Cary Grant was one of the biggest film stars of his era. His appeal laid in his good looks, charisma and talent. A timeless actor that is still appreciated today nearly ninety years after his career began. Due to his popularity his career lasted more than three decades and he was in some of the most beloved films in movie history. Cary Grant is best known for his roles in North by Northwest, Notorious, An Affair to Remember, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Charade. In total he starred in seventy-six films before his death in 1986.
Jumping off from that it makes total sense that Universal makes a collection of his films like this one. There are eighteen films in total so you get plenty of bang for your buck and they are from the early part of his career, 1932-36. Five of the films are available to be owned for the first time ever. The collection is divided into two categories – comedy and drama. He demonstrates that he could be a star in either of the genres.
A small outline of each of the films:
Comedies:
This is the Night (1932) directed by Frank Tuttle:
This was Cary Grant’s screen debut. A husband (played by Cary Grant) finds himself in a love triangle after he finds evidence of his wife’s infidelity.
She Done Him Wrong (1933) directed by Lowell Sherman:
A saloon singer (played by Mae West) has been juggling many men and it becomes more than even she can handle.
I’m No Angel (1933) directed by Wesley Ruggles:
A carnival performer (played by Mae West) has been looking for a way to get rich quick. Her greed could end up costing her true love.
Thirty Day Princess (1934) directed by Marion Gerling:
A rich newspaper publisher (played by Cary Grant) falls in love with a foreign princess (played by Sylvia Sidney) not knowing that it is really a poor actress playing a part.
Kiss and Make-Up (1934) directed by Harlan Thompson:
A well-known beautician (played by Cary Grant) marries a former client only to find out she is as deep as a puddle which makes his secretary seem like the woman he should have chosen.
Ladies Should Listen (1934) directed by Frank Tuttle:
A switchboard operator falls in love with a resident of the building she works in. The only problem is that he already has a girlfriend though she is less than honest.
Enter Madame! (1935) directed by Elliott Nugent:
An American (played by Cary Grant) grows weary of playing second fiddle to his wife’s career as an opera singer.
Big Brown Eyes (1936) directed by Raoul Walsh:
A newspaper reporter (played by Joan Bennett) and a detective (played by Cary Grant) work together on a case involving insurance fraud, concealed identities and murder.
Wedding Present (1936) directed by Richard Wallace:
Two big-time reporters find their competitive natures getting in the way when he (played by Cary Grant) is named editor and she (played by Joan Bennett) becomes engaged to another writer.
Dramas:
Devil and the Deep (1932) directed by Marion Gering:
A naval commander (played by Charles Laughton) suspects a lieutenant (played by Cary Grant) of falling for his wife (played by Tallulah Bankhead) when in actuality it is another officer (played by Gary Cooper) she is in love with.
Blonde Venus (1932) directed by Josef von Sternberg:
A former nightclub entertainer (played by Marlena Dietrich) returns to the stage when her husband is diagnosed with a terminal illness. She falls for a rich man (played by Cary Grant) and it puts her marriage and relationship with her son in jeopardy.
Hot Saturday (1932) directed by William Seiter:
A young clerk (played by Nancy Caroll) at a bank has her reputation sullied after spending some time with a wealthy man (played by Cary Grant). The entire community believes they have had an affair.
Madame Butterfly (1932) directed by Marion Gering:
A lieutenant (played by Cary Grant) stationed in Japan falls for a geisha and marries her knowing full well how easy it is to get a divorce. He then leaves with promises to come back for her.
The Woman Accused (1933) directed by Paul Sloane:
A former lover wants a rich woman back when he finds out she has become engaged to an attourney.
The Eagle and the Hawk (1933) directed by Stuart Walker:
Two rival pilots who have completely different ways of operating battle against all the hardships that fighting in World War I brings.
Gambling Ship (1933) directed by Louis J. Gasnier and Max Marcin:
Ace Corbin (played by Cary Grant), a Chicago gangster, is attempting to go the straight and narrow. He meets a woman on a train and falls for her not realizing that she has her own dark past.
Wings in the Dark (1935) directed by James Flood:
Pilot/inventor (played by Cary Grant) is blinded and his courage inspires a female stunt flyer (played by Myrna Loy) to take on a very dangerous mission.
The Last Outpost (1935) directed by Charles Barton and Louis J. Gasnier:
After being saved from dying in front of a firing squad by his cellmate (played by Claude Rains), a British soldier (played by Cary Grant) begins to think his rescuer might be an enemy spy. While spending some time with the man it becomes even more complicated when he finds himself falling in love with the man’s wife.
