Cary Grant, Hollywood Legend

Cary Grant was one of the great legendary actors of Hollywood's Golden Era. He had a long and consistently successful career in which he starred in more than 70 movies, many of which have become much loved classics, such as 'The Philadelphia Story', 'Charade',  and
'Notorious' and he was twice put forward for Oscars. In 1970 he received a special Lifetime Achievement Award from the Motion Picture Academy and he was voted in at number two on the AFI's list of Greatest Male Stars of all Time.

He was unique in that his popularity remained constant throughout his career and  when he died in 1986 he was still one of the best loved actors in the world.

Cary Grant's original name was Archibald Leach, and he was born in Bristol, England, in January, 1904. As a young boy Archie developed a love for the world of show business and he went to the cinema or theater as often as he could. When he was just nine his father had Archie's mother committed to a mental asylum and, amazingly, Archie did not learn of his mother's whereabouts until his father's death almost 20 years later.

On leaving school, which he hated, he forged his father's signature on a letter of introduction in order to join the Bob Pender group of stage comedians. He toured England with the group for two years, learning the basics of live theater and in 1920 he went with them to New York for a long term booking. When after two years Pender and the group returned home, Archie made the decision to stay in America.

Initially he hit hard times and took whatever jobs he could get. He also took singing lessons and almost immediately he was taken on to appear in two musical comedies on Broadway. It was the breakthrough he needed and he continued to appear in other light comedies such as
'Boom Boom' in 1929, and 'Rio Rita' and 'Nikki' in 1931.

Paramount Studios took notice of the handsome and charismatic young actor and signed him up to a five year contract. He moved to Hollywood in 1932 with a new name. Paramount wanted a short, crisp name with the same initials as Clark Gable and Cary Grant seemed ideal.

In 1932 he got his launch into stardom when he appeared with Marlene Dietrich in 'Blonde Venus' and again in 1935 opposite Katharine Hepburn in in 'Sylvia Scarlett' he got excellent critical reviews although the movie was not successful. He now felt sufficiently confident in his abilities to turn down Paramount's offer to renew his contract in 1937 and in future he selected his own movies, scripts and crew.

His decision to go independent was vindicated over the next few years and he starred in hit after hit: 'Bringing Up Baby' in 1938, with Katharine Hepburn, 'Gunga Din' in 1939, 'Only Angels Have Wings' in the same year, 'His Girl Friday' 'My Favorite Wife' and the wonderful evergreen classic, 'The Philadelphia Story', all in 1940. Cary Grant was now a major Hollywood success story.

The hits continued with 'The Bachelor and The Bobbysoxer' in 1947 and in the following year he starred in the comedy 'I Was A Male War Bride' which was Fox's biggest hit of the year. His run of consistently successful movies continued into the 1950's and 1960's with such hits as 'Operation Petticoat' in 1959, 'Charade' and 'Father Goose' in 1964, and 'Walk,
Don't Run' in 1966.

It was at this point, when it seemed as if he could do no wrong, that he retired from film-making to concentrate on his new role as a father.

He also began a new and successful career as a businessman, becoming a board member of both MGM and Western Airlines.

Grant was married five times in all:
Virginia Cherrell - February 2, 1934 - March 20, 1935
Barbara Hutton - July 8, 1942 - July 11, 1945
Betsy Drake - December 25, 1949 - August 1962
Dyan Cannon- July 22, 1965 - March 20, 1968, mother of his  only child, Jennifer, born February 26, 1966
Barbara Harris - April 15, 1981 till Cary's death

From 1981, Grant began a series of lecture tours entitled "An Audience With..." in which he answered questions from the audience.  The public loved the set up and he went on to make 36 of the tours.

On November 29, 1986 Cary Grant died, from a stroke, aged 82.