- The Awful Truth
This week Chicago moviegoers have the opportunity to see not one but two films featuring the one and only Cary Grant: the famous George Cukor comedy The Philadelphia Story (1940) and the lesser-known Merrily We Go to Hell (1932), which screens as part of Chicago Filmmakers’ “Dyke Delicious” screening series. The film, in which Grant has a small role, is a pre-Code gem about the rigors of monogamy directed by Dorothy Arzner, a seminal if underappreciated filmmaker notable for being the only female Hollywood director of her era. If you’re unfamiliar with Arzner, Merrily We Go to Hell is a great place to start; if you’re a Grant completist who hasn’t seen much of his earlier work, it’s interesting and just a little bit weird to see him still wet behind the ears.
- Charade (dir. Stanley Donen, 1963) Few actors enjoyed their golden years like Grant, as evidenced by this hugely entertaining comedy caper. It’s my favorite of his later roles, notable for the grace and wit he brings to the table, matching the tone of Peter Stone’s script perfectly. Donen no doubt had a hand in this, as Grant displays similar ease in Donen’s The Grass Is Greener (1960), which I might have included here if it weren’t for Robert Mitchum, who (naturally) steals the show.
