The Gates of Graceland

Back in the late 80s, humorist Dave Barry wrote a surprisingly serious article entitled "Hearts That Are True," which would go on to appear in his book Dave Barry is Not Making This Up. He wrote the piece trying to uncover the mystery of exactly why Elvis was and is arguably the most popular performing artist of all time. He never really cracked the mystery -- but what Barry had to say about Elvis fans was no less interesting because of it.

Born in 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis's first record, That's All Right Mama, was released in 1954 -- a year after he had made his first amateur recording. He'd been a movie theater usher in high school and found work as a delivery truck driver before being "discovered" -- and his twenty-three year career would include 22 hit singles and and 33 film appearances. At one estimate, over a billion Elvis records have been sold, making Elvis the best-selling single recording artist of all time. (Estimates of the Beatles' records also put their sales over a billion, but when it comes to single acts, Elvis stands supreme.)

But if there's one thing that puts Elvis into the number-one slot, it is -- at least according to Barry -- his truly incomparable fans.

Barry interviewed a number of Elvis devotees for his article -- including those he called the "gate people," referring to the fans who had gathered around the front gates of Graceland during the 60s and 70s. Some of the gate fans were visitors to Memphis, but many of them were regulars, coming to the gates night after night after night, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Elvis or get his autograph.

The gate people were an entirely new class of fan, one that maybe hadn't existed before Elvis Presley mania. It was a devotion to the man and the music that, as Barry put it, seemed to mirror those figures who are "the focal point of a major religion."

August 16th marked the 35th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. (Fans paid tribute at Graceland by holding candlelight vigils.) But despite the years, Elvis's fan base seems none the smaller. To find out more about the life of Elvis -- and his fans -- check out these links and references.

Elvis Fans:

Thousands of Elvis Fans Flock Graceland Vigil (Yahoo) -- More about the candlelight vigil held at Graceland.

Elvis Fans Greeted at Graceland by Pricilla, Lisa Marie (CBS) -- A surprise greeting for fans gathered at Graceland to mark the 35th anniversary.

Fan Relations -- Find a local fan club chapter through the Official Website of Elvis Presley.

Elvis Online:

Elvis Presley: Official Website of the King of Rock 'N' Roll -- Everything Elvis. Biography, news archives, videos, music downloads, wallpaper, an online membership club, extras, and more.

Graceland (From the Official Site) -- Find out more about Elvis's Graceland mansion. You can even take a 360 degree virtual tour!

Tupelo, Mississippi: The Birthplace of Elvis -- The town still celebrates their status as the birthplace of music's biggest celebrity. There's a driving tour, a yearly festival, and the Birthplace itself -- the two-room house where Elvis spent his early childhood.


Elvis @ Your Library:

Elvis music albums from the collection

Elvis films and concerts on DVD and Blu-ray from the collection

Elvis biographies -- All about the life of Elvis Presley. Includes some DVD documentaries and audiobooks.

Elvis novels -- The legend of Elvis lives on in these stories featuring the King of Rock 'N' Roll.

Dave Barry is Not Making This Up -- Read Barry's original article on Elvis fans, "Hearts That Are True."

Elvis's second appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show

-- Post by Ms. B

And Every One Was a Henry

Henry VIII of England will always be best-remembered for two things: starting the Church of England, and having six wives. Anne Boleyn, his second wife, was executed on May 19 in 1536 -- and to mark the day, we're going to take a look back at the many (many) wives of Henry VIII.

1. Catherine of Aragon
STATUS: Divorced

The youngest (surviving) child of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain (yes, the same Ferdinand and Isabella who financed Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World), Catherine of Aragon was originally betrothed to another man -- Henry VII's older brother, Arthur. When Catherine was fifteen years old, she and Arthur were married, but the marriage lasted less than six months before Arthur died. Catherine, being still quite young (and still in possession of a healthy dowry), was promptly re-betrothed -- this time to Henry, the new heir to the throne. The new couple waited to marry until Henry was old enough, and in 1509 the 23-year-old princess was crowned Queen of England.

Catherine would have four children with Henry, but only one survived infancy -- a daughter named Mary. (As in, y'know, Bloody Mary.) Henry, however, was far more interested in a male heir. The queen's "failure" to give Henry a son might have been a sufficient enough blow to the marriage even without the added complication of Henry's growing obsession with one of his mistresses, Anne Boleyn. When Henry's petitions to the Pope for a marriage annulment proved fruitless, the King of England came up with a different solution: reject the Pope's influence and turn to Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to annul the marriage instead.

Having spent years fighting not to be deposed, Catherine refused to give up her title as Queen (Henry ordered that she been known only as "the Princess Dowager of Wales"). All the same, Catherine was cast out of the royal court and spent several years living in virtual exile, finally dying of ill health (her loyal subjects called it a broken heart) in 1536. She maintained her position as "the true and rightful Queen of England" until the end of her life.


2. Anne Boleyn
STATUS: Executed

Anne was no angel, perhaps, but I've always felt she gets a bit of a bad rap. Born sometime in 1500 or 1501, she grew up, in part, at the court of a duchess, and she spent years at the French Court as an attendant to the queen. Like Cleopatra, Anne's now-legendary beauty may have had more to do with her charisma and spit-fire spirit than her actual appearance (though she was said to have large, dark, beautiful eyes).

Anne was a member of the court of Queen Catherine, and was in fact the second Boleyn sister to be a mistress of Henry VIII. Although, to be accurate, Anne was not technically Henry's "mistress," as she refused to consummate their relationship until after Henry married her and made her his queen. She had had other paramours before Henry (and had seen her own sister discarded by Henry), and was sharp enough to insist on marriage.

She eventually won a promise of marriage from Henry, and by the time they were married in secret in 1533, Anne was already pregnant. Later that year, the Archbishop proclaimed Henry and Catherine's marriage invalid, and Anne's coronation was held later that month.

Both Henry and Anne were convinced Anne was carrying a boy. When Anne gave birth to a girl, Princess Elizabeth, the slight disappointment was taken in stride -- until Anne's next two pregnancies ended in miscarriages. There was no male heir, and Henry's eye had moved on one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting, Jane Seymour. Anne's fate was already sealed.

Arrested on trump-up charges of adultery, incest, and plotting to murder the King, Anne was taken to court, her character smeared despite severe lack of evidence. She was beheaded on May 19, 1536.

(Her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, who would grow up to be Elizabeth I -- one of the most famous and beloved of all English monarchs.)

3. Jane Seymour
STATUS: Died in childbirth

Jane Seymour was betrothed to Henry less than 24 hours after the execution of Anne Boleyn, and they were married ten days later. The following year, Jane became pregnant, and in October she gave birth to the long-awaited prince, Edward.

She may have given her husband the heir he always wanted, but Jane herself died two weeks after giving birth, weakened by her ordeal. Jane, however, is the wife whose grave rests beside that of Henry VIII, in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Henry considered her to be his only true wife, probably because it was Jane who finally gave him what he wanted most -- a male heir.


4. Anne of Cleves
STATUS: Divorced

Despite finally having an heir, Henry did not remain a widower. Two years after the death of Jane, Henry requested the portraits of three possible candidates for a new bride, and eventually chose Anne of Cleves (the sister to the Duke of Cleves).

It's a mystery as to why Henry found Anne's portrait properly enticing, only to find her completely unattractive in person. (He's rumored to have privately nicknamed her the "Flanders Mare.") In no short amount of time, Henry began entertaining thoughts of ending the unconsummated marriage and divorcing Anne.

Anne might be my favorite of Henry's wives, simply because it seems to me she had some decent common sense. As Wife #4, she was sharp enough to realize raising a fuss at the possibility of divorce would probably end no better for her than it had for two of her predecessors, and she hadn't been very happy in her life at the English court anyway. Without argument or trouble, Anne agreed to step aside -- and Henry, grateful for her cooperation, gave her the title of "King's Sister" and rewarded her with property and income for the rest of her life. She was even welcomed back to court on occasion as a visitor.

5. Kathryn Howard
STATUS: Executed

On the other hand, some people never learn. Kathryn Howard, a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves, had attracted Henry's attention while he was still married to Anne of Cleves, and Kathryn and the king were married sixteen days after Henry's second divorce. The year was 1540 -- Kathryn was 19; Henry, 49.

No longer a young man by medieval standards, and plagued with weight gain and an ulcerated leg, Henry nonetheless found his spirits lifted by his marriage to the teenage Kathryn. But, while it can't be considered a wise move, it's somewhat hard to blame Kathryn for having something of a flirtatious spirit, given the age difference between herself and her husband. It was not, however, a particularly safe move for the King's fifth bride to flirt with members of the court, and rumors of affairs soon took hold. (Kathryn might have spent some more time thinking through the wisdom of choosing one of her rumored paramours for the job of her personal secretary.)

A year and a half into the marriage, the evidence was piling up. Kathryn was tried, convicted, and executed -- and buried next to her cousin, Anne Boleyn.


6. Katherine Parr
STATUS: Outlived the King!

Onto the hunt for Wife #6!  Although, somewhat remarkably, Anne of Cleves volunteered to put her name back into the running for a re-marriage, Henry eventually chose for his sixth and final bride Katherine Parr, the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Parr (a former member of Henry VIII's court) and Maud Green (a former lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon). Katherine Parr was twice a widower as well as a stepmother (to her second husband's two children) -- and was also deeply interested in the reformed faith, which put her at theological odds with her husband.

There is a delightful account of Henry growing increasingly angry with Katherine's religious views and philosophies -- and, in fact, the conservative religious faction was fighting to get Katherine arrested on charges of heresy. A warrant was actually issued for Katherine's arrest; and, though quickly dropped, the Queen was told of its existence. Exacerbating the situation were Katherine and Henry's frequent theological debate. Katherine's refusal to concede her husband's "superior" points of view were making Henry increasingly frustrated ... and furious.

Katherine knew she was getting close to her husband's breaking point, but was too sharp and experienced a person to get caught in the traps that had claimed most of her precedessors. The next time an angry Henry came to discuss religion, Katherine lost no time in telling her husband that she had spent all this time arguing with him only to give him the opportunity to instruct her weaker, feminine mind to the correct way of thinking. Henry's ego was mollified ...

And Katherine outlived her husband. Talk about living by your wits!

For more on some of history's weirdest and wildest royals, check out Michael Farquhar's fantastic book A Treasure of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories of History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors.

-- Post by Ms. B

Motherhood: The Second-Oldest Profession

Mother's Day: May 13

The first official Mother's Day celebration took place in 1908 -- though it wasn't, at the time, anything more than a locally-celebrated holiday. Now celebrated in many countries all over the world, Mother's Day has its roots in Egyptian, Greek, and Roman mythology; the English tradition of Mothering Day; and even the Civil War. (You can read more about the history of Mother's Day here.)

So in honor of this upcoming Sunday, let's take a look at some of the most famous (and infamous!) mothers from history.

(And my thanks to Erma Bombeck for our subject line.)

1. Cleopatra VII

Cleopatra VII (yup, there were six other royal Cleopatras before her) was the last person to hold the pharaoh's throne in Ancient Egypt. She originally ruled Egypt as the consort of her ten-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII (as the Egyptian pharaohs were considered gods, it was common for royal siblings to marry one another, even though the same practice would have been taboo among the average Egyptian citizen). She eventually gained complete power, however, becoming pharaoh in her own right.

She was famous for her romantic relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony (was she motivated by love, political power, or both?  Your call). Less often discussed is the children she had with both men: Caesarion (meaning "Little Caesar") and, later, three children of Marc Antony's.

This mom was able to position three-year-old Caesarion as the "official" king of Egypt, while Cleopatra herself continued to hold the reins of power. After Cleopatra's death (at the age of 39, after a 22-year reign), Caesarion was acknowledged as the true ruler of Egypt by his supporters, but was shortly after murdered. Of Cleopatra's three children with Marc Antony, her daughter, Cleopatra Selene, eventually became the queen of what is now Algeria.

Fun Fact: Cleopatra is famous for being the most beautiful woman in history, but this commonly-known fact may not be true! Her physical appearance is still up for debate; what seems to have made her so attractive to her subjects -- and the rest of the ancient world -- was her wit, charm, and an elegantly cultivated speaking voice. 

2. Helena Augusta 

This mom may have had the biggest impact on Western Civilization of all time -- and yet, precious little is known about her. The mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, Helena gave birth to her son in the late third century A.D. Her husband, Roman Emperor Constantius I Chlorus, eventually divorced her in order to marry someone else. Helena left for Trier (now a city in Germany) and is presumed to have converted to a new religion while she was there: Christianity.

At the time, the new Christian religion was still illegal in Rome. It was Constantine, Helena's son, who became the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity -- and who legalized the religion in Rome. It paved the way for Christianity to become the major religious, political, and social powerhouse that majorly shaped the Western world throughout the Middle Ages (for better or ill!).

It's argued whether it was Helena who implored Constantine to convert to Christianity, or if it was the other way around. But if Helena did indeed convince her son to become a Christian, she had an effect on history that lasted for millennia.

Fun Fact: Helena is now a saint in the Catholic Church, credited with making a pilgrimage to Palestine, having multiple churches built throughout the Empire, as well as -- so the legend goes -- finding the True Cross, the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

3. Eleanor of Aquitaine

If you haven't heard of Eleanor, you might have heard of her son. Richard I of England, or "Richard the Lionheart," is remembered in medieval mythology as the king who came back from the Crusades to save England from the rule of his brother, the evil Prince John -- who was the nemesis of Robin Hood.

The character of Robin Hood is almost certainly not based on any one real person -- but Richard I and Prince John did exist. And their mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was not only a real person -- but a powerful figure in her own right.

Highly educated (she'd become a valued patron of poets and writers), Eleanor was only fifteen when the deaths of her father (the duke of Aquitaine) and her brother left her the inheritor of a vast fortune. Already the Duchess of Aquitaine, she would become the queen of both France and England, thanks to her marriage to King Louis VII of France, and -- after Louis divorced her for producing only daughters -- a second marriage to King Henry II of England.

Aside from her own wealth and her arts patronage, Eleanor had a hand in politics as well. She had accompanied Louis on his Second Crusade to Constantinople and Jerusalem, and during Henry's English reign she play an active part in his rule,  traveling back and forth between England and France. Henry would eventually imprison her for conspiring with their two sons to overthrow him; but when Henry died, the new king, Richard, set his mother free. She continued an active role until her second son, John, became King, at which point she returned to Aquitaine and remained engaged in the politics of her duchy until her death.

Fun Fact: Eleanor's first father-in-law, who had also been her guardian, was Louis VI of France -- also known as Louis the Fat.



4. Heloise d’Argenteuil

Heloise and her One True Love, Peter Abelard, shared a true-life tragic romance story on par with Arthur and Guinevere or Romeo and Juliet ... if with, perhaps, a touch more strangeness.

During the twelfth century, Heloise was an ingenious scholar (and probably from a noble family, given that she received an education at all). So ingenious, in fact, that her uncle and guardian hired a tutor for her -- a philosopher by the name of Peter Abelard.

Trouble began brewing when Abelard and Heloise fell in love. The two hid their relationship until Heloise had a son. The two of them were married in secret, but Heloise's uncle -- who eventually became aware of the relationship -- was furious with Abelard, believing that Heloise's husband was trying to distance himself from her in order to keep his scholarly career from being affected by his marriage. Heloise's uncle eventually had Abelard severely beaten and mutilated, and Heloise and Abelard went their separate ways: Abelard to a monastery, Heloise to a convent. Their story survives because they spent the rest of their lives in correspondence with one another -- and those letters have survived to this day. What became of their son is more of a mystery, although he's thought to have joined a monastery himself.

 Fun Fact: Heloise named her and Abelard's son "Astrolabius" -- after the scientific navigational tool. 

5. Abigail Adams

This wife of Founding Father (and second president of the United States) John Adams, Abigail had no formal education of her own but was taught to read and write at home. The daughter of a Congregationalist minister, Abigail had particular interests in philosophy, theology, Shakespeare, history, and government and law.

A decade into their marriage, John Adams went to Philadelphia to start a political career in earnest, while Abigail remained in Boston, managing their household, the farming on their property, and their children. Despite the distance between them, Abigail and John were very much in love -- and (not unlike Heloise and Peter Abelard) they are famous for the the lifelong correspondence they kept with one another. Their letters give today's historians a window not only into the couple's lives, but into the era of the American Revolution.

This mom would go on to receive a semi-official political appointment from the Massachusetts Colony General Court, was something of an early women's-rights activist -- and was not only the wife of a president, but the mother of one, too!  (Her son, John Quincy Adams, was the country's sixth president.)

Fun Fact: Though published posthumously, a collection of Abigail's political letters became the first published book written by a First Lady.



6. Marie Antoinette

She probably never said "Let them eat cake." In fact, if her last words are any indication, she was a kinder woman than history gives her credit for: her final words, "Pardon me sir, I meant not to do it," were directed to her executioner, after she accidentally stepped on his foot on her way to the guillotine. 

The wife of Louis XVI (the last king of France), Marie was heavily involved in politics, and spent her private life in such activities as sleigh racing, opera balls, and gambling. Criticized for her "partying" lifestyle (particularly when so many of her subjects were starving), Marie confessed to an ambassador  that her hobbies were only her attempt at filling a hole in her life: her lack of children.

She'd go on to be a mother of four, two daughters and two sons. One son would die at the age of seven; one daughter did not survive infancy. When Marie and Louis XVI were placed under house arrest, their two children were imprisoned with them -- and their remaining son, ten years old at the time, died from what was probably tuberculosis. 

Marie Antoinette was executed at the age of 37. Her daughter, Marie Therese, was the only surviving member of the family. Marie Therese was released from prison at the age of 17, but lived an unhappy life that was spent mostly in exile from France. She died fifty years later -- and, like her parents, is said to have forgiven those who made her life so miserable.

Fun Fact: To obey the customs of the time, Marie Antoinette gave birth to her children ... in front of the entire royal court. 

7. Julia Ward Howe & Anna M. Jarvis

The inventors of our modern Mother's Day!  Julia Ward Howe was so affected by the brutality and death of the American Civil War that she wrote a poem imploring the mothers of the nation to band together and protest their sons being sent to fight one another. Her initial call for an International Mother's Day was as much a celebration of peace as it was of motherhood.

Though Howe pushed for July 4th as a proper symbolic date for the holiday, Mother's Day initially was placed on June 2. The holiday was celebrated for several years in cities around the country, but the celebrations were being funded by Howe -- and once she stopped funding, the cities stopped celebrating.

But in 1908, Anna M. Jarvis revisited the idea of a day celebrating mothers after her own mother passed away. The first celebration took place at Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, the church where Anna's mother had taught Sunday school for over twenty years. That same year, a U.S. Senator proposed making Mother's Day an official holiday, but it was Woodrow Wilson who finally signed the holiday into observance in 1914.

Fun Fact: Julia Ward Howe created more than Mother's Day -- she also wrote The Battle Hymn of the Republic!



8. Ma Rainey

Gertrude Pridgett's stage name came about from her husband William "Pa" Rainey, who she married in 1902. Coming from a family of performances, Ma Rainey and her husband toured the country with a song-and-dance act that included popular songs ... and Blues music.

When Ma Rainey signed a recording contract in 1923 with Paramount, she was billed as the "Mother of the Blues." The name was apt. She wasn't just one of the best Blues singers -- she was, quite possibly, the first real Blues star. She is the first female performer known to have blended Blues music into vaudeville, minstrel, and tent shows, and she had spent over a quarter of a century performing before signing her Paramount contract. Over a six-year period at Paramount, she recovered over 100 songs, accompanied by musicians like Louis Armstrong, Tommy Ladnier, Fletcher Henderson, and Coleman Hawkins. Though the popularity of the Blues faded in the 30s, her influence on the world of music is undeniable.

Fun Fact: After retiring from the performance world, Ma Rainey built and operated two theaters of her own in Georgia.



9. Jackie Kennedy

A writer since childhood, Jackie Kennedy received a B.A. in French literature and worked as an "Inquiring Camera Girl" (taking pictures and doing local interviews) for the Washington Times-Herald. 
After her marriage to John F. Kennedy, her occupation would become less official but decidedly political: that of the nation's most-beloved First Lady.

Although it was her style and quiet charisma that she seems to be most remembered for, Jackie's role as First Lady went far beyond that. During the campaign, Jackie gave interviews to the press and wrote a column entitled "Campaign Wife," as well as recording radio spots in various foreign languages. She also helped polish John F. Kennedy's speeches, giving him historical references and literary quotations he could work into his rhetoric.

After the election, Jackie worked hard to shield her children from the public eye. But her duties didn't stop there. Jackie oversaw the restoration of the White House's public rooms to their historical roots, which became part of a larger campaign to draw national interest in historic preservation. She was a patron of the arts, hosting opera performances, ballets, jazz concerts, and Shakespeare plays at the White House. She was also said to have had a passionate interest in the political issues of the day --  but wanting to keep public focus on her history and cultural projects, she tried to steer attention away from her stances on more hot-button issues.

Jackie Kennedy would spend her later years as an editor at Viking Press and Doubleday, returning to her roots as a writer. She never lost her passion for history and the arts -- something she deserves being remembered for just as much as her position as First Lady.

Fun Fact: As "Inquiring Camera Girl," Jackie interviewed Pat Nixon, Vice President Nixon -- and Senator John F. Kennedy.



10. Mother Teresa

This Novel Peace Prize winner was born in Macedonia in 1910. At eighteen years of age, she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto, a group of Irish nuns who often sent missionaries to India. She had been sent there as a teacher for well-off students at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, but her attention and heart were captured by the poor she saw outside the school walls. At the age of 38, she left St. Mary's to start a school for impoverished children -- and, despite having no money to fund such a school, was soon receiving aid and volunteer help from others. Two years later, she gained permission to start her own order, The Missionaries of Charity.

Mother Teresa seemed tireless. With the single exception of a five-week hiatus in 1959, her work was constant and unending. And yet, in the past few years, recently-discovered correspondence between Mother Teresa and her spiritual advisors reveal that she was filled with her own troubles and doubts. For me, this makes her not less admirable, but more -- at it shows her to be a person with the same fears and struggles as anyone, but who did not let this stop her from working and fighting to help others. That's a "mom" we can all admire.

Fun Fact: A Mother Teresa quote --
"There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives -- the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family. Find them. Love them."

-- Post by Ms. B

Happy Birthday Cary Grant!

Growing up in the 70s and 80s I watched a lot of TV. If I wasn't reading a book, I was watching some old show or movie on the very limited number of channels available to us in those days. And what I really loved, was when there would be old movies from the 30s, 40s or 50s on. It was even more exciting if the movie happened to star Cary Grant. While many of the characters he portrayed were all very similar, I loved them none the less. Growing up in a blue collar, middle class family there weren't too many people I knew who were as sophisticated and sauve as Cary Grant. Plus he was funny! Of course, he was handsome, but that wasn't really important to me when I was 10.

So to mark the anniversary of the birth (January 18) of Archibald Leach (a.k.a. Cary Grant) here some DVDs (which will include some of my personal favorites) and books to check out:

An Affair to Remember

This is one of Cary Grant's most famous and memorable movies, mostly for its importance in the film Sleepless in Seattle. Two people, while engaged to other people, meet and fall in love on a cruise. They agree to meet 6 months later on the top of The Empire State Building, but unfortunately one of them doesn't make it there. This is one of the all time great tear jerkers, so if you haven't already seen it, or even if you have, make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand!

North by Northwest

In this film, one of many made with director Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant plays a hapless New York advertising executive who is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive. Also stars Eva Marie Saint.

To Catch A Thief

When a reformed jewel thief is suspected of returning to his former occupation, he must ferret out the real thief in order to prove his innocence. Filmed on location on the French Riviera, which only makes Grant and his glamorous co-star Grace Kelly, look even more beautiful.

Bringing Up Baby

While trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard "Baby." This is one of four films that Cary Grant did with Katherine Hepburn. And while it seems to be considered a classic screw ball comedy, it is not one of my personal favorites. But since it's been a long time since I've seen it, I may have to give it another try.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

A man and his wife decide they can afford to have a house in the country built to their specifications. It's a lot more trouble than they think! If you've ever hired someone to do any kind of renovations on your house, or had your own house built, you will understand the problems Mr. Blandings and his wife (the marvelous Myrna Loy) encounter on the way to their dream house.

The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer

A high school girl (Shirley Temple) falls for a playboy artist with screwball results. This is a very silly movie, with a very silly premise, but I love it all the same. And once again, Mr. Grant stars with Myrna Loy.

Arsenic and Old Lace

An easy going drama critic discovers that his kind and gentle Aunts Abby and Martha have a bizarre habit of poisoning gentleman callers and burying them in the cellar. This is a charming movie despite the odd premise. 

I Was A Male War Bride

Captain Henri Rochard is a French officer assigned to work with Lt. Catherine Gates. Through a wacky series of misadventures, they fall in love and marry. When the war ends, Capt. Rochard tries to return to America with the other female war brides. Zany gender-confusing antics follow. 

The Philadelphia Story

And now to my all time favorite Cary Grant film: when a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned 2nd marriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself. This is a fantastic combination of Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart. Some of the funniest scenes are actually between Grant and Stewart. This is a movie not to miss!

And, if you'd like to read about Cary Grant's life, here are a few biographies of note:

Cary Grant,  A Life in Pictures edited by Yann-Brice Dherbier

Dear Cary: A Memoir by Dyan Cannon

Good Stuff: A Reminiscence Of My Father, Cary Grant by Jennifer Grant

Cary Grant: A Biography by Marc Eliot

-- Post by Tracy