Happy 111th, Cary!

 Let's all just sit and stare at that beautiful face for a few minutes...

Okay, I'll be serious. Cary Grant may have the most handsome face in history, but he was always more than his looks. Like Fred Astaire, he had class, grace, modesty, generosity, and enormous talent. (There's a reason Gene Kelly called Astaire the Cary Grant of dance.) Cary will forever be my favorite actor--I loves him to pieces.

I'm particularly at a loss today as to what more could be said about Cary. He had perfect timing. He was an amazing leading man. He knew comedy in and out. His dramatic performances were, and sometimes still are, underappreciated. He deserved an Oscar at some point in his career (I say for Notorious or Bringing Up Baby). He was extraordinarily good-looking. Exhibit A:


All of the above is true. The man defines a real movie star, one we will likely never see again. But he was also an incredible person. Sometimes it makes me tear up just reading about his love for his only child, Jennifer. His heart knew no bounds, and he was sensitive about his feelings. The one time he really put his heart on his sleeve for a picture, None but the Lonely Heart, it was a professional failure and Cary swore to never do anything like it again. I think one of the biggest misfortunes that ever happened in Hollywood was Cary turning down A Star is Born (I still love you, James Mason). I will forever be jealous of George Cukor--he had his friend perform the script to try and get him to sign on to the film, but all Cukor got was the memory of what he said was Cary's best performance. After the rejection of None but the Lonely Heart, Cary didn't want to be that vulnerable again. Another sad misfire is that Grant and Billy Wilder never worked together. It would've been amazing to see what they could do as a team.

Despite all that, though, let's celebrate today the fantastic films that Cary did leave us with. I've never found a performance I didn't enjoy, and I bet anyone would be hard-pressed to say they've disliked one. Cary was the best--no arguments about it.



Happy birthday, Archie.

With love,
Michaela

Comments

You might've missed these popular posts...

Loving and Fighting Furiously: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

Top Ten: Fred Astaire's Partners

Announcing the 100 Years of Esther Williams Blogathon!

Announcing the Sixth Annual Doris Day Blogathon!

Fred Astaire tells Rita Hayworth... You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

Esther Williams enthralls in... Dangerous When Wet (1953)

Bob, Bing, and Dottie take the... Road to Rio (1947)

The Fifth Annual Doris Day Blogathon is here!

Fred and Ginger's Cinematic Farewell: The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)

Ann Sothern and Robert Young can't stop marrying each other in... Lady Be Good (1941)