Cary Grant: A Class Apart

For two movie-going generations, Cary Grant was class--an effortless embodiment of gentlemanly grace and humor. But Cary Grant's greatest achievement was in creating himself, and the irresistible character he became. In this savvy, fascinating portrait, Graham McCann tracks the transformation of a life and looks closely at the sources of Cary Grant's charms. They did not come easily: born Archie Leach to a poor working-class family in Bristol, England, Grant reveled in ambiguities and surprises. Trained early in the arts of vaudeville, he was a supremely physical leading man; in memorable films, he was the American hero with the ripe British accent or the intimate stranger who was often the seduced male; in life, he was a celebrated entertainer who also became a wealthy businessman.

Graham McCann writes insightfully about Grant's work and life, including his turbulent relationships with women, his LSD therapy, and his rumored homosexuality. Generously filled with anecdotes about fellow actors and directors, a realistic portrait of a complicated man emerges. Alfred Hitchcock enjoyed casting Grant as the "normal" man to whom abnormal things happen in North by Northwest. Howard Hawks encouraged Grant to use his vaudeville experience to coach Katharine Hepburn on pratfalls and comic timing in Bringing Up Baby. And although Grant was criticized for remaining in Hollywood during World War II, it now seems, according to McCann, that he worked as a special agent for British Intelligence, reporting pro-Nazi activities in Hollywood. In 1947 Grant received the King's Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom, an award that was not made public at the time. This biography yields a new appreciation of Cary Grant's work and his persona, one that was at once familiar, yet always enigmatic, even to those who knew him best. Equally compelling to general readers, scholars, and students of American film history, this book includes photos, detailed chapter notes, and a filmography.