Friday, April 12, 2024

Cary Grant Goes to War...The Draft.

Although Cary Grant appeared in a number of war films, he never actually participated in active service, largely due to his age. However, he did get involved in various activities supporting the war effort.

And he still had draft papers. These are shown below with details.


In 1942, Grant participated in a three-week tour of the United States as part of a group to help the war effort and was photographed visiting wounded marines in hospital. He appeared in several routines of his own during these shows and often played the straight-man opposite Bert Lahr.


In May 1942, when he was 38, the ten-minute propaganda short Road to Victory was released, in which he appeared alongside Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Charles Ruggles.



The Road to Victory is a 1944 short film from Warner Brothers notable for the appearance of Bing Crosby, a major singing and movie star, alongside Cary Grant, and Frank Sinatra, a young singer, at the time, who would soon become a movie star himself. 

The short also featured Benny Goodman and Harry James. The movie was intended to promote the U.S. Fifth War Loan and was an edited and truncated re-release of The Shining Future from the same year. Sinatra sings "Hot Time in the Town of Berlin" and Crosby sings "The Road to Victory" (written by Frank Loesser).

The Shining Future - Cary Grant reads a letter from a Canadian Soldier.

Below are Cary Grant's WWII Draft Registration Cards for California.
Page 1:


State Headquarters: California
Full Name: Leach, Archibald Alexander
BirthDate: 18th January 1904
Weight: 180
Height: 6' 1''
Complexion: Dark
Eye colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Black
Other Characteristics: Mole on Left Cheek

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