Cary Grant: A Celebration

by Richard Schickel

Cary Grant may have been 'the best and most important actor in the history of the cinema,' as he was once described, but off-screen he remained as elusive as one of the many enigmatic heroes he portrayed.

This most private of men was the most open of actors, a performer willing to try anything to make a scene work. It is precisely because he was able so artfully to reveal so much of himself in this way that he revealed almost nothing of himself under direct questioning.

Richard Schickel's text, combining critical analysis and a re-interpretation of all the available biographical information, masterfully maps the intersections where a great star's personal history and his screen personality met in a style as elegant, graceful and witty as the actor himself.

Genres: Biography, Film

Paperback

First published October 1, 1983

About the author

Richard Schickel is an important American film historian, journalist, author, filmmaker, screenwriter, documentarian, and film and literary critic.

Mr.Schickel is featured in For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism. In this 2009 documentary film he discusses early film critics in the 1960s, and how he and other young critics, rejected the moralizing opposition of Bosley Crowther of The New York Times who had railed against violent movies such as Bonnie and Clyde.
In addition to film, Schickel has also critiqued and documented cartoons, particularly Peanuts.

Schickel was a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1964. He has also lectured at Yale University and University of Southern California's School of Film and Television.

Reviews

[Irene Xandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an essay, not a biography, which unfortunately insists too much on describing the plots of the movies. It becomes a celebration of the characters played by Grant and not of the actor or the person. Even the analysis of the intersection between him and his roles becomes thinner and thinner as the book progresses.

[William Coates · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful look at the development of “Cary Grant” the actor. Since it doesn’t try to be a biography, I didn’t have to worry about Schickel’s terrible research that permeates most of his biographies. Instead, one can just enjoy his eloquent observations of Grant’s films.

[Jacqueline Faircloth · Rating 2 out of 5]

i was looking for a book about his life and relationships. This was really more about his films that I found too wordy for me. I am sure it was well researched and was well written but not my taste in books.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. More of an overview of Grant's movies than a biography. Still contained interesting insights and background on him through.

[Tracey Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got given this book nearly 30 years ago from my best friend at the time and i absolutely loved it - gutted that i got rid when i moved back to house. Totally loved him - my fav actor.

[N. R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this title was particularly for me a real page turner, I think it was more down to me being a huge Cary Grant fan than the book's own writing style.

As the author tries to weave the actor's filmography in a chronological way of sorts, there are some gross omissions (Arsenic and Old Lace being only mentioned almost by. chance, for instance).