On This Day...Notorious (1946)

Today, in 1946, Cary Grant's 49th full length feature film was released...Notorious!

In his second of four film collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Grant played agent T.R. Devlin.

Ingrid Bergman plays Alicia Huberman, who agrees to infiltrate a German chemical cartel.

She gets close to the organisations head man (Claude Rains); eventually she marries him. 

The problem; she is in love with Devlin.

"With a highly polished script by Ben Hecht, and with Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant to bring glamour and sultry vitality to the leads, Mr. Hitchcock has fashioned a film in the supercharged American idiom of the sort that made Casablanca popular." - Theatre Arts Magazine

There are a few interesting facts about Notorious.

Ian Flemimg, having seen the film was inspired to create his James Bond character, based on Cary Grant.

Years later, Grant would turn down the role as Bond in Dr. No, because he didn't want to sign up for a multi-picture deal.

 

Another point of interest is the nearly three minute kissing scene, shared by Bergman and Grant.

Why interesting? Well the filmmakers were under the Hays Code.

(see previous blog: Cary Grant and the Pre-code Era)

This meant that a kiss could not be open mouthed or last for longer than three seconds.

Hitchcock was able to get around this by having the kiss interrupted, but for only the shortest length of time. It therefore gave the impression of a much longer kiss.

Cast:

Devlin                             Cary Grant

Alicia Huberman             Ingrid Bergman

Alexander Sebastian       Claude Rains

Paul Prescott                  Louis Calhern

Mme. Sebastian              Madame Konstantin

"Dr. Anderson"               Reinhold Schunzel

Walter Beardsley            Moroni Olsen

Eric Mathis                     Ivan Triesault

Joseph                            Alex Minotis

Mr. Hopkins                    Wally Brown

Ernest Weylin                 Gavin Gordon

Commodore                    Sir Charles Mendl

Dr. Barbosa                     Ricardo Costa

Hupka                             Eberhard Krumschmidt

Ethel                               Fay Baker  

With Ingrid Bergman, Madame Konstantin and Claude Rains.

On set with Alfred Hitchcock and Ingrid Bergman.

Lobby Cards:

Media Release:

Directed and Produced by Alfred Hitchcock.

Distributed by RKO Radio.

Running Time: 103 minutes.

On This Day...Operation Olympic! (1920)

On this day...no not a film...but the start of a bigger adventure!

At just 16-years old Archibald Leach was just one of 1,207 names making up the passenger list of the R.M.S Olympic.

 

It was 1920 and the ship, built alongside the Titanic, was departing from Southampton, bound for New York.

The passenger list from the White Star Line ship reveals Archie's name, tucked away at the bottom of a string of names of men and women travelling second class.

One page of the White Star Line manifest for 21st July 1920.

The only information he was required to provide when boarding on July 21st, 1920, was the question of country of intended future permanent residence. In a display of ambition, Archie said the U.S.A.

He also described himself as an actor, from England, who was just one of the 1,207 passengers.

Also on board were Hollywood heartthrob Douglas Fairbanks and actress Mary Pickford.

Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.

The couple had married on March 28th, and enjoyed an extended honeymoon in Europe.

She was 26 and he was 37, and unlike Archie, the glamorous couple were travelling in first class.

Archie was sailing second class with the Bob Pender Troupe, and sharing a ship with Fairbanks and Pickford was to leave a big impression.

Second Class cabin accommodated 3 passengers.

He later recalled the meeting: 

 "Among the fellow passengers were newlyweds Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford, the world’s most popular honeymooners and the first film stars I ever met.

They were gracious and patient in face of constant harassment, by people with cameras and autograph books, whenever they appeared on deck; and once even I found myself being photographed with Mr. Fairbanks during a game of shuffleboard.

As I stood beside him I tried with shy, inadequate words to tell him of my adulation.

He was a splendidly trained athlete and acrobat, affable and warmed by success and well-being. A gentleman in the true sense of the word."

With Douglas Fairbanks Snr?

The actor was to claim that he had striven to maintain a glowing tan in order to emulate the healthy appearance of Fairbanks.

On arriving in New York, Archie was amazed! He later wrote:

"Manhattan Island. That skyline in the early-morning July sunshine. New York City. There it was; but was I there? Was I actually there at the ship’s rail, neatly scrubbed and polished, standing with a small, solitary band of Pender-troupe boys--none of whom had slept all night for fear of missing the first glimpse of America? The excitement. Those skyscrapers I had seen so many times before. Oh my, yes. In England. In Bristol. In the films."

Archie Leach circa.1920's

After arriving in the U.S he toured with several vaudeville acts and even worked as a stilt-walker, before finally becoming a regular on Broadway in the late 1920s.

On This Day...That Touch of Mink (1962)

Today in 1962, saw the release of Cary Grant's 69th film...That Touch of Mink.

In his one and only film with Doris Day, Cary Grant plays wealthy bachelor, Philip Shayne.

After his Rolls Royce splashes Cathy Timberlake (Doris Day), a frenzied cat and mouse romance begins.

"The recipe is potent: Cary Grant and Doris Day...Pure gag-propelled farce." - Variety

"The only significant difference between Lover Come Back and That Touch of Mink is that in Lover Come Back the Cary Grant part is played by Rock Hudson, and in That Touch of Mink the Cary Grant part is played by Cary Grant. When it comes to playing Cary Grant, nobody can beat Cary Grant." - The New Yorker

With Gig Young, who plays Cary Grant's assistant, Roger.

Behind the scenes: In the pool!

Behind the Scenes: The Bed Elevator.

Cast:

Philip Shayne                       Cary Grant

Cathy Timberlake                 Doris day

Roger                                   Gig Young

Connie                                 Audrey Meadows

Dr. Gruber                           Alan Hewitt

Beasley                                John Astin

Young Man                          Richard Sargent

Short Man                            Joey Faye

Showgirl                              Laurie Mitchell

Mr. Smith                             John Fiedler

Hodges                                Willard Sage

Dr. Richardson                     Jack Livesey

Collins (Chauffeur)              John McKee

Millie                                    June Ericson

Mrs. Golden                         Laiola Wendorff

with the New York Yankee players.

With Mickey Mantle, Doris Day and Roger Maris.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Delbert Mann

Distributed by Universal-International

Produced by Granley Company-Arwin Productions.

Running time: 99 minutes. 

On This Day...North By Northwest (1959)

North By Northwest was Cary Grant's 66th full length feature film and for me the best!

Cary Grant plays a business executive, Roger Thornhill, who is mistaken for a secret agent and kidnapped. 

And what more can I say ...action and thrills from the UN Plaza, Grand Central Station, Mount Rushmore and crop dusters.

Production picture.

This film has everything!! From the opening titles by Saul Bass and Bernard Herrmann's score to the film's final scene on Mount Rushmore.

So hopefully the selection of pictures will convey what my words can not!!

With Eva Marie Saint as Eve Kendall.

With Adam Williams and Robert Ellenstein.

"Cary Grant performs with the polish that movie-goers have for long come to expect of him." - Look Magazine

With Jessie Royce Landis, Robert Ellenstien and Adam Williams.

"If it does nothing else (but it does, it does), North By Northwest resoundingly reaffirms the fact the Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock are two of the very slickest operators before and behind the cameras. Together they can be unbeatable." - Newsweek

With James Mason, Eva Marie Saint and Martin Landau.

With Philip Ober.

"Mr. Lehman not only provided Hitchcock with exactly the right kind of story to take advantage of his skills, but he has written that rare thing these days - a screen original." - Saturday Review

On Location.

With the crop duster....classic scene!

The scene was a combination of on-set back projections and on location shots. 

With Leo G. Carroll

Mount Rushmore: On set.

Grand Central Station: Behind the scenes.

Final destination:

With Eva Marie Saint.

Cast:

Roger Thornhill                    Cary Grant

Eve Kendall                          Eva Marie Saint

Philip Vandamm                   James Mason

Clara Thornhill                     Jessie Royce Landis

Professor                              Leo G. Carroll

Lester Townsend                  Philip Ober

Handsome Woman                Josephine Hutchinson

Leonard                                Martin Landau

Valerain                                Adam Williams

Victor Larrabee                     Edward Platt

Licht                                     Robert Ellenstein

Auctioneer                            Les Tremayne

Dr. Cross                               Philip Coolidge

Chicago Policeman                Patrick McVey

Capt. Junket                         Edward Binns

Chicago Policeman                Ken Lynch

Behind the scenes with James Mason and Eva Marie Saint.

Publicity shot with Eva Marie Saint.

With Eva Marie Saint, Alfred Hitchcock and James Mason.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Running time: 136 minutes.

And finally...check out my other North By Northwest related posts, "My Favourite Film of the 1950's", "He's a Well Tailored One, Isn't He, by clicking on the labels below!