When Cary Grant first came on the scene in America, the boy from Bristol had a thick accent and had to reinvent himself to become a viable actor. He practiced the refinement and charm of the likes of Noël Coward and Douglas Fairbanks, and soon found his own charismatic and elegant style.
Almost one hundred years later, and Cary Grant remains one of the biggest and best stars in Hollywood, one that many modern actors try to emulate, in no small part because of the sheer volume of work afforded to him in the time he existed on the big screen. Though not every film was an extraordinary success - both in of critical reception and box office results - the roster proved both memorable enough and entertaining enough they are beloved by many to this day.
With an enormous career spanning over thirty years until his retirement, Grant left his mark on Hollywood with indelible grace and sophistication, appearing in such favorites as The Philadelphia Story and His Girl Friday. His talent was immense, his clipped transatlantic accent unforgettable, and his personality gracious, fun, and affable - though it can be seen to have shined more in certain works than others.
65. Born To Be Bad
The dark tale of a young mother who uses her son to blackmail Grant's Mal, this story faced most of its troubles from the censorship board. The film came out just as The Hays Code was starting to be enforced, and the subject matter, along with the risqué outfits worn by Loretta Young, caused the production to be halted several times and edited almost beyond recognition.
64. Enter Madame!
This film tells the story of a man who marries an opera singer and soon sees his life taking a backseat to her career. The story is simple and well-paced with some wonderful vocal performances, but a profound lack of chemistry between costars sullied the film.
63. Kiss and Make-Up
Though it features a rare fully-orchestrated musical number performed by Grant, this movie about a handsome lothario of a plastic surgeon failed to impress critics. New York Times critic Andre Sennweld called it a "first-class lingerie bazaar and a third-class entertainment," though he thought Grant's performance energetic and well-honed from his days in Vaudeville.
62. Ladies Should Listen
This perfectly fine but forgettable drawing-room comedy directed by Frank Tuttle suffers from a disted plot that doesn't pack enough power to quite carry off. The story is a tad hard to follow, and Grant's somewhat idiotic character of a gold-digging businessman clashes with his undeniably charming persona.
61. The Howards of Virginia
Taking place just before the American Revolutionary War, this story of a poor farmer and his aristocratic paramour is simple and somewhat sanctimonious. The actors seem to warm up onscreen, needing time to find their characters. Grant's transatlantic accent is marked and distracting, pulling something away from his supposed rough-and-tumble character.
60. Kiss Them For Me
Based on a successful novel and play, the film Kiss Them For Me tones down some of the anti-war profiteer dialogue and makes its leading lady a war worker rather than a "Victory Girl." This sanitized World War II tale was panned by critics, who called it "vapid," "ill-advised," and "no good." When the movie failed to return its funds, the studio chose to punish the cast, who were perfectly fine in the film and simply not the problem, the problem being the confused tone.
59. Once Upon a Time
This film about a dancing caterpillar and a showman's desperate attempt to save his struggling theater is a silly tale greatly bolstered by wonderful direction and a charming script. Grant is right at home in children's fantasy film, making even a hollow idea feel like refined cinema.
58. Dream Wife
The 1953 film was the first of three to pair Grant with Deborah Kerr. It was a box office flop, losing MGM $456,000 and inspiring Grant to say that he was retiring from acting. Despite an absolute mess of a plot and a storyline that would not appeal in the least to modern audiences, Grant and Kerr demonstrated something special together, lighting up the screen.
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57. Crisis
Grant plays a renowned brain surgeon who is captured with his wife in Latin America during a revolution. The film is not great, bordering on penny dreadful fare, but very well structured and finely acted. Grant proves a good match to the inimitable José Ferrer, offering a weightier role helped along by director Richard Brooks, who was quite deft at maintaining tension while providing some amusement.
56. Big Brown Eyes
Reviews for this 1936 crime thriller were mixed, with some critics citing it as "disposable," "inconsequential," and "shoddy writing and generally uninspired performances." Graham Greene of The Spectator, however, lauded it as "a fast well-directed and quite unsentimental gangster film, pleasantly free from emotion." Grant slips easily into the role, his persona not quite established enough to seep through and provide a distraction.
