Cary Grant, the Making of a Hollywood Legend (CULTURAL BIOGRAPHIES SERIES)

**A definitive new account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable, influential stars.** Archie Leach was a poorly educated, working-class boy from a troubled family living in the backstreets of Bristol. Cary Grant was Hollywood's most debonair film star--the embodiment of worldly sophistication. __Cary Grant: The Making of a Hollywood Legend__ tells the incredible story of how a sad, neglected boy became the suave, glamorous star many know and idolize. The first biography to be based on Grant's own personal papers, this book takes us on a fascinating journey from the actor's difficult childhood through years of struggle in music halls and vaudeville, a hit-and-miss career in Broadway musicals, and three decades of film stardom during Hollywood's golden age. Leaving no stone unturned, __Cary Grant__ delves into all aspects of Grant's life, from the bitter realities of his impoverished childhood to his trailblazing role in Hollywood as a film star who defied the studio system and took control of his own career. Highlighting Grant's genius as an actor and a filmmaker, author Mark Glancy examines the crucial contributions Grant made to such classic films as __Bringing Up Baby__ (1938), __The Philadelphia Story__ (1940), __Notorious__ (1946), __An Affair to Remember__ (1957), __North by Northwest__ (1959), __Charade__ (1963) and __Father Goose__ (1964). Glancy also explores Grant's private life with new candor and insight throughout the book's nine sections, illuminating how Grant's search for happiness and fulfillment lead him to having his first child at the age of 62 and embarking on his fifth marriage at the age of 77. With this biography--complete with a chronological filmography of the actor's work--Glancy provides a definitive account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable, influential stars. A definitive new account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable, influential stars.Archie Leach was a poorly educated, working-class boy from a troubled family living in the backstreets of Bristol. Cary Grant was Hollywood's most debonair film star--the embodiment of worldly sophistication. Cary Grant: The Making of a Hollywood Legend tells the incredible story of how a sad, neglected boy became the suave, glamorous star many know and idolize. The first biography to be based on Grant's own personal papers, this book takes us on a fascinating journey from the actor's difficult childhood through years of struggle in music halls and vaudeville, a hit-and-miss career in Broadway musicals, and three decades of film stardom during Hollywood's golden age.Leaving no stone unturned, Cary Grant delves into all aspects of Grant's life, from the bitter realities of his impoverished childhood to his trailblazing role in Hollywood as a film star who defied the studio system and took control of his own career. Highlighting Grant's genius as an actor and a filmmaker, author Mark Glancy examines the crucial contributions Grant made to such classic films as Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Notorious (1946), An Affair to Remember (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Charade (1963) and Father Goose (1964). Glancy also explores Grant's private life with new candor and insight throughout the book's nine sections, illuminating how Grant's search for happiness and fulfillment lead him to having his first child at the age of 62 and embarking on his fifth marriage at the age of 77. With this biography--complete with a chronological filmography of the actor's work--Glancy provides a definitive account of the professional and personal life of one of Hollywood's most unforgettable, influential stars. "Archie Leach was a poorly educated, working-class boy from a troubled family living in the backstreets of Bristol. Cary Grant was Hollywood’s most debonair film star—the embodiment of worldly sophistication. Cary Grant: The Making of a Hollywood Legend tells the incredible story of how the sad, neglected boy became the suave, glamorous star. The first biography to be based on Grant’s own personal papers, the book takes the reader on a fascinating journey from his difficult childhood through years of struggle in music hall and vaudeville, a hit-and-miss career in Broadway musicals, and three decades of film stardom during Hollywood’s golden age. For the first time, the bitter realities of Grant’s impoverished childhood are revealed, including his mother’s mental illness and his expulsion from school at the age of fourteen. New light is shed on his trailblazing path as a film star who defied the studio system and took control of his own career. His genius as an actor and a filmmaker is highlighted through identifying the crucial contributions he made to classic films such as Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Notorious (1946), An Affair to Remember (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Charade (1963) and Father Goose (1964). His own search for happiness and fulfilment, which led him to having his first child at the age of sixty-two and embarking on his fifth marriage at the age of seventy-seven—is explored with new candor and insight. Cary Grant: The Making of a Hollywood Legend is the definitive account of the professional and personal life of an unforgettable star"--Publisher's description Archie Leach was a poorly educated, working-class boy from a troubled family living in the backstreets of Bristol. Cary Grant was Hollywood's most debonair film star - the embodiment of worldly sophistication. This work tells the incredible story of how the sad, neglected boy became the suave, glamorous star. This biography, based on Grant's own personal papers, takes the reader on a fascinating journey from his difficult childhood through years of struggle in music hall and vaudeville, a hit-and-miss career in Broadway musicals, and three decades of film stardom during Hollywood's golden age. The bitter realities of Grant's impoverished childhood are revealed, including his mother's mental illness and his expulsion from school at the age of 14