Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise

More often than not, I avoid biographies, as the authors either have an axe to grind, are seeking some vainglorious attention, or fill the pages with a lot of salacious, unproven sensationalism under the guise of serious reporting. I am a big fan of Cary Grant, and took a chance on purchasing this biography through Kindle. I was very impressed by Scott Eyman's attention to detail and final product. In short, this biography does not fit into any of the three negative categories listed above. It is, overall, a balanced and fair look at a man whose journey was almost a real life version of "The Great Gatsby." (That character is actually referenced in comparison to Grant at one point.) Why do I consider this book balanced? SPOILER ALERTS: I learned some points about Archie Leach (Cary Grant) which do not put him in the best light (e.g., his bouts of megalomania which bordered on narcissism, stinginess, and not being the best husband – save for his last marriage to Barbara Harris). On the other hand, I discovered some things about him which were very admirable (e.g., his kindness toward Rita Hayworth on the set of "Only Angels Have Wings," his tireless efforts at raising morale during World War II on the Hollywood Victory Caravan, and his affinity for children that included his stepson Lance, and the child actors Ted Donaldson ("Once Upon a Time" and Paul Petersen ("Houseboat"), and of course, his daughter, Jennifer.) Perhaps the greatest impressions that stay with me are the "what would have been?" performances. Grant matured and became a better actor as his career progressed and – like many easily imitated performers of Hollywood's "Golden Age" – he's not given enough credit for his depth and talent. In one of his "outside the comfort zone" performances, he played an impoverished Cockney anti-hero in "None But the Lonely Heart," which won him an Oscar nomination, but did not fare that well at the box office. After this, he passed on projects (such as Hitchcock's "Rope" and Cukor's "A Star is Born") that were either not surefire moneymaking hits or which were too far afield of the "Cary Grant" persona (hence, "the brilliant disguise."). Interestingly, I think Jay Gatsby would have been tailor-made to his talents as it mirrored much his life, had a movie version of Fitzgerald's novel been filmed in either the late 1930s or early 1940s. Cary Grant is and was among the best of his class. And having read this, I look forward to discovering or rewatching more of his films.

I’ve been a fan of Cary Grant for a very long time. Few actors were as adept at both screwball comedy, sophisticated comedy, and later…action and intrigue. From Bringing Up Baby to North By Northwest few could surpass him. An absolutely gorgeous man who didn’t seem aware of it at times. This book is an excellent, well written journey through his life, from a sad and deprived little boy to the heights of fame. It doesn’t hide his less than admirable behavior and personality quirks. The emotional damage that unfortunately affected his marriages and a lot of his life. However this book doesn’t really dwell on the negative. It doesn’t stoop to the gutter with unproven accusations about his sexuality. In fact, those accusations seem to be the least interesting thing about him. Ultimately, who cares anyway? He survived quite a bit, and knew when to exit the stage. He devoted himself to his daughter and enjoyed retirement!

I've loved Cary Grant's films for as long as I can remember. Grew up with his movies. Always cool, elegant, graceful - and, usually, FUNNY. Scott Eyman's beautiful, telling biography of this star did little to disabuse me of my awe of Grant's talent. Finding out about Grant's desperately poor beginnings in Bristol, England, was something of an eye-opener, as was learning that he left school at 14 to join a troupe of acrobats - although the latter revelation perhaps does much to explain the actor's physical grace. But yeah, Grant is indeed an icon of film, and Eyman's book will emphasize that. I still remember being on leave from the Army in Germany and traveling to Copenhagen back in 1965 - or '64? - where a friend and I saw a long line snaking halfway around the block outside a theater. We walked up to see what was playing. It was "Father Goose." We got in line. And it was indeed a funny, delightful film. Of course we didn't need the Danish subtitles. (The Danish crowd loved it too.) I should perhaps admit that one of the reasons I wanted to read this was that yes, I too had heard the rumors about Grant and his longtime roommate, Randolph Scott (I saw all of his westerns), back in the 1930s. What did Eyman find out? Well, it's kinda hard to say. Maybe the rumors were true and maybe they weren't, but, in the end, who cares? What almost everyone did agree on, however, was what a kind person Cary Grant was. Kindness. Yes. I also learned that Cary Grant was his own creation. In his heart, he never stopped being Archie Leach, the poor boy from Bristol. As Eyman's subtitle indicates, the Cary Grant persona was "A Brilliant Disguise." CARY GRANT is a long book, nearly 500 pages, so it's a considerable investment of your time. I don't read a lot of celebrity biographies. I usually prefer AUTObiographies. But this is a damn good bio, well-researched (details on all of his films and all five marriages are in there, as well as his great happiness at finally becoming a father in his sixties) and very open-minded. And the narrative of Grant's life flows beautifully. Cary Grant died over thirty years ago, but this book made me miss him all over again. Kudos to Scott Eyman. If you are movie fan or a student of the golden age of film, you will love this book. Highly recommended. - Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER

Good book - gives feeling of what he was like. Not a scandal type book. Grant as stylish as he always seemed on screen. Interesting guy.

It was for my 88 year old mother. She enjoyed the book.

My mom really enjoyed reading this book.

This is an incredibly detailed and well researched book. Scott Eyman has a history of producing biographies and has done a remarkable job of covering Cary Grant's life from his disturbed childhood to his happy fourth marriage. Not only does it cover Grant's life but all the inter connected relationships with directors and fellow actors. Really enjoyed this book and certainly recommend it if you want to find out more about this iconic character.

Well written, engrossing but not salacious.