CARY GRANT

[feaito]

Yesterday I re-watched "Only Angels Have Wings" (1939) and it was a special treat since I had fresh in my mind most of the details concerning the making of the film -from Hawks' Bio. The sets and scenes depicting the taking off, flying and landing of the planes are so well done. The setting of the Latin American town of Barranca is very good and the local characters too. The atmosphere is perfect. Cary Grant is superb as Jeff; watching him in a serious role like in the one he plays this film and comparing his perfomance to others, such as the one he gave in Bringing Up Baby for instance , makes one realize his range. He's perfect as the rugged hero. Dick Barthelmess is also magnificent as the tainted flyer, conveying the frustration, remorse, cynicism and bitterness of his character. Hawks' decision of not covering with make-up the scars left by the flawed plastic surgery Barthelmess underwent was very smart, because it suits the character perfectly. Thomas Mitchell is superb as the Kid and when I think that his excellent performance was one of many he gave this landmark year -1939- in which he also appeared in GWTW, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach and The Hunchback of Notre Dame I'm truly in awe of his talent. Great, rousing, very masculine -full of testorene- film.

[charliechaplinfan]

My memories of Only Angels Have Wings are that it is very atomospheric, for me Hawks created the scene perfectly. Jean Arthur is one of my favorite actresses of the period but I remember her as underplaying in this role, the male characters dominated even though some of the plot dealt with her trying to reconcile herself to the flyers. Cary was rugged, very much at odds with his others performances from this time, showing the great range he had. Rita Hayworth although beautiful didn't register much, my impression was that she was still learning the ropes and lets face it, what a great cast to learn from.

Cary's range was extended by Hitchcock in Suspicion although I wish there had been two endings so that viewers today could be tantalised by a truly horrible Cary.

[feaito]

In Hawks' Bio I read that the feeling was that Jean Arthur wasn't sexy enough to portray a Chorus girl on the run or did not convey what she should have had, because of limitations of her persona or plain refusal on her part. I think that she did a fine job, although probably somebody like Barbara Stanwyck could have been dead-perfect for the role. As for Rita she was just beginning and Hawks cared more about her allure than her limited range at the time; she was OK and very sexy. In that respect she overshadowed Jean. Jean could also be very sexy, kittenish and playful if she wanted to: "The Ex-Mrs. Bradford" comes to my mind, for example. But it's defintely a Man's movie, with women in the background. The relationships and bonds between Grant, Mitchell, Barthlmess, Ruman, Joslyn et al are pivotal.

Some reviewers have wrote that Grant was out of his métier here. I do not agree at all. He's perfect. I can picture Gable in the role, but Cary did an excellent job. I cannot picture Gable in "Bringing Up Baby" on the other hand. Grant definitely had a wider range, although I must say that just like in the case of Loretta Young, Gary Cooper and others, he lost along the way a certain "something", a certain vulnerability or fresh quality or versatility in a way-I don't know how to put it correctly- especially in the '50s. If you compare his performances from the mid to late '30s through the early '40s films with his '50s and early '60s work, I perceive as if the persona took over the performances of the actor. He became an institution. Sorry if I can't express correctly what I want to say.

As from another aspect of the film, in some reviews that I've read it's been stated that the Latin America Barranca is stereotyped. I don't agree that much because I can perfectly picture a small town of sorts in Cuba, Colombia or Venezuela, back in the late 1930s. As for the special effects, I think they are fantastic, taking in account they were made in 1939.

[JackFavell]

You expressed what you wanted to say perfectly, feaito. For the reasons you stated, I prefer earlier Cary movies to the 50's ones.

I agree that it would have been really interesting to see the alternate ending of Suspicion. I like "bad" Cary....in OAHW, Geoff starts out as sort of a heartless womanizer, but then I like to see those layers peeled away... Mr. Lucky is my favorite of his "mystery man" films. I just find him more multi-faceted in the bad boy role. I guess I like my heroes a little tarnished....

[charliechaplinfan]

Tarnished heroes are the best IMO.

[feaito]

Hi Wendy! I'm glad you understood my point and that we agree.

Re. Tarnished heros, I also agree. They are more human that way. Nobody's ever been perfect, stainless...That's why Stanwyck's one of my favorites heroines.

[Garbomaniac]

Hey, Allison, I just discovered this great thread on Cary! He is one of my top four: Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, and Burt Lancaster. I have been reading all of the observations, and there are a couple on which I would like to comment. First, on his sexuality, I have no doubt many of the stars dabbled in the forbidden while living in sin city. It makes no difference to me if they did or not. I watch them for their persona on the screen, and anything they did in their private life to achieve that is ok with me. I, too, dislike reading many bios on stars. Marlene Dietrich comes to mind. I really didn't care for her daughter's take on her mother. I saw a special on Marlene once. I think it might have been on TCM, but I can't remember. It made her look so calculated and cold to the point of being unfeeling. Since then, I have stuck to Garbo bios. There isn't much of a surprise there. She was cold, distant, and unfeeling to a great extent, but that's why I read about her! It's not a shock, nor is it out of character. From the beginning she was all of the above adjectives.

Anyway, back to Cary. My favorites are Blond Venus (Marlene Dietrich), She Done Him Wrong (Mae West), he is so young in these and hadn't really come into himself, yet. Then, there is Topper (Constance Bennett), Holiday and Philadelphia Story (Katharine Hepburn), Suspicion (Joan Fontaine), Arsenic and Old Lace (Priscilla Lane), Notorious (Ingrid Bergman), The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (Myrna Loy), The Bishop's Wife (Loretta Young), and Charade (Audrey Hepburn). If I were stranded on a desert island and only had those films, I could watch them over and over and never tire of them. I just wish Garbo had been in his line up of co-stars. There was talk of Cary playing opposite her in Ninotchka, but that never happened.

Here are some relaxed candids of Cary in somebody's backyard:

[charliechaplinfan]

Fernando you put it perfectly about Cary and how he changed between the 30's and 40's to his 50's 60's persona, he became an icon and in becoming so he changed to a cooler person, I prefer the performer of the 30's 40's although I can easily take the 50's 60's icon.

Speaking of film icons in my mind most of them died young but there are a special few that attained the status of icon, an icon to me is someone who transcends their profession and becomes well known outside their profession, Audrey Hepburn is the other icon who I could be quite confident that a lot of people on the street of my own age would know who she was. Perhaps it's a style thing. Others are Elvis, Marilyn and James Dean but their status is partly down to early death and in Elvis's case marvellous music.

[charliechaplinfan]

I had a lovely afternoon, before I had to get the kids I treated myself to another viewing of Only Angels Have Wings, I walked on air on my way to school.

It did strike me as similar in parts to To Have and Have Not only Jean Arthur is as completely different to Lauren Bacall as Cary Grant is to Bogie. I'm not sure the part completely suited Jean Arthur, I didn't think the leads had quite as much chemistry as they should have. This is a complete change to the screwball comedies, I feel myself wishing that Cary had done more alpha male parts, I love his screwball antics but there's no hint of anything screwball here. I loved this film, it's worth noting that it has a great supporting cast, perhaps one of the best in the movies. Thomas Mitchell, how different can you get as the Kid from Mr O'Hara. Richard Barthelmess is well cast as the disgraced flyer, he looks weatherbeaten like his life as a flyer has been so hard. Rita Hayworth is better than I remember her.

I guess Cary just has that ability to brighten up a day

Fernando I think you nailed it above, full of testosterone, especially the ruggedly handsome Cary.

[mrsl]

I think Cary is harder to understand than Clark Gable was. Clark had a hard young life, but Cary's was totally dismal to the point that as soon as he could, he buried it and never returned. Making None But the Lonely Heart was, I believe, a 'cleansing' for him. It helped him to realize he was free of those demons, but unfortunately for him, soon he learned of his father's treachery regarding his mother. It was nearly seven years before he made another serious drama, even Suspicion was done partly tongue in cheek for him. It was then he made a string of comedies, all of which had him doing all kinds of crazy stunts which, again, I believe he wanted as a curative.

As for that malarkey with him and Randolph Scott, maybe I'm more gullible than the next person, but even today when you see two guys shopping in the grocery store, people immediately think "gay', but not when they see two girls - why is that? I wonder what Cary's daughter thinks of her mother and what she wrote about him after their divorce - I'm pretty sure it was simply "Hell hath no fury . . . From the way he acted and reacted to Sophia Loren, I think that little episode pretty much eliminates any gay leanings. Yes, 'Nando, (Feaito) there is a difference in him and his earlier films than his mid-year ones. (Your Avatar reminds me of a grown up 'Nando from It Started in Naples.) Cary Grant to most women, was equally attractive in his 70's as he was in his 40's, if not more so with that distinguished hair, and his carriage. He would have made a marvelous 007, I can imagine him saying, 'Bond, James Bond' can't you?

Anne

[JackFavell]

Re: Randolph Scott/William Haines - I don't want to dwell on this really at all, but it seems to me that Cary was simply self-confident about his sexuality. Actors tend to be fairly open-minded people, generally speaking. If he lived with a man, it was because that suited his economy or his lifestyle, and whether or not they were gay or not did not seem to matter to him. I applaud that. He probably had a great deal of empathy, seeing as he was kind of playing a role in real life himself.

Personally, I can't think of any two who seem more heterosexual than he and Scott, but really, who cares? I think it speaks well of Cary that he never felt the need to clear that up more than a cursory amount.

[charliechaplinfan]

Re: Randolph Scott/William Haines - I don't want to dwell on this really at all, but it seems to me that Cary was simply self-confident about his sexuality. Actors tend to be fairly open-minded people, generally speaking. If he lived with a man, it was because that suited his economy or his lifestyle, and whether or not they were gay or not did not seem to matter to him. I applaud that. He probably had a great deal of empathy, seeing as he was kind of playing a role in real life himself.

Personally, I can't think of any two who seem more heterosexual than he and Scott, but really, who cares? I think it speaks well of Cary that he never felt the need to clear that up more than a cursory amount.

I guess what really gets me about the subject of Cary's sexuality is that there is no proof for his homosexuality apart from him living with another man, I think it was more due to economy but maybe and in this case I find it difficult to believe, but as always it seems easier to sell some books by discussing sexuality than actually assessing an actor's life. If they were or they weren't I'd still enjoy their films just the same.

I especially agree with your last statement Jack.

I don't know what Dyan Cannon said about him after their marriage apart from the fact he watched the Oscars and used to provide commentary. I don't know what Sophia Loren said either, I don't want to tarnish his image, sounds childish but for me with Cary knowing less is better.

[JackFavell]

I don't want to tarnish his image, sounds childish but for me with Cary knowing less is better.

That's exactly how I feel. It feels disloyal to me to worry about that stuff - if I were a star, I wouldn't want people finding out my odd human foibles, such as we all have. I would want people to remember the image I spent a lifetime creating - and that's what he did - CREATE. That beautiful image, and the movies are quite an accomplishment for a young cockney boy with a bitter past. They have had a profound impact on my life and I will always be grateful to Cary for it. He alone is the last word on Cary Grant for me.

I never realized until this discussion how important Only Angel's Have Wings was for Cary. It really never occurred to me that he was not in that many rugged, tough guy roles, because he seems to fit so easily into his role in that film. He seems to breeze right through it, easily taking on Geoff's persona and his darker viewpoint. Because of that ease he had, I think sometimes we forget how accomplished an actor he was. I mean, how many actors could go from David in Bringing Up Baby to Geoff in Only Angel's Have Wings?

[Garbomaniac]

I can't remember when we crossed over from fantasy to reality. I guess it was sometime during the Nineties. Most all of us grew up with fantasy as entertainment, but people today love reality, or supposed reality. They swallow it with a ladle. It used to be that the stars were protected, and you didn't learn about their foibles. We are from an era that wasn't interested in trash talk about the people we loved. But, trash sells now, big time! So, anyone's life is up for grabs.

People today want to here things like that about Cary, true or false. They dug up Garbo's letters hoping to find some trash to publish, but apparently she was too clever for them. And, so I would imagine, as Allison said, that anyone who writes about anyone is going to try to put some sexual slant on the book to make a profit. That's why I don't read most of the bios on stars. But, I have read several on Harlow, and of course the Paul Bern sex scandal is always a major part; there is even an entire book devoted to the subject.

[charliechaplinfan]

I guess we need to know more about our biographers, there are some out there who don't take liberties if something is factual like the Paul Bern suicide it is included but not embellished. Eve Golden's book on Jean Harlow was a respectful book and put many of the lies, that have drifted into legend about her, to bed. It's a pity that these books don't sell in the greatest quantites.

As for celebrity magazines, I read hem when I'm in the hairdressers and many of the celebrities do seem to play towards them, so I read what's in them. When it comes to my cherised old Hollywood heroes I hate them being treated in the same way. It's disrespectful.

Back to Cary, I had the same thought too about Only Angels Have Wings, it's a completely different take on the screwball comedian and then I thought about Suspicion and Notorious, colder men, quite mean and with issues. I think he must have made it look so easy, too easy and that's why he never got the credit he fully deserved.

Cary is often mentioned by actors of today as being a role model, I wonder if he ever knew that people like Michael Caine thought he was the bees knees.

I watched None But The Lonely Heart because I knew it was a personal project. Apart from it being set in his native Bristol instead of London it could have been close to what was in store for him, if he didn't have the fantastic talent that he had, was Ernie Mott part Archie Leach, I think so. I can see why it didn't do well, he acted against his sauve and sophisticated type, the creation that was Cary Grant and it probably straitjacketed him for these roles. He got the Oscar nomination because he went against type. It was a brave film to do and like Anne says possibly cathartic for him. The relationship between him and Ethel Barrymore is one of the best mother/son relationship's to grace the screen. They both committed wrong for the other and his indiscretion led to the revelation of her crime.

That of course got me thinking about his childhood. Perhaps it's just me and I'm sure I've said this before but childhood wise he links in my mind with Charlie Chaplin, the lack of a mother, the unreliable father and the poverty. In some ways Cary's was worse, his mother died didn't she only to come back to life when he was in his 30's. How cruel is that both to mother and son? When I watched None but the Lonely Heart the set of the street got to me, were everyone muddled along, knowing each other's business, a real community. Something we lack sometimes today.

My last comment about Cary Grant, does anyone think it's incredibly quirky that he named his dog Archie Leach?