Before I get to the next book I plan to buy, I have to heap a little praise on Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple. I recently re-watched the adorable romp of a movie, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (19447) and these stars chewed up the scenery. The movie also starred Rudy Vallee and Lillian Randolph. Lillian was born in my state of Kentucky (Louisville) – that’s something I’ve always been proud of.
If you don’t remember this ground-breaking actress from The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, I’m sure you’ll remember her as Annie in It’s a Wonderful Life or Sister Sara in the 1977 miniseries Roots. Outstanding actress with an especially strong screen presence.
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is a movie that kind of epitomizes WHY I’m so obsessed with old movies. For one thing, everything was so much simpler then – there was an innocence in the world that’s more than a little alluring. While we’ll never get that innocence back, it’s a joy to visit as often as possible.
I’m also crazy in love with seeing old clothes, cars, houses, furniture, buildings, etc. I actually record most of the movies I watch on the DVR (if I don’t own them on DVD, that is) because I’m always wanting to rewind to take a closer look or to relive a favorite scene.
I did this A LOT of times in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer because of the fashion and cars – and also a few times because this particular role really gave Cary Grant the opportunity to ham it up… an opportunity he embraced with both arms!
As a huge (go ahead and pronounce that yuuuuuuuge) fan of the Golden Age of Hollywood, there are few things I love as much as cuddling up with a classic movie. However, snuggling up with a star’s biography (or autobiography) is right up there – especially when it involves one of my personal favorites. When it comes to Cary Grant: A Biography, I think it’ll be almost as good as watching one of the legend’s movies.
From Amazon: Rigorously researched and elegantly written, Cary Grant: A Biography is a complete, nuanced portrait of the greatest star in cinema history. Exploring Grant’s troubled childhood, ambiguous sexuality, and lifelong insecurities, as well as the magical amalgam of characteristics that allowed him to remain Hollywood’s favorite romantic lead for more than thirty-five years, Cary Grant is the definitive examination of every aspect of Grant’s professional and private life and the first biography to reveal the real man behind the movie star.
One of the things I love most about Hollywood biographies and autobiographies is this: You not only get to take an intimate look into the star on the cover’s life, you’re able to get up close and personal with the stars who were in their circle. That’s actually one of my favorite parts of these books- learning what sort of relationship different stars shared. You just never know what name will turn up in the pages or what they’ll be doing when they turn up!
As soon as I read Cary Grant: A Biography I’ll review it here on Hollywood Yesterday. I know it’s really going to be something special.
Read more about my Old Hollywood Book Reviews.