To Catch a Thief - Plot Point Breakdown

To Catch a Thief (1955) isn't one of Hitchcock's most famous flicks but it's an enjoyable romantic thriller with solid performances from its two leads and an engaging enough 'who done it' plot to hold the whole thing together. There's a signature director cameo about 10 minutes in when Cary Grant gets on a bus and sits down at the back next to Mr Hitchcock.

Inciting Incident - John Robie (Cary Grant) is a retired jewel thief living in the south of France. After a string of jewel heists from hotels on the French Riviera, Robie is suspect number one and must go on the run to clear his name by catching the real thief, a professional cat burglar as skilled as Robie was. He's aided by his old gang of ex-cons, Britani, Foussard and Foussard's daughter Danielle (Brigitte Auber), who helps him escape on a boat.

Lock In - After being apprehended by French police Robie is let out due to insufficient evidence, he now has ten days to clear his name. With the help of insurance man Hughson, who provides Robie with a list of the most expensive jewels currently on the Riviera, he can second guess the real jewel thief and catch him in the act. One of these items belongs to Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) so Robie befriends her and her beautiful daughter, Francie (Grace Kelly) under the false identity of Mr Conrad Burns, an American industrialist.

Midpoint - After a car chase around winding mountain roads where Francie and Robie elude the policemen following them, Francie reveals she knows Mr Conrad Burns is in fact John Robie the Cat. At first Francie welcomes his checkered history, but the next morning Jessie discovers her jewels are stolen, and Francie blames Robie, accusing him of using her to steal her mother's jewellery. The police are called and he is back on the lam.

Climax - To catch the new Cat burglar Robie stakes out a rich estate at night and is soon attacked. The two struggle but Robie's assailant loses his footing and falls off the cliff to his death. It was Foussard and the police publicly announce he was the new Cat responsible for the jewel heists. However Robie states this is impossible as Foussard had a wooden leg and wouldn't have been able to climb over rooftops and walls.

Resolution - At a masquerade ball conveniently attended by everyone necessary, Robie dresses in a Moor mask concealing his identity till Jessie asks him to fetch her heart pills. He complies and his voice tips off the authorities to his identity. He and Francie dance the night away, the police watching and waiting nearby. When they return to Francie's room he removes the Moor mask revealing it's Hughson, who switched with Robie to conceal his exit. Robie is waiting on the rooftops where he catches the real cat burglar - Danielle, who was working for her father Foussard, and Britani all along.