Notorious (1946): Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

     Woody Allen stated that, in his opinion, Notorious (1946) was Hitchcock's greatest work. That is debatable. What is certain is that this film contains some of Hitchcock's greatest imagery and shows off his burgeoning camera techniques. The sweeping long-to-close-up shot at the party scene is still amazing, nearly 70 years later. The chemistry of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman is genuine. The closing scene, to me, is one of the most tense and memorable in all of film history. Notorious is a remarkable work of Art any way you look at it.

     After her father is convicted of treason, Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) goes on a bender and meets government agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant)... 

Notorious. 1946. Alfred Hitchcock: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

     They fall in love... 

Notorious. 1946. Alfred Hitchcock: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

     When approached about spying on her father's Nazi friends in Rio de Janiero, Alicia agrees... 

Notorious. 1946. Alfred Hitchcock: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

     One suspect of interest is Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains). Alicia soon finds herself getting further involved in the undercover work, so devoted in fact that she marries Alex for the sake of it. She is now on the inside... 

Notorious. 1946. Alfred Hitchcock: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

     Devlin is forced to play along, but can't seem to shake his feelings for Alicia. Together they work to sneak and find clues as to the no-good intentions of Sebastian's group... 

Notorious. 1946. Alfred Hitchcock: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

     When Alex and his evil mother discover that Alicia is a spy, and that she has compromised them, they slowly begin to poison her... 

Notorious. 1946. Alfred Hitchcock: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

     Now Devlin has some difficult decisions to make...

Notorious. 1946. Alfred Hitchcock: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

Charade (1963): Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant

     Produced and directed by Stanley Donen, Charade (1963) is a superb film that is often referred to as "the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made." Full of mystery, suspense, witty exchanges, screwball banter, beautiful Paris cinematography, a memorable Henry Mancini soundtrack and intrigue, the film has it all. The story concerns a recent widow and the trouble her dead husband left her, with a group of men out to get her and the $250,000 they think she is hiding. Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant are perfect in the lead roles, with great chemistry and sparkling dialogue. The supporting cast is great as well, including Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy. Due to a copyright mistake, Charade entered the public domain upon it's release, so numerous different prints of varying quality exist. 

Charade. 1963

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Audrey Hepburn

Charade. 1963: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

"Charade"- movie trailer

Monkey Business (1952): Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe

     Directed by Howard Hawks, Monkey Business (1952) is a Screwball Comedy with a sexy edge. The story concerns an absent-minded scientist and his experiments with developing a youth serum. Precise direction, fast action, witty lines and well-timed deliveries make the film an entertaining ride from beginning to end. Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers are great in the lead roles. It is the beautiful Marilyn Monroe, however, in an early role, that steals the show. 

Monkey Business. 1952

Monkey Business. 1952: Marilyn Monroe

Monkey Business. 1952

Monkey Business. 1952: Marilyn Monroe

Monkey Business. 1952: Marilyn Monroe

Monkey Business. 1952: Marilyn Monroe

Monkey Business. 1952: Marilyn Monroe

Monkey Business. 1952: Marilyn Monroe

Monkey Business. 1952: Marilyn Monroe

Monkey Business. 1952

Monkey Business. 1952: Marilyn Monroe and Cary Grant

a scene from "Monkey Business"

To Catch a Thief (1955): Cary Grant and Grace Kelly

     To Catch a Thief (1955) was both a first and a last for Alfred Hitchcock. It was the first time he used the newly developed widescreen film process, VistaVision, which he would subsequently use in four more films... and it was the last time he worked with Grace Kelly, who gave up acting in 1956 when she married royalty and became Princess Grace of Monaco. Hitchcock tried persuading her to star in his 1964 film, Marnie, but the citizens of Monaco wouldn't allow it, feeling it would be inappropriate for her to resume acting given her station. Nevertheless, To Catch a Thief is a lovely and fitting farewell to Grace Kelly the actress, with her elegant beauty captured against the breathtaking scenery of the French Riviera, and alongside a dapper leading man in Cary Grant.

     John Robie (Cary Grant), a notorious jewel thief known as "The Cat", has been retired for the past fifteen years. His peaceful life on the French Riviera is thrown into turmoil once again, however, when a series of burglaries in his signature style lead the authorities to believe he has resumed his life of crime...

Cary Grant: To Catch a Thief

: To Catch a Thief

Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock: To Catch a Thief

      Realizing that proclaiming his innocence is futile, Robie goes on the run, in an effort to hunt down and expose the copy-cat thief who is causing him so much trouble. He catches the eye of wealthy American heiress Francie Stevens (Grace Kelly), who along with her mother also happens to be the next likely target of the new jewel thief...

Grace Kelly: To Catch a Thief

     Francie is beautiful and elegant...

Grace Kelly: To Catch a Thief

     and Robie cannot resist her charms...

Grace Kelly: To Catch a Thief

     The two quickly fall in love...

Grace Kelly and Cary Grant: To Catch a Thief

     And Francie and her mother agree to assist Robie in catching the real thief, before the authorities nab him for the crimes he did not commit...

Cary Grant: To Catch a Thief

: To Catch a Thief

Cary Grant: To Catch a Thief

Robbery: To Catch a Thief

Cary Grant: To Catch a Thief

Grace Kelly: To Catch a Thief

Cary Grant: To Catch a Thief

Cary Grant: To Catch a Thief

Grace Kelly: To Catch a Thief

: To Catch a Thief

Grace Kelly: To Catch a Thief

"To Catch a Thief"- movie trailer