There's no place like home!

Everytime I visit Bristol, I have a compelling urge to check out locations that have a link to Cary Grant.

My recent trip was no exception. 

So where to go first? Well, I went to where it all started... No. 15 Hughenden Road, Horfield.

I was able to order a copy of the birth certificate entry for Archibald Alec Leach.

The certificate gives details of full name, parents name and father's occupation as a tailor's presser. 

A view of Hughenden Road from the top.

No. 15

The British Heritage plaque that carries the correct information from the birth certificate.

Whilst in Horfield, I continued just a little further along the main Gloucester Road. 

At No. 212 the shop fronting has a stencilled image of Cary Grant by artist Stewy.

Gloucester Road

Travelling into Bristol, I looked up a few more locations that have links to Cary Grant.

The Hippodrome in the city centre was where young Archie was introduced to the world of show business.

And just around the corner is College Green on Park Street.

Now...the trees are all grown!

Now and then!

Just around another corner is the bronzed statue of Cary Grant in Millennium Square, that was unveiled in 2001 by his 5th wife Barbara.

The next port of call was Clifton, just a little further on.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge, seen from the terrace of the Avon Gorge Hotel 

(formerly The Grand Spa Hotel)

On the bridge...if you're driving, the toll is £1.

Much more can be and has been written about Cary Grant's connection to Bristol. But this has been a brief snap shot of my weekend. Good Stuff!

On This Day...The Pride and The Passion (1957)

The Pride and The Passion was Cary Grant's 61st full length feature film and was released in 1957, on this date.

Grant plays British naval officer, Capt. Anthony Trumball, who is landed in Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. His mission is to join up with Spanish forces to prevent a Spanish cannon, the biggest in the world, from falling into French hands.

However, the leader of the guerrilla forces, Miguel (played by Frank Sinatra) has other ideas. The struggle between the two men, also surrounds the story's love interest, Juana (Sophia Loren).

With Frank Sinatra and Sophia Loren.

"One great advantage that The Pride and The Passion has over most epic films is its unity of theme: all action revolves around the gun...The English captain is skillfully played by Cary Grant...The guerrilla leader is colorfully played by Frank Sinatra." - The Commonweal

"While the gun deserves a special academy award, Mr. Sinatra must be commended for his restrained and appealing guerrilla leader, Mr. Grant for his stalwart, understated British captain, and Miss Loren for her good looks." - Saturday Review.

Frank Sinatra, apparently took the role so that he could be near his estranged wife, Ava Gardner, who was filming in Europe. His filming schedule was reduced to accommodate his personal situation.

Cary Grant on the other hand was happy to spend as long as it took, due to his estranged marriage to Betsy Drake and his pursuit of a serious romance with Sophia Loren: who by the end of filming was to marry Carlo Ponti.

It was one of the top twenty highest grossing films of 1957, but due to high production costs the film lost $2.5 million.

On 14 March 2011, BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play broadcast The Gun Goes to Hollywood by Mike Walker, imagining the behind-the-scenes of the Kramer production, from the viewpoint of script doctor Earl Felton, who had been drafted to save the day. 

The play was directed by Kate McCall and the cast included Steven Webber as Earl Felton, Greg Itzen as Cary Grant, Kate Steele as Sophia Loren, Jonathan Silverman as Frank Sinatra, and Jonathan Getz as Stanley Kramer.

Cast:

Capt. Anthony Turmbull            Cary Grant

Miguel                                       Frank Sinatra

Juana                                         Sophia Loren

General Jouvet                          Theodore Bikel

Sermaine                                   John Wengraf

Ballinger                                   Jay Novello

Carlos                                       Jose Nieto

Jose                                           Carlos Larranaga

Vidal                                         Philip VanZandt

Manolo                                      Paco El Laberinto

Enrique                                      Julian Ugarte

Bishop                                       Felix De Pomes

Leonardo                                   Carlos Casaravilla

Ramon                                       Juan Olaguivel

Maria                                         Nana De Herrera

Francisco                                   Carlos De Mendoza

French Soldier                           Luis Guedes

And the Spanish People in the tens of thousands who made the motion picture possible.

Lobby Cards:

Directed and Produced by Stanley Kramer

Distributed by United Artists

Based on the novel 'The Gun' by C.S. Forrester

Running time: 130 minutes.

On This Day...Crisis (1950)

Crisis was Cary Grant's 55th full length feature film.

Grant plays a famous brain surgeon who, along with his wife, is kidnapped.

He is told to operate on a sick dictator, Raoul Farrago, played by Jose Ferrer.

The good doctor is then told he must kill Farrago, whilst on the operating table!

With Paula Raymond.

With Paula Raymond and Jose Ferrer.

"Crisis is a bold piece of movie adventuring...Grant is more brittle and more diamond-brilliant than before as the enlightened doctor. His sincerity in the story's guts is its premise for being believed." 

- The Mirror (Los Angeles)

With Jose Ferrer (Lying on the floor).

With Ramon Novarro, Paula Raymond and Leon Ames.

Cast:

Dr. Eugene Ferguson                Cary Grant

Raoul Farrago                          Jose Ferrer

Helen Ferguson                        Paula Raymond

Senora Isabel Farrago              Signe Hasso

Col. Adragon                            Ramon Novarro

Gonzales                                  Gilbert Roland

Sam Proctor                             Leon Ames

Dr. Emilio Nierra                     Antonio Moreno

Rosa Aldana                            Teresa Celli

General Valdini                       Mario Siletti

Cariago                                   Vincente Gomez

Senor Magano                          Martin Garralaga

Father Del Puento                    Pedro de Cordoba

Senora Farrago                        Soledad Jimenez

Rubio                                       Jose Dominguez

Marco Aldana                          Robert Tafur

Luis                                          Maurice Jara

Lobby Cards:

Lobby Cards (Full Set)

Directed by Richard Brooks.

Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Running time: 95 minutes

On This Day...Night and Day(1946) and An Affair to Remember(1957)

Two of Cary Grant's films were released on this date...11 years apart.

Night and Day was Cary Grant's 48th full length feature film and, An Affair to Remember was his 62nd.

Night and Day (1946)

Grant plays Cole Porter in this bio-pic, celebrating not only Porter's music but also the 20th anniversary of "Talking Pictures".

Grant appeared alongside Alexis Smith as Linda Lee Porter.

For Warner Brothers big anniversary film, most reviews seemed to agree that it was the music that was the main attraction.

The Commonweal wrote - "Cary Grant so underplaying the role that he's always Cary Grant."

Monty Wolley, pictured above with Grant, played himself as he was a very close friend of Cole Porter and went to Yale together. He later became his advisor.

Songs included, "What Is This Thing Called Love?," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Begin the Beguine," and "I Get a Kick Out of You."

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Michael Curtiz.

Produced and distributed by Warner Bros., Inc.

Running time: 132 minutes

An Affair to Remember (1957)

Cary Grant stars alongside Deborah Kerr, in their 2nd film together, in a remake of  Love Affair (1939), which starred Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.

Grant plays bachelor, Nickie Ferrante. Whilst returning to New York via Naples, to marry a wealthy heiress, he meets Terry McKay (Kerr) who is also returning to her partner.

Time commented - "Only sensitive acting by Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant saves this saccharine trifle from suffocating in its sentimental wrapping." - Bit harsh!!

With Deborah Kerr and Cathleen Nesbitt.

"To bring back to the screen within twenty years an enormously appealing picture subject, and cause it to appear as effective, if not even better than the original, is a true achievement in film-making.

Leo McCarey...has accomplished this both movingly and impressively...". - Los Angeles Times.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Leo McCarey.

Distributed by 20th Century Fox.

Running time: 114 minutes.