PRESENTING CARY GRANT

Wednesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at 2:00 P.M.

Library Auditorium

Who hasn't enjoyed a Cary Grant film? The actor with the cleft chin and the "matinee idol" good looks left an indelible impression on the movie world. But Grant proved that he was more than just another handsome face. He had intelligence. He had a wonderful, often self-deprecating sense of humor. And, perhaps owing to his humble beginnings as Archibald Leach, he appealed to the common man. He may have been impeccably dressed and groomed, elegance personified, but he was never afraid to look foolish or vulnerable on the screen. Anyone who has seen him in movies like The Awful Truth and The Philadelphia Story knows that, good looks or not, if a scene called for him to take a pratfall, he did. Not that Grant excelled only in comedy. When paired with the right material and director, he could impress in dramatic roles. Look at the masterful way that he conveys a cold, brittle exterior, as a way to conceal feelings of jealousy and hurt, in Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious. Yes, it's true that, particularly as his career moved towards its fourth decade, Grant's characterizations sometimes relied on his debonair charm, as in the perennial romantic weepie, An Affair To Remember. But he rarely bored us with his film work. Even a casual fan of classic films would be able to name close to a dozen of Grant's memorable movies. I've chosen just five of his films for my May 2012 series. I hope that you will join me to experience anew the thrill of watching Cary Grant up on the big screen. I am sure that you will agree with me that Grant really was that good.

Here's the lineup:

May 2nd -- The Awful Truth -- Screwball comedy about a separated husband and wife (Grant, Irene Dunne) who each tries to sabotage the other's new love affair while waiting for their divorce to become final. 1937 -- Black & white -- 91 min.

May 9th -- The Philadelphia Story -- A socialite (Katharine Hepburn) plans to remarry, but not if her ex-husband (Grant) can help it. With James Stewart and Ruth Hussey. 1940 -- Black & white -- 112 min.

May 16th -- Notorious -- Alfred Hitchcock's classic film about a woman (Ingrid Bergman) who is asked by a U.S. government agent (Grant) to spy on a group of her father's Nazi friends down in Rio de Janeiro. 1946 -- Black & white -- 101 min.

May 23rd -- An Affair to Remember -- A man and woman, (Grant, Deborah Kerr) who are romantically involved with other people, have a shipboard romance. When they return to land, they agree to meet atop the Empire State Building in six months if they still feel love for one another. 1957 -- Color -- 119 min.

May 30th -- North by Northwest -- An advertising executive (Cary Grant) is pursued by enemy spies who have mistaken him for a U.S. CIA agent. Eva Marie Saint is the beautiful blonde whom he encounters along the way. Co-starring James Mason. 1959 -- Color -- 136 min.

As always, I look forward to seeing you all there.

Doug Swiszcz

Librarian & Film Enthusiast