In Search of David Dodge

In August of 2010 I received an email from Jean Buchanan, a writer from England who had been commissioned to dramatize the novel “To Catch A Thief” for BBC Radio and to make an accompanying BBC Radio Arts feature about the writing of the book. American author David Dodge penned the thriller in 1950 while living in a rented villa (Villa Noel Fleuri) in the south of France with his wife and young daughter, Kendal. The idea for the story came to him after the luxurious villa next door was robbed by a daring “cat burglar” during a cocktail party. As guests dined on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean, the thief climbed in at the back of the house and snatched items from the guest bedrooms. Dodge would later remark that after hearing about the brazen robbery, “To Catch A Thief practically wrote itself!”

Jean had stumbled upon my blog during her research for the BBC projects and asked if I could help locate Villa Noel Fleuri. I agreed to assist in any way possible and the search began, aided in no small part by another of Jean’s recruits, Randal S. Brandt in Berkeley, California. Randal is the creator of A David Dodge Companion, an outstanding website devoted to the works of David Dodge .

Several months prior to hearing from Jean I had actually been in touch with Dodge’s daughter (at that time she was still alive and living in Mexico) in an attempt to find the villa used as John Robie’s house in Alfred Hitchcock’s film adaptation of the book. I asked her about the villa she lived in with her father and her only memory was of a long, winding driveway with lots of trees leading up to the house. She thought it had been somewhere near Juan les Pins. 

To Catch A Thief: Take 14

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’s Classic Film

Series Post #16

The Picnic Site Revisited

When I started Le Stuff in June of 2009 I had no idea I would come across so many people who shared my quirky fascination with To Catch A Thief. 

I have been fortunate over the years to gain insight into the film and its locations from numerous devoted readers.

One person, though, stands out above the rest.

The latest research by Luca has been languishing in my email inbox for too long now and, as usual, he has truly done his due diligence.

All of the photos in this post (except for the screenshots) were taken by Luca.

More to follow….

The approach to the picnic site looking west.

Again, approaching from the west. Luca stood on the roof of the garage that now sits next to the picnic site in order to take this photo. The shot approximately matches Hitchcock’s camera position (though at a different height).

To Catch A Thief: Take 11

Le Stuff’s Definitive Location Guide to Alfred Hitchcock’s Classic Film

Series Post #13

“Have you ever seen any place in the world more beautiful?”
Francie Stevens (Grace Kelly’s character) in To Catch A Thief

It would have been impossible for Grace Kelly to predict what the future held for her as she gazed out over the sun-drenched Cote D’Azur, arms stretched wide, and delivered her line.

She was sitting next to Cary Grant in a light blue Alpine Sports Roadster with cameras, crew, and surely, the ever-present Alfred Hitchcock mere steps away. Below them, down the steep, barren slope, past the expensive villas dotting the hillside, the principality of Monaco lay spread out against the blue Mediterranean.

Kelly would soon marry Monaco’s Prince Ranier and help turn the tiny principality into a wildly popular international tourist destination.  She would