One of the most memorable leading men of classic Hollywood, Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach) is remembered for his transatlantic accent, his unusual suaveness, his light-hearted way of acting and his great attentiveness to personal grooming. According to Edith Head, the legendary Hollywood costume designer, Grant had the greatest fashion sense of any actor she had worked; she also praised his meticulous attention to detail. It is noted by Graham McCann, author of
Cary Grant: A Class Apart, that because of Grant’s working-class background and lack of education, in order to cover it up, he made an extreme effort during the course of his career to associate with high society to absorb their knowledge, etiquette and manners.
Below are some photos that prove why he remains the king of class to this day:
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1932. Cary Grant as Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton in 'Madame Butterfly.' |
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1934. Cary Grant, outside, smiling, wearing a crewneck sweater over a white shirt, pleat front pants, holding a cigarette. Photo by George Hoyningen-Huene. |
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1934. Paramount film player Cary Grant examines test footage from his previous day's work in B. P. Schulberg's film 'Kiss and Make Up.' |
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1934. Married actors Cary Grant and Virginia Cherrill arrive in Rome for their honeymoon. |
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1935. Cary Grant playing with a ball at the beach house he shared with actor Randolph Scott. |
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1935. Cary Grant as Captain Marten Andrews in the film 'The Last Outpost.' |
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1935. Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn on the set of 'Sylvia Scarlett,' California. Photo by Alex Kahle. |
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1935. Cary Grant shows off his flawless profile. |
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1938. Cary Grant sitting on top of his luggage reading a newspaper in the film 'Holiday.' |
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1938. Cary Grant with mirror from the RKO-Radio prop man on the set of 'Bringing Up Baby.' |
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1939. Cary Grant in the gardens of the Hotel de Paris where he stopped on his vacation tour which will carry him to Italy. |
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1940s. Cary Grant in white tie and low profile rounded waistcoat tips. |
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1940s. Cary Grant walking outdoors wearing a pinstripe jacket and a hat. |
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1941. Joan Fontaine and Cary Grant in a scene from the movie 'Suspicion.' |
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1943. Cary Grant in 'Mr. Lucky.' |
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April 24, 1946. Cary Grant leaves his London hotel. He is in England on business, and also to visit his mother in Bristol. |
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1947. David Niven with Cary Grant in the film 'The Bishop's Wife.' |
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1947. Cary Grant was renowned for his unique combination of sophisticated charm and comedic flair. |
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1947. Cary Grant wearing a trilby hat. |
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1950s. Photo by Herbert Dorfman. |
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February 10, 1950. Cary Grant making a telephone call during the filming of 'Crisis.' |
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1953. Cary Grant reads his script with a dog on set of the film 'Dream Wife.' |
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1955. Cary Grant walking on the sea front in the film 'To Catch a Thief,' Monte Carlo. |
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1957. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman chatting to PC Sid Goodwin, a City policeman, during a break from shooting the film 'Indiscreet.' Photo by Ron Burton. |
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1957. Cary Grant on Rainy Street. |
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1964. Cary Grant relaxes on the set of Universal's romantic adventure comedy 'Father Goose.' |
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August 3, 1966. Cary Grant in Embankment Gardens, London. Photo by William Lovelace. |
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1980. Cary Grant reading a book. Photo by Maureen Donaldson. |