Great stars have great stories. But in the case of Cary Grant, things are not as simple and fancy as one would expect. His life was never an open book. Skepticism, enigmas and controversies always keep on weighing down on the facets of his life, time and again. The obscured twists on his professional and personal fronts have always pulled media bugs to their feet even after years. However, his ex-wife and daughter have cleared the way for his fans. They have shed light on his debated life through their memoirs. One secret that he held onto for all his life is now out for all to see so let’s dive in.
Under-Cover Real Side
Cary made his name with his lively charm. He always tried to present himself as a composed man. However, behind his light attitude, there was a stark background. His big-screen roles were nowhere around his troubled and afflicted personal life. From his harrowing childhood to his failed marriages, everything had its story in his life that is far from the eyes of the world. Thanks to the memoirs doing rounds; the gloomy bits have risen to the fore to paint his ‘real’ side. His intricate and dark life has finally come out of the covers and in the light.
Not Losing The Tan
Born in Horfield, Bristol, England, Cary maintained a charm that was in contrast to his origins. Despite having his roots in the chilly land of Europe, he made his mark by donning a tanned look. Well, if you are tracing it to the magical result of makeup and all, then you have seriously mistaken. Grant never staked his fitness and appearance for any worldly temptation. He put in his efforts to have his alluring tanned look rule throughout his life. So no matter what time you see him around the year, he was always up to entice one.
Low-key Attitude
After getting recognition on the screen, one can usually see stars building on their personality and attitude. They work out their protocols and keep their lives within them to get attention. However, Cary was an exception in that trend. He used to go around donning a light-hearted look and attitude. As a result, Hollywood fans sometimes used to fail to recognize him in public view. There have been instances when he had to face the ignorance of people around him. But he never ceased to give up on his down to earth attitude and presentation in that sphere.
Inspiration For James Bond
James Bond continues to be an iconic character and hero of the mystery circle around the world. Not just his smartness but his looks and demeanor also laid the ground for his mass popularity. To one’s wonder, it was Cary Grant who acted as an inspiration for writer Ian Flemming. He borrowed from his alluring look and personality and gave way to the worldwide famous character. According to popular belief, Ian got the idea from Cary’s iconic character Devlin in Notorious in 1946. Thus, one can easily trace a thread running through the two characters on the screen.
Theatrical Dawn
With his childhood days rearing in a gloomy atmosphere, Cary finally tried to find an escape. In that pursuit, he ended up reaching theatrical bits. Thanks to his acrobatic flair, he became a stilt walker and joined the Bob Pender Stage Troupe. At the age of sixteen, he toured the United States with the group and decided to stay in the country. His theatrical stints groomed him up for his screen days and helped him scale the ladder. Thus, he cherished a comforting bond with the theatre and bits. It stayed on with him throughout his star life.
Changing The Name
When Cary landed in America, he was carrying his original name: Archibald Alec Leach. It gave him his identity until he signed with Paramount Pictures. The studio was not happy with the 27-year-old man’s name and asked him to go for a fancy one. Going that way, he picked up Cary Lockwood, based on his character in Nikki on Broadway. But that too did not go well with them. Finally, after discussions, he ended up with Cary Grant. He thought to harbor the magic of initials (CG) that had worked in the case of artists like Clark Gable.
Failing The Screen-Test
Iconic careers find their foundations in failures. One can see that in line with Cary’s career start. He did not become a star with flicks. But he struggled and faced it. He hit that line in 1928 when he had appeared for a screen test for the Fox Film Corporation. To his dismay, his neck and legs could not match their parameters and expectations. But, as everybody knows, that was not the end for him. He broke the ceiling with his name and fame. His looks and personality worked out the charm in the domain over the years.
The Big Break
His theatrical stints and other performances finally set the stage for his big-screen debut. Getting up with Paramount Pictures, he got his first film: ‘This is the Night’. To his delight, it managed to strike the right note. He got recognition and appreciation for his role. That threw open the door for more projects to land in his acting bag. After that, he saw many big names and movies featuring on his acting board for his flair. He also starred opposite to beautiful and iconic actress Mae West in ‘She Done Him Wrong’ (1933) and ‘I’m No Angel’.
A Minor Slump
After a few streaks of success, Grant began to see a transitory low. His preceding movies could not stir the fame wheel to a great extent. With disappointments looming around, he did not halt. He kept his spirits up and looked up for good times to come. His patience and confidence finally yielded him some relief. The comedy film ‘The Awful Truth’ (1937) finally knocked on his door. Heaven smiled on him, and it became a big hit. That unchained other hits and made his career path shimmer with his unforgettable and star performances in the Hollywood world.
Always The Hero
Style and grace painted his image in the film industry. His handsome face was the one every filmmaker wanted to cast to deliver a big hit. Not just that, the audience also loved to see and celebrate his hero looks to the full. Thus, nobody in the filmmaking line wanted to plunge into a bizarre by bringing him into the villain mould. Besides the heroic bits, there came ‘Suspicion’ by Hitchcock in 1941 that threatened his erstwhile hero looks. However, he managed to ride out of that skepticism and retained his charming hero talks even with that film.
The Hitchcock Connection
Actors always manage to forge an association with a particular filmmaker and go on delivering hits together. Grant cherished that connection with the much-celebrated Alfred Hitchcock. They teamed up time and again to put up some stunning and memorable runs in the film industry. They went on cementing their names together with works like ‘To Catch a Thief’ and ‘North By Northwest’ on the charts. Not just films, they also shared a similar award platter. Both of them managed to get award nominations but did not win an Academy Award or a Golden Globe in their entire career.
Giving War Support
Though Cary had his career flourish in the United State, yet he did not forget his homeland. Thus, when the World War II vibes began ravaging Britain, he came forward to lend a supporting hand. He did not leave his acting to pick up arms, but he took the financial route for that cause. He donated his salaries from his two movies for the war affairs. According to some, he also put his fellow actors and wife under the suspicion scanner. His war services earned him the Kings Medal for Services in the Cause of Freedom in 1947.
Retirement Beckons
Carrying his acting waves for years, Cary welcomed his first child Jennifer Grant with his fourth wife Dyan Cannon in 1966. That brought a change of heart for him. He considered it to be the right time to abandon the acting lanes and explore other avenues. Finally, he took retirement and moved away from the acting limelight. He gathered his efforts and joined the board of directors of Fabergé. That brought his other talent to light. He evolved well in business lines and got on the board of Western Airlines. He became the director of MGM in 1875.
Burgeoning Discontent
His retirement decisions did not come out of the blues. He had been breathing discontent with the newer approach Hollywood was taking up. His appearance in motion films had halted back in 1952. The fame that James Dean and Marlon Brando style was garnering led to his disquiet. He could see the traditional approach slipping into an abyss with no scope of its revival. Apart from that, he also stood in support of the case of another icon in the sphere. Hollywood’s harsh treatment of Charlie Chaplin for his liberal viewpoints irked him and led to his disenchantment.
Stewart’s Loss
When the soon-to-be hit ‘North By Northwest’ was on the anvil, there was a building consensus to offer the role to another star of the time: Jimmy Stewart. A product of Ernest Lehman’s writing, it was all up to see the direction of Hitchcock. Jimmy’s pick for the film was gaining ground when Hitchcock stepped against it. The director believed him not to be the best choice for the picture. After all, he had higher faith in the acting skills of his favorite Cary Grant. He declined to budge. Finally, Grant got the role that illuminated his life.
Heart-Breaking Demise
After steering away from the acting line, he tested many other ventures. Not just that, he also got ahead for tours called ‘A Conversation With Cary Grant’. He would visit different cities and answer questions of his fans bubbling around. The initiative was going well and garnering fame in his fan base. Taking it ahead, he was all set to deliver another success in the tour drive. However, destiny had something else in store for him. Before making the appearance, he suffered a stroke. Finally, he took his last breath on November 29, 1986, leaving his fans heartbroken.
A Rocky Marriage
Apart from his acting, he also made headlines for his failed marriages. He married five times in his life. He married first time with Virginia Cherrill on February 9, 1934, in London. However, it did not last long and pitched them against each other in a fierce marital battle. Cherrill filed for divorce on the grounds of domestic abuse. They finally dissolved their marriage on March 26, 1935. It did not stop there, and Cherrill went on demanding $1,000 a week from his Paramount earnings. Their rocky marriage also fed news and media sections to a great extent.
Loving The Rebound
Leaving behind the bitter memories of his first failed marriage, he began seeing actress Phyllis Brooks in 1937. The two fell in love with each other and began to make an appearance as a couple. Soon, marriage vows began to do rounds for them. Furthering their relationship, they took on a tour around Europe in mid-1939. Speculations regarding their marriage began to build when they paid a visit to the Roman villa of Dorothy Taylor Dentice di Frasso in Italy. However, the visit could not sustain their relationship. They ended up parting their ways a few months later.
Amicable Separation
Despite his previous failure in marriage, Cary did not lose hope in its goodness. He went for a second marital ride by tieingthe knot with Barbara Hutton. She was one of the wealthiest women at that time, with her wealth of $50 million. Her financial position weighed in, and people started branding them as “Cash and Cary”. To exonerate himself, he refused any financial settlement in the prenuptial agreement. To his dismay, that marriage too could not last, and they divorced in 1945. But in that case, separation came on amicable grounds, and their friendship remained intact.
3 Is The Magic Number
Moving ahead, it was time for him to go for his third marriage. He took marriage vows with his co-star Betsy Drake on December 25, 1949. The couple had shared screen together in two of his movies. Thus, there was some space for understanding between the two. Not just that, Cary had taken that to be the last marriage in his life. It went by his belief to some extent as it turned to be the longest marriage of his life. However, after their togetherness of 12 years, they decided to divorce. That materialized on August 14, 1962.
Infidelity In Limelight
His third marriage snapped with his infidelity coming to light. He had grown close to Sophia Loren and ended up having an affair with her. The two had shared the screen in ‘The Pride and the Passion’. Not just that, they had also come together for the film ‘Houseboat’. To one’s surprise, Betsy had written that. Thus, his affair and infidelity tore their well-going marriage apart. Not just that, it also highlighted his unstable side thriving in his love life. And, with that, his third marriage crumbled down, setting him free for another voyage in the marital sea.
On A Marital Spree
Making another mark in the marital domain, Cary tied the knot for the fourth time with Dyan Cannon on July 22, 1965. What made his marriage stand out from his previous marital spree was their age difference. Dyan was 33 years younger than Cary. That difference managed to win the attention of media and fans around the world. Going ahead together, they welcomed Cary’s first child Jennifer Grant on February 26, 1966. After her birth, everybody expected their marriage to endure. However, like his previous failed marriages, that did not come true. And, they parted in August 1967.
A Deadly Accident
The time of 1968 was full of loss and pain for Cary. The actor had to go through the pain of separation with his divorce to Dyan Cannon. But that was not all on the cards for him. On March 12, 1968, he had a close encounter with death while he was driving a limousine to JFK Airport. A truck hit the side of his car in Queens (New York). The accident left his three ribs broken. He had to spend seventeen days recovering in a hospital. While struggling with pain, he divorced his wife nine days later.
Paternity Suit Filed
There was no end in sight for Cary in love lane. He began dating his co-star actress Cynthia Bouron. After being named Academy Honorary Award winner, he decided to end the 12-year impasse with awards ceremony by attending it. However, his joy extinguished as Bouron came out in public to file a paternity suit against him. She went to claim him as the father of her 7-week-old daughter. However, he managed to quell the matter by pressing on a blood test. Bouron failed on that count and had to strike down his name from her daughter’s birth certificate.
Other Love Debacles
The slugfest surrounding his affair with Bouron did not deter him from continuing his love streaks. Throwing behind the harrowing bits of his love and marital life, he went ahead to lose his heart to Maureen Donaldson. The photojournalist from the United Kingdom came to the fore to be his other love interest. However, their love petered out quickly. Cary was again up for striking another match. He ended up finding brief solace in younger Victoria Morgan. As expected, that failed too. These two fleeting relationships kept him occupied between 1973 and 1977 in the best possible way.
Happiness At Last
Age did not overweigh his desire to look for a partner. Brushing aside the contentious facets of his personal life, he ended up crossing roads with the last wife of his life. Attending one of the Fabergé conferences at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, he came across Barbara Harris working in the same hotel. Despite being 47 years younger than him, she gelled on with him very well. She moved in with him in California in 1979. Finally, they got married to seal their love. To people’s astonishment, they lived happily until his heartbreaking death in 1986.
Marital Conundrums
Cary indeed stood in the bracket of exceptions with his five marriages and preponderance of love affairs. Whenever he looked ahead to renewing his love life, he would end up adding another broken love tale in his life. People had begun to see him as not suitable for marriages and relationships. His urge for more always paved a way for bitter experiences for him and his partner. He had admitted his problem in handling and sustaining his marital life. According to him, every new marriage would bring challenges for him. And, he would struggle to poise them rightly.
A Marital Relief
After a series of marital and love life debacle, Cary finally saw the sun shining with his marriage to Barbara Harris. People around them branded their union as the happiest marriage in Cary’s life. His friends saw her as the harbinger of love and solace in his life. Not just that, they could see her positive impact on him. Prince Rainier of Monaco also nodded the fact to a great extent. His last years of life don the title of being the happiest years of his marital life. Finally, there was some marital relief for the much-celebrated star.
Dark Revelations
His fourth ex-wife took the initiative to illuminate his dark and till then concealed side before the world. In 2011, she came with the memoir and went ahead unfolding the obnoxious bits one by one. According to her, he used to lose his heart to women around him with ease. The same was the case with their relationship. She had cherished their love initially. But then she began to discover the gloomy facets lacing his life. She would see him losing his control on petty things. He also ridiculed her appearance and style many times during that phase.
Details Go Deeper
Dyan did not stick to trivial mentions of his conduct. But she went a bit ahead by providing a detailed look into the matter with him. Going that way, she revealed that he was fuming on their wedding day. Her style and look drew his denigration to a great extent. Not just that, he also went ahead to press her to give up her acting career and work on her appearance. She had got the signal of their failed marriage when she had to break her wedding ring after her finger swelled up a day after their marriage.
A Ray Of Hope
Dyan had expected heaven to bless their marriage with bliss and love. She was seeing a ray of hope when she got to know about her pregnancy. She thought that their child would work out the lost magic. However, things continued to vitiate. Cary had distanced himself from her during that phase. Dyan could see their feelings and love dying. Finally, Jennifer came into the world. However, her arrival also could not bring them together. Giving up on the slightest possibility of change, they decided to go for divorce. They broke away to look for a fresh beginning.
Psychedelics To The Rescue
Very few people have an idea of Cary’s depression problem. According to Dyan, he was leading a fight against the depressive vibes hovering around him. To combat that, he was using a psychedelic compound. To one’s horror, that substance was illegal for consumption. Not just that, he also tried to salvage their marriage by insisting her on taking that substance with him. That left her at her lowest point of emotions and feelings. However, he was very positive about it and his therapy. Adding to that, he also gifted $10,000 to the doctor, who had managed his therapy.
A Mysterious Attitude
Stars always face the arduous task of bringing their stardom, professional and personal fronts into a balance. Some of them manage to float, while others have to lose on some counts. However, there was something very mysterious with Cary’s attitude towards his marital and love life. To most people, it would appear as a result of his over-possession of his acting work in the domain. But there was indeed another layer to that facet in his life. Those gloomy bits have lurked around throughout his life and ruling his devastating personal and love life to a great extent.
An Emotional Breakdown
One can trace the wrong in his attitude and way of life to his turbulent childhood. When he was only 9-year-old, his father had shifted her mother to a mental institution. He had told him that she had gone for a holiday. Later, he had broken to him that she had died. But the emotional blow came when he was in the initial phase of his career and fame. The 31-year-old actor then had come to know that his mother had not been dead. To his bewilderment, she had been alive in the mental institution back in England.
A Daughter’s Take
Following her mother’s steps, Jennifer also came out with a memoir: ‘Good Stuff: A Reminiscence of My Mother’ in the same year. It also went a long way to shed light on Cary’s unvisited facets of life. However, she stood apart from her mother by stressing more on his positive sides. She went ahead expressing him as a loving and protective father. She had enjoyed her moments with him. Not just that, he cared for her and showered his affection for her. Though initially unaware of her parents’ heart-wrenching separation, she grew up admiring him more with time.
A Rational Spender
Many believed that Cary was a miser and did not hold the dare to spend. However, Jennifer preferred to take a different stand in that regard. According to her, he had spent his childhood in misery and poverty. Thus, he could well understand the value of money and its power in the world. Not just that, she also emphasized that he knew the rational use of money in the best possible way. His attitude towards money and disposal went a long way in shaping her spending habits and beliefs. She had learned from him to a great extent.
Dissenting Voices
While Jennifer branded him as a rational user of money, there were some notes of dissent. His friends and other acquaintances shed light on many instances. According to them, he worked out his saving spree to its extreme level. For instance, he would snap off the buttons of his shirts before discarding them. Not just that, Cary had also nodded to that fact and habit. He had put it forward as some useful household hacks to cut on unnecessary expenditures. Those old extra buttons could save money from going down as waste.
Miserly Instincts
Another instance that highlights his miserly instincts was his dinner with his friend Rosalind Russell. One day, they had got together for a dinner. Moving their talks ahead, they ended up taking the topic of a Rolls Royce. Rosalind had grown a fan of the new Royce. Fueling thrills, Cary ended up putting out that he had a similar one in London. Taking a note of her scheduled visit to London, he went ahead to offer her his car. She had not fully lived her ecstasy. Then he asked her to contact his agent for its rental fee.
Friends Around
Cary was not a person who loved to evade friends. According to Jennifer, he had a long list of friends in the film town. She had seen stars like Gregory Peck, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, and Merv Griffin dropping at their house for some unforgettable unions and get-togethers. They would make merry together and cherish their time to the full. Among the star-studded list, Grant shared a very close bond of friendship with Sinatra. According to her, the two would spend hours together celebrating their moments. Not just that, they also had similar lines of attitude towards life.
A Pool Of Memories
Jennifer got ahead to break some wonderful secrets thriving in his home. Cary had lost most of the souvenirs and memories of his childhood to World War II. Not just that, he had also seen the tearful demise of his relatives in the war. But he was in no mood to let his daughter suffer the loss. So he had been collecting artifacts from her young days. According to her, he had pooled it in a vault in his home. To one’s surprise, it extended and equals a room. Thus, Cary had put in his best for her.
Tumultuous Childhood
Born into a family that was in splits, Cary had a struggling childhood. His parents had faced the death of his elder brother. His mother got affected by his loss to a great extent. She tried to rear Cary with love by teaching him dance and music. However, her depression overtook her. His father admitted her to a mental institution and drowned himself in alcohol. Cary ended up believing in the death of her mother. Years later, he got to know the truth. However, by then, his father had deserted and started a life with his new wife.
Intelligent Troublemaker
Cary was not only a great actor but also an intelligent student. He managed to secure the academic scholarship to Fairfield Grammar School in 1915. However, he was not a calm and patient boy. He had earned a notorious name in his classroom. His teachers had exempted him from punishment for his intelligence. But he breached the limit by taking to the girl’s bathroom. His mischief tossed his teachers out of their patience. Finally, the 14-year-old boy received his expulsion orders and moved out of the school. His ill-famed activities had left his teachers and classmates rankling badly.
An Imperfect Smile
His charming looks and appearance allured many hearts. However, his smile was not at all perfect. One can trace it to the absence of the front incisor. One can find the mystery of the fact to one of his childhood mishaps. The young boy was enjoying his time while playing on ice. He went on taking it to its limit and ended up destroying it. To avoid his father’s wrath, he ran to a dental college. He got it removed and hid that from his father. Over the years, his teeth managed to cover up for the gap.
Debating His Inclination
His failed marriages and love affairs invited skepticism around the world. Rumors regarding his homosexuality began to spread like fire. Different accounts and reports linked him to different men. He had to face the questions openly during interviews. He had gone ahead to brave those doubts. Quelling down rumors, his ex-wife and daughter have ridiculed the questions time and again. According to them, he never possessed any signs of homosexuality. He saw him acting like a normal man. Jennifer had also cherished their love story and found nothing unusual with his father. However, those questions are still around.
Orry-Kelly Linkup
While the memoirs by mother and daughter brushed aside the possibility of his homosexuality, Orry-Kelly had vehemently built on that point. The Australian costume designer had come with his memoir: ‘Women I’ve Undressed’ and opened up about his love affair with the actor. According to him, they had moved in together. However, Cary did not have the guts to lead that way. Thus, he moved out and broke away from him. According to Orry-Kelly, he suffered an emotional setback with his leaving him alone there forever. Thus, there are fine grounds for people to speculate about his homosexuality.
Exposed In Memoirs
Like Cary Grant, Orry-Kelly also rose to fame in the Hollywood world with his work and designs. He commanded respect and name by making the record of winning the most Oscars by an Australian. His feat stayed intact for around 50 years, even after his death. Thus, there was no disappointment for Orry-Kelly on the professional front. At the time of his demise, Grant stepped ahead to be one of his pallbearers. After that, his controversial memoir came to light from a pillow case. And soon, that bombed Grant’s life with his love affair claims of three decades.
More Than Love
If one goes by that memoir, one can realize that they were more than lovebirds. According to Orry-Kelly, they had also come together to churn their pot of business. Not just that, they also held their respective positions to pocket gains. According to him, he would chart out the deals and Grand would make them work. They also tried their business mettle with a casino in Nevada. However, their business ambitions did not last long. They had to put a stop to their business goals with the loss when they failed to arrange protection money for a don.
Relationship Troubles
According to the account, Cary’s impatience was not the case with his women partners only. One could also see that in his alleged linkup with Orry-Kelly. Orry-Kelly could not bear him having and nurturing his interest in blonde women. Thus, they would often band words with each other. However, that went too far once and Cary pushed him off a moving vehicle. They moved apart and followed their different art passions in Hollywood. But Cary turned up to demand Orry-Kelly to pay him $365 (noted in his diary) that he had owed him for meals and boxing tickets.
Scott ‘Mask’
Cary not only cherishes his romantic association with Orry-Kelly but also with Randolph Scott in the Hollywood domain. His closeness to Scott was well-known. Taking that ahead, they had moved in and lived together for around 12 years at Scott’s place. People saw that as their friendship until Orry-Kelly’s memoir. Orry-Kelly had given an unprecedented twist to their association. According to him, they were living in a love affair with each other. Not just that, he believed that they were masquerading to salvage and build Cary’s career. His charges went a long way in fueling the sexuality fire.
Costly Humor
Rather than parrying the speculations building around, he went ahead to brave them. However, he ended up losing his control when the comedian Chevy Chase took to screen to take a dig at his homosexuality. His remark breached the limit for Cary. He went that to make him fall in line in the best possible way. He filed a defamation suit against him and asked him to pay $10 million as compensation. Chevy tried to cool him down and ended up paying $1 million in out of court settlement. Thus, Chevy had to pay for hurting his sentiments.
A Musical Tribute
While Cary and Cannon had seen their relationship fading away, she continues to hold her love for him. Growing older, she does not regret her losing her heart to his charming looks. She looks at the bright side of their relationship. Celebrating his grace and legacy, she has taken up the initiative to pay him a musical tribute. The work on that part is in progress. But she had claimed many numbers received a green signal from the much-celebrated director John Doyle. There cannot be any other way to celebrate the fame of an actor of his stature.
