Cary Grant: A Class Apart [Anglais] [Broché]

Writing with the low-key stylishness his subject deserves, British academic Graham McCann pays tribute to the working-class Englishman who became "a democratic symbol of gentlemanly grace" to moviegoers worldwide. Aptly subtitled "A Class Apart," the book sympathetically depicts Archie Leach--born into poverty, his mother committed to an asylum when he was nine--reinventing himself as Cary Grant, whose debonair screen persona showed no signs of these difficult origins. A decorous account of Grant's private life (McCann dismisses talk of bisexuality as mere rumor) accompanies cogent descriptions of his performances. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

"Everybody wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant," said Archie Leach, better known as Hollywood star Cary Grant. A professor at Kings College, Cambridge, and author of biographies on Marilyn Monroe, Woody Allen, and James Dean and Marlon Brando, McCann discovers how that wish came to be at least partially fulfilled. He traces the life of Leach from his 1904 birth in working-class Bristol, England, to his death as Cary Grant on the international lecture circuit in 1986. McCann charts Archie Leach's humble vaudeville beginnings, the invention of Cary Grant in Hollywood, and Leach/ Grant's rise to international fame. He explores personal issues such as Grant's relationship with his mother, his sexuality, his use of LSD, and his World War II spy activities. Though there have been more than ten biographies of Cary Grant, McCann's adds sensitivity, scholarship, and insight to that list. This excellent work will appeal to general readers browsing biography and film collections of both academic and public libraries.?Lisa N. Johnston, Sweet Briar Coll. Lib., Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

(Grant) was apparently no picnic for wives and lovers, who ultimately discovered the devil in his details. But at least three women in his life found him just perfect: his mother, to whom Grant was devoted after their reunion until she died in 1973, shortly before her 96th birthday; Jennifer Grant, his daughter; and his fifth wife, Barbara Harris. For the rest of the world, as the critic Pauline Kael noted, "It makes us happy just to look at him." --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

A scholarly study by an experienced biographer, this work chronicles the transformation of little Archie Leach, born to a poor family in Bristol, England, to Cary Grant, movie star and man of the world. The reader here can go either way--performing the story or reading the text. Tom Parker takes the studious route, presenting the material as a lecture rather than a story. His perfect elocution and impeccable phrasing leave no room for the whimsy and fun occasionally present in McCann's text. If the subject matter interests you, Parker's interpretation of it won't get in the way. But neither will it draw you into a work you're only passively involved with. R.P.L. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

"Everybody wants to be Cary Grant," Cary Grant once said. "Even I want to be Cary Grant." "Cary Grant" was a brilliantly realized invention, embodying grace, charm, and elegance for moviegoers over the course of four decades. McCann's biography shows how working-class Archie Leach transformed himself into Cary Grant. Unlike many self-made successes, Grant never renounced his humble origins but incorporated them into his persona. As a result, he became, McCann says, a "democratic gentleman," at ease in any element, who shone in both serious dramas and screwball comedies and, unlike most male stars, appealed equally to men and women. In laying out the facts and events of Grant's life and career, from the British music hall through Hollywood eminence to 20 years of retirement, McCann relies almost entirely on previously published works (there are nearly 70 pages of notes) and skeptically reports more sensational biographers' allegations of Grant's homosexuality. McCann's outstanding achievement is his analysis of Grant's singular and lasting appeal as a classy but classless star. Gordon Flagg --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

A delightful appreciation of the archetypal movie star who defined screen sophistication. In a pleasing mix of life story and film analysis, a seasoned biographer and teacher (Cambridge Univ.) meditates on the idea of Cary Grant and the actual person. With compassion, he recalls Grant's (n‚ Archie Leach) hard life in working-class Bristol and troubled relationships with his parents. Music halls and American theater helped Leach hone his craft, but not until he had been in Hollywood for years and made The Awful Truth (1937) did he gain the confidence to become a star. Director Leo McCarey's interest in improvisation and his ability to help Grant ``think more carefully about what . . . he was trying to do in front of a camera'' were key. A string of Grant hits followed, all capitalizing on his ability to embody urbane egalitarianism. Hitchcock caught his dark side and elusiveness in Suspicion (1941) and later in Notorious, To Catch a Thief, and North by Northwest. After his 1966 retirement, he excelled in business, became a first-time father, and was bitterly divorced from his fourth wife, actress Dyan Cannon. A quiet life and a happy fifth marriage lasted until his death in 1986. Throughout, McCann refers comfortably to the arsenal of Grant literature, notably reprising Stanley Cavell's use of Emerson to capture Grant--``fit to stand the gaze of millions.'' One source of disagreement is the bisexuality claim in Charles Higham and Roy Moseley's bio: McCann debunks it in point-by-point blows. Finally, despite any unbecoming marital conduct and early embrace of LSD, McCann believes Grant remains an exemplary movie star because he behaved in public and toward his audience with decorum. Neat, well researched, and witty, the book earns respect for the author and a familiar wry smile at its reincarnation of Cary Grant. (photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

More than a dozen previous books about the actor are available, but McCann's well-researched addition is particularly valuable for its careful investigation of old canards. --Ce texte fait référence à lédition Broché .

More than a dozen previous books about the actor are available, but McCann's well-researched addition is particularly valuable for its careful investigation of old canards.

More than a biography, this is a savvy portrait of how Archie Leach, born to a poor working-class family in Bristol, England became Cary Grant, one of Hollywood's most irresistible and admired celebrities of all time.

Graham McCann teaches at King's College, Cambridge University.