands and gentle touch of his cook and housekeeper, Germaine, who bakes a quiche as "light as air" and who, during the war, “strangled a German general once…without a sound.”</span></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some have dismissed <b>To Catch a Thief</b> for its lack of weight, however, it is a strong reflection of Hitchcock’s meticulous craftsmanship, lightly touches on some of the director’s pet themes, and is a solid film of its genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Hitchcock delivered exactly what he intended, an exciting, lighthearted, romantic thriller. All elements click into place…from the John Michael Hayes screenplay to Robert Burks's VistaVision/ Technicolor photography, Lyn Murray’s score, Edith Head’s eyeball-popping costumes, two scintillating stars and the Cote d’Azur setting.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>To Catch a Thief</b> was successful and influential, and many later films bear its earmarks... most prominently Stanley Donen’s <b>Charade</b>, as well as his <b>Arabesque</b>, William Wyler's <b>How to Steal a Million</b>, Blake Edwards's <b>The Pink Panther</b> and countless romantic romps ever since.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TlPETvkuwu0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TlPETvkuwu0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> </div>

Alfred Hitchcock Cary Grant Grace Kelly Jessie Royce Landis John Williams Robert Burks To Catch a Thief Break out the champagne (the '55 Hitchcock)...

Sometime just after Labor Day it began to seem that 2010 suddenly accelerated and was careening headlong toward Halloween…Thanksgiving…Christmas.  Each holiday quickly came and went and, what seems like moments later, 2011 is here.In my life, 2010 wa…

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