In Part I of Guilty Pleasure Chick Flicks, I listed some true turkeys. This list has a few, but it also has the most important component there is for a truly great chick flick – Cary Grant. There will never be another. He was an original — suave, debonair, incredibly romantic, and he never took himself seriously. Maybe that was his charm. And – he knew how to dress! The only current actor who comes anywhere near Cary Grant, in appearance only, would be George Clooney, but he will never make that august Olympian leap to Screen God simply because he does seem to take himself too seriously. In fact, the only George Clooney film that makes my list is One Fine Day.
Let’s start there. One Fine Day with Clooney and the always exquisite (that’s why I hate her – not really) Michelle Pfeiffer is just plain sweet. I think this is the film where Clooney exhibits that Cary Grant charm, daring to be a bit silly, and playing fall guy to two adorable little kids. It is a cute film you can watch on "girls' night in" with girls of any age.
Back to Cary Grant. People Will Talk is one of my very favorite movies. Co-starring Jeanne Crain and those wonderful character actors from the 1950s, this is Cary Grant at his most charming. He plays Dr. Noah Praetorius, a somewhat mysterious but truly remarkable gynecologist who foreshadows the great humanitarian physicians we would soon see on the small screen. I am not going to go into plot details. If you have never seen this film, you are in for a treat. It does lead me to one burning question, though. If anyone were to be cloned, why not Cary Grant?
Then there’s Operation Petticoat. Stylishly directed by Blake Edwards, this is another of those movies with a great cast, including Tony Curtis and Dina Merrill. Co-starring are Dick Sergeant, Gavin MacLeod, and Marion Ross, all destined to be stars on legendary television series. The story of the Pink Submarine is the war movie for chicks. It is cute, funny and like its star, does not take itself very seriously. The best thing about this one is the little guys from about six to ten love it. What could be better? You make the boys happy with Cary Grant!
Charge! Have you ever faced a flight of stairs and just looked at them, sighed, and started running up shouting “Charge”? Well, it came from this stage play that eventually became a silver screen classic, Arsenic and Old Lace. Mortimer Bruster (Cary Grant) is a notorious misogynist (not against women but the institution of marriage) who literally falls for and elopes with the girl next door (Priscilla Lane), daughter of the local parish priest.
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments
1 - Lisa McKay
We'll have to leave a discussion of the pros and cons of George Clooney for another time (I think the comparison is an unfair one for a number of reasons), but good call on all those Cary Grant movies!
It's almost impossible to think of a Cary Grant film that isn't enjoyable. One of my all-time favorites is His Girl Friday with Rosalind Russell. You've also got another of my favorites on your list, The Philadelphia Story.
All of this, of course, begs the question of what exactly constitutes a chick flick. You have a few on your list I don't think fit the genre (at least not as I define it) -- John Wayne in a chick flick? I think not.
Really looking forward to the Jane Austen edition!
2 - Lisa McKay
Well, Clooney's made a lot of very decent movies over the last few years, which impresses me because he could have gone the "movie star" route but chose to do more interesting work. Cary Grant was a movie star in the old-fashioned mold, which is why I don't think the comparisons are entirely fair -- they're doing different kinds of work in very different times.
Having said that, if there's ever a good biography of Clark Gable on the table, I suggest Clooney for the lead.
Other things that make my list: almost anything by Merchant and Ivory, and almost any literary classics made into movies. Like I said, looking forward to the Jane Austen picks.
3 - SJ Reidhead
I am comparing George Clooney and Cary Grant on appearence only. I am too shallow a movie fan to do anything more!
Laughing!
The Pink Flamingo