History Creator / CaryGrant

He retired from acting in 1966, feeling, perhaps correctly, that as he aged the movie world was beginning to pass him by. In 1970, he happily accepted an honorary Oscar for his body of work, but he never again appeared on-screen. In later years, he married a succession of beautiful younger women (he is now widely believed to have been bisexual, thanks in no small part to his close friendship with Randolph Scott), experimented with [=LSD=] as a means of confronting his inner demons... and when a fan magazine sent a telegram reading HOW OLD CARY GRANT?, famously wrote in response [[DeadpanSnarker OLD CARY GRANT FINE. HOW YOU?]][[note]][[BeamMeUpScotty Grant was quoted as denying this actually happened]], but if it didn't, it should have...[[/note]]

He retired from acting in 1966, feeling, perhaps correctly, that as he aged the movie world was beginning to pass him by. In 1970, he happily accepted an honorary Oscar for his body of work, but he never again appeared on-screen. In later years, he married a succession of beautiful younger women (he is now widely believed to have been bisexual, thanks in no small part to his close friendship with Randolph Scott), experimented with [=LSD=] as a means of confronting his inner demons... and when a fan magazine sent a telegram reading HOW OLD CARY GRANT?, famously wrote in response [[DeadpanSnarker OLD CARY GRANT FINE. HOW YOU?]][[note]][[BeamMeUpScotty Grant was quoted as denying this actually happened]], but if it didn't, it should have..[[/note]]

'''Archibald Alexander Leach''' (January 18, 1904 -- November 29, 1986) was a handsome and athletic, if fairly typical, English bloke. Following the bizarre (and quite literal) loss of his mother at an early age, he ran away from home and went into acting. After a stint touring Britain, he crossed the Atlantic to Broadway and from there [[LimeyGoesToHollywood ended up in Hollywood]], which projected him onto the silver screen as '''[[StageName Cary Grant]]''', the 20th Century's epitome of [[HeyItsThatVoice suave sophistication]].

* ''Film/FatherGoose'' (1964)
* ''Film/WalkDon'tRun'' (1966)

* ''Film/WalkDontRun'' (1966)

* ''Film/WalkDon'tRun'' (1966)

* ''Film/FatherGoose'' (1964)

In a career that spanned thirty years, some of his more famous films were the screwball comedies ''Film/HisGirlFriday'', ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace'' and ''Film/BringingUpBaby'', the comedy-soap opera ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'', the classic romance ''Film/AnAffairToRememeber'', and [[GentlemanThief several collaborations]] with the director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, most notably ''Film/NorthByNorthwest''. A poll by the American Film Institute named Grant the second greatest male star in American movie history, behind only Creator/HumphreyBogart.

In a career that spanned thirty years, some of his more famous films were the screwball comedies ''Film/HisGirlFriday'', ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace'' and ''Film/BringingUpBaby'', the comedy-soap opera ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'', and [[GentlemanThief several collaborations]] with the director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, most notably ''Film/NorthByNorthwest''. A poll by the American Film Institute named Grant the second greatest male star in American movie history, behind only Creator/HumphreyBogart.

* ''Film/{{Charade}}'' (1963)

Legend has it that Ian Fleming at least partially modeled his famous Literature/JamesBond character on Grant.

In a career that spanned thirty years, some of his more famous films were the screwball comedies ''HisGirlFriday'', ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace'' and ''BringingUpBaby'', the comedy-soap opera ''ThePhiladelphiaStory'', and [[GentlemanThief several collaborations]] with the director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, most notably ''Film/NorthByNorthwest''. A poll by the American Film Institute named Grant the second greatest male star in American movie history, behind only Creator/HumphreyBogart.

He [[BeamMeUpScotty never actually said]], "Judy, Judy, Judy!", a line oft-used by impressionists.

One of Grant's most famous (and easily imitated) characteristics was [[VerbalTic his rhythmic speech pattern]], which his fans thought added to the air of sophistication of his characters. Ironically, he spoke that way to keep his working-class Bristol accent at bay. In the film ''SomeLikeItHot'', Tony Curtis does a riff on Grant's deliberate cadencing whenever his character pretends to be a millionaire playboy. Jack Lemmon's character confronts him on this with the line "where did you get that phony accent? No-bawdy tawks loik theht!"[[note]]''SomeLikeItHot'' is a period film taking place in TheRoaringTwenties, before Grant became famous. Part of the humor is that while everybody watching it would know Tony Curtis was impersonating Cary, none of the characters in the movie would.[[/note]]

Legend has it that Ian Fleming at least partially modeled his famous James Bond character on Grant.

'''Archibald Alexander Leach''' (1904-1986) was a handsome and athletic, if fairly typical, English bloke. Following the bizarre (and quite literal) loss of his mother at an early age, he ran away from home and went into acting. After a stint touring Britain, he crossed the Atlantic to Broadway and from there [[LimeyGoesToHollywood ended up in Hollywood]], which projected him onto the silver screen as '''[[StageName Cary Grant]]''', the 20th Century's epitome of [[HeyItsThatVoice suave sophistication]].

One of Grant's most famous (and easily imitated) characteristics was [[VerbalTic his rhythmic speech pattern]], which his fans thought added to the air of sophistication of his characters. Ironically, he spoke that way to keep his working-class Bristol accent at bay. In the film ''SomeLikeItHot'', Tony Curtis does a riff on Grant's deliberate cadencing whenever his character pretends to be a millionaire playboy. Jack Lemmon's character confronts him on this with the line "where did you get that phony accent? No-bawdy tawks loik theht!"[[note]]''SomeLikeItHot'' is a period film taking place in TheRoaringTwenties, before Grant became famous. Part of the humor is that while everybody watching it would know Tony Curtis was impersonating Cary, none of the characters in the movie would.[[/note]]

He retired from acting in 1966, feeling, perhaps correctly, that as he aged the movie world was beginning to pass him by. In 1970, he happily accepted an honorary Oscar for his body of work, but he never again appeared on-screen. In later years, he married a succession of beautiful younger women, experimented with [=LSD=] as a means of confronting his inner demons... and when a fan magazine sent a telegram reading HOW OLD CARY GRANT?, famously wrote in response [[DeadpanSnarker OLD CARY GRANT FINE. HOW YOU?]][[note]][[BeamMeUpScotty Grant was quoted as denying this actually happened]], but if it didn't, it should have..[[/note]]

He retired from acting in 1966, feeling, perhaps correctly, that as he aged the movie world was beginning to pass him by. In 1970, he happily accepted an honorary Oscar for his body of work, but he never again appeared on-screen. In later years, he married a succession of beautiful younger women, experimented with [=LSD=] as a means of confronting his inner demons... and when a fan magazine sent a telegram reading HOW OLD CARY GRANT?, famously wrote in response [[DeadpanSnarker OLD CARY GRANT FINE. HOW YOU?]][[note]]Grant was quoted as denying this actually happened, but if it didn't, it should have..[[/note]]

In a career that spanned thirty years, some of his more famous films were the screwball comedies ''HisGirlFriday'', ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace'' and ''BringingUpBaby'', the comedy-soap opera ''ThePhiladelphiaStory'', and [[GentlemanThief several collaborations]] with the director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, most notably ''Film/NorthByNorthwest''. He retired from acting in 1966, feeling, perhaps correctly, that as he aged the movie world was beginning to pass him by. In fact, a poll by the American Film Institute named Grant the second greatest male star in American movie history, behind only HumphreyBogart.

In 1970, he happily accepted an honorary Oscar for his body of work, but he never again appeared on-screen. In later years, he married a succession of beautiful younger women, experimented with [=LSD=] as a means of confronting his inner demons... and when a fan magazine sent a telegram reading HOW OLD CARY GRANT?, famously wrote in response [[DeadpanSnarker OLD CARY GRANT FINE. HOW YOU?]][[note]]Grant was quoted as denying this actually happened, but if it didn't, it should have..[[/note]]

One of Grant's most famous (and easily imitated) characteristics was [[VerbalTic his rhythmic speech pattern]], which his fans thought added to the air of sophistication of his characters. Ironically, he actually spoke that way to keep his working-class Bristol accent at bay. In the film ''SomeLikeItHot'', Tony Curtis does a riff on Grant's deliberate cadencing whenever his character pretends to be a millionaire playboy. Jack Lemmon's character confronts him on this with the line "where did you get that phony accent? No-bawdy tawks loik theht!"[[note]]''SomeLikeItHot'' is a period film taking place in TheRoaringTwenties, before Grant became famous. Part of the humor is that while everybody watching it would know Tony Curtis was impersonating Cary, none of the characters in the movie would.[[/note]]

Archibald Alexander Leach (1904-1986) was a handsome and athletic, if fairly typical, English bloke. Following the bizarre (and quite literal) loss of his mother at an early age, he ran away from home and went into acting. After a stint touring Britain, he crossed the Atlantic to Broadway and from there [[LimeyGoesToHollywood ended up in Hollywood]], which projected him onto the silver screen as '''[[StageName Cary Grant]]''', the 20th Century's epitome of [[HeyItsThatVoice suave sophistication]].

In a career that spanned thirty years, some of his more famous films were the screwball comedies ''HisGirlFriday'', ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace'' and ''BringingUpBaby'', the comedy-soap opera ''ThePhiladelphiaStory'', and [[GentlemanThief several collaborations]] with the director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, most notably ''NorthByNorthwest''. He retired from acting in 1966, feeling, perhaps correctly, that as he aged the movie world was beginning to pass him by. In fact, a poll by the American Film Institute named Grant the second greatest male star in American movie history, behind only HumphreyBogart.