Andre the Thief is a character from Paddington (2014). He was a pickpocket who frequented Portobello Road and especially Gruber's Antiques until Paddington delivered him into police custody.
History[]
Andre is first seen in Gruber's Antiques, stealing the wallet of 64-year-old Peter Wood, a customer. When he sees Paddington looking at him, he believes Paddington had witnessed his crime so he panics, drops the wallet and flees the shop. However, Paddington believes that Andre dropped his own wallet, so runs after him in an attempt to return it. Completely misunderstanding one another, Paddington grows more confused as Andre gets more determined to escape him. While riding a skateboard, Paddington bursts through a rack of clothes. He ends up blowing a whistle while wearing a police hat. Andre becomes more desperate and drives away in a car, but Paddington follows, grabbing onto a dog leash and opening an umbrella causing him to fly over the houses, tethered to a bus by the leash. Two officers in a police patrol car see Paddington and radio their colleagues about an "officer in distress" before turning on their car's police lights and following Paddington. When Andre sees the flying bear, he crashes his car and is forced to run on foot. Paddington falls from the sky and crashes into Andre, knocking him to the ground. Paddington lifts out the wallet from under the police hat, but becomes confused by the number of wallets on the pavement that were dislodged from Andre's jacket when he fell. Schoolchildren, including Judy, wave and cheer for Paddington from a classroom window across the street. The two police officers apprehend Andre the Thief.
Mr. Gruber thanks Paddington for helping arrest Andre the Thief, since the pickpocket had been stealing from Mr. Gruber's customers for weeks and had become notorious in the neighbourhood.
Appearance[]
Andre the Thief wears a yellow turtleneck, green jacket, brown coat, grey pants and a grey flat cap.
Personality[]
Andre the Thief is a cautious, sneaky thief.
As pickpockets are meant to be quiet and unnoticeable, he becomes quite shaken when Paddington acknowledges him in Gruber's Antiques. During the pursuit, he is confused by Paddington wearing a police hat and bearing a whistle.
Although a pickpocket is an ignoble profession, he is quite ambitious and successful, as he became notorious in the area—suggesting that customers would be more protective of their belongings. Yet he still managed to steal at least sixteen wallets before eleven in the morning.
Abilities[]
- Pickpocketing: He steals at least sixteen wallets before eleven in the morning.
Quotes[]
- "Some kind of tiny police bear!" - Paddington (2014)