Author: Marc Eliot
Series: no
Genres: Biography, Culture/Film, History, Nonfiction
Short summary of the story: This is, as per the title, a biography of Cary Grant, an actor of the 20th century, whose works include such films as North by Northwest, Charade, She Done Him Wrong and The Philadelphia Story. Author Marc Eliot obviously extensively researched the material available (the Sources, Notes and Filmography at the end of the book extend from pages 388 to 420) and he writes eloquently about this man who, in many ways, invented and then re-invented himself.
About the book: It's like reading a bit of history -- and I love history. The book isn't just about Cary Grant but is a story about England, the United States, World War II, the entertainment industry, movies, people who were involved in the movie business, from those who backed them (like Howard Hughes) to those who acted in them (Cary Grant) to those who helped to produce them (Alfred Hitchcock). There is a lot of the behind-the-scenes drama too. I had no idea of so much of what Mr. Eliot wrote. Somehow the whole movie industry came to life for me in a way that I'd never previously been aware.
This is part of the Goodreads write-up -
Rigorously researched and elegantly written, Cary Grant: A Biography is a complete, nuanced portrait of the greatest star in cinema history. [ .... ] Cary Grant is the definitive examination of every aspect of Grant’s professional and private life and the first biography to reveal the real man behind the movie star.
