Cary Grant and His Amazing Roles Quiz

Answer: Mortimer Brewster, a theater critic with a family trauma

The film itself is a dark comedy about two elderly sisters who poison lonely old men with arsenic-laced elderberry wine. Mortimer Brewster is their nephew who is a theater critic/author who is well known for writing against the institution of marriage. However, he has just married the girl next door and now must control the chaos that ensues when he stumbles on his aunts' secret.

Interestingly, Grant was initially hesitant to take on the role, as he had only played suave leading men up until that point in his career. However, he ultimately agreed to take on the part and received critical acclaim for his comedic performance.

Answer: Dudley, a helpful angel

This holiday movie is about a bishop who prays for help in getting a new cathedral built. His prayers are answered in the form of an angel named Dudley, played by Grant. Dudley, however, is really there to help people spiritually. In the course of doing so, the angel becomes attracted to the bishop's wife and must deal with the unreturned sentiment. After several Christmas miracles, Dudley moves on while knowing he has helped people with their problems, including the bishop.

Grant was not the first choice for the role of Dudley. The part was originally offered to Jimmy Stewart, who turned it down. Other actors considered for the role included David Niven and Van Johnson. However, Grant's performance as the charming and charismatic angel who helps a bishop and his wife rediscover the true meaning of Christmas was widely praised, and the film was a critical and commercial success.

Answer: C.K. Dexter Haven, a correspondent for "Spy" magazine

'The Philadelphia Story' is about the complications of marriage, divorce, and remarriages. Katharine Hepburn plays a woman named Tracy who is from a family with a high social status and who has been divorced from Dexter Haven (played by Grant) for a couple of years. Tracy is getting married again to a suave gentlemen and is planning a large wedding. "Spy" magazine wants the wedding scoop so sends in Haven, who is temporarily working for them, and two aides. During the ensuing festivities, relationships are questioned, actions are scrutinized, and endings are all twisted.

The role of Dexter Haven was originally offered to Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, both of whom turned it down. However, Grant's portrayal of the charming and witty Haven earned him critical acclaim and helped solidify his status as a Hollywood leading man. The film also starred Hepburn and James Stewart, and was a box office success, receiving six Academy Award nominations and winning two.

Answer: George Kerby, a ghost

The movie follows the misadventures of a fun-loving couple, George and Marion Kerby. They die in a car accident and return as ghosts because they've done neither good nor bad deeds. They decide to help their uptight friend, Cosmo Topper. The ensuing comic misadventures highlight drunken revelry, relationship struggles, and societal views.

'Topper' was one of Grant's earliest leading roles and helped establish him as a romantic leading man in Hollywood. Grant's portrayal of the charming and mischievous George Kerby earned him critical acclaim and helped launch his career in the years to follow.

Answer: Cole Porter, a composer and songwriter

This is a fictional movie biography of the composer Cole Porter, played by Grant. Porter starts off by studying law but soon follows a professor's advice, and his heart, and pursues songwriting. He is wounded in WWI then struggles through marital arguments due to his passion for composing. Porter later is extremely injured in a horseback accident and must deal with the pain as well as attempted reconciliation with his wife.

There were over twenty Cole Porter songs in the film and it also represented the first time Cary Grant appeared in a color film. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award in 1947 but was later criticized as it fictionalized the life of Cole Porter to fit the era's censorship, notably omitting any mention of his homosexuality.

Answer: Nickie Ferrante, a wealthy playboy and artist

The movie, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, is a romantic drama about a couple who fall in love on a transatlantic voyage. Grant plays a man named Nickie Ferrante who is a playboy and Kerr plays Terry. Both are involved with significant others in their life but agree to meet again in six months. This would give them time to break off their engagements and for Nickie to start a career in art. They are unable to reunite on the given day due to unforeseen circumstances and must rely on fate to help.

The film has become a classic in the romance genre and has been referenced in various other movies and TV shows over the years. The film was actually a remake of the 1939 film 'Love Affair', and Grant was often compared, both positively and negatively, against Charles Boyer's portrayal.

Answer: John Robie, a retired cat burglar

The movie is a romantic thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and set in the French Riviera. John Robie, played by Grant, is a retired jewel thief who becomes the prime suspect in a series of robberies that resemble his past heists. He decides to catch the real thief to clear his name. In doing so, he becomes embroiled with wealthy Frances (played by Grace Kelly). After several close-calls and nighttime adventures, John Robie is able to prove to the police who the real jewel thief is and prove to Frances his love.

Grant was initially hesitant to take on the role as he felt he was too old for the part, but Hitchcock convinced him otherwise. The movie was a critical and commercial success and is considered one of Hitchcock's best works. It is also during filming that a real-life romance between Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco blossomed.

Answer: Leopold Dilg, an escaped arsonist

The movie is a romantic comedy-drama that tells the story of Leopold Dilg, a man who was falsely accused of arson and escapes from jail. He finds refuge in the home of a woman who is a former schoolmate. However, there is a third person in the home who is a promising writer that is renting the house. The movie highlights the interactions, both politically and romantically, of the unlikely trio. It culminates with a showdown between Dilg (aided by his friends) and the man who accused him of the crime.

Cary Grant was not the first choice for the role of Leopold Dilg; it was originally offered to Jimmy Stewart, who turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. The movie is one of the earliest examples of a comedy that also includes social and political drama, as the majority of comedies at the time of the film's release did not ordinarily have such serious plots. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards.

Answer: Roger Thornhill, an advertising agent mistaken for spy

Grant plays Roger Thornhill, an insurance agent who was mistaken for a spy while at a dinner one night. He then gets kidnapped, framed again, and finds himself on the run. He ducks onto a train and meets Eve Kendall, who aids him in hiding from the police hunting him. After taking a coach to a remote spot, Thornhill is chased by a crop-duster plane before getting to safety. The movie then chronicles his activities to prove his own innocence and the role of Kendall in the scheme. The film culminates with a literal cliff-hanger on Mt. Rushmore.

The film's iconic crop-duster scene was almost cut from the final version of the movie. Director Alfred Hitchcock initially thought the scene was too long and didn't add anything to the plot, but it was ultimately kept in after audiences reacted positively to it during test screenings. The scene has since become one of the most famous and memorable moments in the film. The film's style and elements, like the suave hero and the international intrigue, are said to have influenced the James Bond series.

Answer: Dr. David Huxley, a paleontology expert

Dr. David Huxley, played by Grant, is the protagonist in the classic screwball comedy 'Bringing Up Baby'. The film follows the misadventures of Dr. Huxley, a paleontologist, as he tries to secure a million-dollar donation for his museum. He meets a scatter-brained heiress, played by Katharine Hepburn, named Susan. It turns out Susan is tied in multiple ways to Huxley's impending donation. All of the following adventures are further highlighted by a leopard named "Baby" that Susan has as a pet.

Grant, a former circus performer, displayed impressive physical comedy in the film, even performing a challenging stunt in the climactic scene where Susan dangles from his grip, without a stunt double. Despite being considered a box office failure upon its initial release, 'Bringing Up Baby' has since become a beloved classic and is often cited as one of the greatest comedies in film history.