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Cary Grant: Dark Angel
His signature jaw line and charismatic characters made him an American symbol. His films, including Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, and North by Northwest, were timeless classics. However, Grant was also married five times and sustained a tortured, obsessive relationship with money. In this beautifully illustrated and comprehensive book, Geoffrey Wansell traces the threads of both light and darkness in one of Holly-wood’s greatest stars. As his friend and co-star Deborah Kerr wrote, he was “one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of the cinema.”
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 1996
260 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Wansell
21 books42 followersGeoffrey Wansell is a London based author and free-lance journalist, who now works principally for the Daily Mail.
He’s published twelve books, including biographies of the movie star Cary Grant, the business tycoon Sir James Goldsmith, and the playwright Sir Terence Rattigan, a book which was short-listed for the Whitbread Prize as book of the year.
Geoffrey Wansell is an experienced true crime author whose past books include The Bus Stop Killer, about the shocking murder of Milly Dowler, and An Evil Love, telling the story of Frederick West through exclusive access to tape recordings.
A member for more than 25 years, he is also the official historian of the Garrick Club in London, one of only four appointed during the Club’s 185 years of existence.
He’s published twelve books, including biographies of the movie star Cary Grant, the business tycoon Sir James Goldsmith, and the playwright Sir Terence Rattigan, a book which was short-listed for the Whitbread Prize as book of the year.
Geoffrey Wansell is an experienced true crime author whose past books include The Bus Stop Killer, about the shocking murder of Milly Dowler, and An Evil Love, telling the story of Frederick West through exclusive access to tape recordings.
A member for more than 25 years, he is also the official historian of the Garrick Club in London, one of only four appointed during the Club’s 185 years of existence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 23, 2021
Cary, Cary, Cary. Or maybe it should be, Archie, Archie, Archie (his real name). There have been so many books written about Mr. Grant, and for some reason, I seem to own most of them. For anyone wanting a basic introduction, this might suffice, but there are better tomes out there.
This is the coffee-table version of the earlier book by Wansell about Grant. This newer one was produced to add more illustrations, which is nice as some of the pictures are not usually seen in other books. After all, it's CARY GRANT, so there need to be photographs. The camera was made for him, still or moving.
Unfortunately, despite the wonderful photos, the book must have been a rush job. On some pages, the words bleed off the page and there are mistakes throughout. I'm sure the average reader would not care, but heck, if you're going to take the trouble to produce an actual book, do it right. With that said, I liked it for the coffee-table look.
Or you can just enjoy the master doing his thing.
Book Season = Year Round (go for the gold)
This is the coffee-table version of the earlier book by Wansell about Grant. This newer one was produced to add more illustrations, which is nice as some of the pictures are not usually seen in other books. After all, it's CARY GRANT, so there need to be photographs. The camera was made for him, still or moving.
Unfortunately, despite the wonderful photos, the book must have been a rush job. On some pages, the words bleed off the page and there are mistakes throughout. I'm sure the average reader would not care, but heck, if you're going to take the trouble to produce an actual book, do it right. With that said, I liked it for the coffee-table look.
Or you can just enjoy the master doing his thing.
Book Season = Year Round (go for the gold)
November 24, 2015
I’ve watched several Cary Grant movies, which is why I picked up this biography. It goes into Cary’s childhood all the way to the period after his death, with people continuing to honor his body of work. What stood out the most was his troubled childhood and insecurities, which fueled him into doing particular things for acceptance. His personal and professional lives are covered, with plenty of pictures throughout. The descriptions of his movies have enticed me to watch more from his filmography.
June 2, 2022
Everybody wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant.
Geoffrey Wansell the author of this piece has written 2 separate books on Cary Grant separated by 15 years.
Kind of sums up the hysteria that the name has wrought.
His life story is the stuff that make legends and why tinsel town is always considered the realm of dreams. From pauper to prince or rather the uncrowned Emperor of Hollywood, one could actually make a movie on his life - From a childhood of poverty to global fame, Cary Grant, the ultimate self-made star.
Geoffrey Wansell was making up for his previous dark book on Cary and this book carries on about his movies all 72 of them and does not delve into any of the dark parts.
I am a new age fan having been born scant years before he died and a good decade after his last release Walk, Don’t Run have over the years watched several of his movies and have warmed up as a great fan.
Cary intrigued me enough to pick up this tome, to know more about the man and I will say that it was a peek into the times of what people call Hollywood's golden period and his roller coaster family life.
Read this if you would like to know more about the man who gave several of the biggest hits but was never graced with an Oscar till he quit moviedom (got a lifetimer).
Recommend this book.
Geoffrey Wansell the author of this piece has written 2 separate books on Cary Grant separated by 15 years.
Kind of sums up the hysteria that the name has wrought.
His life story is the stuff that make legends and why tinsel town is always considered the realm of dreams. From pauper to prince or rather the uncrowned Emperor of Hollywood, one could actually make a movie on his life - From a childhood of poverty to global fame, Cary Grant, the ultimate self-made star.
Geoffrey Wansell was making up for his previous dark book on Cary and this book carries on about his movies all 72 of them and does not delve into any of the dark parts.
I am a new age fan having been born scant years before he died and a good decade after his last release Walk, Don’t Run have over the years watched several of his movies and have warmed up as a great fan.
Cary intrigued me enough to pick up this tome, to know more about the man and I will say that it was a peek into the times of what people call Hollywood's golden period and his roller coaster family life.
Read this if you would like to know more about the man who gave several of the biggest hits but was never graced with an Oscar till he quit moviedom (got a lifetimer).
Recommend this book.
July 8, 2025
Cary Grant stars in some of my all time favorite movies. Penny Serenade, An Affair to Remember,
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, and honestly so many more. I didn’t cancel my Xfinity cable for so long because my DVR was filled with every Cary Grant movie I could find!
I read this particular biography because it was available on Libby. Some of the writing was a little confusing, but overall the author did a nice job touching on Cary’s five marriages and his impressive movie career. A lot of the information provided by the author were facts and things I knew already, but it was nice to read everything in chronological order.
Although I do wish Cary Grant had accepted the deal to write his own autobiography.
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, and honestly so many more. I didn’t cancel my Xfinity cable for so long because my DVR was filled with every Cary Grant movie I could find!
I read this particular biography because it was available on Libby. Some of the writing was a little confusing, but overall the author did a nice job touching on Cary’s five marriages and his impressive movie career. A lot of the information provided by the author were facts and things I knew already, but it was nice to read everything in chronological order.
Although I do wish Cary Grant had accepted the deal to write his own autobiography.
June 20, 2019
As a biography, this book was good. It delved into the life of Cary Grant and made him come alive to me, more than his films ever could. Pretty much everything (but not all) of Cary's life was covered both the good and the bad. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in classic film stars.
December 3, 2015
This is a (relatively) short, pictorial biography of Cary Grant. The book is an equal mix of personal and professional information about its subject. As a fan of his movies, I enjoyed reading about hi life on movies sets around the world.
December 4, 2020
Before he was Cary Grant, he was Archibald Alec Leach, the son of a hardworking tailor's presser and a seamstress who was determined that her second child would be richer than their backgrounds and circumstances would normally lead.
Devastated at the death of her first child and blaming herself, Archie's mother becomes obsesses with him after he's born. She began to sink into mental illness, leading to her commitment to a sanitorium by her estranged husband on advice of her doctor. Archie, just eight years old, is only told that his mother needs "a rest", not seeing his mother again for twenty years.
Wansell somewhat digs past the façade of Cary Grant to Archibald Leach, the man that was buried underneath due to the efforts of the man himself, from the defining childhood through the desperate search for love and acceptance by his mother and later his wives as well as the public. I say somewhat because he skips over the suspected abuse by his mother, the alleged gay relationship with Randolph Scott, the allegations of emotional and physical abuse by his former wives, and Grant's belief that he was partly Jewish.
However, Wansell does try to bring to light Grant's insecurities and depressive episodes. Not in detail, but enough to give the reader an insight into what propelled the man through failed marriages and love affairs as well as the roles he both took and refused.
An enjoyable read that will inspire some readers to go looking for more. Sadly, Grant always refused to write his own memoirs, but he did give a series of talks where he answered questions from the audience later in his life. This is worth reading. 3.5 out of 5.
Devastated at the death of her first child and blaming herself, Archie's mother becomes obsesses with him after he's born. She began to sink into mental illness, leading to her commitment to a sanitorium by her estranged husband on advice of her doctor. Archie, just eight years old, is only told that his mother needs "a rest", not seeing his mother again for twenty years.
Wansell somewhat digs past the façade of Cary Grant to Archibald Leach, the man that was buried underneath due to the efforts of the man himself, from the defining childhood through the desperate search for love and acceptance by his mother and later his wives as well as the public. I say somewhat because he skips over the suspected abuse by his mother, the alleged gay relationship with Randolph Scott, the allegations of emotional and physical abuse by his former wives, and Grant's belief that he was partly Jewish.
However, Wansell does try to bring to light Grant's insecurities and depressive episodes. Not in detail, but enough to give the reader an insight into what propelled the man through failed marriages and love affairs as well as the roles he both took and refused.
An enjoyable read that will inspire some readers to go looking for more. Sadly, Grant always refused to write his own memoirs, but he did give a series of talks where he answered questions from the audience later in his life. This is worth reading. 3.5 out of 5.
December 12, 2023
I briefly scanned some of the reviews of this book and the ratings pretty much summed up my feelings about the book, somewhere between three and four stars.
I am a Cary Grant fan. THE BISHOP'S WIFE is one of my favorite Christmas movies. Grant is my favorite Hitchcock leading man and I have seen FATHER GOOSE at least half a dozen times. Grant was a master of comedy and certainly the leading leading man of his era, perhaps of any era.
But I must confess that when asked who my favorite actors are or were, I have forgotten to list Cary Grant, leaning instead toward more dramatic actors like Gregory Peck, Charles Laughton, etc. Yes, perhaps we did not appreciate him as much as he deserved.
Geoffrey Wansell covered the life and career of Cary Grant extensively, but did not give us more than we needed. However, I did not care for his writing style. I found myself very often reading the same words I had read a few pages earlier. He used the same sentences in summing up the success or lack of success of his pictures. There were some typos which may be unique to the Kindle editions.
A couple of personal observations to finish;
I applaud Grant for aging gracefully and beautifully, in sharp contrast to wife #4, Dyan Cannon, who, IMHO, looks horrible after her plastic surgery or whatever procedure she had done;
I greatly sympathize with Cary Grant for enduring his mother. I felt like I was reading a bio of my father during these segments, yet, like Grant, my father was a good father to me and my sisters.
Four stars waning
I am a Cary Grant fan. THE BISHOP'S WIFE is one of my favorite Christmas movies. Grant is my favorite Hitchcock leading man and I have seen FATHER GOOSE at least half a dozen times. Grant was a master of comedy and certainly the leading leading man of his era, perhaps of any era.
But I must confess that when asked who my favorite actors are or were, I have forgotten to list Cary Grant, leaning instead toward more dramatic actors like Gregory Peck, Charles Laughton, etc. Yes, perhaps we did not appreciate him as much as he deserved.
Geoffrey Wansell covered the life and career of Cary Grant extensively, but did not give us more than we needed. However, I did not care for his writing style. I found myself very often reading the same words I had read a few pages earlier. He used the same sentences in summing up the success or lack of success of his pictures. There were some typos which may be unique to the Kindle editions.
A couple of personal observations to finish;
I applaud Grant for aging gracefully and beautifully, in sharp contrast to wife #4, Dyan Cannon, who, IMHO, looks horrible after her plastic surgery or whatever procedure she had done;
I greatly sympathize with Cary Grant for enduring his mother. I felt like I was reading a bio of my father during these segments, yet, like Grant, my father was a good father to me and my sisters.
Four stars waning
July 27, 2017
Cary Grant
I really enjoyed reading about Cary Grant. For the most part his movies were before my time. I saw Houseboat and A Touch of Mink. I really enjoyed both of them. It is sad to read about his life and the unhappiness he felt. It is too bad that he couldn't except the fact that is mother had mental health problems and couldn't help the way she treated him. At least he found happiness in his last year's of live.
I really enjoyed reading about Cary Grant. For the most part his movies were before my time. I saw Houseboat and A Touch of Mink. I really enjoyed both of them. It is sad to read about his life and the unhappiness he felt. It is too bad that he couldn't except the fact that is mother had mental health problems and couldn't help the way she treated him. At least he found happiness in his last year's of live.
November 11, 2018
Interesting insight
I'm always fascinated by celebrities' onscreen vs. real lives. It's amazing to me how a star can be totally different from their public persona. Of course, I'm always disappointed to learn about their foibles and all the pecadillos that make them merely human. Cary Grant is no exception. He isn't privileged enough to be immune to the insecurities that plague the rest of us. But I can't help myself... he's still my favorite actor from filmdom's "Golden Age."
I'm always fascinated by celebrities' onscreen vs. real lives. It's amazing to me how a star can be totally different from their public persona. Of course, I'm always disappointed to learn about their foibles and all the pecadillos that make them merely human. Cary Grant is no exception. He isn't privileged enough to be immune to the insecurities that plague the rest of us. But I can't help myself... he's still my favorite actor from filmdom's "Golden Age."
June 4, 2019
Smooth, uninspired
Moved along at a smooth rate so it never became boring. I was grateful for that, but for the most part this was not a meaty book. We really didn’t see much into the person of Cary Grant except that he had problems and mother issues that played out in his adult life. It’s a sad thing that he never received the accolades in his life that he did after his death. That fact was shown in the book. However, overall this was pretty light reading.
Moved along at a smooth rate so it never became boring. I was grateful for that, but for the most part this was not a meaty book. We really didn’t see much into the person of Cary Grant except that he had problems and mother issues that played out in his adult life. It’s a sad thing that he never received the accolades in his life that he did after his death. That fact was shown in the book. However, overall this was pretty light reading.
October 19, 2019
This was an ebook I had downloaded some time ago. I was between books at the moment and thought it would be a good time to read it.
Cary Grant has always been a favorite of mine, and I was a little hesitant because I really didn't want to read a lot of bad things about him. But I was pleasantly surprised that this really didn't happen. Of course he wasn't perfect, but there was a lot to learn and admire about him. I really enjoyed reading it and I loved seeing all the photographs.
Cary Grant has always been a favorite of mine, and I was a little hesitant because I really didn't want to read a lot of bad things about him. But I was pleasantly surprised that this really didn't happen. Of course he wasn't perfect, but there was a lot to learn and admire about him. I really enjoyed reading it and I loved seeing all the photographs.
July 2, 2017
Cary Grant has always been one of my favorite actors. He was the epitome of suave and not hard to look at either. Even in his comedies there was an air of sophistication. There was also a touch of vulnerability that seeped through. This book explained a lot that was unknown about Archie Leach/Cary Grant.
October 14, 2017
CARY GRANT: DARK ANGEL
When I first bought this book, the title amused me a little. Considering the fact that it had been out that he was gay for years. However, MR GRANT seemed to have several demons under that beautiful smile, and it seems they all began with MOM! He also wasn't the easiest man to work with, go figure? Read the book you'll be surprised!
When I first bought this book, the title amused me a little. Considering the fact that it had been out that he was gay for years. However, MR GRANT seemed to have several demons under that beautiful smile, and it seems they all began with MOM! He also wasn't the easiest man to work with, go figure? Read the book you'll be surprised!
October 28, 2018
I have seen almost all of Grant's major films and really appreciate his legacy. This book was informative, but lacking in much depth which was disappointing. It was short enough not to have wasted your time with it, but I assume that there are more detailed accounts out there if you are so inclined
May 2, 2018
Found this book on hoopla. It was an enjoyable read, mostly because of my admiration for Cary Grant. The book had tons of typos or maybe it was just poorly written. I’ll let you be the judge, if you ever want to read it.
All in all it was a quick read.
All in all it was a quick read.
May 8, 2018
A fun and interesting read. I’ve been a Cary Grant fan for as long as I can remember. Love his Alfred Hitchcock films and recommend them to all who haven’t seen them. His early movies are also delightful. Many younger viewers are,unfortunately, probably not familiar with them.
June 1, 2019
Good book! Much better than many of the Hollywood star books. Thorough without being overly long. Also, seems to be objective. But Cary, who had so many achievements on the screen, was not a happy person in real life. And that part is sad.
June 1, 2019
A good read
Well written, interesting book. I didn’t know anything about his personal life. I just always enjoyed his movies. So handsome and funny. I would recommend reading. A light easy read.
Well written, interesting book. I didn’t know anything about his personal life. I just always enjoyed his movies. So handsome and funny. I would recommend reading. A light easy read.
November 24, 2018
The only reason I gave it 2 stars was because of the pictures. Poorly written with many mistakes. Basically, just a list of his movies and wives.
November 26, 2018
Easy read. Hollywood history.
So many aspects to the actor Cary Grant. This biography is a great read. It contains beautiful photos from the era.
So many aspects to the actor Cary Grant. This biography is a great read. It contains beautiful photos from the era.
January 29, 2019
An interesting first read about one of my favorite actors.
November 17, 2020
Decent summary of Grant’s life.
August 5, 2014
I have always been a fan of Cary Grant as an actor. I was excited to come across this book and picked it up for free, thinking it might be a good read. It is full of beautiful stills from all of his movies which are placed throughout the book so readers can enjoy them while reading about each of his films. The life of Cary Grant was troubled due to his childhood years and the choices he made out of those experiences. (Hence the title of the book.) It was still an excellent read as it was very well-rounded, making sure to discuss his personal life and professional life with many facts and quotations from people who knew him. If you want to know more about the life and/or career of Mr. Grant, I recommend you read this!
July 12, 2015
While not poorly written, this is a most superficial look at Cary Grant. It repeatedly insists that his simplicity covered up a highly complex man, but the author fails to reveal that complexity. Instead, this book is basically a filmography in paragraph form, with marriages filling in the gaps. It even does not do the subtitle "Dark Angel" credit--it never really explains what the meaning behind the words is, though someone who has some knowledge of Cary Grant might be able to interpret it more fully.
Overall, this is probably a book for someone who doesn't know anything about Cary Grant and wants an introduction to his film career. It isn't for those who want to know about his personal life, psychology, or professional techniques.
Overall, this is probably a book for someone who doesn't know anything about Cary Grant and wants an introduction to his film career. It isn't for those who want to know about his personal life, psychology, or professional techniques.
July 10, 2015
Excellent, quick read
There are many wonderful pictures included in the book, lots of interesting stories about his life and I learned a lot that I had not known.
I was unaware of what a sad childhood he came from or that his mother was such a distant, unrelenting and difficult woman when he could never please nor satisfy.
It is no surprise then to learn that he keep his life to himself and had many emotional insecurities. Nor that he hid all this behind the cool, suave, meticulous character he created who was called Cary Grant.
Well worth the time and cost to buy this book and discover more about the man behind this enduring character.
There are many wonderful pictures included in the book, lots of interesting stories about his life and I learned a lot that I had not known.
I was unaware of what a sad childhood he came from or that his mother was such a distant, unrelenting and difficult woman when he could never please nor satisfy.
It is no surprise then to learn that he keep his life to himself and had many emotional insecurities. Nor that he hid all this behind the cool, suave, meticulous character he created who was called Cary Grant.
Well worth the time and cost to buy this book and discover more about the man behind this enduring character.
January 27, 2016
Editor please
It seems that all the author had access to was a spell checker and no one actually read this book for corrections. Sometimes, movie sales are reported as "profit" other times as "box office take" and still other times only as Cary Grant's share. It is difficult to compare one film to another without consistent reporting. Also, there are not enough references, so it's hard to know where the information came from. The title calls Grant a "Dark Angel", but the author really does a poor job expanding on that, instead continuously repeating how much people loved him. All in all, a so-so read.
It seems that all the author had access to was a spell checker and no one actually read this book for corrections. Sometimes, movie sales are reported as "profit" other times as "box office take" and still other times only as Cary Grant's share. It is difficult to compare one film to another without consistent reporting. Also, there are not enough references, so it's hard to know where the information came from. The title calls Grant a "Dark Angel", but the author really does a poor job expanding on that, instead continuously repeating how much people loved him. All in all, a so-so read.
August 8, 2015
Cary Grant
A gentle biography of one of Hollywood's most treasured actors. Underneath his dark sultry looks and sophistication was a man haunted by his childhood demons... Abandonment by his father and torment by his mentally ill mother who parceled bits of affection only to take those bits back left Grant battling insecurity, mood swings and fits of anger all his life. His life story being respectfully told. A must read for biography hounds.
A gentle biography of one of Hollywood's most treasured actors. Underneath his dark sultry looks and sophistication was a man haunted by his childhood demons... Abandonment by his father and torment by his mentally ill mother who parceled bits of affection only to take those bits back left Grant battling insecurity, mood swings and fits of anger all his life. His life story being respectfully told. A must read for biography hounds.
May 15, 2016
Was always a big fan of Cary Grant and his films. This is a short, not to in depth, biography of Grant's professional, rather than his personal life. Many typos, a little wordy, and somewhat boring; is why a gave it a 3/5 stars. Could have been better organized and more in depth on his personal life. Still enough to get the just of who Cary Grant was and what his best performances were.Worth reading if you're a true fan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews