Synopses & Reviews
To millions, Cary Grant epitomizes the glamour and style of Hollywood in its golden years. Handsome, debonair, yet never seeming to take himself too seriously, he was pursued onscreen by some of the most beautiful women in the history of the movies. In a career that spanned seventy-two films, he went from being the matinee idol in She Done Him Wrong, alongside Mae West, to the brooding C. K. Dexter Haven opposite Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story; from the enigmatic spy who hypnotized Ingrid Bergman in Notorious to the smiling jewel thief whom Grace Kelly could not resist in To Catch a Thief. While Cary Grant could flawlessly make screwball comedy his own in films like Bringing Up Baby, he could also convey a fascinating menace, as in Suspicion.
His private life also revealed a dark, elusive side to the perfectionistic Grant, which emerged especially in his successive divorces. In this superbly produced biography, Geoffrey Wansell's illuminating text -- illustrated with 150 exquisite photographs -- traces the threads of both light and dark in this Hollywood immortal.
Synopsis
An illustrated biography of Hollywood's most glamorous and enigmatic leading man.
Synopsis
His signature jaw line and charismatic characters made him an American symbol. His films, including Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, and North by Northwest, were timeless classics. However, Grant was also married five times and sustained a tortured, obsessive relationship with money. In this beautifully illustrated and comprehensive book, Geoffrey Wansell traces the threads of both light and darkness in one of Holly-woods greatest stars. As his friend and co-star Deborah Kerr wrote, he was “one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of the cinema.”
About the Author
Geoffrey Wansell is an acclaimed biographer. A former reporter and feature writer for the London Times, as well as a columnist for the Observer and the Sunday Telegraph, he also produced the Twentieth Century Fox feature film When the Whales Came, starring Paul Scofield and Helen Mirren. Born in Scotland, he now lives in Wiltshire, England.