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Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise
Film historian and acclaimed New York Times bestselling biographer Scott Eyman has written the definitive biography of Hollywood legend Cary Grant, one of the most accomplished—and beloved—actors of his generation, who remains as popular as ever today.
Born Archibald Leach in 1904, he came to America as a teenaged acrobat to find fame and fortune, but he was always haunted by his past. His father was a feckless alcoholic, and his mother was committed to an asylum when Archie was eleven years old. He believed her to be dead until, when he was thirty-one years old, he was informed she was alive. Because of this experience Grant would have difficulty forming close attachments throughout his life. He married five times and had numerous affairs.
Despite a remarkable degree of success, Grant remained deeply conflicted about his past, his present, his basic identity, and even the public that worshiped him in movies such as Gunga Din, Notorious, and North by Northwest.
Drawing on Grant’s own papers, extensive archival research, and interviews with family and friends, this is the definitive portrait of a movie immortal.
Born Archibald Leach in 1904, he came to America as a teenaged acrobat to find fame and fortune, but he was always haunted by his past. His father was a feckless alcoholic, and his mother was committed to an asylum when Archie was eleven years old. He believed her to be dead until, when he was thirty-one years old, he was informed she was alive. Because of this experience Grant would have difficulty forming close attachments throughout his life. He married five times and had numerous affairs.
Despite a remarkable degree of success, Grant remained deeply conflicted about his past, his present, his basic identity, and even the public that worshiped him in movies such as Gunga Din, Notorious, and North by Northwest.
Drawing on Grant’s own papers, extensive archival research, and interviews with family and friends, this is the definitive portrait of a movie immortal.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2020
716 people are currently reading
1998 people want to read
About the author
Scott Eyman
27 books120 followersScott Eyman has authored 11 books, including, with Robert Wagner, the New York Times bestseller Pieces of My Heart.
Among his other books are "Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer," "Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford," "Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise," and "The Speed of Sound" (all Simon & Schuster) and "John Ford: The Searcher" for Taschen.
He has lectured extensively around the world, most frequently at the National Film Theater in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Moscow Film Theater. He's done the commentary tracks for many DVD's, including "Trouble in Paradise," "My Darling Clementine," and Stagecoach.
Eyman has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune, as well as practically every film magazine extinct or still extant.
He's the literary critic for the Palm Beach Post; he and his wife Lynn live in Palm Beach.
Among his other books are "Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer," "Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford," "Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise," and "The Speed of Sound" (all Simon & Schuster) and "John Ford: The Searcher" for Taschen.
He has lectured extensively around the world, most frequently at the National Film Theater in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Moscow Film Theater. He's done the commentary tracks for many DVD's, including "Trouble in Paradise," "My Darling Clementine," and Stagecoach.
Eyman has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune, as well as practically every film magazine extinct or still extant.
He's the literary critic for the Palm Beach Post; he and his wife Lynn live in Palm Beach.
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January 3, 2021
Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman is a 2020 Simon & Schuster publication.
A perfect model for biography standards
Recently, headlines erupted about a popular celebrity accused of being someone entirely different off camera than their public persona would have us believe. The only thing that surprised me about the allegations was that people were surprised by the allegations.
Celebrities, musicians, actors, and yes, even authors have a face they present to the public- on stage, on screen, or online. Actors, in particular, have a way of convincing us that the character we love or hate on screen is synonymous with the person they are in real life. The ‘good girl’ actress you love could be a difficult diva once the cameras stop rolling… and probably is.
The reason I’m mentioning all this is because Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors from his generation of Hollywood leading men. I think most people, if asked, would say they like Cary Grant... his on screen persona, that is.
Therefore, if you want to maintain that image of Cary, be prepared to see a different side of the charming, sophisticated, suave actor- the lovable, physical comedian, the romantic heartthrob. Behind the scenes, the actor was not always so endearing.
Archie Leach, born in Britain, came to America and eventually morphed into Cary Grant- the famous movie star. Archie and Cary housed in the same shell, would fight for dominance until Cary’s twilight years when the two sides of himself would finally make peace.
This book explores all the various pieces of the man we know as Cary Grant, but also the Archie Leach side of him. We learn about his business dealings, his friendships, his numerous marriages and affairs, and his annoying propensity for being ‘frugal’.
Personally, I found this to be a fascinating biography. I didn’t know that much about Cary’s personal life, other than he had been married multiple times. Therefore, all the information here was news to me. Grant was complicated, moody, not particularly approachable, and his attitude towards women could rankle on occasion. He was a self-absorbed egomaniac but was also described by some as the nicest person they knew. So, there you go.
This is an interesting, well- researched, and thorough biography, made more pleasant by the author’s neutrality. All biographies should be approached in this manner. I hate glossed over, gushing fan-biopics, tell-all biographies, or bios rooted in tittle-tattle, cheap, hastily tossed together cash grabs, or those focused solely on the professional end of the subject’s life.
Eyman is an experienced biographer, and it shows. I feel one interested in reading about the life of Cary Grant couldn’t ask for a better organized, well rounded portrait of the man.
One of my favorite memories of Cary is his role in Arsenic & Old Lace- He was hysterical in that movie. I also loved all his Hitchcock films, and The Philadelphia Story ranks as one my very favorites of Grant’s movies. I have not seen all his films and would like to look some of them up someday. This book also has me in the mood to re-watch some of my favorites.
So, even though this book reveals some less than flattering information about Cary, there was nothing here that would taint my enjoyment of his films or my appreciation of his talent. He was no worse than many other stars or celebrities of his era. Compared to what takes place today, Cary’s behavior and attitudes are almost child’s play.
For those wondering if the most burning question people want to know about Cary’s personal life is revealed- you will have to read the book to find out.
Overall, this is an impressive biography of one of Hollywood's most enduring actors- one of the few still remembered with much fondness today.
I have another book by Eyman in my TBR list- think I'll have to bump it up!
* The book has black and white photos included-however, I found the audio version on Scribd and listened to large portions of the book on audio. The narrator did a good job and has a pleasant reading voice.
4.5 stars
A perfect model for biography standards
Recently, headlines erupted about a popular celebrity accused of being someone entirely different off camera than their public persona would have us believe. The only thing that surprised me about the allegations was that people were surprised by the allegations.
Celebrities, musicians, actors, and yes, even authors have a face they present to the public- on stage, on screen, or online. Actors, in particular, have a way of convincing us that the character we love or hate on screen is synonymous with the person they are in real life. The ‘good girl’ actress you love could be a difficult diva once the cameras stop rolling… and probably is.
The reason I’m mentioning all this is because Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors from his generation of Hollywood leading men. I think most people, if asked, would say they like Cary Grant... his on screen persona, that is.
Therefore, if you want to maintain that image of Cary, be prepared to see a different side of the charming, sophisticated, suave actor- the lovable, physical comedian, the romantic heartthrob. Behind the scenes, the actor was not always so endearing.
Archie Leach, born in Britain, came to America and eventually morphed into Cary Grant- the famous movie star. Archie and Cary housed in the same shell, would fight for dominance until Cary’s twilight years when the two sides of himself would finally make peace.
This book explores all the various pieces of the man we know as Cary Grant, but also the Archie Leach side of him. We learn about his business dealings, his friendships, his numerous marriages and affairs, and his annoying propensity for being ‘frugal’.
Personally, I found this to be a fascinating biography. I didn’t know that much about Cary’s personal life, other than he had been married multiple times. Therefore, all the information here was news to me. Grant was complicated, moody, not particularly approachable, and his attitude towards women could rankle on occasion. He was a self-absorbed egomaniac but was also described by some as the nicest person they knew. So, there you go.
This is an interesting, well- researched, and thorough biography, made more pleasant by the author’s neutrality. All biographies should be approached in this manner. I hate glossed over, gushing fan-biopics, tell-all biographies, or bios rooted in tittle-tattle, cheap, hastily tossed together cash grabs, or those focused solely on the professional end of the subject’s life.
Eyman is an experienced biographer, and it shows. I feel one interested in reading about the life of Cary Grant couldn’t ask for a better organized, well rounded portrait of the man.
One of my favorite memories of Cary is his role in Arsenic & Old Lace- He was hysterical in that movie. I also loved all his Hitchcock films, and The Philadelphia Story ranks as one my very favorites of Grant’s movies. I have not seen all his films and would like to look some of them up someday. This book also has me in the mood to re-watch some of my favorites.
So, even though this book reveals some less than flattering information about Cary, there was nothing here that would taint my enjoyment of his films or my appreciation of his talent. He was no worse than many other stars or celebrities of his era. Compared to what takes place today, Cary’s behavior and attitudes are almost child’s play.
For those wondering if the most burning question people want to know about Cary’s personal life is revealed- you will have to read the book to find out.
Overall, this is an impressive biography of one of Hollywood's most enduring actors- one of the few still remembered with much fondness today.
I have another book by Eyman in my TBR list- think I'll have to bump it up!
* The book has black and white photos included-however, I found the audio version on Scribd and listened to large portions of the book on audio. The narrator did a good job and has a pleasant reading voice.
4.5 stars
November 17, 2024
Okay, let me first start by admitting that I am a fan girl of Cary Grant, and that is why I wanted to read this book. Which means that I am dating myself.
But…In all fairness, when I was “introduced” to Cary Grant, I was a little girl at the time.
And…I grew fond of the black and white noir feel of old Hollywood romance movies.
And who wouldn’t love Cary Grant. The ultimate gentleman.
So, when this book came out, I was curious. What did the author mean by his title?
But before I begin…Let me just say, I read this over a year ago, and I am now bringing my review to Goodreads.
Eyman wants us to know that Cary Grant is a made-up man. Starting with his accent. For us Americans, it may sound British. But, like everything about him, as far as Eyman is concerned from his extensive research, Grant has done a job of re-creating himself by collecting bits and pieces, here and there. Wherever that may be that he picked them up.
He may have started as Archie Leach, in Horfield, Bristol, United Kingdom, but dealing with a roving, alcoholic father and an unsettled mother that eventually was committed to an asylum didn’t give him any sense of stability. He actually was told she died, and he never learned otherwise until he was already a famous movie star.
He eventually escaped his childhood by joining a traveling acrobats’ troupe and ended up in America. And then he ended up in Hollywood. Obviously I am skipping a lot of steps here.
I don’t need to go in to his extensive resume. I was more interested again in the title of this book, and the meaning behind it for the author.
And this is where we get into the gossip. The gossip that dogged Grant’s life. Of course, (or maybe this wasn’t obvious), his sex life was always in question. But the studios were wonderful about protecting their stars. This wouldn’t be the case with today’s social media.
So, the big question became was he homosexual? According to his third wife, Betsy Drake, “why would I believe that Cary was homosexual when we were busy”…
(I will let your imagination take you where you determine what they were busy doing.)
Eyman was sure that there was enough evidence to suggest Grant was probably more bi or gay than straight.
So, I guess I got my answer about the book’s title in one regard, which really doesn’t matter one way or another. Cary Grant still was an amazing icon of an actor.
Still…There is more between these pages. And if you are also a fan of Cary Grant, this might be an interesting read for you, as well. Because there was more to the made-up man and how he came to create his image.
It’s better for readers to read that part for themselves.
But…In all fairness, when I was “introduced” to Cary Grant, I was a little girl at the time.
And…I grew fond of the black and white noir feel of old Hollywood romance movies.
And who wouldn’t love Cary Grant. The ultimate gentleman.
So, when this book came out, I was curious. What did the author mean by his title?
But before I begin…Let me just say, I read this over a year ago, and I am now bringing my review to Goodreads.
Eyman wants us to know that Cary Grant is a made-up man. Starting with his accent. For us Americans, it may sound British. But, like everything about him, as far as Eyman is concerned from his extensive research, Grant has done a job of re-creating himself by collecting bits and pieces, here and there. Wherever that may be that he picked them up.
He may have started as Archie Leach, in Horfield, Bristol, United Kingdom, but dealing with a roving, alcoholic father and an unsettled mother that eventually was committed to an asylum didn’t give him any sense of stability. He actually was told she died, and he never learned otherwise until he was already a famous movie star.
He eventually escaped his childhood by joining a traveling acrobats’ troupe and ended up in America. And then he ended up in Hollywood. Obviously I am skipping a lot of steps here.
I don’t need to go in to his extensive resume. I was more interested again in the title of this book, and the meaning behind it for the author.
And this is where we get into the gossip. The gossip that dogged Grant’s life. Of course, (or maybe this wasn’t obvious), his sex life was always in question. But the studios were wonderful about protecting their stars. This wouldn’t be the case with today’s social media.
So, the big question became was he homosexual? According to his third wife, Betsy Drake, “why would I believe that Cary was homosexual when we were busy”…
(I will let your imagination take you where you determine what they were busy doing.)
Eyman was sure that there was enough evidence to suggest Grant was probably more bi or gay than straight.
So, I guess I got my answer about the book’s title in one regard, which really doesn’t matter one way or another. Cary Grant still was an amazing icon of an actor.
Still…There is more between these pages. And if you are also a fan of Cary Grant, this might be an interesting read for you, as well. Because there was more to the made-up man and how he came to create his image.
It’s better for readers to read that part for themselves.
January 12, 2021
This biography covers Cary Grant from his days as a poor kid from an alcoholic and troubled home to his rise as a US film star epitomizing grace and charm. Its author, Steven Eyman, having written extensively on the film of this era is well qualified for this undertaking.
The early part pulls you right in. Grant’s early life is one of poverty and parental neglect. He was left to fend for himself. As a young teen he joined the traveling shows. (Did his father - who committed his mother to a mental institution and told his young son his mother was dead - even miss him?) He became an acrobat and stilt walker from which he acquired skills in poise and timing that served him throughout his acting career.
The last chapter is outstanding. In it you see the character of Cary Grant in retirement and as a father. Unfortunately you have to wade through a tedious middle section to get there.
The middle 300 pages are forgettable. Eyman writes of films whether or not Grant is in them and whether or not they get made. He goes on about proposed movie titles, there are tangents about Hollywood stars and details on who attended what parties with snippets of conversation. Grant’s movie years, in both acting and producing, are like a stream of anecdotes.
The middle/movie career part also suffers from being vague. For instance there are a lot of pages on Grant’s relationship with Alexander Korda, who coordinated Britain’s spying on the US. If it isn’t known whether or not he recruited Grant, maybe Eymore should just come out and say so. Similarly, did Elia Kazan keep his promise to Grant's friend Clifford Odets in his HUAC testimony? Whatever he said, its relevance to Grant is not clear, nor is why this is covered and Grant's own testimony is not.
Through most of the book, Eyman is ambivalent about Grant. Was Grant’s acting all style and no substance? Eyman goes back and forth on this. Was Grant a tightwad? Eyman says he is– but gives many examples of his generosity. In the end, after all the negative passages, Eyman credits Grant’s talent and generosity.
One important topic omitted in the trivia of the middle chapters is Grant’s relationship with his parents. Despite reference to several trips back to England, and his recent discovery that his mother is alive, very little to nothing is said about the family visits. This contrasts with how how his visits are treated in the final chapters.
While I don’t think the sub-title is fully accurate, Eyman does develop the theory that Grant never left behind the poor, unloved boy he was in Bristol and that his sophisticated cool stage persona became his off-stage persona. The "disguise" is what he needed to meet people without feeling he did not belong.
I don’t usually give a book 2 stars, but this author is experienced and can and should have done a better job.
The early part pulls you right in. Grant’s early life is one of poverty and parental neglect. He was left to fend for himself. As a young teen he joined the traveling shows. (Did his father - who committed his mother to a mental institution and told his young son his mother was dead - even miss him?) He became an acrobat and stilt walker from which he acquired skills in poise and timing that served him throughout his acting career.
The last chapter is outstanding. In it you see the character of Cary Grant in retirement and as a father. Unfortunately you have to wade through a tedious middle section to get there.
The middle 300 pages are forgettable. Eyman writes of films whether or not Grant is in them and whether or not they get made. He goes on about proposed movie titles, there are tangents about Hollywood stars and details on who attended what parties with snippets of conversation. Grant’s movie years, in both acting and producing, are like a stream of anecdotes.
The middle/movie career part also suffers from being vague. For instance there are a lot of pages on Grant’s relationship with Alexander Korda, who coordinated Britain’s spying on the US. If it isn’t known whether or not he recruited Grant, maybe Eymore should just come out and say so. Similarly, did Elia Kazan keep his promise to Grant's friend Clifford Odets in his HUAC testimony? Whatever he said, its relevance to Grant is not clear, nor is why this is covered and Grant's own testimony is not.
Through most of the book, Eyman is ambivalent about Grant. Was Grant’s acting all style and no substance? Eyman goes back and forth on this. Was Grant a tightwad? Eyman says he is– but gives many examples of his generosity. In the end, after all the negative passages, Eyman credits Grant’s talent and generosity.
One important topic omitted in the trivia of the middle chapters is Grant’s relationship with his parents. Despite reference to several trips back to England, and his recent discovery that his mother is alive, very little to nothing is said about the family visits. This contrasts with how how his visits are treated in the final chapters.
While I don’t think the sub-title is fully accurate, Eyman does develop the theory that Grant never left behind the poor, unloved boy he was in Bristol and that his sophisticated cool stage persona became his off-stage persona. The "disguise" is what he needed to meet people without feeling he did not belong.
I don’t usually give a book 2 stars, but this author is experienced and can and should have done a better job.
August 19, 2020
The defining difference between this biography of Cary Grant and any other biographical documentary I have seen (I have never attempted to read a book version for a variety of reasons), seems to be Scott Eyman's aim. Clear from the very beginning, and remaining so with every page turned, Eyman lacks any sort of devious agenda — gossipy or pointed — other than forming an accurate-as-possible, incredibly detailed account of Cary Grant's life and work, mainly where those two intersect.
He never shies away from a topic, but neither does he wallow in the potential gossipy phrasing upon which so many biographers seem to depend — relishing hints of dirty secrets and leading the audience in their own desired direction rather than where ever the truth may be. Eyman, instead, seems to be a true fact finder, and approaches his subject so. Many Hollywood biographies are set on tearing people into pieces in order to get at the core of the subject. But Eyman, through detailing layer upon layer of information, bolsters Grant's legacy. Not because it was frail and in need of support, but by way of solidifying the image into a real human being. Turning him around so other facets could be visible finally. Shining light on sides of Grant previously hidden either by his own machinations or by a simple separation of time — he never worked in film while I've been alive.
Finally, what feels like a more complete picture of the famous Archie Leach.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book, nor the content of my review.
He never shies away from a topic, but neither does he wallow in the potential gossipy phrasing upon which so many biographers seem to depend — relishing hints of dirty secrets and leading the audience in their own desired direction rather than where ever the truth may be. Eyman, instead, seems to be a true fact finder, and approaches his subject so. Many Hollywood biographies are set on tearing people into pieces in order to get at the core of the subject. But Eyman, through detailing layer upon layer of information, bolsters Grant's legacy. Not because it was frail and in need of support, but by way of solidifying the image into a real human being. Turning him around so other facets could be visible finally. Shining light on sides of Grant previously hidden either by his own machinations or by a simple separation of time — he never worked in film while I've been alive.
Finally, what feels like a more complete picture of the famous Archie Leach.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book, nor the content of my review.
Read
October 12, 2021No rating as I DNF’d about half-way thru. My hopes is that I will be able to pick it back up.
As a biography it was very well written and filled in a lot of details about Grant’s pre-Hollywood life.
Unfortunately as Grant’s career takes off and the author begins covering his movies and personal life (wives), the author begins to do some serious editorializing about Grant’s choices (especially with regards to Grant’s slightly complicated personal life).
By the time he was married to his first wife and was headed toward divorce, the facts became intertwined with psychological musings by the author. I wanted to read about Grant, not be treated to a psychoanalysis of him.
Whelp, that’s where I get off (for now). I just wanted to learn more about his professional life— not analyze that which can only be guessed at decades later.
I will thank the author for covering in order so many of Grant’s early films. I loved reading about the movie and then finding them to watch.
He starred in not one but two Mae West movies and reading the behind the scenes anecdotes was a delightful complement to the movie (I could only summon up the will power to sit thru one of those two movies— equal parts charming and awful).
Overall, I learned a lot more Hollywood history that I didn’t know… but will have to postpone more history lessons to another time— for now, I’ll just keep watching those Cary Grant films instead!!
PS—I highly recommend the Criterion channel if you love old movies— there aren’t enough weekends to watch all those glorious films pre-1960.
As a biography it was very well written and filled in a lot of details about Grant’s pre-Hollywood life.
Unfortunately as Grant’s career takes off and the author begins covering his movies and personal life (wives), the author begins to do some serious editorializing about Grant’s choices (especially with regards to Grant’s slightly complicated personal life).
By the time he was married to his first wife and was headed toward divorce, the facts became intertwined with psychological musings by the author. I wanted to read about Grant, not be treated to a psychoanalysis of him.
Whelp, that’s where I get off (for now). I just wanted to learn more about his professional life— not analyze that which can only be guessed at decades later.
I will thank the author for covering in order so many of Grant’s early films. I loved reading about the movie and then finding them to watch.
He starred in not one but two Mae West movies and reading the behind the scenes anecdotes was a delightful complement to the movie (I could only summon up the will power to sit thru one of those two movies— equal parts charming and awful).
Overall, I learned a lot more Hollywood history that I didn’t know… but will have to postpone more history lessons to another time— for now, I’ll just keep watching those Cary Grant films instead!!
PS—I highly recommend the Criterion channel if you love old movies— there aren’t enough weekends to watch all those glorious films pre-1960.
September 8, 2023
I suppose if you knew absolutely nothing about Cary Grant (Archie Leach) before you would find this book informative. But I ask you? Who, of any age, has never heard of Cary Grant before now?
Archie Leach, born in Bristol, England of an alcoholic father and mostly absent mother, arrived in America as part of the Pender acrobatic troupe in 1920, became fascinated with America and remained when the troupe returned to England, got some work in vaudeville, made some influential friends, decided acting would be his path, became Cary Grant, made several memorable films that have stood the test of time. Did some LSD. Had several relationships, the one most notable being Sophia Loren even though he was married at the time. Grant had 5 marriages, one daughter and remained the eternal sophisticated debonair gentleman until his death in 1986 at a time when he was still touring the USA with his one man show “A Conversation with Cary Grant”.
The author has obviously done extensive research, however, has brought very little new information to the table and I assure you this book did not need to be 500+ pages! I skipped some parts and feel sure I missed nothing.
Archie Leach, born in Bristol, England of an alcoholic father and mostly absent mother, arrived in America as part of the Pender acrobatic troupe in 1920, became fascinated with America and remained when the troupe returned to England, got some work in vaudeville, made some influential friends, decided acting would be his path, became Cary Grant, made several memorable films that have stood the test of time. Did some LSD. Had several relationships, the one most notable being Sophia Loren even though he was married at the time. Grant had 5 marriages, one daughter and remained the eternal sophisticated debonair gentleman until his death in 1986 at a time when he was still touring the USA with his one man show “A Conversation with Cary Grant”.
The author has obviously done extensive research, however, has brought very little new information to the table and I assure you this book did not need to be 500+ pages! I skipped some parts and feel sure I missed nothing.
September 6, 2020
This book opens with a moving description of the last day of Cary Grant's life. Unfortunately, it is a downhill slog from there. The author does a good job of describing how Archie Leach transforms into Cary Grant, but many parts of the book tend to be tedious and repetitive. It could have been a much shorter biography and captured all of the salient points of the book. I only recommend this book to die hard Cary Grant fans. Others will most likely stop reading or skim to find the good parts.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog
October 2, 2020
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Cary Grant is one of my all time favorite actors so I jumped at the opportunity when I saw Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman pop up on NetGalley. Luckily, I managed to get approved and now that I've read it I can say this is officially one of my favorite biographies of a classic Hollywood actor. I knew some about Grant's life and work going in, but this book presented quite a bit of totally new to me and fascinating information. There are also perspectives from other actors and behind-the-scenes figures of classic Hollywood that are just as intriguing. If you're at all interested in Cary Grant and his filmography, I can't recommend this well-written and structured biography enough.
Cary Grant is one of my all time favorite actors so I jumped at the opportunity when I saw Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman pop up on NetGalley. Luckily, I managed to get approved and now that I've read it I can say this is officially one of my favorite biographies of a classic Hollywood actor. I knew some about Grant's life and work going in, but this book presented quite a bit of totally new to me and fascinating information. There are also perspectives from other actors and behind-the-scenes figures of classic Hollywood that are just as intriguing. If you're at all interested in Cary Grant and his filmography, I can't recommend this well-written and structured biography enough.
December 13, 2020
https://thebestbiographies.com/2020/1...
Published in October, “Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise” is the latest of Scott Eyman’s fifteen books and is one of the most comprehensive and thorough biographies of Grant. Eyman is a former literary critic at The Palm Beach Post and is probably best known for his biographies of John Wayne and Cecil B. DeMille as well as his recent joint biography of Henry Fonda and James Stewart.
If the key ingredients for a great biography include a fascinating subject, an engaging writing style, mastery of the topic and penetrating research, Eyman’s biography certainly has the wind at its back. This book’s subject was born Archibald Leach in Bristol, England to an alcoholic father and a mother who was institutionalized for a mental disorder. As a result, Archie sought refuge in the local theater and, soon enough, fell in with a group of traveling performers.
At sixteen he began performing in the US and soon parlayed that experience into a vaudeville act. He eventually moved to Hollywood where a name change – and a carefully calibrated appearance and style – aided his acting aspirations. The story of Leach’s slow but steady professional rise is nothing if not captivating…and quite well told.
This is arguably where the book is at its best. Almost anyone reading this biography will be entranced by the first 150 or so pages. The narrative is consistently easy, entertaining and insightful. This is also where the reader is introduced to three primary themes which pervade Grant’s life story: his unrelenting insecurity, his notorious frugality, and the question of his sexual orientation.
The middle one-third of the book, by contrast, will not appeal to all readers. The story of Cary Grant’s life during his heyday is surprisingly monotonous and robotic. Here, Eyman dutifully records the history of many of Grant’s movies including the back-stories, relevant color relating to his co-stars and some measure of how each film stacked up against expectations.
For ardent fans of Hollywood history these chapters will prove irresistibly tantalizing; Eyman possesses an undeniable talent for industry gossip. But for most readers these chapters are too “inside baseball“ – interesting at the margins (perhaps) but more often just fodder to be tolerated or quickly skimmed.
Like the book’s early chapters, the last one-third of the biography is almost universally irresistable. As Grant pulls back from the hectic schedule he endured for most of his career, is married for the fifth time, has a daughter and begins to evaluate his life and legacy, the book once again becomes broadly appealing.
But this biography could not succeed without the author’s willingness to identify and embrace Grant’s neuroses and examine his life…warts-and-all. So although Eyman generally seems fond of his subject he never excuses Grant for his worst traits and tendencies. And readers who appreciate uncommonly clever one-liners will find these scattered liberally throughout the narrative.
Overall, Scott Eyman’s “Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise” proves an extremely well-researched, objective and nicely written account of the life of Cary Grant. While the details of Grant’s career at full steam might only appeal to industry insiders (and the most passionate of fans), Eyman’s mastery of industry gossip and his account of Grant’s rise and retirement are sure to fascinate almost everyone.
Overall rating: 4 stars
Published in October, “Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise” is the latest of Scott Eyman’s fifteen books and is one of the most comprehensive and thorough biographies of Grant. Eyman is a former literary critic at The Palm Beach Post and is probably best known for his biographies of John Wayne and Cecil B. DeMille as well as his recent joint biography of Henry Fonda and James Stewart.
If the key ingredients for a great biography include a fascinating subject, an engaging writing style, mastery of the topic and penetrating research, Eyman’s biography certainly has the wind at its back. This book’s subject was born Archibald Leach in Bristol, England to an alcoholic father and a mother who was institutionalized for a mental disorder. As a result, Archie sought refuge in the local theater and, soon enough, fell in with a group of traveling performers.
At sixteen he began performing in the US and soon parlayed that experience into a vaudeville act. He eventually moved to Hollywood where a name change – and a carefully calibrated appearance and style – aided his acting aspirations. The story of Leach’s slow but steady professional rise is nothing if not captivating…and quite well told.
This is arguably where the book is at its best. Almost anyone reading this biography will be entranced by the first 150 or so pages. The narrative is consistently easy, entertaining and insightful. This is also where the reader is introduced to three primary themes which pervade Grant’s life story: his unrelenting insecurity, his notorious frugality, and the question of his sexual orientation.
The middle one-third of the book, by contrast, will not appeal to all readers. The story of Cary Grant’s life during his heyday is surprisingly monotonous and robotic. Here, Eyman dutifully records the history of many of Grant’s movies including the back-stories, relevant color relating to his co-stars and some measure of how each film stacked up against expectations.
For ardent fans of Hollywood history these chapters will prove irresistibly tantalizing; Eyman possesses an undeniable talent for industry gossip. But for most readers these chapters are too “inside baseball“ – interesting at the margins (perhaps) but more often just fodder to be tolerated or quickly skimmed.
Like the book’s early chapters, the last one-third of the biography is almost universally irresistable. As Grant pulls back from the hectic schedule he endured for most of his career, is married for the fifth time, has a daughter and begins to evaluate his life and legacy, the book once again becomes broadly appealing.
But this biography could not succeed without the author’s willingness to identify and embrace Grant’s neuroses and examine his life…warts-and-all. So although Eyman generally seems fond of his subject he never excuses Grant for his worst traits and tendencies. And readers who appreciate uncommonly clever one-liners will find these scattered liberally throughout the narrative.
Overall, Scott Eyman’s “Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise” proves an extremely well-researched, objective and nicely written account of the life of Cary Grant. While the details of Grant’s career at full steam might only appeal to industry insiders (and the most passionate of fans), Eyman’s mastery of industry gossip and his account of Grant’s rise and retirement are sure to fascinate almost everyone.
Overall rating: 4 stars
January 14, 2021
To say that this biography is poorly written would be to give it too much credit. There are so many unnecessary (and boring) details that the author must have been paid by the word. He is simply incapable of parting with any bit of information, be it idle gossip or mere chitchat, that he collected along the way. As any writing instructor knows, a writer should "show, not tell." Unfortunately, Eyman does just the opposite.
March 1, 2021
In-depth, absorbing biography of one of the great Classic Hollywood stars. Cary Grant was a genius at embodying the elegant, comic, screwball leading man and then went on to work with Hitchcock in the thrillers- Suspicion, Notorious, North By Northwest. By all accounts, Grant was a consummate professional. Generous with his co-stars and complimentary about his leading ladies. (Grace Kelly was his favorite, altho he loved Kate Hepburn and thought Myrna Loy could catch anything he threw at her.) Like so many successful actors, Grant began life in poverty and lost his mother at an early age to mental illness. (she was hospitalized and he didn't find out where she was until much later in life.) He actually joined the circus in his early teens and eventually made his way to the US. He changed his name from Archie Leach to Cary Grant and got lucky when Mae West got a look at him and asked him to come up and see her sometime. The rest, as they say, is history. In the end, this bio left me feeling a little sad for Cary. He gave so much to his film career there wasn't much left for a personal life. It wasn't until he finally stopped making movies that he finally met and married his last wife whom he was content and happy with. He died, fittingly on the road, in Davenport, Iowa at the age of 82 while doing a stage show of reminiscences of his long and successful career. Cary Grant was his brilliant disguise, but more than that, it was his great artistic creation. Grant knew he wasn't the persona he created~ this is what caused the friction and not until he could retire "Cary" could he inhabit himself.
September 24, 2021
3.5
Cary Grant is my favorite actor from the Hollywood Golden Age of cinema. He could literally do it all. I've seen twenty-four of his movies to date and there's still so much more to watch. So of course I had to read this new biography. I liked it for the most part but it seriously needs an edit. Eyman goes off on a bunch of tangents that only slightly connect back to Grant and the core of his life story can sometimes be lost in all of these random anecdotes. And as much of a fan of Cary's that I am, I really don't need to know how much he was paid for every single one of his movies. Nevertheless, there is an easiness to the writing so it wasn't entirely off-putting. There's a solid biography in here somewhere, but Eyman's insistence on including every bit of research knocks it back a bit. I'm not disappointed with it, just kinda frustrated.
Cary Grant is my favorite actor from the Hollywood Golden Age of cinema. He could literally do it all. I've seen twenty-four of his movies to date and there's still so much more to watch. So of course I had to read this new biography. I liked it for the most part but it seriously needs an edit. Eyman goes off on a bunch of tangents that only slightly connect back to Grant and the core of his life story can sometimes be lost in all of these random anecdotes. And as much of a fan of Cary's that I am, I really don't need to know how much he was paid for every single one of his movies. Nevertheless, there is an easiness to the writing so it wasn't entirely off-putting. There's a solid biography in here somewhere, but Eyman's insistence on including every bit of research knocks it back a bit. I'm not disappointed with it, just kinda frustrated.
October 29, 2020
Cary Grant is still my favorite actor ever, but after reading this biography I wonder if he would have been someone I would have wanted to actually meet. Eyman is very candid about Grant's shortcomings and character flaws, but balances this by delving into why Grant had some personal issues (like his many divorces, with more than one ex claiming he was just an awful person to be married to). Eyman's hypothesis is in the title of the book itself-"A Brilliant Disguise": he argues that "Cary Grant" was a mask that "Archie Leach" was never totally comfortable with. Being constantly at war with himself, his broken childhood, and his enormous fame (which made the naturally shy Grant very uncomfortable) made him more than a little bitter.
It's a very compelling argument, but this leads to my main complaint about the book: while this is a fairly linear biography, Eyman jumps around from one point to another instead of reinforcing his points. He will talk about "Leach" being unhappy with the "Grant" persona, just to drop in and then pick it back up again a hundred pages later. On Grant's alleged bi-sexuality, Eyman again plays with the topic, forgets about it, and then brings it back up again much later.
Despite this complaint, this is an excellent biography of Cary Grant the person (if you want an in-depth discussion of his work you will have to look elsewhere. Eyman is only concerned with Grant's personal life and personality, and skims over most of his major work with throwaway "and then he did these three movies" and never mentions them again. There are a few films he goes a little deeper into, but this is by no means a great work about film). You get the greatest hits of Cary Grant here: the aforementioned bisexual rumors, the marriages, the LSD, etc.
Also keep in mind that Grant retired from film twenty years before his death and so the biography slows down near the end, with quite a bit of it describing Grant puttering around the house and the day to day routine of a retired old man.
It's a very compelling argument, but this leads to my main complaint about the book: while this is a fairly linear biography, Eyman jumps around from one point to another instead of reinforcing his points. He will talk about "Leach" being unhappy with the "Grant" persona, just to drop in and then pick it back up again a hundred pages later. On Grant's alleged bi-sexuality, Eyman again plays with the topic, forgets about it, and then brings it back up again much later.
Despite this complaint, this is an excellent biography of Cary Grant the person (if you want an in-depth discussion of his work you will have to look elsewhere. Eyman is only concerned with Grant's personal life and personality, and skims over most of his major work with throwaway "and then he did these three movies" and never mentions them again. There are a few films he goes a little deeper into, but this is by no means a great work about film). You get the greatest hits of Cary Grant here: the aforementioned bisexual rumors, the marriages, the LSD, etc.
Also keep in mind that Grant retired from film twenty years before his death and so the biography slows down near the end, with quite a bit of it describing Grant puttering around the house and the day to day routine of a retired old man.
January 19, 2025
This is a well researched , scrupulously studied account of how Archie Leach, a penniless runaway from a broken home, willed himself into becoming one of the most iconic stars in Hollywood history. In examining Grant's incredible feat of self-invention and the steep price the actor paid for his extraordinary success, Eyman once again demonstrates why he is one of our finest biographers."--Mark Griffin, author of All That Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson, and many more books including John Wayne.
Born Archibald Leach in 1904, he came to America as a teenaged acrobat to find fame and fortune, but he was always haunted by his past. His father was a feckless alcoholic, and his mother was committed to an asylum when Archie was eleven years old. He believed her to be dead until he was informed she was alive when he was thirty-one years old. Because of this experience, Grant would have difficulty forming close attachments throughout his life. He married five times and had numerous affairs.
Despite a remarkable degree of success, Grant remained deeply conflicted about his past, his present, his basic identity, and even the public that worshipped him in movies such as Gunga Din, Notorious, and North by Northwest.
He spent his life, saying he was playing Cary Grant as best as he could.
"Was there ever a more fabulously charming, witty, stylish and seductive movie star than Cary Grant?
He played the part so well !
Great research as mentioned, but overlong, sometimes slow going, nearly a hundred pages of photos, index, notes, thanks etc...
A beloved actor and personality, quite shocked at film roles that were offered to him and turned down, one being "Bridge on the River Kwai" !!
Turned down many roles in the 5's and 60's.
A little heavy reading, many do the same thing, tell you about every film they made and the story , mostly to films you have seen and know the story, I want to know more about the actor.
Overlong.
So three stars
Born Archibald Leach in 1904, he came to America as a teenaged acrobat to find fame and fortune, but he was always haunted by his past. His father was a feckless alcoholic, and his mother was committed to an asylum when Archie was eleven years old. He believed her to be dead until he was informed she was alive when he was thirty-one years old. Because of this experience, Grant would have difficulty forming close attachments throughout his life. He married five times and had numerous affairs.
Despite a remarkable degree of success, Grant remained deeply conflicted about his past, his present, his basic identity, and even the public that worshipped him in movies such as Gunga Din, Notorious, and North by Northwest.
He spent his life, saying he was playing Cary Grant as best as he could.
"Was there ever a more fabulously charming, witty, stylish and seductive movie star than Cary Grant?
He played the part so well !
Great research as mentioned, but overlong, sometimes slow going, nearly a hundred pages of photos, index, notes, thanks etc...
A beloved actor and personality, quite shocked at film roles that were offered to him and turned down, one being "Bridge on the River Kwai" !!
Turned down many roles in the 5's and 60's.
A little heavy reading, many do the same thing, tell you about every film they made and the story , mostly to films you have seen and know the story, I want to know more about the actor.
Overlong.
So three stars
January 3, 2021
Exhaustively researched, this book manages to place the man and the "role" of Cary Grant in context, without salaciousness, in an entertaining manner. Usually, the first chapters of a star's early years tend to a rather boring exposition. From the first chapter, I found myself engaged and at times enthralled. Eyman's premise is Archibald Leach created the persona of Cary Grant which was a brilliant facade over his true nature. By far one of the most interesting biographies I have read. The sections on Hollywood in the 30-40s were fascinating and incredibly detailed. Highly recommended!
January 3, 2021
One of the better biographies on Cary Grant.
December 10, 2020
Good biography of Cary Grant with a lot of detail but Cary Grant is missing. That is probably more his fault than anyone else’s. Cary seems to have been a very difficult person to get to know.
July 25, 2023
I'm not a big reader of biographies because I don't always find them compelling. Eyman does a remarkable thing, though: he takes all these facts representing eighty-some years and puts them together in a fascinating way. I was reluctant to stop reading, and I loved all the details about not just Grant, bt his many Hollywood friends. The bio offers many viewpoints, some of which are quite unflattering, but ultimately it did not change my view of Grant as a powerful presence and a real movie star.
August 18, 2020
For this and other reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com
Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman. I was given this copy for my honest opinion of the book.
What can I say about Cary Grant? I adore Cary Grant. I have so many Cary Grant movies, it is not funny. I probably have more than half of the 73 he made in his lifetime. His Hitchcock movies (Suspicion, Notorious, To Catch a Thief and North by Northwest) are comfort movies for me: whenever I can’t decide what sort of movie to watch, I invariably pull out one of those and pop it in the Blu Ray player.
I love Hollywood biographies, too. Pick an actor/actress that I think is reasonably good in the movies and I’ll read anything published about them. I’ve read all the good and bad Cary Grant biographies out there, but it’s been years since I read one, so I plunged in to Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise with open arms, unsure of what to expect. After all, there have been several comprehensive biographies done since Grant’s death in 1986, some more salacious than others.
Eyman does justice to the man we all called Cary Grant, but started life as Archie Leach from Bristol, England. His early life was explored thoroughly. In fact, Grant’s whole life was given an in-depth look, something I’d not read before. There’s quite a lot about his early days in show business, working in vaudeville, and even as a stilt walker on Coney Island.
All the backstory is nice as it gives the reader the image of Archie Leach as a troubled youth, whose father was an alcoholic and who was told his mother died (when actually his father had her committed to an asylum), and his desperation to get the heck out of Bristol, see the world, make a name for himself, and most importantly, raise his way out of poverty.
Things pick up once Leach, renamed Cary Grant in his early days in Hollywood, arrives in Tinseltown. Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise painstakingly follows Grant’s journey from bit player to successful actor, to movie star, to legend. Every film is discussed in detail, even the stinkers like Howards of Virginia and Crisis. Most of the time, the author’s opinion of certain films does not shine through. Rather, it is through newspaper and magazine reviews as well as box office receipts that decides whether a Cary Grant film was good or not. Some of my favorite Grant films (Penny Serenade, People Will Talk, The Talk of the Town, The Grass is Greener, Charade, That Touch of Mink, Indiscreet, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House) were not commercial successes, or were successful but not well-thought of.
Besides an in-depth look at all of Grant’s movies, Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise also explores his private life in a tasteful manner. There’s been so much speculation about whether Cary Grant was a homosexual, even during his lifetime, that the issue could not go unaddressed. Each of Grant’s five marriages is explored, but I found that very little is said of his fourth wife, Dyan Cannon, who gave him his only child. Maybe it is because Cannon is still alive and already wrote about her life with Cary in Dear Cary: My Life with Cary Grant. Eyman does not come to any solid conclusions, but several of his friends later in his life described Grant as starting out gay, then bisexual, then straight. There’s a great quote from Betsy Drake that I saw on a TCM documentary some years ago: “Why would I believe that Cary was homosexual when we were busy F***ing?” But she paused and then added, “Maybe he was bisexual. He lived 43 years before he met me. I don’t know what he did.”
Also explored is Grant’s use of the once-legal LSD as a way to overcome all the insecurities and darkness he held within. He used the drug more than 100 times, and he said the experiences made him a better person for it. But he was fiercely anti-drug, explaining that LSD wasn’t a drug, but a chemical.
And that is what the book ultimately shows: there were always two sides to Cary Grant. The image he projected as the suave, well-dressed, well-mannered man with a mid-Atlantic accent was just that. Deep inside he was still Archie Leach, the poor, insecure boy from Bristol who just wanted to make his parents proud.
I was also happy to see a lengthy section in Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise about his life after retirement. So often biographies in effect end once a person leaves the public eye. It was nice to read more about the post-movie Cary Grant, and his relationship with his daughter (who also wrote her own book about her dad some years back, Good Stuff: A Reminiscence of My Father, Cary Grant,) his work on several companies’ board of directors, his final, most satisfying marriage to Barbara Harris, and how he spent his final years.
Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise will be released to the general public October 20, 2020. I’ll definitely be adding it to my Hollywood biography section of my bookcase.
Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman. I was given this copy for my honest opinion of the book.
What can I say about Cary Grant? I adore Cary Grant. I have so many Cary Grant movies, it is not funny. I probably have more than half of the 73 he made in his lifetime. His Hitchcock movies (Suspicion, Notorious, To Catch a Thief and North by Northwest) are comfort movies for me: whenever I can’t decide what sort of movie to watch, I invariably pull out one of those and pop it in the Blu Ray player.
I love Hollywood biographies, too. Pick an actor/actress that I think is reasonably good in the movies and I’ll read anything published about them. I’ve read all the good and bad Cary Grant biographies out there, but it’s been years since I read one, so I plunged in to Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise with open arms, unsure of what to expect. After all, there have been several comprehensive biographies done since Grant’s death in 1986, some more salacious than others.
Eyman does justice to the man we all called Cary Grant, but started life as Archie Leach from Bristol, England. His early life was explored thoroughly. In fact, Grant’s whole life was given an in-depth look, something I’d not read before. There’s quite a lot about his early days in show business, working in vaudeville, and even as a stilt walker on Coney Island.
All the backstory is nice as it gives the reader the image of Archie Leach as a troubled youth, whose father was an alcoholic and who was told his mother died (when actually his father had her committed to an asylum), and his desperation to get the heck out of Bristol, see the world, make a name for himself, and most importantly, raise his way out of poverty.
Things pick up once Leach, renamed Cary Grant in his early days in Hollywood, arrives in Tinseltown. Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise painstakingly follows Grant’s journey from bit player to successful actor, to movie star, to legend. Every film is discussed in detail, even the stinkers like Howards of Virginia and Crisis. Most of the time, the author’s opinion of certain films does not shine through. Rather, it is through newspaper and magazine reviews as well as box office receipts that decides whether a Cary Grant film was good or not. Some of my favorite Grant films (Penny Serenade, People Will Talk, The Talk of the Town, The Grass is Greener, Charade, That Touch of Mink, Indiscreet, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House) were not commercial successes, or were successful but not well-thought of.
Besides an in-depth look at all of Grant’s movies, Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise also explores his private life in a tasteful manner. There’s been so much speculation about whether Cary Grant was a homosexual, even during his lifetime, that the issue could not go unaddressed. Each of Grant’s five marriages is explored, but I found that very little is said of his fourth wife, Dyan Cannon, who gave him his only child. Maybe it is because Cannon is still alive and already wrote about her life with Cary in Dear Cary: My Life with Cary Grant. Eyman does not come to any solid conclusions, but several of his friends later in his life described Grant as starting out gay, then bisexual, then straight. There’s a great quote from Betsy Drake that I saw on a TCM documentary some years ago: “Why would I believe that Cary was homosexual when we were busy F***ing?” But she paused and then added, “Maybe he was bisexual. He lived 43 years before he met me. I don’t know what he did.”
Also explored is Grant’s use of the once-legal LSD as a way to overcome all the insecurities and darkness he held within. He used the drug more than 100 times, and he said the experiences made him a better person for it. But he was fiercely anti-drug, explaining that LSD wasn’t a drug, but a chemical.
And that is what the book ultimately shows: there were always two sides to Cary Grant. The image he projected as the suave, well-dressed, well-mannered man with a mid-Atlantic accent was just that. Deep inside he was still Archie Leach, the poor, insecure boy from Bristol who just wanted to make his parents proud.
I was also happy to see a lengthy section in Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise about his life after retirement. So often biographies in effect end once a person leaves the public eye. It was nice to read more about the post-movie Cary Grant, and his relationship with his daughter (who also wrote her own book about her dad some years back, Good Stuff: A Reminiscence of My Father, Cary Grant,) his work on several companies’ board of directors, his final, most satisfying marriage to Barbara Harris, and how he spent his final years.
Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise will be released to the general public October 20, 2020. I’ll definitely be adding it to my Hollywood biography section of my bookcase.
April 3, 2021
Well… this certainly is a book about Cary Grant. There’s a front cover and a back cover. In between there’s a lot of pages with the words “Cary” and “Grant” on them. Sooooo… yep. That makes it a book about Cary Grant.
I’m probably being a little mean to author Scott Eyman. My rule of thumb for a biography like this is “Did I learn something new?” And I certainly did learn plenty about Cary Grant. But there seems to be a certain fire that’s missing from this. Mr. Eyman certainly isn’t a film critic, giving the barest amount of time to discussing Mr. Grant’s absolute-classic films like Notorious or His Girl Friday. He takes a shot at covering Grant's relationship with one of his most frequent directors, Alfred Hitchcock, it just doesn't seem to have much depth. It would be more interesting in the hands of someone with a good, critical eye who's discussing their artistic output. Maybe the lack of excitement isn’t all Mr. Eyman’s fault because, if there’s one thing I learned from this book, it’s that Cary Grant was kind of boring! His most notable character trait is that he was a bit of a penny-pincher, saving the rubber bands from the morning newspaper and charging his friends for any long-distance calls they made from his phone. He wasn’t too good at being married, but you don’t have to be in Hollywood to have that problem. He never had an issue with alcohol that plagued stars like Spencer Tracy. The closest thing to an illicit vice he had would be the 200-some magic carpet ride trips he took on LSD. Even then, he always took it in a controlled environment under the watchful eye of a psychiatrist. This is more an example of Cary being ahead of his time, as doctors today are starting to look at the benefits of hallucinogens in treating depression and chronic pain.
If you’re looking for a book about Cary Grant, you could do worse than this one. But if you’re looking for a fascinating look at Cary Grant as an actor, I highly recommend Pauline Kael’s 1975 essay “The Man from Dream City.” I should warn you that it looks like you have to sign up with a free New Yorker account to read the whole thing, but it’s well worth it.
I’m always unpleasantly surprised when an audiobook biography is narrated by someone who has absolutely no idea what they’re reading about, mispronouncing names or songs or movies that directly involve the person that's the subject of the book they're reading. After listening to this book, I can tell you that Angelo DeLoreto knows absolutely nothing about classic Hollywood! Most film buffs know that the last name of legendary director John Huston is pronounced like the Texas city Houston, while Angelo calls him HUH-stuhn. Olivia De Havilland gets the letters in her last name transposed into Olivia De Hallivand. That would be a funny mistake if it happened once, but he manages to do it twice! The one that made me actually laugh out loud was when the book covered the movie Father Goose, starring Grant and French actress Leslie Caron. Her last name is pronounced kuh-ROHN… but Angelo calls her Leslie Karen! Angelo, you poor thing, take some time off from narrating and watch The Maltese Falcon! Get back to me if you need more movie recommendations!
I’m probably being a little mean to author Scott Eyman. My rule of thumb for a biography like this is “Did I learn something new?” And I certainly did learn plenty about Cary Grant. But there seems to be a certain fire that’s missing from this. Mr. Eyman certainly isn’t a film critic, giving the barest amount of time to discussing Mr. Grant’s absolute-classic films like Notorious or His Girl Friday. He takes a shot at covering Grant's relationship with one of his most frequent directors, Alfred Hitchcock, it just doesn't seem to have much depth. It would be more interesting in the hands of someone with a good, critical eye who's discussing their artistic output. Maybe the lack of excitement isn’t all Mr. Eyman’s fault because, if there’s one thing I learned from this book, it’s that Cary Grant was kind of boring! His most notable character trait is that he was a bit of a penny-pincher, saving the rubber bands from the morning newspaper and charging his friends for any long-distance calls they made from his phone. He wasn’t too good at being married, but you don’t have to be in Hollywood to have that problem. He never had an issue with alcohol that plagued stars like Spencer Tracy. The closest thing to an illicit vice he had would be the 200-some magic carpet ride trips he took on LSD. Even then, he always took it in a controlled environment under the watchful eye of a psychiatrist. This is more an example of Cary being ahead of his time, as doctors today are starting to look at the benefits of hallucinogens in treating depression and chronic pain.
If you’re looking for a book about Cary Grant, you could do worse than this one. But if you’re looking for a fascinating look at Cary Grant as an actor, I highly recommend Pauline Kael’s 1975 essay “The Man from Dream City.” I should warn you that it looks like you have to sign up with a free New Yorker account to read the whole thing, but it’s well worth it.
I’m always unpleasantly surprised when an audiobook biography is narrated by someone who has absolutely no idea what they’re reading about, mispronouncing names or songs or movies that directly involve the person that's the subject of the book they're reading. After listening to this book, I can tell you that Angelo DeLoreto knows absolutely nothing about classic Hollywood! Most film buffs know that the last name of legendary director John Huston is pronounced like the Texas city Houston, while Angelo calls him HUH-stuhn. Olivia De Havilland gets the letters in her last name transposed into Olivia De Hallivand. That would be a funny mistake if it happened once, but he manages to do it twice! The one that made me actually laugh out loud was when the book covered the movie Father Goose, starring Grant and French actress Leslie Caron. Her last name is pronounced kuh-ROHN… but Angelo calls her Leslie Karen! Angelo, you poor thing, take some time off from narrating and watch The Maltese Falcon! Get back to me if you need more movie recommendations!
February 28, 2023
Excellent biography that details Cary Grant's difficult childhood, early days in an acrobatic dance troupe, his stellar film career, five marriages and life in retirement. As the title implies, Cary Grant was a fabrication created by Archie Leach and that persona was one that he carried over into his private life, at least when he was interacting with others. In private, he was haunted by feelings of guilt toward his parents and he struggled to maintain relationships with women.
Grant's film career is detailed and covers everything from his relations with co-stars on the set to his salaries. As his clout increased in Hollywood, he became demanding on the set and drove at least one director to hospitalization after they worked together. After retirement, Grant became disillusioned with the film industry and rarely discussed his life in films. A shrewd businessman, he became very wealthy but was also known as a notorious penny-pincher (he never picked up the tab when dining with friends and once offered Rosalind Russell the use of his Rolls-Royce but then casually added that she would have to pay a rental fee as well as the chauffeur's salary!).
The lingering questions of Grant's sexuality is also addressed. Although seemingly brushed aside as a false rumor when discussing Grant's years living with Randolph Scott (the author annoying refers to Scott as “Randy”), a notable source is quoted as saying that Grant confessed to him that he was bi-sexual in his early days but straight in his later years. One of his most intense affairs was with Sophia Loren (while he was married to Betsy Drake) and he wanted to marry her but Loren was one of the few women who turned him down. After marriage, his wives would find him to be controlling (down to choosing their clothing) and averse to their working in the film industry.
Despite his flaws, Grant was known as an extremely kind and patient man, especially to children. One of the most interesting chapters discusses the minor details of his personality (what he liked to eat, the routine of his day, favorite tv programs, etc.)
Grant's film career is detailed and covers everything from his relations with co-stars on the set to his salaries. As his clout increased in Hollywood, he became demanding on the set and drove at least one director to hospitalization after they worked together. After retirement, Grant became disillusioned with the film industry and rarely discussed his life in films. A shrewd businessman, he became very wealthy but was also known as a notorious penny-pincher (he never picked up the tab when dining with friends and once offered Rosalind Russell the use of his Rolls-Royce but then casually added that she would have to pay a rental fee as well as the chauffeur's salary!).
The lingering questions of Grant's sexuality is also addressed. Although seemingly brushed aside as a false rumor when discussing Grant's years living with Randolph Scott (the author annoying refers to Scott as “Randy”), a notable source is quoted as saying that Grant confessed to him that he was bi-sexual in his early days but straight in his later years. One of his most intense affairs was with Sophia Loren (while he was married to Betsy Drake) and he wanted to marry her but Loren was one of the few women who turned him down. After marriage, his wives would find him to be controlling (down to choosing their clothing) and averse to their working in the film industry.
Despite his flaws, Grant was known as an extremely kind and patient man, especially to children. One of the most interesting chapters discusses the minor details of his personality (what he liked to eat, the routine of his day, favorite tv programs, etc.)
November 19, 2020
Okay I have to state that Cary Grant is one of my all time favorite actors. I loved him since I was a child and watched him in Father Goose. Everyone needs to watch that film!! So I had to read this book.
The book was a bit disappointing for me. I’m sorry, but it was so long and at times boring. The facts of each movie, money, crops, screenplay, actors and location was too much for me. I had to skim over those parts. I also didn’t care how the writer made Mr. Grant into a frugal, antisocial and at times rude person. I don’t want to remember Mr. Grant that way. I know this was a biography and he interviewed a lot of people who knew him but it was too much negative. I loved the stories of him and his daughter. The stories showed how much he loved her. My heart goes out to her for losing him at such a young age.
I appreciate all the hard work this writer had to do to write this book. Which is way I feel bad not liking it as much as others did.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.
The book was a bit disappointing for me. I’m sorry, but it was so long and at times boring. The facts of each movie, money, crops, screenplay, actors and location was too much for me. I had to skim over those parts. I also didn’t care how the writer made Mr. Grant into a frugal, antisocial and at times rude person. I don’t want to remember Mr. Grant that way. I know this was a biography and he interviewed a lot of people who knew him but it was too much negative. I loved the stories of him and his daughter. The stories showed how much he loved her. My heart goes out to her for losing him at such a young age.
I appreciate all the hard work this writer had to do to write this book. Which is way I feel bad not liking it as much as others did.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.
February 2, 2021
I have always been a huge Cary Grant fan and was thus drawn to this biography when I read a recent positive newspaper review of it. Grant was a consummate professional who made whatever role he played look easy. Turns out acting was far from easy for him and the hardest role he had to deal with was that of Cary Grant, the invention of himself. He was born Archie Leach to an alcoholic father and a less than loving mother who was committed to an asylum when Leach was around 10 years old, (I don't think I'm spoiling anything to say that thanks to his father's lie, he assumes she had died until he learned the truth decades later!) He was shy and insecure (I would never have guessed that from his mostly suave and debonair on screen demeanor. Plus when you look like Cary Grant did, what's to be insecure about?!) So here are a few of the positives I liked about the book. First it is obviously well researched and features a lot of first hand quotations from both Grant and his close circle of friends including multiple wives. There is much of interest in learning how several of his films and best roles came about. I especially enjoyed learning about the roles he turned down: "Around The World In 80 Days" (might have been OK with Grant, but David Niven owned that film.) "Lawrence of Arabia"(would not have been the success it was without Peter O'Toole) "My Fair Lady" (a disaster without Rex Harrison, and Grant knew this telling the producers that not only would he not play the role, but if Rex Harrison wasn't in the film Grant wouldn't even go see it!) The only film that would have probably been better with Grant starring would (this is my view not the author's) have been "Love in the Afternoon" where a too old Gary Cooper starred opposite a young Audrey Hepburn, still a good film but their pairing was a little creepy. Some of Grant's movies are in my list of top films of all time like "To Catch A Thief", "North By Northwest" and "Charade". And I'm in the minority also liking "Mr Lucky" and "Father Goose". And I do agree with Grant himself that "Arsenic and Old Lace" was one of his worst performances, he felt it would have been far better with Jimmy Stewart. He was correct. And that's another plus of this book. The author does give some insight as to why each of Grant's films either succeeded or didn't, and I found that interesting. My negatives about the book were: that it was often repetitive. We get that Grant had these insecurities and issues from his childhood and they were recurring themes throughout. There were also many references to the Hollywood parties with long lists of which stars attended each, which sounded more like name dropping than important bio facts. The other issue I had was that the author tended to stray off point by following other story lines about some of Grant''s friends and acquaintances which I didn't find entirely apropos to a Cary Grant biography. That being said, since I like Cary Grant so much, I did enjoy reading this. I do warn those who, like me, are Grant fans, this bio presents him warts and all, from his cheap, tightfisted nature, his self-centered personality to questions about his sexuality. (The former two a bit bothersome, the later I could care less about.) I learned alot about the early days of vaudeville, film making and the business side of it and will probably enjoy seeing some of my favorite Grant movies (and a few I've never seen) more having read this biography.
August 8, 2021
They say you should never meet your heroes. You also probably shouldn’t read about them either. Scott Eyman presents an image of Cary Grant (the man) that is difficult to assimilate with my own concept of Cary Grant (the star)—which is essentially the point of this book. Grant himself spent most of his adult life struggling between his true self, largely hidden from others, and the “brilliant disguise” of the star persona he created.
Eyman does a good job demonstrating that Cary Grant was essentially a bundle of contradictions. He offers countless anecdotes that show the dueling sides of Grant’s personality. Colleagues either remember him as a difficult diva or the most generous acting partner. He could be extremely cruel, while many remember his kindness and concern. He seemed to resent his adoring fans at times, while at other times needing to feel their love and appreciation (and attendance at the box office).
Besides the overall portrait of Grant, there are interesting tidbits throughout. At times, these tidbits turn into tangents and you aren't quite sure where Eyman is going with this information or why, before he ultimately brings it back to Grant. You do get a sense of the broader scene Grant is working in, such as life on the vaudeville circuit or the fate of Grant's Hollywood colleagues like Leo McCarey. A particularly interesting segment speculated on whether Grant was involved in intelligence operations with Alexander Korda during the war. While I wish there had been some more evidence available to support this, it was nevertheless a surprising and fascinating possibility. Eyman also provides a great deal of detail on the financial aspects of Cary Grant’s movies. Because Cary Grant had such a long career, this allows us to see the transformation of Hollywood over time and the shift of power from the studios to the stars.
I would cautiously recommend this to other fans of Cary Grant's work; be prepared to see a side of him you haven't seen on screen. Grant is my favorite actor, so it was disappointing to break the illusion and accept that the image on the screen is so different from the reality. This was perhaps the source of Grant’s lifelong anguish; he had fooled others but could never really fool himself. Throughout the book, I found myself moving between irritation with Grant and pity for him, for not realizing what a gift his talent has been to the world.
Eyman does a good job demonstrating that Cary Grant was essentially a bundle of contradictions. He offers countless anecdotes that show the dueling sides of Grant’s personality. Colleagues either remember him as a difficult diva or the most generous acting partner. He could be extremely cruel, while many remember his kindness and concern. He seemed to resent his adoring fans at times, while at other times needing to feel their love and appreciation (and attendance at the box office).
Besides the overall portrait of Grant, there are interesting tidbits throughout. At times, these tidbits turn into tangents and you aren't quite sure where Eyman is going with this information or why, before he ultimately brings it back to Grant. You do get a sense of the broader scene Grant is working in, such as life on the vaudeville circuit or the fate of Grant's Hollywood colleagues like Leo McCarey. A particularly interesting segment speculated on whether Grant was involved in intelligence operations with Alexander Korda during the war. While I wish there had been some more evidence available to support this, it was nevertheless a surprising and fascinating possibility. Eyman also provides a great deal of detail on the financial aspects of Cary Grant’s movies. Because Cary Grant had such a long career, this allows us to see the transformation of Hollywood over time and the shift of power from the studios to the stars.
I would cautiously recommend this to other fans of Cary Grant's work; be prepared to see a side of him you haven't seen on screen. Grant is my favorite actor, so it was disappointing to break the illusion and accept that the image on the screen is so different from the reality. This was perhaps the source of Grant’s lifelong anguish; he had fooled others but could never really fool himself. Throughout the book, I found myself moving between irritation with Grant and pity for him, for not realizing what a gift his talent has been to the world.
July 24, 2024
"All the art historians wish to break down the motives, and the color scheme, and so on. I would rather know, as I do, his essence."
Eyman’s “Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise” wonderfully captures the complicated and complex essence of the protagonist Grant. Its lengthy text trades getting bogged down in the details for a captivating story, aimed at sharing his intricate being. You can find accounts anywhere, but the extensive research and interviews Eyman conducted gives insight into the soul submerged within them.
Eyman’s “Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise” wonderfully captures the complicated and complex essence of the protagonist Grant. Its lengthy text trades getting bogged down in the details for a captivating story, aimed at sharing his intricate being. You can find accounts anywhere, but the extensive research and interviews Eyman conducted gives insight into the soul submerged within them.
February 6, 2021
Decent. Although the author tried to show who Grant really was a lot of it was still surface level and in particular with his relationship with Cannon I feel like there was a dark edge there he decided not to unbury.
November 4, 2021
Cary Grant is one of the biggest stars of old Hollywood. His name, his face and his voice are known the world around even decades after his death. He famously said that everyone wanted to be Cary Grant, that even he wanted to be him. It was a character he made up for himself, but the real man beneath could be quite different from the screen persona. Author Scott Eyman has worked to reveal the real man behind the icon in this well-written and well-researched book.
“Everything starts with pretense. One pretends to do something, or copy someone or some teacher, until it can be done confidently and easily in what becomes one’s own manner.” -Cary Grant
The formula worked. Grant was on top for decades working independently of a studio contract and taking profit shares on his films. In spite of his fame and talent, Grant never won an Oscar for a film role. Peter Stone won an Oscar for best screenplay for Father Goose and in his acceptance speech said, “I want to thank Cary Grant who keeps winning these things for other people.”
Of course, not all of his films were slam dunks. Director Stanley Donen said of Kiss Them For Me, "The problem with making a movie is you can never get a divorce. It's yours forever."
Grant struggled to find happiness in his life. He was married five times and later in life used LSD to try to get a handle on his own mind, but he didn't seem to truly find contentment until his daughter Jennifer was born. He had a difficult upbringing and those ghosts haunted him forever. Eyman wrote, "You can spend a lifetime trying to outrun childhood deprivation, and you will always fail.”
I love that the author uses a plethora of direct quotes, some from interviews he conducted, some from those he gleaned in his research. “Ingrid would wear no makeup and have a shoelace tied in her hair. She had no knowledge about fashion or such matters. She just showed up and did her work. Women who wear all that makeup, there’s something fake going on.” — Grant
I read this book with the Silver Screen Book Club.
I got my copy signed by the author at Cinevent in Columbus, Ohio in October 2021.
“Everything starts with pretense. One pretends to do something, or copy someone or some teacher, until it can be done confidently and easily in what becomes one’s own manner.” -Cary Grant
The formula worked. Grant was on top for decades working independently of a studio contract and taking profit shares on his films. In spite of his fame and talent, Grant never won an Oscar for a film role. Peter Stone won an Oscar for best screenplay for Father Goose and in his acceptance speech said, “I want to thank Cary Grant who keeps winning these things for other people.”
Of course, not all of his films were slam dunks. Director Stanley Donen said of Kiss Them For Me, "The problem with making a movie is you can never get a divorce. It's yours forever."
Grant struggled to find happiness in his life. He was married five times and later in life used LSD to try to get a handle on his own mind, but he didn't seem to truly find contentment until his daughter Jennifer was born. He had a difficult upbringing and those ghosts haunted him forever. Eyman wrote, "You can spend a lifetime trying to outrun childhood deprivation, and you will always fail.”
I love that the author uses a plethora of direct quotes, some from interviews he conducted, some from those he gleaned in his research. “Ingrid would wear no makeup and have a shoelace tied in her hair. She had no knowledge about fashion or such matters. She just showed up and did her work. Women who wear all that makeup, there’s something fake going on.” — Grant
I read this book with the Silver Screen Book Club.
I got my copy signed by the author at Cinevent in Columbus, Ohio in October 2021.
February 9, 2024
I think this is an excellent biography of Cary Grant and early Hollywood. I've always been a fan of these old-time actors and actresses. From the silent films up until the late 60's and maybe even into the 70's were wonderful times for the movie business. Overall, these movie stars had a kind of class, even the great comedians; that most entertainers do not have these days. His screen career went from 1932 to 1966 and my personal favorite movies of his are Gunga Din and North by Northwest. At 485 pages not including 70 pages of notes and an index I cannot imagine a more exhaustive bio of Cary Grant. At least I've not seen another book like this one. The problem sometimes when you read a biography of a favorite movie star, sports figure etc. is finding out not only the good stuff about them but also the things you wish you didn't know. Cary Grant was a very complicated man of many contradictions. It was a very fair book covering both the good and the not so good. You really have to read the book yourself to get a true feel for all of his ups and downs. Definitely a book I would recommend to a fan.
February 22, 2022
A really good biography, I think, is perhaps a more difficult achievement than even a really good novel. It is, after all, writing about times and places in which you were not present and which you must resist the urge to imagine. This one opens very well, with a moving recitation of Cary Grant's last few days. After that, I began to feel like the book would not live up to those pages. But we are talking about a complicated life that spans decades and continents and within that there are bound to be a few lapses here and that pull you from the trajectory of the subject matter. Some have criticized the book for having too many details - but after all, that is why you read a biography. If you did not want details, you would settle for an online profile or wiki somewhere. There were a few times where the narrative centered a bit too much on someone not Grant, but in the totality of things, it added body to some of the relationships he had. The real challenge for me is that like so many others, I held Cary on a pedestal. He was a very complex person who faced many personal challenges. The nice thing is that after reading about it all, he is still on the pedestal.
February 23, 2021
If there’s ever been a book written about Cary Grant, it only scratches the surface compared to this one.
I thought I knew a bit about Archie Leach, aka Cary Grant. He’s aloof, he’s sensual, but he’s also very GQ. Right? That’s him? I had no idea how much he struggled with his self-esteem, only to end up being rather full of himself. He could be quite generous, but also off-putting in his stinginess. He loved his friends dearly, but only had a few friends. He was the ultimate romantic, trying to find the right one…all while not being entirely sure what he wanted in that right one.
He’s a complicated man, but what really stuck with me about Cary Grant was him trying so hard to impress his mother, the woman who left him to be raised by his father. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy. Bought her houses, cars, made sure someone took care of her, but he never quite measured up to what she wanted and what he thought she wanted of him. Honestly, it was the most relatable thing in the book. I can understand not measuring up to what my mother thinks I should be and how I try only to fail quite a bit–like he did.
If you’re looking for a book that’s unflinching in it’s honesty and covers almost all of Grant’s life, then this might be the book you’re looking for. Be prepared–it’s a long book, so buckle in for the wild ride.
I thought I knew a bit about Archie Leach, aka Cary Grant. He’s aloof, he’s sensual, but he’s also very GQ. Right? That’s him? I had no idea how much he struggled with his self-esteem, only to end up being rather full of himself. He could be quite generous, but also off-putting in his stinginess. He loved his friends dearly, but only had a few friends. He was the ultimate romantic, trying to find the right one…all while not being entirely sure what he wanted in that right one.
He’s a complicated man, but what really stuck with me about Cary Grant was him trying so hard to impress his mother, the woman who left him to be raised by his father. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy. Bought her houses, cars, made sure someone took care of her, but he never quite measured up to what she wanted and what he thought she wanted of him. Honestly, it was the most relatable thing in the book. I can understand not measuring up to what my mother thinks I should be and how I try only to fail quite a bit–like he did.
If you’re looking for a book that’s unflinching in it’s honesty and covers almost all of Grant’s life, then this might be the book you’re looking for. Be prepared–it’s a long book, so buckle in for the wild ride.
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