And Just What Are You Doing, Cary?

 After so many years in the business, it is easy to understand how an actor/photographer can run out of poses for a movie's publicity shots.  I'd say Mr. Grant is giving it his all, but ... 

1959 ... Lordy, has it really been 67 years since Petticoat came out?!  I was in my Cary Grant/Clark Gable stage at the time and remember the movie in quite some detail.  (Just don't ask me what I had for dinner last night ...)  

                    Cary Grant in Operation Petticoat (1959)

Another Handsome Critter of the Golden Age

This is a change of pace post.  No Bob.  Had the urge to share a few photos of Cary Grant instead.    Cary was another one of those extremely handsome actors that populated the Golden Age of movies.  In the photo below, he is 33 years old and quite the hunk.  I apologize that the photo shows sign of deterioration, obviously an original silver nitrate photo.  But the face is still intact and that is what counts. 

                                    Talk of the Town (1937)

Mr. Grant made an impressive number of very good and successful movies.  Going free lance once his initial contract with Paramount expired, Cary showed his excellent business sense by the movies he chose to make.  Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) is one of my favorites, so clever and witty, with the perfect Mrs. Blandings, Myrna Loy. 

        Cary and Myrna Loy in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

And then there is Dudley from the classic The Bishop's Wife (1947).  Can you imagine anyone else in that role? 

Why Do Men Age So Well?

A guest post from blog contributor Debbie...

In our youth oriented culture being young is everything. I’m not saying I agree with this, but nowadays it seems especially true in Hollywood and especially true for women. Older actresses have a very hard time finding decent parts, but older actors…….not so much. Men seem to be able to stay leading men well past their 40s and 50s.

This actually was quite true in the early days of Hollywood as well. There were so many men that actually hit their stride as leading men in their late thirties, early forties. Humphrey Bogart, William Powell, Walter Pigeon, Ronald Colman to name a few. Even Fred Astaire, a dancer, continued as leading man material well into his fifties. Clark Gable went to war at 41 and continued his leading man career after the war was over. And then there are the gorgeous Cary Grant and Paul Newman who at 60 could have still played leading men (by 60 Grant had retired, but Newman did after 60.)
 
I hate that saying “Women get old, men get distinguished,“ but I guess in Hollywood at least, it’s true.

Handsome, Debonair, Oozing Charm ... x Two

                               Brian Aherne and Cary Grant

In Glorious Black & White

Fan magazines of the 1930s were worth every penny of the 5 to 15 cents they cost ... then.  80 years later, they cost a tad more, and are most often worth it ... plenty of gossip, stories about the stars (with the occasional bit of truth) and some really nifty photos. 

                        Leslie Howard by Edward Steichen, 1934

Cary Grant, Gertrude Michael and Claude Rains, promo shot for "The Last Outpost" (1935).  Photo by William Wallinger. 

                              Phillip Reed, by Steichen, 1935

Cary Grant and Me

Born Archibald Leach, January 18, 1904, in Bristol, England.  Died Cary Grant, November 29, 1986, in Davenport, IA.

I saw Cary Grant in person ... definitely a highlight of my life.  I mean, my wonderful world of classic movies crossed over into reality ... just fantastic.  It was in 1984 or 1985, the memory goes.  Cary had started to do his "A Night with Cary Grant" shows, which consisted of his sitting on a stool by himself on a stage, looking sooooo Cary Grant, followed by a screening of a brief movie bio., and wrapping up with a question/answer session.  I went with a co-worker, it was in Ventura, CA, and I was undoubtedly the youngest person in the smallish, 300-seater max theatre, still having my natural hair color.  I tried to get myself to ask him a question, couldn't do it.  White hair, big black glasses ... but sitting on that stool with the elan of Cary Grant of the 1940s ... my, my.  Whoever set up that stage presentation was a true genius.  Nothing on that stage but an old man on a stool in a spotlight ... Sigh.  The next day our fellow workers gave us a really hard time about getting excited about an 80-year-old man ... they just weren't there ... they definitely did not understand the power and magic of the Golden Age of Movies ...

It's 2010. Do you know where your favorite stars are?

I vaguely remember in the back of my mind the series of Diet Coke commercials with dead movie stars in them. Cary Grant is the only star I really remember. John Wayne may have been another, although I can't picture John Wayne drinking anything with the word "diet" in it.

The reason I bring this up is an article floating around the interwebs about George Lucas purchasing film rights to dead celebrities. Add to that 3D.

First off, 3D is ok. My only experience with modern 3D technology was via a demo at a Sony outlet store. After noting how dumb it was - nothing looked 3D - the clerk kindly asked if the glasses were "on." Slight oversight.

Anyhow, back to the topic. What are your thoughts on dead movie stars being generated in a new movie?

I'm torn. Part of me thinks it would be pretty slick, but then they'd give Robert Montgomery blonde hair. In general, it's the novelty that appeals to me.

On the flip side, many stars were pretty adamant about what types of movies they wanted to appear in (or not). C'mon, can't you picture middle-aged Orson Welles "inserted" into a National Lampoon college humor movie?

Any dream scenario you'd like to see?

Watch Cary Grant age in 60 seconds...

I Stepped On Ray Milland...

...aka Hollywood Pics: Part Two

North By Northwest By Four

Back in June, I visited Mt. Rushmore for the first time. Sadly, I didn't see Cary Grant itching Roosevelt's nose or anything exciting like that. I'm convinced if he did do the "North By Northwest" thing, he would have been arrested. The suit would still look perfect, but don't screw with National Park Rangers.

Which leads me into my actual blog topic: A Blu-Ray release of NxNW (via DigitalBits):

Warners has also announced the release of a 50th anniversary edition of North By Northwest on November 3rd. A DVD SE version and a Blu-ray edition will both be made available. For these releases, the 1959 Hitchcock classic has been newly mastered in 1080p from the original VistaVision elements by virtue of an 8K resolution scan. Two new documentaries supplement the extras carried over from the previous DVD release.

Let's see, I purchased NxNW on VHS, the first DVD issue, the DVD box set, now this? I am such a sucker.

The Business of Movies

When I'm not playing blogger, I have a full time job in an office. Sounds exciting, doesn't it. Participating in office politics, managing projects, and turning gray has given me a warped interest in "office" films. Some that come to mind:

Female (1933)
Aside from eating her mates alive, it's awesome to see a female CEO (Ruth Chatterton) in the early 30s. Love the assertiveness.

Mildred Pierce (1945)
Another strong-willed businesswoman, Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford) builds up quite the restaurant business only to have murder get in the way. Ok, the murder & business part don't go together (well...), but she has strong management skills.

Executive Suite (1954)
The company president collapses dead and the fun begins. Just adding a dime a year to the dividend...

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)
Yes, someone who is no one can become someone in a big company. In this case it's WWW - World Wide Wickets. I just like saying that. In real life, people sing in the office just as often as in this film - but no dancing. Unlike WWW's office, my office is lacking the presence of Robert Q. Lewis.

Office Space (1999)
The king of office movies (where is your TPS report?) If you live your work day in cubicle-land, you can probably recite the lines to this movie. Do you have your red Swingline? Careful with the audio if you have young ears around (or a boss):



Holiday (1938)
Johnny (Cary Grant) wants to "retire" now rather than wait til he gets old. Amen.

Building Mr. Blanding's 73 Dream Homes

Whenever Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream Home is on TV, I record it - just one of those movies I guess. That's why when I caught an article in the paper about someone owning one of the "dream homes," I thought it was fascinating (where can I get one?):

The studio sent blueprints of the movie set house to contractors across the country, hoping to see 100 replicas of the house built. Eventually, 73 “dream homes” were built in places such as Fresno and Bakersfield, Calif.; Phoenix; Ottawa Hills, Ohio; and Portland, Ore.

The article is about the home in Fresno - read up!

While we're on the subject, and have you purchased your Wham Ham T-shirt?

Six & Twelve

Raquelle from Out of the Past blog has tagged me as part of a 12 Movies Meme started by Lazy Eye Theatre. I'm going to follow her pattern for my list: Six days of movies, each day having two films following a theme. Here goes nothing:

Monday
Theme: The Look, The Feel of Cotten
Films: Shadow of a Doubt, Since You Went Away
Reason: Joseph Cotten is way overlooked. Shadow is arguably Hitchcock's best thanks to him and Away, well, the uniform certainly doesn't hurt anything.

Tuesday
Theme: Your Pilot This Evening: John Wayne
Films: The High and the Mighty, Island in the Sky
Reason: These two films were released to DVD in the past few years after being stuck in the John Wayne family vaults. Mighty is beautiful in wide-screen color and is a fun representation of the yesteryears of airline travel. If you get the chance to see it on the big screen, do see it. Island in the Sky takes a look at survival in the arctic after a plane crash and also offers a great character from Andy Devine.

Wednesday
Theme: Flying With Cary
Films: Wings in the Dark, Only Angels Have Wings
Reason: Early Cary Grant is a fav. Early Cary with airplanes is even better. Dark features Myrna Loy who helps Cary's character return to the skies, sans vision. Angels offers a tougher Cary as the boss/pilot and Jean Arthur as the softer side.

Thursday
Theme: What a Dall
Films: Something in the Wind, The Corn is Green
Reason: What can I say, just giving some PR to another of my favorite actors: John Dall.

Friday
Theme: Keep Watching the Skies
Films: The Thing From Another World, The Day the Earth Stood Still
Reason: Everyone loves 50s sci-fi (or should). These films are arguably two of the better that came from that time frame. Klaatu Barata Nikto.

Saturday
Theme: Accent on Montgomery
Films: The Earl of Chicago, Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Reason: Yeah, I had to sneak Bob in here somewhere. For this theme, Bob leaves the eastern, and sometimes British-sounding, accent at home and picks up more of a local flair.

Photo Friday: Cary Grant

Happy Birthday! Some Cary picspam for this Friday...

I'll Grant You That

I just realized that I've been on an unintentional Cary Grant bender since the beginning of December. I've been watching movies I've already seen a dozen times . . . one more time. Mr. Blandings, Awful Truth, etc. etc. I even spent New Year's Eve watching Holiday (sorry, I fell asleep during the last 15 minutes).

This realization came to me when I ran into an article this morning in the Atlantic Monthly, "Becoming Cary Grant." Give it a read when you have a few minutes. The writer also makes a number of reading recommendations - if you haven't read all the books on Cary yet.

My Client Curley

Good news for you OTR fans out there. I've been able to dig up more Robert Montgomery radio shows, which I'll be listing here in the next few weeks.

Today's selection is My Client Curley from The Screen Guild Theater, presented February 2, 1946. Bob is a promoter who's client is a dancing caterpillar. I'm not kidding. It's a cute story with a nice change of pace.

MP3 - 30 minutes (6.7 MB)

The storyline is also the premise of Cary Grant's Once Upon a Time.

In Name Only - Radio Style

Today's radio feature is In Name Only from the Lux Radio Theater, presented December 11, 1939. The radio version includes the cast from the RKO film: Carole Lombard, Kay Francis, and Cary Grant. I always love the ending...

One Hour - 13 MB

Photo Friday - Notorious

Devlin sneaking Alicia out - a scene from Notorious - arguably one of Hitchcock's best films.

Larger photo

Wings in the Dark

I am such a sucker for anything with wings on it - or should I say in it?

Wings in the Dark was just issued on DVD late last year as part of the Cary Grant Screen Legend Collection. I bought the set simply because I enjoy early Cary Grant work (not because of the wings).

Wings is an OK movie, nothing super special. Cary Grant is a pilot working on instrumentation to help pilots fly "blindly" in bad weather. Ironically, he goes blind in an accident and puts his flying knowledge toward developing instruments that will even help a blind man fly. Yes, you heard me right, a blind man fly (and he does). Enter Myrna Loy as pseudo Amelia Earhart, love interest, and cheerleader to Grant's research.

IMHO, the stars of the film are the seeing eye dog, Lightning, and his plane (which I'm at a loss for the type/manufacturer). And watch for a very young Dean Jagger - I recognized the voice, but not the face at first. I'll admit, it's fun (and a rare treat) to see Cary & Myrna in the same movie together.

Oh, one last thing - a useless observation. There's a scene in the film where Cary is living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, blind, with a seeing eye dog. I couldn't help but think of the scene from Saboteur with the blind man living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with his seeing eye dog too.

Lively Group

I like this shot...Carole Lombard, Cary Grant, and Kay Francis - from 1939's In Name Only.

Blue-Eyed Dough Boys

TCM has Movie News up on the Lady in the Lake DVD, by David Kalat. An interesting blurb yanked from the article:

Robert Montgomery had first come to Hollywood with the desire to be a screenwriter. "Yeah, I'm a top-billed movie star, but I really want is to write!" With his bland, somewhat doughy, good-looks and a vocal delivery that sounded like Cary Grant minus his distinctive accent, Montgomery racked up roles in over 50 films prior to 1945, settling happily into a rut as one of Hollywood's less-interesting performers. 1945, though, was when Fate struck a surprising blow: on the set of They Were Expendable, John Ford got sick. Montgomery filled in for him, secretly. He enjoyed the taste, and wanted more.

Can someone explain what the heck "doughy, good looks" means?

Related, Lileks.com has some fun comments on Audrey Totter's "in camera" glare.