Six Definitive Films: The ultimate beginner’s guide to Cary Grant.
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“There’s no point in being unhappy about growing older. Just think of the millions who have been denied the privilege.” – Cary Grant
Known as one of the greatest Hollywood film stars of all time, Cary Grant stood alongside the likes of James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn as the greatest actors of mid-century Hollywood. With a strong leading personality, Grant enjoyed 34 years in the industry, working with some of the finest filmmaking minds, including Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Walters and Howard Hawks.
Born in Horfield, Bristol in 1904, Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach) endured a difficult childhood with his father suffering from an alcohol addiction whilst his mother was also brought down with clinical depression. Teaching her son to sing and dance at the age of four, his mother occasionally took him to the cinema and the theatre whereby he would develop a taste for performance.
Taking his hand to the theatre, Grant developed his ability and broadened his acting skills, touring with the acrobatic group called The Pender Troupe where he would eventually perform at the New York Hippodrome to an audience of 5,697. Unbeknownst to Grant, it was here that a Hollywood star would be born, with his career in the arts was about to take a major turn. Starting his film career in 1932, let’s take a look at the six definitive films that illustrated the extraordinary life of Cary Grant.
Cary Grant’s six definitive films:
This Is the Night (Frank Tuttle, 1932)
Taking his performances to the next level, Grant appeared in the Broadway play Nikki where he was seen as a potential future star of Hollywood, with Paramount later picking up the 27-year-old for a five-year contract.
Establishing himself as a suave, masculine star, Grant exuded a natural charm that made him stand out among his peers, making his feature film debut in This is the Night directed by Frank Tuttle. Though the actor disliked his supporting role as Stephen Mathewson, even threatening to leave Hollywood he hated it so much, his performance garnered positive reactions from critics who praised his performance and publicised his blossoming fame.
Sylvia Scarlett (George Cukor, 1935)
Experiencing a tumultuous first few years in the industry, Grant was forced to endure a string of financial failures in the likes of Born to Be Bad, Kiss and Make-Up and Wings in the Dark, with Paramount finally concluding that the actor was surplus to requirements.
Loaned out to RKO pictures, Grant’s prospects picked up slightly in 1935 when he was cast in Sylvia Scarlett as a cockney wheeler-dealer, featuring alongside the ever-alluring Katharine Hepburn. Whilst the film didn’t perform well financially, the film earned Grant some much-needed critical publicity, with the actor himself noting the film as the one project that would forever change his career.
The Awful Truth (Leo McCarey, 1937)
Having gained critical acclaim, Cary Grant appeared in Big Brown Eyes, Topper and The Toast of New York before he would gain further commercial recognition for his performance in the romantic screwball comedy, The Awful Truth.
Appearing alongside Irene Dunne and Ralph Bellamy, Grant showed off his comic talents, using his time working in vaudeville in his early career to inspire his performance. Receiving critical and commercial success, the film would establish the actor as a significant Hollywood star, illustrating him as a versatile actor capable of being a sophisticated leading man and a screwball comedian.
Suspicion (Alfred Hitchcock, 1941)
Enjoying the height of his industry success, Grant was in high demand, starring in ten films from 1937-1941 including His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story and Penny Serenade. Next would come to his next major career turning point.
In his first of many collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Grant starred in Suspicion alongside Joan Fontaine whom he found rather temperamental on the set of the film. Perfectly showing off the actor’s versatile acting capabilities, Grant was celebrated as a mysterious, murderous young man in the film, well-balancing the alluring charm and dark insidiousness that was necessary for the role.
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (Irving Reis, 1947)
Seeing sustained success throughout America during WWII, Grant was still seen as a torch of Hollywood pride in 1947 where he would play an artist in the comedy The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.
Featuring Myrna Loy and Shirley Temple, the film was praised for pulling off its slapstick comedy and became one of the year’s highest-performing films in the process. Representing one of Cary Grant’s final critical and commercial successes before his slump at the dawn of the 1950s, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer was a timeless ode to the performer Grant once was whilst signposting his imminent industry demise.
North By Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959)
By far Cary Grant’s most iconic role came late in his career, after the highs of his 1940s success and the lows of his stagnation in the 1950s, when he appeared in his fourth and final collaboration with the great Alfred Hitchcock, North by Northwest.
Starring in the film that followed an advertising executive who becomes embroiled in a case of mistaken identity, Grant was celebrated for his professional performance and his nuanced approach to the occasional moments of levity in the film. Recognised in contemporary cinema as one of the greatest films ever made, North By Northwest represented one of the actor’s final ever cinematic successes, as his Hollywood stardom ebbed away into the 1960s.
Starring in his final screen role in Walk Don’t Run in 1966, Cary Grant stepped away from the industry at the age of 62 when he embraced his life as a grandfather, passing away 20 years later in 1986. Recognised as one of the most commanding Hollywood stars of the 20th century, Cary Grant will long be remembered as a cinematic great.
Chris Evans to play Gene Kelly in upcoming movie
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H’wood remakes get redux
Celebrities may come, celebrities may go, but not if you’re making a buck remaking oldies which once used to be called moving pictures which once used to play in movie theaters which once we also used to have. Every oldtime bigtime past-time Hollywoodite’s returning. Wait long enough and we’ll get Boris Karloff in a G-string making X-rated love to a naked Marilyn Monroe type. With Gary Cooper watching.
Now comes Chris Evans who was Captain America in Marvel’s whatever and plans to produce and play Gene Kelly in a new movie. Singer-dancer-actor Gene Kelly danced, sang and etcetera’d in 1952’s “Singin’ in the Rain” with Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, Cyd Charisse — all now gone. It’s labeled “Best Musical Ever Made.”
So who else is in this one? Andrew Saffir — who does all the bigtime movie screenings — answered: “I don’t know. I only know Boris Karloff isn’t.”
More. Gary Oldman, who’s jazzed up a crate of Harry Potter movies: “I met the cast as kids. Now some are married. Grown up.” Yeah, but still has fans.
“Return to Hogwarts” — Harry Potter’s 20th Anniversary — is casting a spell on HBO Max.
Evans will also produce the upcoming movie. WireImage
Wait. More. 1955 Alfred Hitchcock directed Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in some jewel thief South of France cat burglary robbery thing. It’s coming back. Again. And so what’s a little 68-year difference make except that the newie’s not with Cary and Grace. It’s being remade into a new film to star the “Wonder Woman’s” wonder woman Gal Gadot. I won’t go. I’m still waiting on line for “Gone With the Wind.”
One more. Francis Ford Coppola’s new/old 35mm print coming to the Film Forum. He oversaw the restoration. It’s his conversation about small 1974’s “The Conversation” with Gene Hackman listening into the private chats of Harrison Ford and Cindy Williams.
Coppola: “It dealt with invasion of privacy and its erosive impact on victims and perpetrators. I conceived it 50 years ago. The idea still resonates today.”
“Convo” got three Oscar nominations but lost. Winner that year was “Godfather II.” Also, in case you missed it, that was also Coppola.
His supper cost a song
Don’t go anywhere. I got more. Jackie Gleason’s TV cash register “The Honeymooners.” Coming back to CBS in a female-driven remake. Lady writer. Lady director.
Can’t recall if I told this before — so I’m retelling it in case I haven’t. My late husband, comedian Joey Adams, and I lived on Fifth Avenue, same building as our friend Jackie. We had the 10th floor. He, the penthouse. His bedroom was in red flocked wallpaper. One day our doorbell rang. Gleason. On hands and knees. “Tell Joey I’m broke. I need bread. Tell him I need three grand.”
Jackie Gleason’s “The Honeymooners” is getting remade with a female lead on CBS. EPA
Understand, Gleason was then TV’s No. 1 comedy star. Earning millions. ”Honeymooners,” his weekly show, on for years, was the big number.
In those days, before credit cards, guys had access to cash. No questions asked, Joey peeled off $3,000. That very night we all had dinner together in a restaurant. Gleason blew the whole $3,000 on hiring a band to serenade Joey.
In line with our new back and forth interstellar moon rockets:
Melvin the Martian lands in New York. The spaceship’s front wheel breaks off. Whizzing past a deli Melvin sees bagels in a deli and radios back: “Get one for a wheel.” He’s told: “Not a wheel. It’s a bagel. You eat them.” Slicing one in half, a waiter offered it to him. Grinned Melvin: “This is great. Needs only cream cheese and lox.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.
Arsenic and Old Lace: A Hysterical Classic
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Arsenic and Old Lace, a black comedy directed by Frank Capra and starring Cary Grant, is just as funny now as it was in 1944.
Shot over the course of eight weeks in late 1941, the film wouldn’t see the light of day until 1944. Broadway plays are always a great source material for films. However, Broadway producers were always worried that movies would impact their attendance. At least, this was the case during the Classic Hollywood era. Because of this, many movies would not be released until after the run on Broadway ended. Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, and John Alexander reprise their role in the film. However, Boris Karloff stayed in the show so that the play wouldn’t lose money during the film’s production. Raymond Massey steps in for Karloff in the film. Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, who would win an Oscar for Casablanca, adapt their screenplay from Joseph Kesselring’s play.
On Halloween, Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant), a writer, marries Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane). Ironically, Brewster has denounced marriage. Anyway, they go back to their Brooklyn neighborhood so Elaine could pack. Mortimer uses this time to visit his aunts, Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha (Jean Adair), and mentally ill brother Teddy (John Alexander). Teddy believes that he is President Theodore Roosevelt and always charges up the staircase. Anyway, Mortimer discovers a body in the window seat. Naturally, he assumes that it’s because of Teddy. He becomes horrified to learn that his aunts are culprits. Moreover, they are serial murderers!
Just when things couldn’t get worse, Jonathan Brewster (Raymond Massey) returns home with Dr. Herman Einstein (Peter Lorre). Nobody wants him home and it shows. Like his aunts, he is also a serial murderer and brings the body of Mr. Spinalzo with him. I love how they go for hardly any lighting when people are moving dead bodies around. While all of this is going on, Mortimer is trying to commit Teddy to the Happy Dale Sanitarium. He realizes his family has a history of mental illness and decides that he can no longer go forward with his marriage. Chaos continues to ensue as both the cops–including aspiring playwright, Officer Patrick O’Hara (Jack Carson)–and Dr. Witherspoon (Edward Everett Horton) show up. Listen, I’d tell you what happens next but you really should see for yourself.
Unlike a lot of the studio players during this era, Grant was a free agent. Grant had commitments for one film a year at both Columbia and RKO. To make the film, Warner Bros. loaned out Humphrey Bogart to Columbia for Sahara. Of his $150K salary to work on the film, he only kept $50K. The rest went to a combination of the British War Relief (Southern California branch), American Red Cross, USO and another $10K to his agent.
One thing that never gets old while watching this film is Cary Grant’s facial gestures. This is never more true than seeing his reaction after opening the window seat. Grant is one of the best comic actors of all time and his reaction is gold. I mean, how would you react to discovering a corpse? Grant described his performance as being “way over the top.” It was a film that he felt “embarrassed doing it.” The actor felt he “overplayed the character” and that “Jimmy Stewart would have been much better in the film.” Regardless of Cary Grant’s thoughts on the film, Arsenic and Old Lace is one of the best comedies of all time.
DIRECTOR: Frank Capra
SCREENWRITERS: Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein
CAST: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, with Raymond Massey, Jack Carson, Edward Everett Horton, Peter Lorre, James Gleason, and Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, John Alexander, Grant Mitchell
Warner Bros. released Arsenic and Old Lace in theaters on September 23, 1944.
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A story of transitions: Live theater returns to Chelsea’s Purple Rose with ‘Under Ceege’
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Read what you will about the city of Inkster and its economic woes or crime problems but playwright Jeffry Chastang, who grew up there, sees a different Inkster.
He sees a city that felt like home, a city with a unique and complicated history that dates back to Detroit’s housing shortage after World War I and policies that restricted where Blacks could live.
“My family has been here almost 100 years,” said Chastang. “They moved here in 1927.”
Inkster figures prominently in Chastang’s new play, “Under Ceege,” making its world premiere Wednesday at Chelsea’s Purple Rose Theatre, one of Michigan’s premiere regional theaters.
The play — which centers on a multigenerational family living in an Inkster housing complex, including an adult son who wants his mom to move to a better area and doesn’t understand why she wants to stay — is the Purple Rose’s first live production in nearly two years since COVID-19 hit.
Katie Hubbard, the Purple Rose’s managing director, said the theater did a virtual reading of “Under Ceege” during the pandemic and everyone fell in love with the story and characters.
“There are so many great Detroit specific references that our audiences will love,” said Hubbard. Chastang’s work “is new to the Purple Rose as well as the artists and understudies that make up this cast. The play supports so much of what we want this return of the Purple Rose to be. Inclusive, diverse, and welcoming to new and returning artists and patrons, yet remaining at the heart of our mission to create new original work.”
And for a play that Chastang says is really about transitions — a family in transition in a city also in transition — that’s appropriate for the Purple Rose, which also is in the midst of change after its longtime artistic director, Guy Sanville, stepped down last fall amid allegations of creating a toxic workplace. A search for a new director is ongoing, said Hubbard in a message to patrons on the Purple Rose’s website.
“Under Ceege” takes its name from a nickname for the son in the play, Cary Grant or CG for short. Ceege lives with his mother, Lucky, whose father has just died. Together, they live in the same Inkster housing complex — and play the lottery — where Lucky has spent her entire life. But her son wants her to consider moving to Annapolis Park Historic District, a Westland neighborhood with neat ranches.
Director Lynch Travis believes many will be able to relate to “Under Ceege,” especially for families with different generations and adult children trying to determining what’s best for older ones.
“You want the best for them,” said Travis. But “maybe your idea of what the best is doesn’t match theirs.”
Inkster, located 14 miles west of Detroit, became home to thousands of Black workers in the early 20th century because of a lack of housing in Detroit and redlining practices. In 1920, Detroit Urban League President John Dancy found 140 acres in Inkster without restrictive covenants to build homes, according to The Henry Ford.
“That’s how a lot of Henry Ford’s Black workers got to Inkster,” said Chastang. “That’s how my uncle and aunt and another couple who they came from Georgia with got to Inkster, moved to Inkster. Henry Ford built a lot of homes for his Black workers in Inkster.”
Ford has been criticized for his paternalism, but “I always say you have to put it in the context of the times,” said Chastang. “It was light years better than what they left behind, particularly in the South.”
“Under Ceege” opens with the death of Lucky’s father, Ceege’s grandfather. And while her son wants her to move, Lucky plans to die in the same complex where she’s spent her life.
“She was strongly rooted there,” said Chastang, who in his 50s lives in Westland now but has family still in Inkster.
Growing up Inkster, Chastang remembers feeling the city’s transition when segregation lifted and people could live wherever they wanted. But even as negative stories dominant Inkster, “there were so many beautiful people there,” he said. “It’s so much more than that.”
‘Under Ceege’
at the Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park Street in Chelsea.
Thursday through March 12
Go to https://www.purplerosetheatre.org/
Take two: Magnolia restarts performance season with ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’
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