On This Day...None But The Lonely Heart (1944)

 Cary Grant's 46th full length feature film was None But The Lonely Heart, released today in 1944.

Cary Grant plays Ernie Mott, an embittered man who turns to a band of thieves in an attempt at getting a better life for himself and his mother, Ma Mott (Ethel Barrymore).

Grant asked that the film, based on Richard Llewellyn's novel, be made. Clifford Odets who directed the film also wrote the screenplay.

Cary Grant was nominated for the Academy Award's category for Best Actor. Ethel Barrymore won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

With Jane Wyatt.

"Cary Grant, as the good-for-nothing Ernie Mott, has a rare chance to burrow inside of a character and come out with something more than his usual charm and skillfully tuned comic touches." 

- Hermine Rich Isaacs, Theatre Arts Magazine.

"Cary Grant...plays its far from Cary Grantish hero so attentively and sympathetically that I all but overlooked the fact that he is not well constituted for the role." - James Agee, The Nation.

With Ethel Barrymore and Barry Fitzgerald.

Cast:

Ernie Mott                  Cary Grant

Ma Mott                     Ethel Barrymore

Aggie Hunter             Jane Wyatt 

Ada                            June Duprez

Twite                          Barry Fitzgerald

Jim Mordinoy             George Coulouris

Did Pettyjohn              Roman Bohnen

Ile Weber                    Konstantin Shayne

Lew Tate                    Dan Duryea

Mrs. Tate                    Rosalind Ivan

Miss Tate                    Dierdre Vale

Ma Chalmers              Eva Leonard Boyne

Ma Snowden              Queenie Vassar

Millie Wilson              Katherine Allen               

Cash                           Joseph Vitale

Taz                             Morton Lowry

Knocker                     William Challee

Slush                          Skelton Knagg

Ma Saegiviss             Virginia Farmer

Marjoriebanks            Art Smith

Ike Lesser                   Milton Wallace

Sister Nurse                Helen Thimig

Flo                              Renie Riano

Percy                          Marcel Dill

With June Duprez.

Lobby Cards:

"A Desolate Heart" in Spanish.

Directed by Clifford Odets.

Produced and distributed by RKO Radio.

Running time: 113 minutes.

With Barry Fitzgerald.

On This Day...The Howards of Virginia (1940)

The Howards of Virginia was Cary Grant's 37th full length feature film  and was released today, back in 1940.

Cary Grant plays Matt Howard, whose friendship with Thomas Jefferson (Richard Carlson) leads him into a life of aristocracy, politics and family.

"Obviously miscast, Cary Grant meets the exigencies of a difficult role with more gusto than persuasion."
- Newsweek

"The Howards of Virginia, based on Elizabeth Page's The Tree of Liberty, defies anyone not to believe in the struggles of the colonists before and during the revolution."

- Philip T. Hartung, The Commonweal.

The source material was The Tree of Liberty, a 985 page novel, by Elizabeth Page. On its release in Britain, the film title was changed to the book title. 

With Paul Kelly.

With Alan Marshal, Martha Scott and Cedric Hardwicke.

Cast:

Matt Howard                 Cary Grant

Jane Peyton-Howard     Martha Scott

Fleetwood Peyton         Cedric Hardwicke

Roger Peyton                Alan Marshal

Thomas Jefferson          Richard Carlson

Captain Jabez Allen      Paul Kelly

Tom Norton                  Irving Bacon

Aunt Clarissa                Elizabeth Risdon

Mrs. Norton                  Ann Revere

James Howard at 12     Richard Alden

Peyton Howard at 18    Phil Taylor

Mary Howard at 17       Rita Quigley

Dicey                             Libby Taylor

Patrick Henry                Richard Gaines

George Washington      George Huston

Peter Cushing made an appearance as Leslie Stephens.

Behind the Scenes:

Some scenes were filmed on location at Williamsburg, the historic city which was reconstructed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. as a $20,000,000 project to perpetuate America's past.

On location with some fans.

Lobby Cards:

A newspaper advertisement.

Directed by Frank Lloyd.

Produced and distributed by Columbia.

Running time: 117 minutes.

Another Archi(v)e Update!

 Here are new additions to my collection of Cary Grant books and reference works.

Cary Grant - In Name Only 

by Gary Morecombe and Martin Sterling (2003).

"Gary Morecombe's father, the legendary comedian Eric Morecombe, enjoyed a twenty-year friendship with Grant. For this unique vantage point, the authors have examined the life, loves and career of the troubled screen icon. This first truly objective study explores what drove this funny, flawed man who never confronted - let alone exorcised - his inner demons." (from the back cover blurb)

Cary Grant

by Chuck Ashman and Pamela Trescott (1986).

"In this new biography the authors have traced the extraordinary chain of events that subsequently led Archie Leach, boy acrobat, to become Cary Grant, Hollywood's most sophisticated leading man. As well as providing a detailed analysis of his unique cinematic career they also examine the personal life of this most private man, from his disastrous first marriage to Virginia Cherrill, dubbed "Hollywood's greatest beauty", to fatherhood at the age of 62 and a fifth marriage at 77. The result is a revealing portrait of a Hollywood legend." (Front and back cover blurb)

Women I've Undressed: The Fabulous Life and Times of a Legendary Hollywood Designer

by Orry-Kelly (2017)

- from the foreword by Catherine Martin.

An interesting reference book, Orry-Kelly describes in his own words the friendship and time he spent with Cary Grant, it what at times feels very bitter.

All The Best Lines: An Informal History of the Movies in Quotes, Notes and Anecdotes

by George Tiffin (2013)

"Stylishly designed, and punctuated with 120 beautiful photographs from every movie era, All The Best Lines is an endlessly entertaining and richly informative history of the cinema" - Inside Cover.

Containing CG quotes from His Girl Friday, Notorious, I'm No Angel, North By Northwest and None But The Lonely Heart.

The Audrey Hepburn Treasures

by Ellen Erwin and Jessica Z. Diamond (2006)

Full of great pictures and pull out copies of letters, pictures, tickets, postcards...the list goes on!

Its a great book!!!

It contains a number of references to CG who appeared in Charade with Audrey Hepburn. And it also contains a copy of a letter he wrote to her on June 29th, 1982, .

Film Collection Update...Part 5.

Although I have every Cary Grant film, I still like to look out for any that have different artwork or special editions.

Here are my latest editions!

Cary Grant Box set 2006 (3 DVDs):

This 3 DVD set contains...

The Amazing Adventure (1937)
Colorful artwork.

Penny Serenade (1941)
Colorful artwork although the main picture of CG is incorrect for the film.

Charade (1963)
One of the least impressive artwork covers. All pictures of both CG and Audrey Hepburn are incorrect for the film.

North By Northwest: Special Edition DVD (2002):

This was produced for the AFI's 100 years...100 films celebration.

It includes:

North By Northwest DVD (New digital transfer from 1999 theatrical reissue's refurbished elements and Dolby stereo remix).

The documentary "The Man on Lincoln's Nose: The Making of North By Northwest".

Eight Original Limited Edition Lobby Card Prints.

Exclusive Limited Edition image from the movie and 35mm film frame.

Original One-Sheet Movie Poster (27" x 40").

Six Original Limited Edition B&W Photograph Stills. 

On This Day...Blonde Venus (1932)

Today, in 1932, saw the release of Cary Grant's 5th full length feature film...Blonde Venus.

Cary Grant plays Nick Townsend, the man who brings trouble into Helen Faraday's life.

Marlene Dietrich plays Helen who goes from wife, to harlot, to popular woman of the theatre and back to wife.

 

"There are good portraits of Miss Dietrich, who sings two or three songs. Mr. Marshall does well as his lines and the situation permit. Cary Grant is worthy of a much better role than that of Townsend.." 

- Mordaunt Hall, The New York Times.

With Marlene Dietrich.

"Blonde Venus should be a howling box-office success." - Jose Rodriguez, Script.

Cast:

Helen Faraday                Marlene Dietrich

Ned Faraday                   Herbert Marshall

Nick Townsend              Cary Grant

Johnny Faraday              Dickie Moore

Ben Smith                      Gene Morgan

"Taxi Belle" Hooper      Rita La Roy

Dan O'Connor               Robert Emmett O'Connor

Detective Wilson            Sidney Toler

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Josef von Sternberg

Produced and distributed by Paramount Publix.

Running time: 85 minutes