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Cary Grant: A Biography: A Biography Audiobook
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(3.00) - 890 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Bringing up Baby. The Philadelphia Story. North by Northwest. An Affair to Remember. When Cary Grant passed away at age 82, fans from every generation mourned. Nearly 20 years later his star shines just as brightly from television and revival-house screens; his name remains synonymous with effortless charm. But perhaps the most remarkable fact about Grant, as renowned biographer Marc Eliot shows, is that his personal life was every bit as interesting and dramatic as that of any character he ever played. The new details Eliot has uncovered—on everything from the former Archibald Leach’s troubled childhood to his ambiguous sexuality to his dabbling with LSD—will satisfy even the fan who has read everything previously available. Equally compelling is Eliot's incisive exploration of the magical amalgam of talent, looks, and charisma that made Grant a star.
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"Very interesting life. His life reads like a novel. Also, a must read for anyone that aspires to be as classy as Cary Grant. His biography is a showcase of old Hollywood; the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of it. Eliot does a great job. "
— Brandon (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Highly readable…Glimpses of the debonair leading man’s dark side are the most intriguing elements of this welcome biography.”
— People (3 stars) -
“Eliot gives us a Grant we’ve never fully glimpsed before.”
— Vogue -
“A fascinating and thorough portrait…Eliot does a good job of cracking the screen fantasy.”
— Esquire -
“Keeping the actor’s astonishing career firmly in view, Eliot assembles a portrait that shows the dark shadows behind the gleaming facade, while also revealing Grant’s own shrewdness in maintaining that fictional persona.”
— Washington Post -
“[A] fascinating, sympathetic portrait.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Although numerous biographies of Grant have appeared, this legendary film icon continues to fascinate and perplex both biographers and readers, and this new treatment by the author of the acclaimed Walt Disney undoubtedly will garner popular attention…Grant still emerges as the ultimate charmer, possessing all the charisma, humor, and dramatic appeal of his legendary screen persona.”
— Booklist
Cary Grant: A Biography Listener Reviews
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" Enjoyably written trashy coverage of a true Hollywood star. "
— Peter, 2/16/2014 -
" A candid review. Wonderful and telling. A window in to the life of an enigmatic man. I loved it! "
— Rainey, 2/10/2014 -
" trashy and informative. pairs well with a beach and a martini??? "
— anaisabel, 1/30/2014 -
" Unreadable. The author used "Episcopal" for "Anglican" twice in the same sentence. Also more Freud than I've seen since a sophomore-level English course. If I'm going to bother to read a biography, I do expect some minimum standards. It's a shame, really, because that is one of the cleverest and most appealing book covers. "
— Kaethe, 1/28/2014 -
" An enjoyable read. It helps if you're a fan of Cary Grant which I am. "
— Kathy, 1/27/2014 -
" I've always loved him as an actor and enjoy biographys but very long and some parts I wasn't as thorough. "
— Catherine, 1/20/2014 -
" excellent story about his life. "
— Carla, 1/18/2014 -
" Another favorite celebrity book - made me watch most of his movies. "
— Evett, 1/16/2014 -
" I don't really know why I bothered to finish this showbiz biography, which is full of breathless speculation about Grant's love life and doesn't have nearly enough about the films. I still found it interesting as a fan of classic Hollywood... but was a bit disappointed. "
— Judy, 12/30/2013 -
" Was quite a read. Typical biography but the story of this actors life was intriging to say the least "
— Rayna, 11/24/2013 -
" Not great, and I love Old Hollywood. Seemed like author didn't even like Grant! Crummy photos. "
— Laura, 11/8/2013 -
" Marc Eliot has all the makings for a great biography but isn't good at putting anything together. Nothing is revealed in this book...that is why people read biographies, is it not? I could have found out the whole book by reading IMDB. "
— Megan, 10/7/2013 -
" Don't read it. The poor man was pretty messed up. . . "
— Tracie, 9/25/2013 -
" A very illuminating and well-researched biography. Thumbs up especially for acknowledging his "bisexuality", and for the digression upon his "LSD therapy" in the early 60s. "
— Mark, 7/24/2013 -
" Full of all sorts of unsubstantiated speculation, some probably true. But just because can throw out the theory that Grant worked for Mae West as a Gigilo doesnt mean you should. "
— Calvin, 5/14/2013 -
" Lots of great research ruined by the author pushing his not so hidden agenda. Torregrossa did it much, MUCH better. "
— Erik, 3/22/2013 -
" Eliot clearly had an argument he wanted to prove about Grant's sexuality, and that often got in the way of the story. It was okay to read, but I was often frustrated by Eliot's agenda. "
— Rosary, 2/27/2013 -
" I love reading about the lives of the 'old' stars if you will. Cary Grant certainly lived an odd and at the same time, exciting life! I've read several books on him and each one was just as fascinating the other. "
— Liz, 2/13/2013 -
" Another beautifully written biography of an amazing actor, the life, career, ups and downs wonderfully written. "
— Katie, 1/28/2013 -
" What a slimeball.. even though I love his movies, good book though "
— Jon, 1/27/2013 -
" Engaging if you are interested in Old Hollywood - too gossipy "
— Barb, 1/3/2013 -
" Insightful and human peek at Cary grant from the perspective of dozens of those who knew and loved him. Not a gripping book but a pleasant read for anyone who enjoys biographies. "
— Dave, 5/9/2012 -
" One of the better Cary Grant biographies because it includes actual references and is less sensational than others. Worth a read if you're interested in Cary Grant. "
— Belinda, 4/7/2012 -
" I live Cary Grant. Thus book had great pictures. "
— Cynthia, 3/21/2012 -
" Found out more than I really wanted about him, sort of burst my bubble a bit. I still adore him! =) "
— Michelle, 3/18/2012 -
" I love Cary Grant. I don't want to hear this kind of stuff about him! Eww! This book is one giant IMAGE-BUSTER. So I'm just going to go with "it's all a pack of lies," and keep loving him. "
— babyhippoface, 2/11/2012 -
" Cary Grant is my all-time favorite actor. This book was a little disappointing to me only because it touched on so many "negative" things in his life. I don't think it did enough to focus on his accomplishments and his triumph in life after a very disturbing and rough childhood. "
— Luann, 6/20/2011 -
" Engaging if you are interested in Old Hollywood - too gossipy "
— Barb, 4/11/2011 -
" Fabulous biography. Really well written and researched. I loved it, great insight into the ultimate leading man. "
— Abigail, 2/3/2011 -
" A third of the way in. I think I just got to busy with life to finish it. Will some day. "
— Nikki, 1/26/2011 -
" Full of all sorts of unsubstantiated speculation, some probably true. But just because can throw out the theory that Grant worked for Mae West as a Gigilo doesnt mean you should. "
— Calvin, 12/27/2010 -
" Another beautifully written biography of an amazing actor, the life, career, ups and downs wonderfully written. "
— Katie, 9/20/2010 -
" This was good, but I got bored with the in-depth descriptions of the movies. I understand some were relevant, but others were not. <br/>Overall, it was good. "
— Amy, 6/4/2010 -
" What an interesting and incredible life, the book was great... Inspired me to rewatch Cary's movies and I found a few I hadn't ever seen! Even the kids liked them. "
— Mary, 5/19/2010 -
" Found out more than I really wanted about him, sort of burst my bubble a bit. I still adore him! =) "
— Michelle, 6/17/2009 -
" A thorough examination of the classic movie star, sometimes too thorough. It could have focused more on movies and less on the personal demons and sexual escapades of the subject. "
— John, 5/21/2009 -
" I enjoy Cary Grant and was looking forward to reading this story but I was disappointed. I just couldn't get into the book, especially since I was reading several at the same time. It just couldn't hold my interest. "
— Catherine, 3/11/2009 -
" Interesting look at the life of a cinema icon and the duality of the Archie Leach/Cary Grant personas. However, I wonder about the sources of information as nothing is cited within the work. I'd like to read another biography just to compare. "
— Kristin, 1/13/2009 -
" My favorite actor from yesteryear. A great insight into his real life! "
— Michelle, 1/12/2009 -
" While the story is interesting, the writing is poor and overly flowery at times, and the author makes so many mistakes in describing the plots of Grant's movies that one is left to wonder if he ever saw them! "
— Toni, 1/12/2009
About Marc Eliot
Marc Eliot is the New York Times bestselling author of more than two dozen books on popular culture, including Kato Kaelin; the highly acclaimed Cary Grant; the award-winning Hollywood’s Dark Prince; American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood; The Eagles: The Untold Story. His books have been published in more than twenty-five countries. He is a frequent contributor to documentary films, TV shows, and podcasts, is the resident curator of film at the Riverfront Museum in Peoria, Illinois, and a visiting professor at the University of Guatemala, where he teaches graduate seminars in film. He received his MFA in nonfiction and film history from Columbia University, where he was mentored by Andrew Sarris. He attended the “Fame” school, the High School of Performing Arts.