Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise

Cary Grant was a Hollywood icon whose debonair manner and matinee good looks made women flock to see him, while men wanted to be him. His career spanned fifty years, in which he flexed his acting talents in multiple genres. He was beloved by audiences and respected by his peers. Yet, did anyone really know Cary Grant? He was born Archibald Leach in 1904 and was raised in Bristol, England. His family life was unsettled at best; the death of an older brother tore his mother and father apart. His mother smothered him with affection early, while his father drank. At eleven years old, his father had his mother committed. Grant’s father lied to him about his mother’s whereabouts. Grant sought escape in the entertainment field, eventually apprenticing with a traveling revue troupe. A trip to the United States in 1920 made his escape permanent. Grant’s talents would emerge with his work on the vaudeville circuit, which evolved into Broadway and then Hollywood. His fame would reach stratospheric heights, but his past loomed over him, always ready to ground him in some aspect.

Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise is a triumph of a biography about a truly complex figure. Scott Eyman has crafted a moving look at a much revered star, attempting to penetrate the veneer his subject so carefully put up. Grant is a fascinating subject, enigmatic in many instances, but human throughout. this is a must-read for 2020 and beyond.