“Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant.”
Cary Grant
Since today is Cary Grant’s birthday and I’m a fan of his, I thought I would pop in for a last minute blog using a few of his quotes.
Grant is an iconic romance hero. He’s gorgeous, suave, confident, funny, and has a sexiness about his voice and his aura that makes him hard to resist. As Savanna mentioned below, his was the era where men were supposed to be gentlemen, and women ladies. Although we all know behind the scenes, back in real life, there were plenty of problems in relationships and most were nothing like what was presented on the screen, the possibility of it being that way had a huge pull. How many of us wouldn’t want the kind of passion shown in those black and whites? It was a gentle passion, but deep, and respectful. I’m sure women of the time went home from those movies with a sigh as they dealt with husbands who were a tad less romantic than Cary Grant, et al. We still do. We still pick out particular actors who we’d like to take home and have in real life, although if we’re honest with ourselves, it’s the character played and not the actor in all his true glory (and very likely his messiness and tempers and whining when sick) we want.
Characters. The true romance hero. We write them the way we want them. And romance fiction gets guffawed for not being real, for being too mushy.
Heck, even Cary Grant knew his stage persona was just that. Still, how often can you make believe you’re something without at least part of it rubbing off?
“I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became that person. Or he became me.”
Cary Grant
My guess is that if all those guffawing romance fiction would sink into it for a while, some of it would rub off. Better yet, get the men in your lives to read it and tell them “this” is what I see as real romance! Study it!
Nothing ever changed by rolling your eyes and scoffing at it. Maybe we should stop and examine just what it is that truly needs to change: dreams of the way it could be if we worked at it, or thoughts that ‘it doesn’t happen so why bother'?’ that keep us in the same ruts we’ve been in for years?
True, I’m a romantic at heart. I believe we can make ourselves more into what we want to be if we’re willing to put out the effort it takes. And I believe I’d much rather do that than sit in a rut and wallow.
“I think that making love is the best form of exercise.”
Cary Grant
Long live actual romance and those perpetuating the idea that it CAN be real.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Grant.
http://www.classichollywoodbios.com/carygrant.htmquotes from
www.brainyquote.com
~ Literary Romance with an Artsy Twist ~
http://www.lkhunsaker.com
http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com
Welcome to Lindsay's Romantics, where we post on all kinds of romance topics.
25 comments:
LK, gorgeous post around the idea of romance and, of course, the incomparable Cary Grant.
I came to believe a long time ago that if men *really* wanted to understand women and become better lovers, as in making love, for example, they would be smart to read romance novels... lots of them.
Because it does sink in, and there's a learning curve.
That's one thing I admired about Mr. Grant, he did appear to let a lot of it rub off. I'm also of the mind if it's not part of your soul, anyway, the ability to be that way wouldn't surface.
Meaning that it is actually part of you as an individual, part of you to be revealed.
I also think that's one reason Adrian Paul is successful as an actor in the roles he plays, he reads romance novels, or he has, by his own admission. In fact, in a TV series he did about an alien stuck on Earth, at the end of one episode, his character is seen reading one of the heroine's romance novels.
Cool, huh?
Savanna, thank you. I love Adrian Paul but had no idea he read romance. Yes, it would be smart of men to get that secret peek inside a woman's head. I read plenty of male-written fiction. It's helpful when writing male POV.
I don't think I've heard of that series. Know the name of it?
Hey LK, course, it slipped my mind when I was the comment.
*Tracker*, I believe... I enjoyed the series for as long as it lasted... not long, unfortunately, for me.
Thanks Savanna, I'll have to see if I can find it. :-)
Hi L K
Loved your post about Cary Grant.
There used to be a saying "everyone grows old except Cary Grant" said because of his apparently youthful looks.
In fact in the film 'North by Northwest' the actress 'Jessie Royce Landis' who played Cary Grants mother, was only eight years older than him!!
Cary Grant was a true romantic. All the women loved him,and all the men wanted to be him
Even today few people are aware that he was actually born in Bristol, England. One of our finest exports.
Oh give me a good afternoon "oldie" on the telly any day... Cary Grant was always a favourite.
Great post, thanks.
Linda
Hi Jan, the link beside the photo starts with that saying! There are also more nice photos of him there.
I didn't realize he was from England until I looked up that link! Brainyquotes lists him as an American actor, which he technically was, but it's nice to know his background.
Linda, I love the old movies, also, and have been introducing my kids to them. Sometimes they'll actually sit and watch. Hubby watched the last half of White Christmas with me recently, although he's more a war movie/action-adventure guy. Variety is good. ;-)
Wonderful post, LK! I agree that it's a shame more men don't admit to reading romantic novels. And I love some of the older movies that Cary Grant featured in, and in particular, the way men and women are shown relating to each other.
His original name was Archibald Leach - perhaps not surprising that he changed it! And that Bristol accent gave his voice a very distinctive sound. His mum lived in Bristol and he came regularly to see her, so I think that in life, as in art, he was a real gent. (He was married to the Woolworth heiress for a while and their nickname was 'Cash and Carry.' Perhaps, but when they divorced he did not touch any of her money.)
Cash and Carry - funny! I'm sure he didn't need her money, but still, how many now wouldn't take all they could get, need or not?
Yes, I imagine he was an actual real gentleman. It showed all over him.
Fabulous post!!
I adore Cary Grant. One of my favorites was his To Catch A Thief. His characters were always so tangible. Plus, that man had a voice as savory as scotch. *le sigh* lol One of the reasons I like watching old movies is I enjoy seeing men being gentleman. I love how everyone got dressed up to go out. It was a different time back then. In some ways, I think we could benefit from going back to a simpler way of life.
Loved the post and the quotes. Thanks for making me smile!
LORAINE--ahh, his voice. None other like it. Actually, when I was young, I got Cary Grant mixed up with Gary Cooper. In reality, I adored Gary Cooper much more, that rugged, silent strong type.He made Westerns, yes, but comtemporary movies, as well.
Did Cary Grant ever wear anything other than a suit? You notice in all the 40's movies, the men always wore suit and ties.
And smoking--everyone smoked in those movies. It looks so strange, now. This post started my day off very nicely--thanks. Celia
Hi Sarah, I miss when people used to at least dress in nice, casual attire before they ever stepped out of the house! No slippers and old sweats, actual 'out' clothes! I was just telling my daughter today (because of a commercial) that I didn't even allow the babies' diapers to show under dresses and such. They were always covered.
Glad you enjoyed the post!
Hey Celia, I always notice the smoking, too. That's one thing I'm glad that isn't always in movies anymore. ;-)
I think he may have worn dressy sweaters, but maybe I have him mixed up with someone else who did, like Gene Kelly. Love him, too.
Cary is a favorite of mine. I loved his humor. But all those old movies were loaded with sex. Not so subtle in the thirties before censorship took hold. But even later when it left a lot to the imagination, which I personally prefer.There's nothing erotic or tantalizing about contemporary movie sex scenes for me.
But when Cary says "I bet you could tease a man to death," in North By Northwest, it stirs my imagination.
Maggi Andersen
I love Cary Grant, absolutely adored him years ago. I wish I knew we had the same birthday!!!
To Catch a Thief is one of my fave Cary Grant films... but, have you ever seen him with Mae West... now, that was in the SMOKIN' HOT category.
He did wear cardigans in the movies, and smoked a pipe in one.
I've never smoked in my life. Couldn't stand it. However, I will say it ain't the tobacco that gets you, usually, it's all the horrible other ingredients they add to cigarettes these days like formaldehyde. At one time, they added cocaine with the intention to make people addicted.
Loraine, great post. I agree - Grant belongs to the area of early Hollywood romance where capturing a feel or a character was more important than the plot driven fluff these days. A nice tribute to a great actors.
Smiles
Steph
Maggi, interesting. I know there were a lot of sexual innuendos in the old movies, but they didn't show anything so it doesn't bother me.
Totally agreed about today's "love" scenes: too much. One movie that would have been a fave turned my off with its soft porn. It's ridiculous and unnecessary.
Mona! Happy Belated Birthday!
Savanna, I don't think I've seen him with Mae West. I'll have to go add those to my rental list. ;-)
From someone horribly allergic to smoke, whatever it is, I don't want to be anywhere around it - cigarettes or cigars. LOL! Cigarettes are worse and both are worse than bonfire smoke, so it could be the other stuff that gets to me in addition.
Steph, maybe that's part of what pulls me into the old movies. I like characterization first and foremost. If a character grabs me, I want to know his or her story, whatever it is (to some extent). ;-)
LK, we're in the same boat. I'm horribly allergic to cigarette smoke, and have had seizures. In my case, the more saturated it is, the worse it is. I think it's the tars that get me, for the most part.
I'm also nastily allergic to formaldehyde and other stuff they put in cigarettes.
Seizures, yikes! Mine's more an asthmatic problem although I don't officially have asthma. I can't breathe around it and will be congested for the next 2-3 days. Stinks not to be able to go listen to live music in small clubs because of the smoke. At least some have made no smoking rules by now. Good start.
Yep, allergy-induced asthma, that's what mainly occurs for me, too.
I know. It's so limiting. I love small club music.
Post a Comment