Cary Grant

The class-act lead man with an unmistakable cat walk and the star of rather a few unforgettable Hitchcock classics, was born in Horfield, Bristol, England on January 18, 1904 and passed from physical life of cerebral hemorrhage in Davenport, Iowa on November 29, 1986.

The soft-spoken handsome Grant infused his roles with an old-world charm combined with a in a unique manner American sense of humor and vitality.

In one scene in “To Catch a Thief,” he says he ended up in Europe as percentage of a travelling circus. But in real life and in his much younger salad days, he did tour England as an acrobat and pantomime with Bob Pender troupe.

Grant shot 73 films including such unforgettable classics as His Girl Friday (1940), The Philadelphia Story (1940) (he donated all his fee from this movie to the British war effort), Notorious (1946), Penny Serenade (1941), To Catch a Thief (1955), Operation Petticoat (1959), Charade (1963), and the world-classic North by Northwest (1959).

Nominated twice for Oscar in 1945 and 1947, he received an Honorary Academy Award in 1970 for his lifetime accomplishment in motion pictures.

Did you know these trivia facts with regards to Cary Grant?

1. He was born as Archibald Alexander Leach.

2. He could’ve been the firstborn James Bond even before Sean Connery but he turned down the role. He likewise turned down Gregory Peck’s role versus Audrey Hepburn in “Roman Holiday.”

3. His great love in life was the Italian movie star and diva Sophia Loren.

4. He cared a lot when it comes to his tan and worked on it year-round. He became the conductor of Faberge cosmetics giant in 1966.

5. After he died, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered in California.

Cary Grant

Cary Grant and a stellar casr romp through this classic farce based on Joseph Kesselring’s 1941 Broadway hit and breezily directed by Franc Capra. Frazzled drama critic Mortimer Brewster (Grant) has two aunts (Josephine Hull and Jean Adair) who ply lonely geezers with poisoned libations, one sociopathic brother (Raymond Massey) who looks like Boris Karloff, one bonkers brother (John Alexander) who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, one raring new bride (Priscilla Lane) – and only one night to make it tunr out all right. In this circus’ center ring is Grant, twisting his face into a clown’s gallery of flabbergasted reactions and transforming his natural athletic grace into a rubber-legged comic ballet. You’ll die laughing.

Cary Grant Photo

Cary Grant Photo

Cary Grant Pic

Cary Grant Picture

Cary Grant Photo

Cary Grant Image

Most helpful client reviews

118 of 120 persons found the following review helpful.
Non-stop dark comedy–for everyone
By Lee Gaiteri
Arsenic and Old Lace has been a family Halloween tradition for years. In a great deal of ways it might be called the initial horror spoof: Two sweet old ladies poison lonely old men as a “charity” and inter them in the cellar, and no sooner does their stable nephew find out with regards to this (while preparing to leave for his honeymoon) than his long-lost homicidal brother returns with a face like Frankenstein’s monster.

Cary Grant knew his way around a comedy, so it’s easy to believe when his reputation Mortimer grows more and more frazzled allround the night, jumping from one problem to the next so quickly that he can’t even do not forget he’s just been married that day. In his place, juggling four insane relatives (three of them killers), a handful of cops, and two dead bodies, we’d all feel the worse for wear. The pace is quick, closely frantic at times; complicatednesses and plot twists come more quickly than any individual in the movie may handle them. The only characters who aren’t perturbed and thrown completely out of their constituents by the affair are the rest of the Brewster family, who are all crazy anyway.

The dark comedy genre is full of films that are a little too graphic or disturbing for kids (and even a good deal of adults), but this one’s not rather so dark, and wildly funny sufficient to entertain all ages. And no matter how young or old you are, no matter how normal a family you have, you won’t be competent to support but chuckle when the harried Mortimer takes a breather to explain to his new wife: “Insanity runs in my family…. It practically gallops.”

The DVD transfer is flawless; the clarity is wonderful. Pop a lot of popcorn and watch it with the whole family.

76 of 78 people found the following review helpful.
Grant, 2 Old Ladies & Elderberry wine=hilarity now on DVD!!
By forrie
Frank Capra delivers a great film adaptation of Joseph Kesselring’s Broadway hit, “Arsenic and Old Lace”. Originally filmed in 1941 just prior to WWII, but not freed until 1944 because of the contract agreement to grant the play to finish it is Broadway run. (The play ran for 1,444 performances.)

Cary Grant in the leading role as nephew, Mortimer Brewster is at his comedic best in this black comedy of wine, family & insanity. His 2 extremely pleasing Aunts played by Josephine Hull & Jean Adair were encored to the screen and are perfective in their roles. Boris Karloff’s obligations prevented him from doing the movie and was substituted by Raymond Massey in the movie version as Grant madcap brother. The great ensemble cast also included Peter Lorre, Edward Everett Horton, Priscilla Lane & John Alexander as a delightful zany crazy, thinking he is President “Teddy Roosevelt”.

Summary: It is Halloween, Mortimers wedding day & his life is with regards to to change forever. Visiting his 2 Aunts (Hull & Adair) with his wife (Lane – Ministers daughter!) on their way to their honeymoon to Niagara Falls discovers a body in the window seat. Thinking his crazy cousin, (Alexander) has devoted the crime approaches his Aunts. They not only know regarding the body, but they recognise who he was & how he died. Their elderberry wine laced with a mixture of arsenic. Oh by the way, he is the 12th to be buried in the cellar. What is Mortimer to do & is his entire family insane? We started out a very agreeably diverting & hilarious traveling to answering these & some more questions.

This DVD is an splendid Black & White Full Screen (before WideScreen) transfer. Extras include Production notes.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” film adaptation is very close to the actual Broadway play & is a great classic to have in your DVD library. Enjoy.

25 of 26 persons found the following review helpful.
Arsenic & Old Lace
By Chon Wang
Plot: Mortimer, a drama critic, has just got married and is in regards to to go on his honeymoon when he discovers insanity runs in his family. His sweet maiden aunts poison lonely old men and have a number of corpses buried in the cellar…..

A film adaptation of the popular stage play, Arsenic and Old Lace is a hilarious movie perfective for people of all ages. The story of Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant), the youngest of three brothers who were raised by two dear, but eccentric, spinster aunts, who have a nasty little habit of “putting poor souls” out of their misery with a little arsenic-laced elderberry wine.

It is delightful to watch Mortimer go from a nice, normal, newlywed to a nervous, neurotic mess as he tries to figure a way out of the predicament his well-meaning aunts have placed them all in. Throw in one brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, another who is a psychopathic killer fashioned after Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre as Dr. Einstein, a somewhat intoxicated make-shift plastic surgeon, and you’ll be laughing the entire way through.

All of the performances were wonderful, but Cary Grant’s facial expressions, double takes, and hilarious body language are a joy to watch. A veritably classic, funny movie.

“No, I’m not drunk, madame…….but you’ve given me an idea!” – Mortimer, seething in feeling of annoyance at being hindered or criticized as he tries to get past the operator, so that he may get his family committed into the HappyDale Sanitarium.

“Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops!” – Mortimer, attempting to explain to his new bride why it would be best for her to leave him and never look back.

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