Remembering Cary Grant

It has been 35 years since the death of beloved screen icon Cary Grant, who passed away aged 82 on 29 November 1986. Born Archibald Leach on 18 January 1904, Grant took the name 'Cary Grant' at the request of Paramount Studios who signed the actor in the early 1930s. Hollywood legend says that he...

His Girl Friday review – Lightning fast dialogue and charisma from Grant and Russell

Prior to watching His Girl Friday I thought that I knew what a 'motormouth' was. I now realise that the people I had thought were speedy speakers were in fact very slow in comparison to the lightning fast repartee between Gary Grant and Rosalind Russell. The third outing between Grant and director Howard Hawks sees...

I Was a Male War Bride review – A frustrating real life experience dramatised with the trademark Grant comedy

Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan tackle American red tape and administrative annoyances in this comedy based on the lived experience of Roger Charlier, a Belgian who married an American nurse and published his story in the Baltimore Sun in 1947, two years prior to the film's release. Set post-World War II in Heidelberg, Allied-occupied Germany,...

My Favourite Wife review – Witty dialogue, moments of pure joy and the unexpected delight of seeing Cary Grant in fancy dress

Celebrating my birthday this week there was just one man I wanted to spend it with, well, until my boyfriend returned home from work: the wonderful, charming Cary Grant. Over the last few months I've been working my way through Grant's filmography. I decided to watch My Favourite Wife, released in 1940 and directed by...

To Catch a Thief review – A beautiful film but your attention might start to wander

Cary Grant and Grace Kelly are a dream pairing, but when you add diamonds, burglary and the French Riviera into the mix, you suddenly have a hefty amount of glamour and intrigue. To Catch a Thief, released in 1955 and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, sees Grant's John Robie, a retired cat burglar, accused of a...