CARY GRANT

Discussion of the actors, directors and film-makers who 'made it all happen'
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JackFavell
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by JackFavell »

I find it interesting that a man who so buried his past, would continually make references to his real name. Some part of him didn't want to lose Archie.....
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: CARY GRANT

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I have a copy of Haunted Idol that I bought at a car boot some time ago, after Fernando made reference to it I thought it might be time to read it. What encouraged me was the fact it was written in 1983 so hopefully will not contain the more salacious details of today's biographies. Cary did talk to the author and so did many of his Hollywood friends.

This version told a different story to Mark Eliot's book of his mother's dissappearance, in this version which is backed up by Virginia Cherrill, he had been told she had died only to find out years later that she was alive. Haunted Idol talks more of a strained relationship but one that he strived to please her. I've only got to the second chapter, I'll let you know my other musings.
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moira finnie
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by moira finnie »

I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but I loathed the Marc Eliot book on Grant so much, I threw it across the room. I finished reading it, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

It wasn't that I was appalled to learn that Cary had feet of clay (don't we all?), but that the author put words into the actor's mouth, as well as thoughts and motivations into his subject's mind that no one could possibly know, (despite those diary excerpts). While Eliot liked to play amateur psychologist, he never seems to have much compassion for Cary Grant as a person nor considered the fact that Grant's disrupted relationship with his mother and growing up in quite poor circumstances may have had real effects on his alleged frugality and bi-sexuality later.

It just seemed irresponsible to speculate so much and to make the most incandescent of actors seem so leaden, (Eliot's prose style doesn't help there either). I guess I'm happier treasuring the grace he showed on screen, whether in somber dramas or the merriest of comedies. At the end of the day, it's the brave joy the man displayed for his audiences that lingers and contributes to the lasting affection many of us have for his films.

I particularly liked what Alison said about the under-rated None But the Lonely Heart (that last scene with Ethel is a killer) and what JackFavell said about his wanting to hang onto part of Archie Leach.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by charliechaplinfan »

Moira I couldn't finish that book, I got up to his divorce from Virginia Cherrill and I had the same feelings you did. I'll never finish it, might as well bin it I suppose. That book and one of Gable is one of the reasons I joined message boards, I realised I didn't have to suffer second and third rate biographies. I have to say I'm a much happier reader these days.

I've watched a couple of his early precodes and realised he did look quite different early on, reading in Haunted Idol it tells of Joseph Von Sternberg parting his hair on the other side, so I dug out the book The Films of Cary Grant and it's right. Also I noticed his teeth were slightly crooked perhaps he had dentistry, he had his front tooth snap as a child and spent his pocket money at the dentist having the rest removed, the gap appartently closed by itself.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I'm reading Haunted Idol and I thought it would be the right time to catch up on a few of the early Cary films I've had waiting to be watched and revisit some old favorites.

First was Wedding Present with Joan Bennett, almost a forerunner of My Girl Friday but not as witty and possessing a complicated plot, has a funny ending (Conrad Nagel deserved it) it's a nice way to pass an hour and a half whilst ploughing through the ironing.

Second, Wings in the Dark, I really enjoyed this one. In it he's teamed with Myrna Loy, always a good pairing. They both play fliers only Cary's flier Ken gets blinded in a freak accident and can't complete the groundbreaking flight that he was going to attempt. He takes it badly and retreats to the country, Myrna's character Sheila makes the gift of a guide dog (who nearly steals the whole show) manages to support him secretly and encourages him in his endeavours to fly his plane whilst blind (that's the bit I didn't quite believe) if you can swallow that one when Myrna goes on a flight from Moscow to New York and gets stuck in the fog Cary goes up in his plane and guides her down. It's sounds completely implausible but it makes for a very good movie. I can only think that it would have the added attraction of coining in on the Lindbergh legend. Cary plays a blind man very well indeed.

I'm enjoying Haunted Idol but I can see me wavering with the book once it gets to the Dyan Cannon marriage.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I do remember something else from the Mark Eliot book and that was about Grant's links with the FBI, especially regarding Barbara Hutton who he reported on, her connections to her second husband being the concern. The author states himself that despite the Freedom of Information act he couldn't get the many of the files relating to Cary Grant possibly destroyed by Hoover, Cary wasn't the only actor that Edgar Hoover was interested in, it seems that anyone successful in Hollywood was in his eyeline. The author was able to get enough from other documents lent from other sources to see that Cary was working for the FBI. I'm not fully acquainted with the author, I can only presume that he reported this with the best intentions and that Grant was an FBI agent. I wonder why he did it? Perhaps it's the best way to avoid being investigated yourself, I'm nto saying that I think Grant was up to anything but that he was private and wouldn't have wanted to invite any prying.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by myrnaloyisdope »

Second, Wings in the Dark, I really enjoyed this one. In it he's teamed with Myrna Loy, always a good pairing. They both play fliers only Cary's flier Ken gets blinded in a freak accident and can't complete the groundbreaking flight that he was going to attempt. He takes it badly and retreats to the country, Myrna's character Sheila makes the gift of a guide dog (who nearly steals the whole show) manages to support him secretly and encourages him in his endeavours to fly his plane whilst blind (that's the bit I didn't quite believe) if you can swallow that one when Myrna goes on a flight from Moscow to New York and gets stuck in the fog Cary goes up in his plane and guides her down. It's sounds completely implausible but it makes for a very good movie. I can only think that it would have the added attraction of coining in on the Lindbergh legend. Cary plays a blind man very well indeed.
I liked this one quite a bit, though the ending is completely ridiculous, particularly that final scene. Myrna and Cary do have great chemistry together, even when not doing comedy as in Blandings and Bachelor. I wish they did more films together. Oh and Myrna in a flight suit is something I can definitely get behind.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by charliechaplinfan »

It's better to believe that miracles happen and go with the flow of the film. Myrna in a flight suit, well Cary didn't look to bad either :wink:
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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Birdy
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by Birdy »

Does anyone know if Cary did his own whistling in North by Northwest?
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I don't, sorry. I do know I've been watching one of my favorite movies today, Bringing up Baby. Never in my life would I imagine I could find a man in a pink negligee attractive but I do, extremely attractive, with his hair all mussed up.

I think Cary was a bit too perfect, to me he always looks best in those screwball comedies when he's been roughed up a bit. It's so attractive.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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JackFavell
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by JackFavell »

I couldn't agree more, Charliechaplinfan. Mussing only makes him more attractive...

I was watching Ninotchka the other night and Robert Osborne said something that just stuck with me. He said that Lubitsch's first choice to play Leon was Cary Grant. I almost wish he hadn't said it, because once I was watching the movie, it just seemed perfect. The movie has CARY written all over it. How funny would it have been to see Garbo giving Cary Grant the cold shoulder?

Ninotchka: We don't have men like you in my country.
Leon: Thank you.
Ninotchka: That is why I believe in the future of my country.

or
Leon: Do you like me just a little bit?
Ninotchka: Your general appearance is not distasteful.

or

Ninotchka: Must you flirt?
Leon: Well, I don't have to, but I find it natural.
Ninotchka: Suppress it.

Or even better, to hear Cary say,

Leon: Pardon me, are you an explorer?
Ninotchka: No. I'm looking for the Eiffel Tower.
Leon: Good heavens, is that thing lost again? Oh, are you interested in a view?
Ninotchka: I'm interested in the Eiffel Tower from a technical standpoint.
Leon: Technical? No, no, I'm afraid I couldn't be of much help from that angle. You see, a Parisian only goes to the tower in moments of despair to jump off.
Ninotchka: How long does it take a man to land?
Leon: Now isn't that too bad? The last time I jumped, I forgot to time it.

Doesn't it sound like him? Every word of dialogue was meant specifically for him, I think. I can't go back and enjoy Melvyn Douglas now I know about this.....and I can't help thinking of what might have been. I feel dreadful.
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knitwit45
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by knitwit45 »

Jack, if it makes you feel a bit better...Cary Grant didn't really get to BE Cary Grant until he hit his 40's or 50's. The CG you're picturing is more the CG of Charade or North by Northwest The CG of 1939 was quite brash, very funny, but not smoooooooooth :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: the way he later was....but then, I'd take Mr. Grant any way I could get him :D :D :D
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I showed Libby a bit of Bringing up Baby this morning, the bit with the leopard in the apartment, she liked that.

By coincidence I got a new book yesterday called The New Biographical Dictionary of Film this is what it says in the introduction about Grant. As well as being a leading box office draw for 30 years, the epitome of the man about town as well as being the ex husband of Virginia Cherrill, Barbara Hutton, Betsy Drake and Dyan Cannon, as well as being a retired actor, still handsome executive of a perfume company-as well as all these things, he was the best and most important actor in this history of the cinema.

well I nearly agree, he have to share the honours with Charlie Chaplin but even I have to admit that Cary had more facets to his on screen persona that Chaplin.

About Cary and Kate

Cary Grant the actor who stimulated Katharine Hepburn on screen rather more fruitfally than Spencer Tracy.

Most of her comedies with Tracy are marvellous, tender and warm but those with Grant had been more penetrating and
dangerous.

I concur here, I love her pairings with Tracy but her pairings with Cary contain magic. They are one of favorite screen twosomes, the others being Fred and Ginger.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by charliechaplinfan »

knitwit45 wrote:Jack, if it makes you feel a bit better...Cary Grant didn't really get to BE Cary Grant until he hit his 40's or 50's. The CG you're picturing is more the CG of Charade or North by Northwest The CG of 1939 was quite brash, very funny, but not smoooooooooth :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: the way he later was....but then, I'd take Mr. Grant any way I could get him :D :D :D
Nancy, you can have the 40's and 50's Cary, I love the 30's Cary, especially with the mussed up hair 8)
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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knitwit45
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Re: CARY GRANT

Post by knitwit45 »

DEAL!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D
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