Search

The construction of a star’s image is a complex process, and one element that plays a fundamental role in this is clothing. Cary Grant, a legendary actor of classic Hollywood cinema, is remembered not only for his acting but also for his impeccable style and elegant wardrobe. However, what sets Grant apart is the fact that his clothing choices, particularly those linked to his on-screen roles, often challenged traditional gender stereotypes, making new statements about the intersection of fashion, identity, and expectations. In examining Grant’s filmography, we can observe that his on-screen wardrobe intentionally diverged from conventional norms, challenging not only the established notions of men’s clothing but also the traditional associations with power and status. In movies such as Holiday (1938), directed by George Cukor, Grant often wore outfits that are in contrast with his character’s actions. In this movie, Grant portrays a wealthy businessman who challenges the expectations of high society. He rebels against the norms imposed by his bride-to-be, engaging in childish activities with his future sister-in-law. The juxtaposition of his appearance and his rebellious personality challenges the expectation that men should always present themselves as serious and composed. In other movies, such as Bringing Up Baby (1938), directed by Howard Hawks, Grant wore female pieces of clothing. He plays a paleontologist who is forced to wear a woman's dress. While the initial use of cross-dressing serves a comedic purpose, it evolves into an exploration of gender identity. Initially, the act of wearing a dress is met with reluctance and awkwardness. However, as the character becomes more comfortable with this unconventional attire, a newfound confidence is reflected in both his demeanor and movements. The use of cross-dressing in movies has a rich history, often employed for comedic effect. However, in Grant's performances, it transcends mere humor to become a vehicle for exploring deeper themes of gender fluidity and identity. Cary Grant’s public image was intricately tied to his personal life and clothing choices, making his style not only a personal statement but also a key component of the public imagery associated with him. Beyond the screen, his fashion sense became iconic, influencing the perception of masculinity and style during his time. This opens to new analyses of the role of clothing in gender expression and performance in cinema, as Grant’s deliberate deviations from societal norms prompt a reconsideration of the relationship between attire, identity, and societal expectations. In view of this, it is possible to argue that Grant's on-screen sartorial choices challenged the status quo and, at the same time, invited the audience to question pre-conceived notions of gender roles. It is for this reason that the paper, using the methodology of fashion theories, focus on the actor’s ability to seamlessly integrate unconventional clothes into his roles to demonstrate a blended understanding of fashion’s potential as a tool for social expression and commentary. The aim will therefore be to demonstrate that Cary Grant not only left an indelible mark on film history, but also contributed to a broader conversation on the intersection of identity and style.

This article re-examines Cary Grant’s star persona arguing that the importance of his Bristolian identity has been under-appreciated. Through a detailed discussion of attempts to promote his Bristolian roots including the biennial Cary Comes Home Festival (established 2014), the article argues that these activities have encouraged a re-evaluation of Cary Grant’s star identity, increased understanding of his importance to Bristol’s screen heritage, and helped promote film tourism to the city. The article outlines the history and development of the festival, critically reflecting on the curatorial practices that underpinned them. It is informed by three main interlinked theoretical areas: star studies; the literature on fan practices of cinematic tourism and pilgrimage, and festival studies. It analyses the ways in which expanded cinema programming provides opportunities for decentering the understanding of Grant’s persona as a Hollywood star, by exploring the festival’s programming of immersive cinematic experiences in locations that were significant to his Bristolian identity. The article also examines the impact of the festival’s role in relocating Grant within Bristol, the ways in which it has enhanced the city’s sense of its cinematic heritage – including achieving UNESCO City of Film status in October 2017 – and the ways in which Bristol has become a living archive through which and in which Cary Grant’s star persona is constructed and circulates, which has helped promote film tourism to the city today.

Mark Glancy, Cary Grant, the Making of a Hollywood Legend (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020) and Scott Eyman, Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020).

The article presents an interview with filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer. Topics discussed include convince Scotty Bowers to accept an intimate portrayal of their lives and using the clip of him masturbating; explicit footage in the film and Scotty's long relationship with Spencer Tracy; and the character of his wife Lois in the film.

This essay seeks to complicate Mulvey’s argument regarding the active/male gaze—passive/female subject in mainstream cinema by looking at how individual movie stars may complicate this power structure. ExaminingVertigoandNorth by Northwest,this article demonstrates the complex and various ways that the star images of Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant work to undermine their own power in Hitchcock’s films, often through the very act of gazing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In three classic Hollywood romantic comedies by openly gay director George Cukor and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, we find constellations of non-traditional performances of gender and sexual orientation. Sylvia Scarlett (1935), Holiday (1938), and The Philadelphia Story (1940) offer both overt and subtle resistance to monogamous, heteronormative relationship structures through bisexual and other queerly configured romantic triangles. These three films share historical closeness, the pairing of two actors known for their highly gender-typed performances, and relationship triangles centered on a secondary male character that models an alternative gender/sexuality and thereby heightens the bisexual and queer implications of the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to discover happens to American films' comedy of remarriage in the 1940s and 1950s and its utopian cast in the age of domesticity. Topics covered include the struggle remarriage comedies for the reciprocity or equality of consciousness between a woman and a man, when the vision that these films harbour is domesticated, and the success of the films in renewing the utopian spirit of the films of the 1930s by making the domestic work for their central pair.