Black Cats, Umbrellas, Missing Jewels and the French Riviera...

Bonjour et Bienvenue chez French Girl in Seattle.
This is the second post I have written to join mon amie Anita, of Castles, Crowns and Cottages, and her friends during a special event: The Celebrate France link party.

My first story was about Paris and you can find it here. Thank you to all the bloggers who have stopped by and left messages. It has been a lot of fun to meet you and discover your blogs and creative posts about la Belle France. Anita can be proud: Her event is a huge success!
I was going to wait and publish another story after the party, but the French news (that I follow religiously,) have inspired this little tale. I hope you enjoy it...
This time, I am taking you with me to the beautiful Côte d'Azur, or, as the rest of the world calls it, "the French Riviera..."En voyage!
Black cats, umbrellas, missing jewels and the French Riviera...

This week, The 66th Cannes Film Festival opened with much anticipation. The prestigious jury, led by Steven Spielberg, includes glamorous Nicole Kidman, French actor Daniel Auteuil, director Ang Lee, and actor Christoph Waltz to name just a few.

Ah, Cannes! The red carpet. Hundreds of paparazzi and professional photographers. Journalists and reporters. Limousines. Fans. Stars. Rain. Torrential rain.

Wait. Rain? In May on the French Riviera? Oh oui, and lots of it. It has been a soggy five days in Cannes, and many are wondering if this is the end of the world as they know it...

Carey Mulligan (the Great Gatsby) thinks: @#$%!!!

Then, just before the weekend, a man shot a gun loaded with blanks during the taping of a French TV show, prompting the audience and everyone present (including actors Daniel Auteuil and Christoph Waltz) to duck for cover. He was quickly apprehended.

As if it weren't bad enough, I heard on the French news that the Chopard jewelry house, one of the festival's official sponsors, had lost over one million Euros in a burglary. When the news broke, the Chopard spokesperson announced promptly that none of the jewelry stolen from a rented hotel safe [ed: a rented hotel safe???] was part of the "special collection" reserved for the Festival's glamorous movie stars. Phew. I don't know about you, but I feel better already. Thank goodness Nicole Kidman will be accessorized properly when she announces the Festival's winners in a few days!

The French police is investigating, but they are at a loss, and no suspect has been arrested yet. If they asked me, I could tell them who did it. It seems pretty obvious. The culprit is... "the Cat!"

Un chat noir? A black cat? Tssssss... Don't you know your classics? The Cat, a.k.a. John Robie!

Voilà John Robie

Do you see what I mean? In a strange turn of events, it seems we are witnessing a case of life imitates art... on the French Riviera.

Come on. You must remember, even if you do not love movies as much as this French Girl does. After all, this is only one of the most famous American movies ever shot in Europe! A legend. I am talking, of course, about To Catch a Thief, released to great acclaim in 1955.

How many times have I seen this classic? You don't want to know. It is still a favorite here for home-based movie nights with my girlfriends. Just for the fun of it, (and to try and forget the chilly spring weather on the French Riviera and in the Pacific Northwest,) let's list some of the reasons why the movie remains so mesmerizing, 58 years after it was released.

1. Location, location, location.La Côte d'Azur. Cannes' prestigious Carlton Hotel. Nice's Promenade des Anglais. Some of the quaintest villages in the foothills above the French Riviera, Tourrettes sur Loup, le Bar sur Loup, Gourdon and la Turbie. La Côte d'Azur threatens to steal the show in almost every frame... if it weren't for the movie's two superstars. And this takes us to...

Nice setting for a picnic, Grace Kelly and Cary Grant...

2. The undeniable chemistry between the two lead actors.

Grace Kelly. Cary Grant. Beautiful. Smart. Sexy. And great friends off camera. Their witty and playful banter catches viewers' attention. Watch them make the screen sizzle!

John Robie: You're here in Europe to buy a husband.Frances Stevens: The man I want doesn't have a price.John Robie: That eliminates me.

3. Grace Kelly's eleganceShe would have looked good in a garbage bag, but in the iconic movie, she never had to. Grace Kelly was dressed by legendary costume designer Edith Head (she won eight Academy Awards,) and had never looked so... regal.

The "Bathing Suit"

The lamé gown in the costume ball finale

The blue chiffon evening dress that, many years later, inspired another princess...

4. A talented director."Hitch," a.k.a. Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Inventive. Prolific. Need I say more?

Making one of his signature cameo appearances in the movie...

Directing his actors in Cannes...

5. Elegant fluff as art.

To Catch a Thief is not considered one of Hitchcock's best movies. Yet, it remains a viewers' favorite. Revenge. Deception. An ex-burglar forced out of retirement. Suspense. Thrilling car chases. This would be good enough for some, but what stands out is the movie's visual style, the stylized elegance in each frame, from the splendid French Riviera locations; to Edith Head's costumes; and the lead actors' natural charm. Perfection. Pure escapism.

Will John Robie prove his innocence?

The hair-raising drive along the Grande Corniche road above Monte-Carlo

6. A princess story.

To Catch a Thief was Grace Kelly's last film with Alfred Hitchcock. As she was attending the Cannes Film Festival to promote the movie in 1955, she was invited to meet Prince Rainier of Monaco. A photo session was organized at the royal palace. The rest, as they say, is History...