A slightly belated happy 86th birthday to French actress Brigitte Auber, who played Danielle Foussard in To Catch a Thief (1955)!
According to Patrick McGillian’s biography, both Alma and Alfred grew fond of Auber during filming and she was considered for the role of Jennifer Rogers in his next film, The Trouble with Harry (1955). However, apparently, the hassle of redubbing some of the French actors in To Catch a Thief eventually put the director off the idea. Instead, Shirley MacLaine got her big film break and, as far as I’m aware, Auber never made another Hollywood film.
Auber was perfectly cast in To Catch a Thief and her “catty” dialogue helps her steal most of her scenes in the film, such as this snipe about Grace Kelly’s character (Frances Stevens) being older than Danielle:
John Robie: Danielle, you are just a girl. She is a woman.
Danielle Foussard: Why buy an old car if you can get a new one cheaper? It will run better and last longer.
…and from the same scene:
John Robie: Say something nice to her, Danielle.
Danielle Foussard: She looks a lot older up close.
Frances Stevens: To a mere child, anything over twenty might seem old.
Danielle Foussard: A child? Shall we stand in shallower water and discuss that?!
Writing later about the location filming, screenwriter John Michael Hayes noted, “She had a casual way of wearing a blouse which exposed her bosom frequently. And Hitch, of course was delighted.”
Joyeux anniversaire, Brigitte!
