Roach succeeded, with the help of a little extra money, and Grant signed on to star alongside Constance Bennett. Grant needed to be convinced by Hal Roach that the role of George Kerby in his film Topperwould be a huge hit. Asta - as the beloved canine companion of Dunne and Grant’s characters. And for fans of The Thin Man, there’s a bonus treat as the film features the talents of Skippy the dog - a.k.a. With the electric chemistry between Dunne and Grant, the film is as romantically charming as it is genuinely funny. The Awful Truth is the first of their films together (the others are My Favorite Wife and Penny Serenade) and features Dunne and Grant in a comedy of remarriage as a feuding couple who won’t let some silly little divorce proceedings interfere with them being in each other’s lives - whether the other likes it or not!ĭirector Leo McCarey encouraged improvisation on the set, and the result is some top-tier comedy from both stars. No Cary Grant list is complete without the inclusion of his three-time screen partner Irene Dunne.
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As the Hays Code came into power a year later and ruled Hollywood throughout the rest of Grant’s career, seeing him so explicitly sexual alongside West is a real treat to visit today. He utters innuendos and raunchy dialogue with such ease. This early performance shows his ability to match the sexual energy of one of the most iconic seductresses in Hollywood history. After all, to be a man who ties down a Mae West character, Grant has to convince the audience he’s pretty damn remarkable. Grant comes into the film fairly late, but he makes a huge impact. However, her former beaus are not ready to give her up, and they do whatever they can to break up her engagement. These pre-Code gems include I’m No Angel, where Grant plays the rich man with whom West’s character finally falls in love after years of casual relationships with wealthy guys. (Anna Swanson)īefore Grant solidified his star power as a comedic leading man, he co-starred in two films with sex-icon Mae West. That he even stood a chance against Grant at all, well, that’s the magic of movies. His dashing character also makes for easy shorthand in the plot - we barely need to see him with Joan to understand immediately that Jerry better shape up and try to compete with the new catch on his wife’s arm. He’s charming and suave as he practically radiates on screen. It’s a relatively minor role, but Grant absolutely steals the show as the other man - an archetype he similarly excelled in with Josef von Sternberg’s Blonde Venus, released the same year.Īlthough Grant was still a few years away from being a household name, it’s easy to see why that was in his future. Sidney stars as socialite Joan, who in revenge against her philandering, alcoholic husband, Jerry ( Fredric March), begins her own affair with Grant’s character. One of Grant’s early roles pairs him opposite the darling Sylvia Sidney in Dorothy Arzner‘s pre-Code romance Merrily We Go To Hell. So whether you’re diving into Grant’s filmography for the first time or revisiting some classics, read on to find out what essential movies you can’t miss. Thankfully, we (that is, me and Anna Swanson) have assembled the highlights, the films that will appeal to newbies and aficionados alike. As a result, deciding where to begin with his impressive filmography is quite a daunting task.
Grant’s career spanned from the pre-Code era to the dawning of New Hollywood.
An open book rich with subtext, if you will. To see him on screen is to at once know him and know there’s so much more than what’s seen at first glance. He’s simultaneously mysterious and affable. Cary Grant the person and Cary Grant the performer - and the spacious center of the Venn diagram between the two - was dynamic and charming. Grant is often cited as continually playing himself in films, and, yes, the career-long throughlines are unmissable, but he’s far from ever being one-note.
The Old Hollywood legend refined his screen talent into fine art. There’s no one who did this better than Cary Grant. And then, every now and again, there are actors who can nail both as if nothing comes more natural to them, turning on a dime from one to the other and consistently landing each performance. They can be brooding and dashing as romantic leads and action heroes. There are also some actors especially inclined towards dramatic roles. They have perfect timing, can pratfall with the best of them, and deliver punchlines with ease. There are some actors who are remarkably gifted at comedy.
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