Quote From Today... I Was a Male War-Bride (1949)

    "I'll explain to them I think you're repulsive."

With Marion Marshall and Ann Sheridan. 

I Was a Male War-Bride was Cary Grant's 54th full length feature film.

Lt. Catherine Gates: [humiliated after Capt. Rochard publicly returns her laundry in an insinuating manner] Oh, what a stinker YOU are.

Capt. Henri Rochard: [coolly] Did I forget something?

Lt. Catherine Gates: What a dirty stinker - and you're going right back in that office and explain to them how you got my laundry by mistake in Dusseldorf and forgot to give it back to me.

Capt. Henri Rochard: Well, it's such a dull story. Who would care?

Lt. Catherine Gates: You know what you made them think?

Capt. Henri Rochard: [feigning innocence] I don't quite understa... Oh, no! You mean you and ME? Well, I'd be glad to explain to them. The very idea of any connection is revolting.

Lt. Catherine Gates: No, you don't. No, you don't. Never mind. Just forget it.

Capt. Henri Rochard: But I'd be delighted. I'll explain to them I think you're repulsive.

On This Day...I Was A Male War Bride(1949) and People Will Talk(1951)

Today's date sees the release of Cary Grant's 54th and 56th full length feature films, I Was A Male War Bride and People Will Talk.

I Was A Male War Bride (1949):

Cary Grant plays suave French captain Henri Rochard.

Ann Sheridan co-stars as his assistant, Lt. Catherine Gates, who shares in their love-hate relationship!

"...Under Howard Hawks's direction, the end product is one of the most sparklingly original comedies of the year." - Newsweek

"Cary Grant is a past master at playing the handsome he-man thrown for a loss by a difficult dame or an undignified situation." - Scholastic Magazine

"...Cary Grant, as the French captain, and Ann Sheridan, as the WAC who married him, put their all into the fun and manage to keep things moving at a fast pace." - Philip T. Hartung, The Commonweal

With Ann Sheridan.

Although only appearing in the closing scenes, Cary Grant in his horse tail wig and WAC uniform has become the iconic image of the film.

Cast:

Captain Henri Rochard           Cary Grant

Lt. Catherine Gates                 Ann Sheridan

Captain Jack Rumsey             William Neff

Tony Jowitt                             Eugene Gericke

WACS                                    Marion Marshall, Randy Stuart

Innkeeper's Assistant              Ruben Wendorf

Waiter                                     Lester Sharpe

Seaman                                   Ken Tobey

Lieutenant                               Robert Stevenson

Bartender                                Alfred Linder

Chaplain                                 David McMahon

Shore Patrol                            Joe Haworth

Trumble                                  John Whitney

Sergeants                                William Pullen, William Self

Shore Patrol                            John Zilly

Sergeant                                  Bill Murphy

On location.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Howard Hawks.

Distributed by 20th Century-Fox.

Running time: 105 minutes.

People Will Talk (1951):

Cary Grant plays Dr. Noah Praetorius, a doctor with a mysterious background who comes under investigation.

Jeanne Crain plays a patient who is treated by Dr. Praetorius, after attempting suicide. She eventually marries the doctor, but is unsure of his motives.

With Finlay Currie and friends.

"We've no space to go into particulars - to discuss the inventiveness and skill of Mr. Mankiewicz' story telling, the cleverness of his people's talk or the arch humor of his expose.

Neither can we do more than mention the delightfulness and the good sense of the performance of Cary Grant as the professor, of Jeanne Crain as the troubled girl, of Finlay Currie as the mysterious companion and of Hume Cronyn, Walter Slezak, and many more.

All we can say is that a picture so mature and refreshingly frank as to hold that an erring young woman might be rewarded  with a wise and loving mate is most certainly a significant milestone in the moral emancipation of American film, not to mention an unexpected portent to greet an eager reviewer on his return.

People Will Talk should foment chatter, but that should be all to the good."

- The New York Times.

With Julia Dean and Katherine Locke.

"And once again, Hollywood's ranking "genius" - the only man to win four Academy Awards in two years - has something to say and says it frankly and funnily.

The film, which has a three-way plot, concentrates on one of the strangest and most adult love affairs ever to emerge from Hollywood...Grant...turns in one of the most intelligent performances of his nineteen-year Hollywood career." - News Week

"Cary Grant is excellent as Praetorious..." - Ann Helming, Hollywood Citizen-News.

With Jeanne Crain, Walter Slezak and Sidney Blackmer.

With Jeanne Crain.

Cast:

Dr. Noah Praetorius         Cary Grant

Annabel Higgins             Jeanne Crain

Shunderson                      Finley Currie

Prof. Elwell                     Hume Cronyn

Prof. Barker                    Walter Slezak

Arthur Higgins                Sidney Blackmer

Dean Lyman Brockwell  Basil Ruysdael

Miss James                      Katherine Locke

John Higgins                   Will Wright

Miss Pickett                     Margaret Hamilton

Mrs. Pegwhistle               Esther Somers

Technician                       Carleton Young

Business Manager            Larry Dobkin

Nurse                               Jo Gilbert

Dietician                          Ann Morrison

Old Lady                         Julia Dean

Secretary                          Gail Bonney

Student Manager             William Klein

Haskins                            George Offerman

Mabel                               Adele Longmire

Coonan                            Billy House

Photographer                   Al Murphy

Toy Salesman                  Parley Baer

Cook                                Irene Seidner

Gussie                              Joyce MacKenzie

Night Matron                   Maude Wallack

Bella                                Kay Lavelle

Doctor                              Ray Montgomery

Students                           Paul Lees, Wm. Mauch, Leon Taylor

You can look at this two ways!!

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Distributed by 20th Century-Fox.

Running time: 109 minutes.

Based on the play "Dr. Praetorius" by Curt Goetz.

Leading Ladies...Part 2.

So here are the actresses who starred in two films each alongside Cary Grant.

Jean Arthur:

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) and Talk Of The Town (1942)

Also appeared in the following radio shows:

Only Angels Have Wings (May 28th, 1939)
Talk Of The Town (May 17th, 1943)

Joan Bennett:

Big Brown Eyes (1936) and Wedding Present (1936)

Ingrid Bergman:

Notorious (1946) and Indiscreet (1958)

"She wears no make-up and has big feet and peasant hips, yet women envy her ability to be herself." 
- Cary Grant

Nancy Carroll:

Hot Saturday (1932) and Woman Accussed (1933)

Betsy Drake:

Every Girl Should Be Married (1948) and Room For One More (1952)

Also appeared in the following radio show:

Every Girl Should Be Married (June 27th, 1949)

"Betsy was a delightful comedienne, but I don't think Hollywood was ever really her milieu. She wanted to help humanity, to help others help themselves." - Cary Grant

Joan Fontaine:

Gunga Din (1939) and Suspicion (1941)

Sophia Loren:

The Pride and the Passion (1957) and Houseboat (1958)

"I was fascinated with him, with his warmth, affection, intelligence, and his wonderfully dry, mischievous sense of humor." - Sophia Loren

Ginger Rogers:

Once Upon A Honeymoon (1942) and Monkey Business (1952)

Ann Sheridan

Enter Madame (1935: as Clara Lou Sheridan) and I Was a Male War Bride (1949)

Mae West:

She Done Him Wrong (1933) and I'm No Angel (1933)

Loretta Young:

Born To Be Bad (1934) and The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Cary Grant Style No.2 - Debon..Hair and Clean Cut?

Cary Grant had a  clean cut look that said...sophisticated, refined, classy and debonair!

This look he carried off in almost all of his films...almost!

Wardrobe and costumes may have changed to fit the role or the era but very rarely did that classic Cary Grant look.
Here are the few exceptions...

The Last Outpost (1935):
As a British Officer, Michael Andrews, sporting a moustache.

With Gertrude Michael.

With Martha Scott.

The Howards of Virginia (1940):

As Matt Howard in an American Revolution role, complete with low ponytail.

I Was A Male War Bride (1949):

Captain Henri Rochard, found himself going to extraordinary lengths...horse hair wig!

With Ann Sheridan.

.

With Ginger Rogers.

Monkey Business (1952):

A short haired and youthful, Professor Barnaby Fulton

Father Goose (1964):

As a South Pacific island resident, Walter Ekland...some what disheveled.

With Leslie Carron.