"He is Hollywood's most fascinating and timeless star. Although he came to personify the debonair American,
Cary Grant was born Archibald Leach on January 18, 1904, in the seaport village of Bristol, England. Combining
the captivating beauty of silent-screen legend Rudolph Valentino with the masculine irresistibility of Clark Gable,
Grant emerged as Hollywood's quintessential leading man. Today, "the man from dream city," as critic Pauline
Kael once described him, remains forever young, an icon of quick wit, romantic charm, and urbane sophistication, the
epitome of male physical perfection. Yet beneath this idealized movie image was a conflicted man struggling to
balance fame with a desire for an intensely private life separate from the "Cary Grant" persona celebrated by directors
and movie studios.
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
to reveal the man behind the movie star.
Rigorously researched and elegantly written, Cary Grant: A Biography is a complete, nuanced portrait of the
greatest Hollywood star in cinema history."
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