July Update

At the tender age of 16, Archie Leach emigrated to New York on the RMS Olympic (the Titanic’s sister ship), which arrived at Pier 59 at dawn on 28 July 1920. He was on tour with the Pender Troupe of Acrobats, running away from a difficult childhood and seeking his fortune in a new land. In his autobiography, Cary Grant remembers his first glimpse of New York:

Manhattan Island. That skyline in the early-morning July sunshine. New York City. There it was; but was I there? Was I actually there at the ship’s rail, neatly scrubbed and polished, standing with a small, solitary band of Pender-troupe boys–none of whom had slept all night for fear of missing the first glimpse of America? The excitement. Those skyscrapers I had seen so many times before. Oh my, yes. In England. In Bristol. In the films.”

Cary Grant

We had planned events in New York to celebrate the centenary, but sadly they had to be cancelled due to the global pandemic so we’re hosting some virtual events to mark the anniversary of Archie’s emigration to the Big Apple.

Sailing with Cary Grant

Date: 
Tuesday 21 July 2020, 6-7pm BST
Venue: Online

A free illustrated talk with Cary Comes Home Festival director, Dr Charlotte Crofts. Learn about Archie Leach’s voyage on the RMS Olympic 100-years ago on the first leg of his journey to becoming Cary Grant.
Greeting Cary Grant
Date: Tuesday 28 July 2020, 11am-12pm BST
Venue: Online

Join our festival director Dr Charlotte Crofts on a virtual tour of Pier 59 where Cary Grant’s ship the RMS Olympic arrived in the early morning of 28 July 1920. Learn more about his time in New York and how it contributed to the development of his star persona.

The event will take place on Zoom and be live streamed to our Facebook Page.
Some Versions of Cary Grant

Date: Tuesday 28 July, 6-7pm BST
Venue: Online

James Naremore analyses the variety of performance styles in a range of  Cary Grant’s best-loved and lesser known films.As part of our centenary celebrations, we had planned exciting events in New York City, including a one-day symposium in partnership with The Graduate Centre at CUNY, which sadly had to be cancelled due to the global pandemic. But, our keynote speaker, Professor James Naremore, has kindly agreed to go ahead with an online event: Some Versions of Cary Grant, an illustrated talk analysing Cary Grant’s range of performances styles across his oeuvre, followed by a Q&A chaired by Dr Charlotte Crofts.

James Naremore is Chancellors’ Professor Emeritus of Communication and Culture, English, and Comparative Literature at Indiana University Bloomington and author of one of the seminal texts on Acting in the Cinema which includes a wonderful chapter on “Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959)”.

The event will take place on Zoom and be live streamed to our Facebook Page.

“My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can”

Cary Grant