Cary Grant: A Biography by Marc Eliot

0-307-20983-0; Three Rivers PressI picked up this title recently mostly because I'm intrigued with the life of Cary Grant, but what really captured my eye about this book and drew me towards it was its amazing cover. A simple, sleek black and white design with Cary Grant at the prime of his life, sitting indian style in such a way that his body makes the shape of a star. What also intriguing about the cover, was that you read the title and subtitle to yourself, without even realizing that the title isn't even on the cover. Yet you know that the title is "Cary Grant" because the image is so familiar that that name instantly comes to you the moment you lay eyes on the image. Brilliant!

Marc Eliot, an expert on pop culture, dishes out all the very juicy parts of Grant's somewhat scandalous life. There were lots of interesting bits about his relationship with his mother, whom his father told him was dead, but really was in an insane asylum for 19 years without him knowing! Eliot also goes into great detail into Grant's more-than-friendly relationship with fellow actor Randolph Scott and his five marriages among other various romances. The frame of biography is somewhat built upon the Academy's grudge against Grant and their reluctance to give him an Oscar (which changed when Gregory Peck stepped in!).

If you want the dirt on Cary Grant, this is definitely the book to read. Yet Eliot is in no way judgemental of Grant in any way. He delivers a pretty straightforward biography and doesn't miss a beat. His high respect for the actor and interest in his life shows through in the writing style. My only dislike of the biography was Eliot's not-so-nice portrayal of the wives. I was most interested in Grant's last wife, Barbara Harris, who is barely mentioned at all. But Eliot takes his time to detail two relatively unknown aspects of Grant's life. His very close friendships with Howard Hughes, who supported Grant through many a scandal and Alfred Hitchcock, who believed in Grant and lived vicariously through him. Superb read! Highly recommended.