Cary Grant

I often turn to my favorite Movie Historian Robert Osborne for factual and personal references when I write each month about the Golden Age of Hollywood and with this star I took a particular interest in what Robert had to say. His adjectives or should I say superlatives included: looks, versatility, charm, talent and that va-voom factor. Robert said he was like a “beacon” compared to other actors and Cary’s friend David Niven said that other actors owed him a debt of gratitude because Grant turned down so many roles offered to him which enabled other actors the ability to play some really good roles. Just think about this list of movies that were offered to Cary first and you’ll recognize most if not all of them. Ninotchka, The Lost Weekend, Sabrina, Love in the Afternoon, Around the World in 80 Days, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Music Man and My Fair Lady.  

Let’s march back a bit. Born Archie Leach on January 18, 1904 to a lower middle class family in Bristol England. He would later recall that he was always cold and when he landed in Hollywood   the warmth of the California sun relieved him of those frigid feelings from the days of his youth. His first role came in 1932 This Is the Night but he played third billing to Roland Young and Thelma Todd but that wouldn’t last long.  The famed director 6 time Oscar Winner Billy Wilder would lament that he would never get to work with Cary and although he would screen test for roles that would tap into his deep reservoir of talent he would continue to opt for roles that were lighter weight in nature he would excel in virtually all of them. No matter the script if it was a Cary Grant movie people came to see him. Remembering one of the first madcap movies I first watched was Hal Roach’s Topper in 1937 wherein he and Constance Bennett played ghosts wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting banker friend Cosmo Topper played by Roland Young. Five years earlier is was Roland Young that had top billing now it was Cary. When the studio asked for him to reprise the role a year later Grant’s star had already taken off into the stratosphere and Roach was relegated to splicing scenes from the year before. Although he played opposite Marlene Dietrich in Blonde Venus in 1932 and Mae West in She Done Him Wrong in 1933 it was not until The Awful Truth in 1937 with Irene Dunne and Bringing Up Baby with Katherine Hepburn and later in 1940 The Philadelphia Story did Cary become a true Super Star. In both roles he displayed his comic genius and only hinted at the real depth of his untapped serious side that some of the aforementioned roles he turned down would have showcased. 

This column doesn’t provide enough space to do justice to this man because so many movies need a close inspection for sheer genius. Films like 1946’s Arsenic and Old Lace that had to sit in the can for two years because the Broadway play was still running. This movie can be watched over and over as there are so many comic gems shot rapid fire at us the viewer. And talk about rapid dialogue how about His Girl Friday with Rosalind Russell it was amazing script writer could fit so many words in a 92 minute movie. But probably Grant’s biggest commercial success came in 1959 when he starred opposite the luminescent Eva Marie Saint in North By Northwest, which continues to top the charts in the greatest movies list of all time. Hitchcock found perhaps his best leading man in Cary for his I think his greatest picture.  

By the time Grant hit his 60’s Cary’s romantic lead window began to close and with Audrey Hepburn in the Hitchcock like thriller Charade in 1963 and Leslie Caron a year later in Father Goose Grant no longer felt comfortable playing opposite younger starlets anymore. His final role in 1966 Walk Don’t Run Grant opted for an avuncular part instead. Cary had several wives and his personal life didn’t mirror his onscreen success with women as he often felt Cary Grant was a mythical figure that lived outside the Hollywood movie star. Nonetheless everyone wanted to be Cary Grant and he exclaimed that he did too.  

.

MSM The Mainstream Media

Out riding today I was hit by a metaphorical bolt of lightning. It occurred to me that the much-maligned Mainstream Media at least from the Republican point of view in its relentless attacks some of them warranted on Donald Trump have in effect taken a toll on their own balance sheet.  Let me back up by stating that I consider myself socially liberal and politically reasonable. I read and watch from both sides of the aisle and as objective as I can be there is not much doubt the MSM is quite determined that the Donald not occupy the Oval. But here is what is missing. As the media continues to use Trump relentlessly as a   “dart board” for their attacks they are forgetting that it is really his 45 million or thereabouts constituency that they are really taking shots at. Trump didn’t just appear out of nowhere. He was birthed by the disenfranchised of America. And win or lose the MSM and Washington will have to deal with quite a mess once this debacle is done on November 8th. The election may be decided on Tuesday but the political and more importantly human fallout Donald Trump has brought to light is not going to simply disappear if Mrs. Clinton wins.  

So for my friends on the left I suggest you temper your celebrations should your candidate win because Mrs. Clinton will find it very difficult to govern with all the controversies surrounding her, and her Clinton Foundation.  And for the enthusiastic Trump Train voters if this Ronald Reagan like landslide should take place it’s not going to be smooth sailing either because the other half will be filled with the same vitriol they have right now. 

As I alluded to earlier the MSM has taken a “hit” maybe a critical one as the opinion polls that they hold so dear have seen their own favorability ratings dive to historical lows and even bastions like the New York Times saw their profit margins plummet by as much as 95%. This is an ignorance of fair play. Even umpires have a preference but they for the most part are impartial. That has been lost by the MSM and they may never recover in the eyes of those voters that no longer trust them to be fair and balanced. I do know this Walter Cronkite is turning over in his grave.   

Both Sides Now

As we come to the end of this contentious election cycle remember to listen with both ears because there is truth within the rhetoric regardless of how deep our prejudices lie. And they are prejudices let’s not lie to ourselves. When we formulate opinions we substantiate them with examples that reinforce those beliefs even if they are farfetched. We often make decisions based on emotions and justify them with logic but sometimes our logic is well faulty. So the next time someone has an opinion different than yours instead of cutting them off or unfriending them try seeing where their view has some merit and then blend it in with your own view of the world it might just make the mixture a slightly different color and taste. The first amendment allows us free speech and no one should be called an expletive just because their view of the world doesn’t coincide with yours no matter how apparently clear it is to you. And relax it’ll all be over soon.  

Like Grandfather Like Son Like Granddaughter? Oh Yes!

How proud can one Grandfather be? Well if you’re NYPD’s Retired Sergeant James Andrade Senior of Leisureville there’s hardly a chance anyone could be more. You see like his son after him his beloved Granddaughter took up the mantle as well and became the 3rd generation Andrade when she graduated the NY Police Academy on April 1st. 

Marina Rayne Andrade turning the page to the tender age of 23 on April 15 used to pretend as young girl that maybe one day she would be where she is right now as she used to wear her father’s NYPD hat and would sit astride a police motorcycle under the watchful eye of her Dad, now retired himself NYPD Detective 2nd Grade James Andrade. 

More about Marina in a bit. However we would be remiss without mentioning the Senior James Andrade who became a New York policeman back in 1957. He retired Sergeant in 1976 and has been a resident of Leisureville since 1995. The story has been told that James Sr. was more excited about his granddaughter’s graduation than when his own son joined the force in 1992. Was it just because she was a woman? I don’t think so. Maybe it was because this grandfather never dreamed this day might come. His son? Sure but his granddaughter?  You would have to ask him just how he felt but from these pictures it’s pretty obvious his granddaughter pulled at his heartstrings. That is not to say that James Jr. and her devoted Mom Debra had a dry eye either but this whole real life tale is story that had to be told and Marina’s home town paper Newsday thought so too and picked up on it with the help from her Mom. Needless to say it caused quite a stir as the three became easily recognized right up until the grand celebration of Marina’s swearing in at the World’s most famous arena Madison Square Garden!  

In this new world we’ve discovered even us old folk that the “fairer sex” can carry a nightstick as well as any man and with more and more females on the force don’t be surprised if the NYPD sees a dramatic change in not only how the citizens respond to these new recruits but in this author’s opinion how the overall approval rating of NY’s Finest doesn’t take a epic upturn. No disrespect to their male counterparts but with more females providing Protect and Serve the media and press in general will be even more hard pressed to dole out an even deeper level of respect because let’s face it guys a woman has just a different skill set they bring to the table than their male counterparts. The 21st Century is a different place and with more Policewomen the streets will sit up and take notice that she’s no pushover in fact maybe just the opposite. 

Now back to the young Marina Rayne. She’s tough, fair and in an emergency many citizens on her beat will be glad she is on patrol. Marina is prepared for the streets too armed with a minor in Psychology she’s got a head for any games those miscreants pitch.     The rookie Andrade’s dream was not only fulfilled with her graduation but months before anticipating this day had requested the most dangerous precinct in the Borough of Brooklyn the 75. That struck fear into the heart of her mom Debra Andrade also a resident of Leisurville but she knew her “little girl” wanted not just to prove herself but she wanted to earn her future stripes the hard way. Imagine her wanting the toughest precinct? That is spelled out in one word: Courage and this young 23 year old has got what it takes. 

And as a befitting footnote to this real life non-fiction tale Marina requested and received the same number shield her grandfather and father wore; 278. Her family couldn’t be more proud just check out her Mother’s Instagram it would make a grown man cry.  

Abbott & Costello

The Golden Age of Hollywood

If I was to start anywhere in my stories about the Golden Age of Hollywood I would be compelled to commence with Abbott & Costello.  In fact they were Top Ten box office 8 times during the years 1941-1951.  Their 36 films from 1940-1956 grossed 2.58 billion in adjusted domestic box office dollars. In 1942 they ranked #1 where their films grossed over 540 million!

Bud and Lou had their beginnings in Vaudeville but their big success began in a film they weren’t even the headliners.  That film was the 1940 One Night in the Tropics. The top billing went to stars Allan Jones (Father of Jack Jones the singer) and Robert Cummings. (‘Love That Bob”) In retrospect the film was forgettable except for the performances of Abbott & Costello, which helped launch them into the highly successful “Buck Privates” the following year in 1941. It featured the great Andrew Sisters and the smash “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B”. The boys after playing homage to the Army were compelled to continue in the same year with “In the Navy” and “Keep ‘em Flying”. Most of the time the supporting players were musical like the aforementioned Andrew Sisters and others like Allan Jones, Kathryn Grayson, John Carroll, Dick Powell and Ted Mack’s orchestra to name but a few. 

However the main attraction was Bud & Lou where they performed many of their famous routines like Who’s on First and Slowly I Turned. But the real magic was the chemistry between the boys. Abbott the straight man knew instinctively how to let Lou go and just as importantly when to reel him in. For his part Lou Costello was a comedic genius and had a real sense of the ad lib and was even paid one of the highest compliments by the Academy Award winning actor Charles Laughton who happily took the back seat to the team in 1952’s “Abbott & Costello Meet Captain Kidd”. Laughton was so anxious to work with the boys that even with the star of his magnitude he had no ego taking second billing. 

In all Abbott & Costello made 36 movies together ending in 1956 with “Dance With Me Henry.” Although Lou made one solo film in 1959 it lacked the punch the boys made together. 

 I could go on ad infinitum here but one of the boys’ most successful films was “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” in 1948. It was such an innovation for Universal Studios wherein they took some of the bygone monster stars like Dracula, The Wolfman and of course Frankenstein and made a comedy.  Stars like Karloff, Glenn Strange and Lon Chaney Jr. played their parts straight and A & C danced a comedic rhythm heretofore that never existed.   Interestingly the part of Frankenstein originally played by Boris Karloff in 1931 feigned interest because he thought it just wasn’t a good idea to mix monsters with the mayhem of Abbott & Costello. He couldn’t have been more wrong and when he witnessed the success A & C were having with that celluloid gem he signed on in earnest the following year with “Abbott & Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff”.  

The boys for two seasons, 1952 and 1953 took the small screen when they filmed 52 episodes of The Abbott & Costello Show” in which they reprised many of their routines from their movies but without the constraints of a rigid plot. The team could ‘run wild’ and if you get a chance take a look at these shows available on You tube if you haven’t already because these early television comedies were in many cases funnier in my opinion than any of their movies on the big screen. 

Next month I’ll feature William Powell.  

Cycling & Flourishing

I might have started this piece on my warrior Lisa Pepe Fernandez by saying that she is cycling and surviving but that would be a vast understatement. I met Lisa back in 2014 when she was still in the throes of her cancer treatment but you’d never know it from the vantage point of me the passenger in her spin class. Oh yes I didn’t mention she’s a spin instructor for 24 Hour Fitness. I had met her Mom some weeks prior and as a brief aside she’s going on 77 and she’s a spin instructor also at 24 Hour but that’s another story. Actually I’ve written about her several times. But this episode is about her daughter Lisa Pepe Fernandez who is a cancer survivor from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cancer. 

Lisa’s story is part denial, part miracle but mostly it’s about her belief system that is what’s the word? Unbreakable. Yes that’s the word is  unbreakable. It is her faith in God and relationship with  her savior Jesus Christ that she is healed and cancer free today!  

When her doctor first gave her the news back in May of 2014 she refused to believe that this lump that hopped aboard her clavicle was the big C. She said I refuse to accept that and it had to be just an infection. Well willpower alone wasn’t a match by itself as her PET scan confirmed the enlarged lymph nodes. The diagnosis was Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Stage 2. And that meant 5-6 months of chemotherapy and radiation. Along with the treatment the doctor mandated or let’s say strongly suggested Lisa have a port inserted for the chemotherapy and another blow to her vanity was that she’d probably lose all her hair. All throughout it seemed Lisa stood steadfast but losing her hair broke the veritable camel’s back and the tears started to flow in earnest. After a short time of reconciliation that her fair locks would be departing Lisa started to devise a plan. She fit her treatments into her life not her life around her treatments. 

Her instructor’s class was on Tuesday mornings so she decided to schedule her chemo on Wednesday’s figuring the next two days she’d be picking herself up off the canvas every two weeks.  So her class was either one day before or 6 days after her chemo. She had her plan and only a select few knew of her plight (I certainly couldn’t tell) and her determination, drive and here’s that word again; unbreakable spirit kept her on her schedule as she continued to lift weights, go to her job and volunteer at the animal rescue league. 

Oh and her nurses bless their hearts told her that she as a result of the treatments would have neuralgia experience early menopause and God knows what else. Uh yeah no here’s where Lisa’s willpower kicked in. There was none of that. Sure some flu like symptoms from the treatments and by the time radiation was queued up it was and I’m paraphrasing it was 'nothing' compared to the chemo. Long story short Lisa is cancer free and continues with her 6-month check up with her oncologist. Oh and her fair locks? They’re coming back albeit slower than she’d like but Cancer it’s in her rear view mirror now and her spin classes same as they ever were spectacular.  

P.S.

Oh and her family and husband and Mom very much part of that belief system and a faith in God.