The Grass is Greener (1960)

   "...a handsome production in Technicolor with lovely shots of England... "

The Grass is Greener - Review is taken from 'The Films of Cary Grant' by Donald Deschner (1973):

"The best thing about The Grass is Greener is its title, which fits so well an inexplicable set of circumstances.  The worst thing about the picture is that producer-director Stanley Donen forgot he was making a movie, and in spite of all its glitter and glamorous cast, this film is awfully static and talky - and no fresher and greener than those comedies that used to turn up on our stages regularly in the thirties.  

The script that Hugh and Margaret Williams wrote from their popular London stage comedy is only so-so funny, but Donen has given his picture a handsome production in Technicolor with lovely shots of England and the interior and exterior of Grant's elegant mansion.  Brighter than the dialogue is the musical score stemming from Noel Coward's songs.  It's too bad Coward couldn't have written the wisecracks too."

- Philip T. Hartung, The Commonweal

New Artwork by Rebekah Hawley at Studio36 -
Number 68 - The Grass is Greener (Lobby Card Style)

Part Of

For more, see also:

Quote From Today - December 23rd 2022

On This Day - December 23rd 2021

On This Day - December 23rd 2020

Quote From Today... The Grass is Greener (1960)

  

"Oh. You mean you prefer to be unhappy

 and abnormal."

With Robert Mitchum

The Grass is Greener was Cary Grant's 68th full-length feature film.

Trevor Sellers, the Butler: I wonder if I might have a word with you, Milord.

Victor Rhyall, Earl: So do I, so we're both probably right. Now what's the matter, Sellers?

Trevor Sellers, the Butler: As I told you, Milord, I haven't any work to do.

Victor Rhyall, Earl: What about your novel, why aren't you working at that?

Trevor Sellers, the Butler: I'm stuck badly. Nearly tore the whole thing up last night.

Victor Rhyall, Earl: Oh, now, now, you mustn't do that! What's the trouble?

Trevor Sellers, the Butler: Almost certainly the basic trouble is myself. I'm fundamentally happy and contented. That's bad enough, of course. But on top of that, I'm normal. And that's fatal.

Victor Rhyall, Earl: Oh. You mean you prefer to be unhappy and abnormal.

Trevor Sellers, the Butler: Of course! You see, I want to be a success, and to be a success, one must at least start off by being modern. And like yourself, Milord, I'm not. It means I have no feelings of insecurity or frustration. No despair.

Victor Rhyall, Earl: And that's essential?

Trevor Sellers, the Butler: The first essential! I feel perfectly content, really rather blameless, and hardly resent anything at all!

Victor Rhyall, Earl: Well, you are in a pickle, aren't you? Well now, you must have known all that when you gave up teaching to become a writer! You answered my advertisement for a butler, and when I asked you what your qualifications were you said you had a degree in science. Now in spite of such a ludicrous recommendation I engaged you, partly because you told me you wanted to write a novel. Luckily you turned out very well. Now, why don't you go back to your typewriter and take another crack at this, Sellers, might do you good. You might feel better now!

On This Day...The Grass is Greener (1960)

 On this date in 1960, The Grass is Greener, Cary Grant's 68th full length film, was released.

Synopsis:

Victor (Cary Grant) and Hillary (Deborah Kerr) are down on their luck to the point that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle. 

But Charles Delacro (Robert Mitchum), a millionaire oil tycoon, visits and takes a liking to more than the house. Soon, Hattie Durant (Jean Simmons) gets involved and they have a good old fashioned love triangle.

With Deborah Kerr.

"It's one of the year's most disappointing films." - James Powers, Hollywood Reporter.

With Jean Simmons, Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum.

"...In spite of all its glitter and glamorous cast, this film is awfully static and talky..."

 - Philip T. Hartung, The Commonweal.

Did You Know?

It was originally intended by director Stanley Donen that Cary Grant would play the part of "Delacro", the American tourist, whilst Rex Harrison and his real-life wife Kay Kendall were respectively cast as "Victor Rhyall" and "Hattie". But Kendall died soon after completing an earlier Stanley Donen film, "Once More With Feeling", and Rex Harrison dropped out of the film because of this. Cary Grant agreed to play Victor instead of Delacro, and both Rock Hudson and Charlton Heston were approached about playing the American character. Both refused, and Robert Mitchum was cast quite late in the proceedings, making no fuss at all about taking third-billing. Cary Grant often claimed this had "saved the film" and praised his performance highly.


Cary Grant's third collaboration with Deborah Kerr. They had previously worked together on Dream Wife (1953) and An Affair to Remember (1957).


The second and final film produced by Grandon Productions, a company started and owned by star Cary Grant and director Stanley Donen.

With Jean Simmons.

Cast:

 Cary Grant ... Victor Rhyall, Earl
 Deborah Kerr ... Lady Hilary Rhyall
 Robert Mitchum ... Charles Delacro
 Jean Simmons ... Hattie Durant
 Moray Watson ... Trevor Sellers, the Butler

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Stanley Donen

Distributed by Universal- International.

Running time: 104 minutes.

"Do Not Disturb!"  "Disturb Me!" "Disturb Me Please!" "Disturb!"

And the Winner is...!

Of all the praise and adulation that Cary Grant received during his film career, one award eluded him.

Although being nominated twice for an Academy Award, he never actually won one!

Grant had boycotted the Oscars for twelve years.

He did finally receive an Academy Award for his unique mastery of the art of screen acting, in 1970.

Frank Sinatra presented the Honorary Award.

Cary Grant did however appear in a number of films that were nominated for Academy Awards in various categories and some won too!

Listed below are all the Cary Grant films that had Oscar nominations...and winners!

BEST PICTURE
1932 - She Done Him Wrong
1937 - The Awful Truth
1940 - The Philadelphia Story
1941 - Suspicion
1942 - The Talk of the Town
1947 - The Bishop's Wife

BEST ACTOR
1940 - James Stewart - The Philadelphia Story (Winner)
1941 - Cary Grant - Penny Serenade
1944 - Cary Grant - None but the Lonely Heart

Nominated for Best Actor in Penny Serenade and None But the Lonely Heart.

BEST DIRECTOR
1937 - Leo McCarey - The Awful Truth (Winner)
1940 - George Cukor - The Philadelphia Story
1947 - Henry Koser - The Bishop's Wife

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1940 - Ruth Hussey - The Philadelphia Story
1944 - Ethel Barrymore - None But The Lonely Heart(Winner)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1937 - Ralph Bellamy - The Awful Truth
1937 - Roland Young - Topper
1946 - Claude Rains - Notorious

BEST ACTRESS
1937 - Irene Dunne - The Awful Truth
1940 - Katharine Hepburn - The Philadelphia Story
1941 - Joan Fontaine - Suspicion(Winner)

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
1939 - Only Angels Have Wings

BEST SOUND RECORDING
1937 - Topper
1940 - The Howard's of Virginia
1942 - Once Upon a Honeymoon
1947 - The Bishop's Wife(Winner)
1962 - That Touch of Mink
1964 - Father Goose

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
1940 - The Howards of Virginia
1940 - My Favorite Wife
1941 - Suspicion
1942 - The Talk of the Town
1944 - None but the Lonely Heart
1946 - Night and Day
1947 - The Bishop's Wife
1957 - An Affair to Remember

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1942 - The Talk of the Town
1955 - To Catch a Thief(Winner)
1957 - An Affair to Remember

BEST ART DIRECTION 
1938 - Holiday
1940 - My Favorite Wife
1942 - The Talk of the Town
1955 - To Catch a Thief
1959 - North by Northwest
1962 - That Touch of Mink

BEST FILM EDITING
1937 - The Awful Truth
1942 - The Talk of the Town
1944 - None but the Lonely Heart
1947 - The Bishop's Wife
1959 - North by Northwest
1964 - Father Goose

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
1953 - Dream Wife
1955 - To Catch a Thief
1957 - An Affair to Remember

BEST SONG
1936 - Suzy
1957 - An Affair to Remember
1958 - Houseboat
1963 - Charade

BEST WRITING FOR THE SCREEN (original story or screen play)
1937 - The Awful Truth
1940 - My Favorite Wife
1940 - The Philadelphia Story(Winner)
1942 - The Talk of the Town (Original Writing)
1942 - The Talk of the Town (Screen play)
1943 - Destination Tokyo
1946 - Notorious
1947 - The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer(Winner)
1959 - North by Northwest
1962 - That Touch of Mink
1964 - Father Goose

With Ingrid Bergman's Academy Award in 1957, that he received on her behalf for Best Actress in Anastasia(1956)

Presenting an Academy Award in 1958 with Jean Simmons.

It was to Sir Alec Guinness for "Bridge Over the River Kwai". 

She accepted the Oscar on his behalf.

Cary Grant was also honored with presenting Honorary Academy Awards to his fellow actors and friends.

Sir Laurence Olivier in 1979.

And to James Stewart in 1985.

Always the Winner!