3 Must-See Classics: Grace Kelly Alfred Hitchcock Movies
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Want to know all of the Grace Kelly Alfred Hitchcock Movies? Keep reading to learn more about the three must-have movies that the master of suspense collaborated on with the gorgeous Grace Kelly who later became a real-life princess.
Hitchcock created 3 films with Grace Kelly as the leading lady, creating some of the best Grace Kelly movies.
Rear Window (1954) starring Grace Kelly and James Stewart
Dial M for Murder (1954) starring Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, and Robert Cummings
To Catch a Thief (1955) starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant
It was during the filming of To Catch a Thief where Grace Kelly met her future husband, the prince of Monaco.
Marnie, the 1964 Hitchcock film starring Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery does not star Grace Kelly, although it is rumored that Alfred Hitchcock wanted Grace Kelly for the part of Marnie.
However, Grace Kelly was unable to act in American movies at this point as she had already become a Princess.
An unmentioned star of these films, is of course, Grace Kelly’s gorgeous fashion. She models 1950’s fashion to perfection. Grace Kelly’s fashion combined with Hitchcock’s masterful eye for settings (he was a former graphic designer!) result in gorgeous technicolor films that can’t be replicated.
Two of the films are shot almost entirely on set, Rear Window and Dial M for Murder, while To Catch a Thief was shot on location.
The 3 must-see Grace Kelly Alfred Hitchcock Movies: Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, and To Catch a Thief
This post is all about Grace Kelly Alfred Hitchcock Movies
Rear Window
The first Grace Kelly Alfred Hitchcock movie collaboration was Rear Window (1954).
In Rear Window, as it’s name implies, everything is seen from Jeff’s (James Stewart)—-you guessed it—rear window.
Jeff, who is temporarily wheelchair bound from a photography accident, uses his free time to spy on his neighbors. Grace Kelly plays Lisa, his stylish girlfriend who comes over in the evenings after she gets off work.
Jeff figures out that a neighbor who’s apartment he can see from his rear window, has killed his wife. As Jeff is unable to walk due to his leg being in a cast, Lisa is more than happy to supply the ‘leg power’ and help him solve the case.
Grace Kelly, playing a socialite, wear stunning gowns designed by the costume designer Edith Head throughout the film.
Full disclosure that this movie is a slow-starter, it really takes a good half hour for it to get going…if it helps you stay interested, you might like to know that the story is creepily based on the true events of two gruesome murders.
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Dial M for Murder
The second Grace Kelly Alfred Hitchcock movie collaboration was Dial M for Murder. The story was based on a stage play with the same name and the movie version also feels a bit like a play. Similar to Rear Window, it is almost entirely shot in the same room, although Hitchcock does a remarkable managing to make it suspenseful.
Grace Kelly plays the wealthy Margot Wendice who is married to a retired tennis star Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) while having an affair with a novelist Mark Halliday. (Robert Cummings.)
Unknown to Margot, her husband found out about the affair and has planned her murder by hiring a killer. The attempted murder goes wrong and Margot kills the hired killer in self-defense. Tony tries to twist the story to make it look like a planned murder.
It’s up to her lover to save the day (and her life!) by putting his crime novel-writing skills to work and figuring out who the true criminal is.
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To Catch a Thief
Finally, we have To Catch a Thief, the third and final Grace Kelly Alfred Hitchcock Movie.
Grace Kelly plays wealthy Frances Stevens, who is vacationing in France when she meets John Robie (Cary Grant.) John Robie had a past life as a jewel thief earning the nickname ‘the cat’ for his ability to sneak into rooms via the rooftop. When jewels around the riviera start to be stolen in the same way, suspicion turns to the former robber.
Frances quickly finds out about Robie’s past and suspects him, but falls for him at the same time. She becomes convinced of his innocence and helps him prove it.
It’s exciting to watch a Hitchcock’s films shot on location, as he usually favored shooting on set as it gave him more control. Seeing Grace Kelly and Cary Grant against the backdrop of the french riviera is also quite the treat.
It was during the filming of To Catch a Thief that Grace Kelly met the prince who later became her husband. After she became a princess she was no longer able to work as an actress.
Is it too much for us to wish they could’ve delayed their wedding a bit to allow for another Grace Kelly/Alfred Hitchcock collaboration? Their movies kept getting better and better! We just wish there were more to watch.
This post was all about the 3 must-see classics: Grace Kelly Alfred Hitchcock Movies.
Which Hitchcock movie starring Grace Kelly was your favorite? Do you wish they could’ve collaborated for more movies?
If you haven’t seen any of the movies, we would recommend starting with To Catch a Thief as it is the fastest moving of the bunch. Dial M for Murder and Rear Window are both based on stage plays, and although excellent, they are mostly dialogue based.
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Last updated: Sep 05, 2024
A point of interest: British character actor John Williams is featured in both Dial M for Murder (as the police detective who cracks the case) and To Catch a Thief (as the Lloyd’s of London investigator who pairs up with Cary Grant’s character John Robie to solve the mystery of who "The Cat" now is). He should really get a mention!
Thanks for pointing that out!