Villa Les Bolovens : mythical shooting place of Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief"

The luxury real estate agency Côte d'Azur Sotheby's International Realty in Nice is presenting for sale the Villa Les Bolovens, a charming country house linked to the history of Hollywood cinema, facing the Baou de Saint Jeannet.

In 1954, Alfred Hitchcock chose the Côte d'Azur as the setting for one of his legendary films, "To catch a thief". It features two iconic movie stars, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. In front of Alfred Hitchcock's camera, they cross the heavenly and colorful scenery of the French Riviera.

The heights of Monaco, Cannes, Nice, and the Villa Les Bolovens in Saint Jeannet serve as extras behind the stars of the 7th art.

An exceptional shooting

"To catch a thief" received the Oscar for Best Cinematography in 1956, and was also nominated in the Best Set category, a recognition of the beauty of the landscapes of the French Riviera.

The choice of actors

The choice of the duo Grant - Kelly is made a year before the start of filming.

Grant was a Hitchcock regular, indeed he played in "Suspicion", “Notorious", and "North by Northwest". Alfred Hitchcock, a man of character who didn't think much of his actors, said of him that "he was the only actor he ever liked in his whole life".

The future Princess of Monaco had also worked with the British director in "Dial M for Murder" and in the iconic "Rear Window".

The beginning of a love story in Grace Kelly and the French Riviera

Contrary to what had been put forward by the production company Paramount, it is not on the occasion of the shooting that Grace Kelly meets Prince Rainier III of Monaco but a year later on the occasion of the Cannes Film Festival in 1955.

Their union in 1956 ended the collaboration between Hitchcock and his muse. The road of the Corniche on which a scene of the film is shot will strangely mark the fate of the lead actress.

The panorama that so fascinates her character during the picnic with Cary Grant reveals below the Principality of which she will become the sovereign some two years later. Unfortunately, it was on this same Corniche that she lost her life in 1982 in a tragic car accident.

The choice of the French Riviera

Alongside the headliners, it is also the entire French Riviera that plays its luminous and grandiose role in this film with Cannes and its beaches, Nice and its flower market, the Negresco, the hinterland with its restanques and olive trees on the heights of Saint-Jeannet, the dream villas, Eze, Monaco, the road of the Corniche overlooking the Mediterranean.

From the very first shot, the film opens on advertising placards praising the beauty of France and the French Riviera. The myth remains beyond the years and the images of "To Catch a Thief" inscribe its heroes and the French Riviera in the Pantheon of the 7th art.

Cary Grant's villa in the film

The film's flagship location, Villa Les Bolovens offers a spectacular view of the sea, the city of Nice, Saint Jeannet and its hills. Its successive owners have always maintained it in a way that perpetuates the charm filmed by the British director. It is there that many of the film's cult scenes were shot, such as the one where Cary Grant tastes a quiche Lorraine or the final scene, the kiss.

Photo crédits : To Catch a Thief, Alfred Hitchcock, 1955

La villa Les Bolovens

Superb Provençal property of bastide style, the Villa Les Bolovens offers the charm and calm of the Côte d'Azur hinterland. Its terrace and magnificent pool overlook the village and the spectacular Baou de Saint Jeannet. Composed of the main building and a guest house, this property offers modern comfort and old world charm.

For more information on this exceptional property or for any real estate project in Nice and its surroundings, contact your experts in prestige real estate at Côte d'Azur Sotheby's International Realty: info@cotedazursothebysrealty.com