Cary Grant: A Touch of Elegance

The author of Gable & Lombard and The Other Marilyn here looks at the ineffable star who died while on tour in 1986. Harris repeats oft-published data on Grant, born Archibald Alexander Leach in England in 1904. There are accounts of his life as a poor child, early struggles in New York during the 1920s and later as a beginner in Hollywood. The inimitable actor rose to the top, starring in Topper, Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story and many other classic comedies and dramas, which Harris details. Also recorded are Grant's personal crises: four failed marriages; wife Dyan Cannon separating him from his daughter, his greatest love. The book is marred by the author's intrusionsfor example, his frequent speculations on whether Grant was secretly gay. Photos not seen by PW. First serial to Good Housekeeping. (September)