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

On This Day...Monkey Business (1952)

 Today, in 1952, saw the release of Cary Grant's 58th film Monkey Business.

Grant's character is Dr. Barnaby Fulton, a research chemist, who has been working on a formula to regenerate worn-out tissues in the human body. After taking the formula himself, he starts to feel younger which leads to complications and fun!!

 

Marilyn Monroe stars as Lois Laurel, a secretary at Dr. Fulton's company. Also starring as his wife, Edwina, is Ginger Rogers.

"If youth is anything like the nonsense displayed here, maybe it's just as well that nobody has really concocted anything that would force us older citizens back into it." - John McCarten, The New Yorker

"Grant has never been better than in his part as the absent-minded professor in search of the elixir of youth." - Motion Picture Herald

"...only Cary Grant could do Barnaby justice with the underplaying that avoids the mawkish and the silly." - Newsweek

Cary Grant showing that once an acrobat always an acrobat.

The skating scene with Marilyn Monroe, overseen by Howard Hawks and crew.

Cast:

Professor Barnaby Fulton     Cary Grant

Edwina Fulton                      Ginger Rogers

Mr. Oliver Oxly                    Charles Coburn

Lois Laurel                           Marilyn Monroe

Hank Entwhistle                   Hugh Marlowe

Dr. Siegfried Kitzel               Henri Letondal

Dr. Zoldeck                          Robert Cornthwaite

Mr. G.J. Culverly                 Larry Keating

Dr. Bruner                            Douglas Spencer

Mrs. Rhinelander                 Esther Dale

Little Indian                         George Winslow

Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe costume test pictures.

Lobby Cards:

Lobby card that has the alternative title "Be Your Age"

Spanish lobby card - "Vitamins for Love"

With Ginger Rogers and George Winslow.

Directed by Howard Hawks.

Distributed by 20th Century-Fox.

Running time: 97 minutes.

With Ginger Rogers and "Esther".

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!