by Maureen
At 1:00 a.m on January 18th, 1904 a dark haired, dark eyed bundle of joy entered the world in Bristol, England. Born to Elsie and Elias Leach was the baby boy named Archibald Alexander (Alec) Leach.
Archie grew up to be the tall, dark and handsome movie star we knew as Cary Grant. After coming to America as a 16 year old comedic acrobat with the Bob Pender troupe, Archie's fate was sealed. On the ship across the pond, he met Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. who was returning to the States from his honeymoon with Mary Pickford. There was no turning back for young Archie. Archie WAS going to become an actor.
And did he ever!
After a successful run with the Pender Troupe, Archie remained in the States and became a vaudevillian and eventually a Broadway star. In 1932, Archie drove his prized yellow Packard to Hollywood. When he finally was signed by Paramount (after first failing his screen test!) he was told to change his name. And Cary Grant was born!
From his first theatrical release, This is the Night, in 1932 to his final film, Walk Don't Run, in 1966 women loved and men admired Cary Grant! However, legally he was still Archie Leach. Not until June 26, 1942 at the age of 38 did he legally become both a US Citizen AND Cary Grant.
To Elsie and Elias, thank you for procreating!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARY, CARY, CARY!
I heart you!
25 comments:
Good Moaning~
Happy Birthday, Archie~
Mo~ Thanks for sending the blog today~ :D
Good Morning Tina!
Happy Birthday Cary Grant!!
Mo: That was interesting. I had no idea and loved learning about him. :)
have a great day all who fly in!
In 1942 he married Barbara Hutton, one of the wealthiest women in the world, and became a father figure to her son, Lance Reventlow. The couple was derisively nicknamed "Cash and Cary"...lol
AND...he used to spank Dyan Cannon when she disobeyed him...
His first wife divorced him saying he had hit her....
That Cash and Cary thing is funny...but in an extensive financial pre-nup he refused any settlement should there be a divorce...
From all that I have read he was a sensible..good guy...
MO: I'm glad Archie became Cary..because Cary sure didn't look like an Archie..no..he was definitely a Cary! Do you know who came up with his name? You said Paramount told him to change it..but I wonder if it was his creation? I think it's really a great movie star name..and he certainly was that..not just an actor but a true movie star! Happy Birthday Mr. Grant! :)
DEEDEE: LOL@ Cash and Cary!
BEBBI: Hi Sunshine! :)
Hey DeeDee: Cash and Cary..bwauhhh ha ha ha..you are so funny!
Zona: Back atcha sunshine!! :)
To all who fly in..hello!
Tina You are moaning very prettily today.
MO Thanks for the blog. I love all those old black and white Cary Grant movies. As I've told you, I especially love "Arsenic and Old Lace". I know Mr. Grant didn't like his own acting in that movie as it was so over the top but that's part of why he made it so funny. It is a dark comedy for sure but I laugh out loud every time I watch it. It is my all time favorite movie. And boy, was he good looking!
Happy Birthday, Mr. Grant.
DeeDee I can't tell what's going on in that pic you have as your avatar. Is she lifting her leg to fart or what?
Bebbi I hope you're having a great day, too.
Zona Yes, those were the days of true movie stars. The name Archibald Leach really didn't fit the handsomeness of the face. I'm glad he changed it.
Good grief I thought the blog was about Carol's father, not HIM!! I couldn't figure out why Maureen would be writing about Carol's father...
Mo, For some reason I couldn't sleep last night and turned the TV on. As I was channel surfing I came across the movie "This is the Night." I didn't realize this was his first movie. I love the old black and white movies, especially the ones starring Mr. Grant.
I have to say he was a very cute kid. Too bad it didn't follow him into adulthood!
Tina, you are so lovely there in first.
Hello also to Bebbi, DeeDee, Zona, J/L and all the Owls.
I let so much housework go when my foot was hurting that now I am working very hard to catch up. I am having company at the end of the month, so I have to get moving. bbl
TINA: Well where the heck are my manners..your moaning beauty must have blinded me..that and my old age.. ;)
J/LIN: "Arsenic and Old Lace" is one of my favorites too! I think I like "To Catch A Thief" the best!
SHIRLEY: I think he's very suave and debonair!
SACBARB: Take it easy..don't do too much too soon! I'm glad your foot is feeling better. :)
Good evening feathered friends!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARY!
TINA...are you moaning just thinking about CEE GEE? LOL!
DEE DEE...most of the bios paint some ugly pictures of CEE GEE...cheap, mean, drunk, diva...etc. But read Evenings With Cary Grant: Recollections in His Own Words and by Those Who Knew Him Best by Nancy Nelson. It was authorized by his last wife, Barbara and his daughter Jennifer. It is a kind portrayal of him! And great pics!
ZONA...Cary was chosen from the character he played on Broadway (Cary Lockwood) and Grant was just a name on a list the studio had. Also there was a rivalry between him and Gary Cooper, so the CG / GC was kinda funny!
BEBBI...if there is anything else you want to know, just ask! I am obsessed if you haven't noticed!
JUST LIN...I too LOL at Arsenic and Old Lace! I think that if he remained Archibald he wouldn't have known the success he did. Talk about judging a book by it's name!
SAC BARB...I haven't see This is the Night yet. The earliest movie I have seen so far is 30 Day Princess from 1934. However, I have Merrily We Go to Hell and Hot Saturday, both from 1932. The same year as Into the Night. Those films were 3 of 7 he made in 1932. And they were pre-Hayes commission...no censorship! I plan on watching them tonight, as they are due back in a couple of days.
Don't work too hard, your foot is still fragile.
SHIRLEY...pffft. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I wanna be holdering me some CG!
Thanks for the comments!
MO. The pre-censorship ones ought to be intersting. I don't think I've ever seen them. What was Mae West movie he did?
JUST LIN...he actually made 2 with Mae West. She Done Him Wrong and I'm No Angel, both in 1933.
She was Paramounts BIG star and she saw him walking on the lot in his starched white naval uniform while he was making Madame Butterfly and she said "if he can talk I want him" and she got him!
Mo, I didn't realize it was his Birthday. I should have guessed when I woke up to a couple of his movies. One was made in 1936. I believe it was "Sylvia Scarlet". I had never heard of it. I think Mae West was in it.I loved all the info. you had on him, DeeDee too!
I have been busy with my boring house chores. It's been a pretty boring day. It was cold damp and dreary. I noticed some of the western states were enjoying sunshine! There should be a law, when Michigan is cold & miserable, all states should be the same lol!!
It is almost the 22nd of the month when I am getting close to using my allotted 5 gigs on my puter. Country living is great except for the lack of cable!
Waving at Tina, Bebbi, DeeDee,Zona, Justlin,Shirley & SacBarb~~~~~
MARY...Sylvia Scarlet was with Katherine Hepburn. I haven't seen that one yet.
MARY...OHio was the same as Michigan today
Mo, that's right. I remember now! I was kind of a dorky movie lol!
Cary Grant! Interesting character... rarely strayed into the political realm...
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