In the new documentary Stty and the Secret History of Hollywood, former V.F. edor Matt Tyrner sh a light on the sexual fixer who tered to secretly gay Goln Age stars
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- HOLLYWOOD LEGEND CARY GRANT’S BISEXUALY AND LOVE OF LSD REVEALEDICONEXCLIVEGEE HOYNGEN-HUENE/CONDé NAST VIA GETTY IMAGIN THIS EXCLIVE EXCERPT OM STT EYMAN’S NEW BGRAPHY “CARY GRANT: A BRILLIANT DISGUISE,” OUT OCT. 20, THE THOR EXPLOR THE SCREEN IN’S SEXUALY AND MORE. STT EYMANPUBLISHED OCT. 18, 2020 5:16AM EDT CARY GRANT’S MOST PRIZED POSSSN WAS EHER HIS FATHER’S POCKET WATCH, OR A GOLD CHA THAT HE WORE AROUND HIS NECK THAT HELD ONE OF JENNIFER’S BABY TEETH LUCE, AND THREE CHARMS THAT REPRENTED THE THREE RELIGNS OF HIS FOUR EX-WIV: A ST. CHRISTOPHER MEDAL OM THE CATHOLIC VIRGIA CHERRILL, A SMALL CROSS REPRENTG THE PROTTANT RELIGNS OF BARBARA HUTTON AND BETSY DRAKE, AND A STAR OF DAVID FOR THE JEWISH DYAN CANNON. HE NTUED TO EXPOUND ON THE BENEFS OF LSD TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LISTEN, AS WELL AS ANYONE WHO WAS DISCLED. HE BEME KNOWN AS THE GO-TO MAN FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE THKG OF EXPERIMENTG WH THE DG. AT ONE POT, THE SCREENWRER IVAN MOFFAT AND CAROLE BLACKWOOD HAD LUNCH WH GRANT. (BLACKWOOD WAS MARRIED TO LUCIAN FRD BUT HAVG AN AFFAIR WH MOFFAT.) GRANT STRONGLY REMEND THAT BLACKWOOD TRY A URSE OF LSD TREATMENT AND REMEND A DOCTOR. BLACKWOOD UNRTOOK TWELVE SSNS, AND MOFFAT BELIEVED THAT “ CERTALY HAD A TREMENDO EFFECT ON CAROLE. SHE SUDNLY BEME MUCH CLEARER THOUGHT, CLEARER OF PURPOSE—AND SHE STARTED TO WRE.” THE TERTG THG ABOUT GRANT’S ATTU TOWARD LSD WAS THAT HE REMAED ROLUTELY ANTIDG. WHEN THIS BLARG NTRADICTN WOULD BE POTED OUT, HE WOULD EXPLA THAT WASN’T A NTRADICTN AT ALL: “LSD IS A CHEMIL, NOT A DG. PEOPLE WHO TAKE DGS ARE TRYG TO PE OM THEIR LIV. LSD IS A HALLUCOGEN, AND PEOPLE WHO TAKE ARE TRYG TO LOOK WH THEIR LIV.” WHEN SOMEBODY WOULD LL HIM ON ONE OF THE NVENIENT DISPOSNS THAT SUPPORTED HIS PREJUDIC, HE WOULD SAY, “I’M NOW 70 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE LIVED A LOT LONGER THAN YOU HAVE.” AND THAT WOULD BE THAT. AGE AND EXPERIENCE, HOWEVER SUBJECTIVE, TMPED LOGIC OR FACTS. IN SHORT, HE WAS WHAT HE SELF-DIAGNOSED AS A “SERI OF NTRADICTNS”—TENSELY HUMAN, OFTEN MADNGLY SO. HE KNEW THE STORI THAT HAD BEEN FLOATG AROUND HOLLYWOOD FOR FORTY YEARS, AND THEY BOTHERED HIM . . . BUT NOT TOO MUCH. “THAT I’M A HOMOSEXUAL AND THAT I’M A MISERABLE TIGHTWAD. AND I RE BEE HURTS. YOU N’T JT WAVE AWAY BLHELY WHAT PEOPLE SAY OR DON’T SAY.”PRE-ORDER ‘CARY GRANT: A BRILLIANT DISGUISE’ HERE SIMON & SCHTER HE BEGAN GOG OUT WH MREEN DONALDSON 1973. SHE WAS A YOUNG ENGLISH WRER WHO WORKED FOR RONA BARRETT AND WAS PRECISELY FORTY-THREE YEARS YOUNGER THAN GRANT. THEY WERE TOGETHER FOR FOUR YEARS, AND WAS GRANT’S URGG THAT NVERTED HER TO A PHOTOGRAPHER. DONALDSON FOUND HIM AN ARNT, TENR LOVER, AT FIRST SHY ABOUT SEX WH THE LIGHTS ON. HE EXPLAED THAT WAS HIS “CHICKEN SK. YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THAT WHILE WE’RE MAKG LOVE. BUT THE DARK YOU N IMAGE I’M ONE OF THOSE YOUNG MEN YOUR AGE.” HE NTUALLY RETURNED TO THE AGE DISPARY—SECURY TGED WH SPICN. WHAT WAS SHE DOG WH AN OLD MAN? THERE MT BE OTHER, YOUNGER MEN HER LIFE. DONALDSON WORKED ON OPENG HIM UP. THE LIGHTS ME ON, AND THEY EVEN SHOWERED TOGETHER. HE ALWAYS HAD A TRIPWIRE WHERE CHILDREN OR TENTNAL CELTY WERE NCERNED. THEN, HE WOULD ALLOW ALL HIS PREJUDIC ABOUT ANIMALS TO BE QUICKLY FILED AWAY. HE DIDN’T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR TERT ANIMALS, BUT HE DREW THE LE AT HURTG THEM—THE FLICTN OF PA WAS THE RED LE. ONE DAY HE WAS GOG TO A POLYNIAN RTRANT WH DONALDSON WHEN THEY SAW A DNK ABG A DOG. GRANT PROMPTLY WALKED UP TO THE MAN AND OFFERED HIM A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE DOG. THE DNK UPPED THE PRICE TO TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS, WHICH GRANT PROMPTLY HAND OVER, GRABBG THE LEASH AS THE MONEY CHANGED HANDS.“WHAT ARE WE GOG TO DO WH THIS MUTT?” HE ASKED DONALDSON AS THEY WALKED AWAY.“I DON’T KNOW, BUT I LOVE YOU,” SHE SAID. “GOOD. THEN YOU FD A HOME FOR THIS ANIMAL.” ADVERTISEMENT SIARLY, A WOODPECKER TOOK UP RINCE ON THE ROOF OF HIS HOE, AND DROVE EVERYBODY MAD WH THE CSANT HAMMERG. GRANT’S SECRETARY OFFERED TO GET A GUN AND KILL THE BIRD, BUT GRANT WOULDN’T HEAR OF . INSTEAD, HE ORRED THE SECRETARY TO TAP BACK THE HOPE THAT THE WOODPECKER WOULD BE STARTLED AND LEAVE. THERE WAS MUCH BACK-AND-FORTH TAPPG, UNTIL THE BIRD MAGILLY FLEW AWAY TO HARASS SOMEONE ELSE.ONE OF DONALDSON’S IENDS WAS BILL ROYCE, WHO WAS SLOWLY BROUGHT TO GRANT’S CIRCLE BY HOE-STG WHEN GRANT AND DONALD- SON WERE OUT ON THE TOWN—GRANT WAS ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT THIEV, BUT REFED TO STALL A SECURY SYSTEM.“HE WAS A MUCH MORE PLEX MAN THAN HE SEEMED ON-SCREEN,” SAID ROYCE. AND MUCH MORE NTRADICTORY. I’M AN ADULT CHILD OF ALHOLICS, AND THAT TEACH YOU TO BE HYPER-VIGILANT. MOST DAYS, HE WOULD BE SUPER-CHEERFUL, EVERYTHG POSIVE. IF I LLED HIM AND I’D SAY DO YOU NEED ANYTHG? OR WANT ME TO DROP BY WH FOOD? I ULD TELL WH THREE WORDS IF HE WAS ANOTHER EMOTNAL STATE. USUALLY HE WOULD GET SEVERELY PRSED ABOUT HIS RELATNSHIP WH DYAN OR HIS ACCS TO HIS CHILD. JENNIFER WAS THE ABSOLUTE CENTER, THE PRRY OF HIS LIFE. IF THAT WASN’T GOG WELL, OR IF HE THOUGHT MIGHT NOT GO WELL, HE WOULD BE A BLUE FUNK. HIS MOOD WOULD BE ONE OR THE OTHER. I ULD BE WH HIM FOR HOURS, BUT I NEVER SAW A GOOD MOOD TURN DARK.I DON’T THK JENNIFER EVER EXPERIENCED THE DARKNS WH HIM. HE ALWAYS PRENTED A HAPPY PICTURE WH HER. HE WANTED HIS LIMED VISS WH HER TO BE UP, UP, UP, SO SHE WOULD ALWAYS WANT TO E BACK. AS FAR AS HIS RELATNSHIP WH HIS MOTHER, I THK HE FELT ABANDONED BY HER TILL THE DAY HE DIED. HE TRIED SPERATELY TO HAVE A GOOD RELATNSHIP WH HER AND SHE ALWAYS RISTED HIS ATTEMPTS AT AFFECTN. IF HE BROUGHT HER GIFTS, SHE WOULD ST THEM ASI. DONALDSON AND ROYCE WERE GIVEN CREASED ACCS TO THE HOE AND GRANT, AND THEIR MARCHG ORRS ME, NOT OM GRANT, BUT OM STANLEY FOX. MREEN DONALDSON HAD PLAYFULLY PLANTED MARIJUANA GRANT’S GARN, AND FOX POTED OUT THAT BIS DAMAGG GRANT’S REPUTATN, A BT ULD AFFECT HIS ALREADY LIMED VISATN RIGHTS WH JENNIFER. “HE MA CLEAR TO MREEN AND I THAT THERE WAS TO BE NO FUNNY STUFF. NO IENDS, NO WEED, NO DRKG UNLS CARY VED . HE SAID ALL THIS POT BLANK. FOX REMD ME OF [ELVIS PRLEY’S MANAGER] COLONEL TOM PARKER.”LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF THIS EXCERPT HERE: ADVERTISEMENT ROYCE SERVED AS A GO-BETWEEN WH GRANT AND DONALDSON AS WELL AS AN EMISSARY TO LIFE ON THE SUNSET STRIP—GRANT VELOPED AN UNRSTANDABLE FASCATN WH PAM GRIER AND ROYCE ACPANIED HIM TO SEVERAL OF HER MOVI. ROYCE GRADUALLY VELOPED A RELATNSHIP WH GRANT THAT WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FILIAL AND PATERNAL, WH A SGLE EMBARRASSG EXCEPTN. THE TWO MEN WERE THE SWIMMG POOL, WHEN GRANT GOT OUT AND WAS TOWELG HIMSELF OFF. WATCHG GRANT, ROYCE REALIZED HE WAS HAVG AN VOLUNTARY PELVIC RPONSE TO GRANT’S UNSELFNSC BETY. GRANT NOTICED AND SAID, “WELL, YOU TAKE RE OF THAT, AND I’M GOG UP TO GET SOME WE AND YOU N E UP WHEN YOU’RE DRIED OFF.”“IT DIDN’T ANGER OR EMBARRASS HIM THE SLIGHTT,” REMEMBERED ROYCE. “HIS REACTN WAS SO ELEGANT.”GRANT’S OK AND HOEKEEPER WAS AN AIN-AMERIN WOMAN NAMED WILLIE WATSON. “HE ADORED WILLIE,” SAID ROYCE. “HE STOLE HER OM DYAN. SHE WAS CHARMG AND SHE WAS SMART; THERE WAS SOMETHG MYSTER ABOUT HER—YOU ALWAYS FELT SHE HAD SECRETS. CARY SPOILED HER. NOT TERMS OF SALARY, BUT TRIPS HE WOULD PAY FOR, OR TICKETS TO DODGER GAM. WILLIE MASTERED THE TURKEY SANDWICH HE LOVED. HE HAD GOTTEN THE RECIPE OM DORIS DAY, AND THEY BEME HIS GO-TO FOOD. THE CST WAS SLICED OFF, AND THERE WAS A TH SLICE OF WATERCRS WH THE TURKEY.” ROYCE SHARED WH GRANT A CHILDHOOD THAT ULD BE TERMED UNNVENTNAL—HE HAD BEEN ADOPTED BY A MARRIED UPLE WHO WERE BOTH ALHOLICS, AND HE HAD BEEN RELATNSHIPS WH BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. “AS I PEELED OFF ONE LAYER OF MY ONN, HE WOULD DO THE SAME.”LIKE MOST ADOPTE, ROYCE WAS CUR ABOUT HIS BIRTH PARENTS. GRANT WENT BEHD ROYCE’S BACK, HIRED A PRIVATE TECTIVE TO FD ROYCE’S MOTHER, AND HAD HER BROUGHT TO THE HOE ON BEVERLY GROVE. THE EXPECTED MOTHER AND CHILD RNN WAS HAMPERED BY ROYCE’S FEELG OF ABANDONMENT AND A RULTG EMOTNAL NFN. “CARY SAW MY AMBIVALENCE AND TOOK ME ASI. HE TOLD ME SHE WAS ONLY GOG TO BE AROUND A SHORT TIME—SHE HAD PANCREATIC NCER. HE TOLD ME THAT IF I DIDN’T MAKE RIGHT, I WOULD REGRET TO MY DYG DAY. AND THEN HE FLEW HER TO JOHNS HOPKS TO SEE IF THEY ULD DO ANYTHG FOR HER.“PEOPLE ALWAYS SAID CARY WAS CHEAP. HE WASN’T CHEAP, HE WAS UGAL. HE RPECTED THE VALUE OF MONEY. CARY WAS NEVER CHEAP WHEN UNTED.” ADVERTISEMENT ROYCE WAS WORKG FOR A HOLLYWOOD FAN MAGAZE, AND GRANT URGED HIM TO TRAVEL, TO GET OUT OF TOWN. “IT’S TOO SULAR,” HE SAID. “YOUR VALUE SYSTEM GETS SKEWED.” HE SISTED ROYCE READ NATHANAEL WT’S DAY OF THE LOCT. “I TOLD HIM I HAD SEEN THE MOVIE, BUT HE SAID, ‘NO, YOU HAVE TO READ THE BOOK.’” GRANT DIDN’T READ THAT MUCH AT THIS POT, ALTHOUGH HE HAD A HARD TIME WH SOMNIA AND OCSNALLY TOOK SENAL TO GET SOME SLEEP. “HE STILL READ JOHN O’HARA; ONE TIME I SAW HIM REREADG A RAGE TO LIVE, AND HE SAID THAT O’HARA ‘HAD NYMPHOMANIACS ON THE BRA.’” GRANT’S PLAYFUL SPIR ME OUT REGULARLY. HE AND ROYCE WOULD PLAY THE PIANO TOGETHER—GRANT ULD PLAY A BOUNCY VVILLE STYLE, WHILE ROYCE WAS LIMED TO TWO FGERS. WHEN THEY WERE FISHED, THEY WOULD TRAIPSE OUT TO THE PAT AND PRETEND TO TAKE BOWS ONT OF A HOLLYWOOD BOWL DIENCE. GRANT WOULD BOW ROYCE’S DIRECTN AND SAY “YOU FIRST,” POTG TO THE IMAGARY THRONG. “OH, NO,” ROYCE WOULD REPLY. “I SIST.” AND SO ON, BACK AND FORTH, UNTIL ONE OF THEM BROKE OUT LGHG. “IT WAS JT AS SILLY AS SOUNDS, BUT GAVE BOTH GREAT PLEASURE,” SAID ROYCE. THE LIGHTHEARTED FUN WOULD ALWAYS BE PUT ASI WHENEVER THE SUBJECT OF ACTURED FAY RELATNSHIPS AND THEIR VICTIMS ME UP. ROYCE REMEMBERED ONE TIME WHEN WILLIAM INGE ME TO THE HOE AND GRANT ASKED HIM TO LEAVE THE ROOM SO GRANT ULD TALK TO INGE PRIVATELY.ROYCE AND GRANT EVEN HAD A NVERSATN ABOUT SEX. AFTER ROYCE UNBURNED HIMSELF ABOUT HIS AFFAIRS WH BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, GRANT RPOND BY IMPLYG HE HAD BEEN BASILLY GAY AS A YOUNG MAN, LATER BISEXUAL, STILL LATER STRAIGHT. RANDY STT, HE SAID, HAD SEEN THEIR RELATNSHIP AS “LOCKER-ROOM PLAYG AROUND.” IT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH HOW A MAN SHOULD LEAD HIS LIFE. BIS THAT, AT ONE POT DARRYL ZANUCK HAD TAKEN RANDY ASI AND TOLD HIM THAT ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH.GRANT EXPLAED SEXUALY TERMS OF PERFORMANCE, OF ACTG. HE TOLD ROYCE THAT TO NOT PLETELY EXPLORE ONE’S SEXUALY WOULD BE LIKE AN ACTOR PLAYG ONLY ONE CHARACTER FOR LIFE. EVERYBODY, HE SAID, HAD MORE THAN ONE CHARACTER SI THEM. HE DIDN’T THK HOMOSEXUAL ACTS WERE ANYTHG TO BE ASHAMED OF, OR, FOR THAT MATTER, PROUD OF. THEY SIMPLY WERE—PART OF THE JOURNEY, NOT NECSARILY THE FAL STATN. ADVERTISEMENT I THK CARY SAW THE SEARCHG I WAS DOG AND TSTED ME. HE HAD BEEN FLUENCED BY THE KSEY REPORT AND SAW SEX AS A SPECTM. MOST PEOPLE THK ’S EHER/OR. AND THERE ARE MEN LIKE THAT, BUT THERE ARE ALSO MEN WHO ARE OCSNALLY GAY AND OCSNALLY STRAIGHT. I REMEMBER ONE THG CARY SAID: “ENGLAND IS VICTORIAN, BUT AMERI IS MORE VICTORIAN THAN ENGLAND.”MY SENSE OF WAS THAT HE FOUND HOMOSEXUAL LIFE UNREWARDG. AS HE GOT OLR, HE WANTED CHILDREN, AND HE DIDN’T THK HE HAD ANY CHANCE AT A CHILD AS LONG AS HE WAS LIVG THAT LIFE. HIS NVERSATN WH GRANT MA ROYCE CUR ABOUT RANDY STT. HE WAS AT THE BEVERLY HILLS POST OFFICE ONE DAY WHEN STT ME TO PICK UP SOME MAIL. HE WAS DRSED TWEEDS, AN AST, HAD STEEL GRAY HAIR AND SPORTED A EP TAN, JT LIKE GRANT. ROYCE WALKED OVER AND TRODUCED HIMSELF. “MR. STT, MY NAME IS BILL ROYCE. I HELP CARY GRANT WH HIS PLACE OFF BENEDICT AND JT WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOVI.” “MY SENSE OF WAS THAT HE FOUND HOMOSEXUAL LIFE UNREWARDG. AS HE GOT OLR, HE WANTED CHILDREN, AND HE DIDN’T THK HE HAD ANY CHANCE AT A CHILD AS LONG AS HE WAS LIVG THAT LIFE.” STT SED AND SAID “WELL, I HAVEN’T SEEN HIM A WHILE. TELL CARY I SAID HELLO.” ROYCE THOUGHT STT WAS STUNNG; HE WENT BACK TO THE HOE AND TOLD GRANT ABOUT HOW STT HAD LOOKED. “YEAH, HE WAS REALLY SOMETHG,” GRANT SAID, A TONE THAT BED TEEM, FONDNS, AND SADNS. GRANT’S HOE AT 9966 BEVERLY GROVE WAS BETIFULLY SUATED, WH A VIEW OF THE ENTIRE SHG CY OF LOS ANGEL. BEYOND THE ONT DOOR WAS THE LIVG ROOM. OFF TO THE LEFT WAS THE KCHEN, WHILE THE BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS WERE OFF TO THE RIGHT. GRANT’S OWN BEDROOM WAS MOST, ALTHOUGH THE BED FEATURED MONOGRAMMED WHE SHEETS BENEATH AN ELECTRIC BLANKET. ON BOTH SIS OF THE BED WERE BOOKSHELV, WH PICTUR OF JENNIFER AS WELL AS PICTUR OF YOUNG ARCHIE WH HIS MOTHER. THERE WAS HIS OSR, AS WELL AS THE DI DONATELLO AWARD HE’D RECEIVED ITALY. THE BEDROOM LED TO HIS OFFICE, AND BEYOND THE OFFICE WAS THE TERRACE WHERE HE LIKED TO EAT. JT SI THE ONT DOOR WAS A FIREPROOF VLT, WHICH WAS FULL OF MEMORABILIA OF HIS AND JENNIFER’S LIFE. THERE WERE HIS OLD PASSPORTS, AN OLD JACKET OM HIS GRA SCHOOL DAYS, ELIAS LEACH’S MONOGRAMMED WATCH, HIS MOVI ON 16MM. TRANSCENDG ALL THIS WERE THE HUNDREDS OF TAPE RERDGS AND THOANDS OF PHOTOGRAPHS WH WHICH HE HAD DOCUMENTED JENNIFER’S LIFE SCE HER BIRTH. IT ALSO NTAED TOGRAPHED GIFTS HE HAD REQUTED OM OTHER FAMO PEOPLE HE MET HIS TRAVELS—A SIGNED BASEBALL OM HANK AARON, A SIGNATURE OM NEIL ARMSTRONG, A SIGNED PICTURE OM THE BEATL. JENNIFER HAD NO PARTICULAR TERT THE HOME MOVI GRANT HAD TAKEN OF HER, BUT HE LOVED TO WATCH THEM. ADVERTISEMENT THE VLT WAS HIS WAY OF DOCUMENTG THEIR LIV, AND A ROUND- ABOUT WAY HE SEEMS TO HAVE FELT WAS PROOF OF HIS LOVE FOR HER. BILL ROYCE THOUGHT WENT EPER THAN THAT. “NEXT TO JENNIFER, THE VLT SEEMED TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THG CARY’S LIFE,” SAID ROYCE. “HE WAS TERRIFIED THAT HE WOULD DIE AND JENNIFER WOULD NOT REMEMBER HIM.”“I’M JT AN OLD, OLD MAN,” HE SAID ONE DAY WHEN HE WAS SEVENTY. “MY LIFE IS REALLY VOTED TO JENNIFER. SHE IS GOG TO HAVE THE KD OF CHILDHOOD I NEVER HAD. SHE’S GOG TO KNOW AT ALL TIM WHERE HER MOTHER AND FATHER ARE, AND SHE WILL BE TOTALLY SECURE OUR LOVE FOR HER, EVEN IF WE ARE DIVORCED.” CIR 1935: CARY GRANT WH RANDOLPH STT. THE TWO STARS SHARED A BEACH HOE DURG THE 1930S, WHICH WAS JOKGLY KNOWN AS "BACHELOR HALL." JOHN KOBAL FOUNDATN/GETTY LEFT UNANSWERED WERE THE QUTNS PROVOKED BY THIS OBSSIVE DOCUMENTATN OF HIS DGHTER’S LIFE. WHO TAP AND PRERV THE MEANRG SPEECH OF THEIR SMALL CHILD? HOW N ANY CHILD LIVE UP TO SUCH ADMIRATN? ALL THE LOVE AND PASSN THAT HAD BEEN STORED UP FOR A LIFETIME, THAT HE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO EELY BTOW ON PARENTS OR WIV WAS RELEASED A NTUG LUGE UPON HIS DGHTER.THE PROBLEM WH THE BEVERLY GROVE HOE WAS THAT GRANT HAD ED AS A RENTAL OFF AND ON FOR YEARS, AND WAS SAD SHAPE. THE ROOF LEAKED, THE CEILG WAS FULL OF WATER STAS, AND PATCH OF PLASTER SAGGED DOWN. THE FRENCH DOORS LEADG ONTO THE TERRACE HAD BEE WARPED BY RA AND CRACKS HAD OPENED UP LARGE ENOUGH TO ALLOW STREAMS OF WATER ONTO THE FLAGSTONE FLOOR. GRANT DISVERED SOME RDBOARD BOX HE HAD LONG FOTTEN NTAG A BOUD PATG AND TWO TIEPOLO SKETCH THAT HAD BEEN A GIFT OM BARBARA HUTTON. AFTER POSNG A NUMBER OF POTS AND PANS UNR THE LEAKS, GRANT REALIZED HE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND SOME MONEY ON THE HOE WHETHER HE LIKED OR NOT. AND SO BEGAN YEARS OF SELF-PARODY THAT MA MR. BLANDGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOE LOOK LIKE A MOL OF NSTCTN EFFICIENCY. GRANT’S SECRETARY REPORTED THAT TWO ELECTRICIANS, EACH EARNG $20 AN HOUR, SPENT AN ENTIRE DAY CHANGG THE POSN OF A SGLE LIGHT PLUG WHILE GRANT PONRED THE PERFECT LOTN. THE LIGHT PLUGS WEREN’T THE ONLY THGS THAT GOT SWCHED—SO DID SIGNERS AND NTRACTORS.IT UNDOUBTEDLY SEEMED ODD TO THE NTRACTORS, BUT WASN’T REALLY. GRANT RELENTLSLY SEND-GUSED MOST OF HIS CREATIVE CHOIC, SO DHERG ENDLSLY OVER RATG A HOE WAS VERY MUCH CHARACTER. THIS OVERSENSIVY TO OPTNS WAS WHY THE IA OF AN TOBGRAPHY WAS IMPOSSIBLE, SPE THE SIZE OF THE ADVANC THAT WERE OFFERED—HE WOULD NEVER HAVE STOPPED REWRG. AND THERE WAS ANOTHER REASON—OR ANOTHER FEAR: HE BELIEVED THAT IF HE RRIED HIS STORY TO THE DAY OF WRG WOULD MEAN HIS OWN END WAS NEAR. “THE DROWNG MAN SE HIS LIFE GO BY AS HE GO DOWN, AND SO DO THE MAN WHO GO BACK OVER HIS MEMORI TO WRE ABOUT THEM.” ADVERTISEMENT AS HE AGED, HE NATURALLY THOUGHT ABOUT ATH AND MA PREPARATNS. WHEN LORD MOUNTBATTEN WAS MURRED BY THE IRA AUGT 1979, HE WAS VISIBLY VASTATED. AFTER THE FUNERAL, HE LLED A IEND AND ANNOUNCED, “I’M ABSOLUTELY POOPED, AND I’M SO GODDAMNED OLD . . . I’M GOG TO LIE BED . . . I SHALL JT CLOSE ALL DOORS, TURN OFF THE TELEPHONE AND ENJOY MY LIFE.” HE MA MREEN DONALDSON PROMISE THAT IF HE SHOULD DIE DURG THE NIGHT, SHE WAS NOT TO LL THE POLICE OR EVEN AN AMBULANCE, BUT RATHER STANLEY FOX. “I’VE GONE OVER THIS WH HIM MANY TIM. HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO. I N TST HIM TO FOLLOW MY STCTNS TO THE LETTER.” “ROYCE THOUGHT STT WAS STUNNG; HE WENT BACK TO THE HOE AND TOLD GRANT ABOUT HOW STT HAD LOOKED. ‘YEAH, HE WAS REALLY SOMETHG,’ GRANT SAID, A TONE THAT BED TEEM, FONDNS, AND SADNS.” MOSTLY, HOWEVER, HE EXHIBED A BLHE GRACE THAT RETIREMENT HAD HELPED CREATE. PETER BOGDANOVICH WNSED AN AMG SCENE 1973, WHEN HE AND GRANT BOTH ATTEND THE AMERIN FILM INSTUTE’S LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR JOHN FORD. GRANT HAD FOTTEN HIS TICKET AND ASKED THE LADY AT THE RECEPTN FOR SOME HELP. NAME? SHE ASKED, LOOKG DOWN AT HER LIST. “CARY GRANT,” HE SAID. SHE LOOKED UP AND WASN’T SURE ABOUT WHAT SHE SAW. “YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE CARY GRANT.”“I KNOW,” HE SAID WH A SE. “NOBODY DO.”OCSNALLY THERE WOULD BE A TAC MOMENT OF E. AT A PARTY, GAZG AT THE STUNNG WOMEN CLTERED AROUND WARREN BEATTY, HE NODD AND SAID, “SEE THAT GUY? THAT ED TO BE ME.” BEATTY HAD BEEN OBSERVG GRANT AT CLOSE RANGE SCE VISG LLIE CARON DURG THE SHOOT OF FATHER GOOSE, AND IS PROBABLE THAT BEATTY’S GENERAL RA OF A MEGASTAR FLOATG ABOVE THE SEEDY MISHEGOSS OF THE MOVIE BS RIVED OM THE OLR ACTOR’S ATTU.PL SYLBERT WORKED WH BEATTY AND SAID, “HE LEARNED OM GRANT . . . PICKG UP THE DO’S AND DON’TS OM HANGG AROUND THE PEOPLE AND SEEG HOW THEY OPERATE.” FOR A TIME, BEATTY SISTED ON G MASRA TO ACCENT HIS EY, AND HE WOULD ADOPT A TRICK OFTEN ED BY AGG ACTRS, AS WELL AS ACTORS—PUT THE MERA FIFTEEN FEET AWAY AND SHOOT CLOSE-UPS WH A LONG LENS, WHICH SLIGHTLY SOFTENS THE FOC WHOUT BEG OBV ABOUT . ADVERTISEMENT IN THE FALL OF 1968, GRANT WROTE AN EXUBERANT SELF-ANALYSIS REDOLENT OF SCROOGE AFTER HIS ENLIGHTENMENT: I AM A SIXTY-FIVE YEAR OLD PROFSNAL MAN, RECENTLY DIVORCED FOR THE FOURTH TIME, AND FATHER OF A TWO-AND-A-HALF YEAR OLD DGHTER. I AM HAPPIER THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN, YET NOT AS HAPPY AS I TEND TO BE.I AM OFTEN PSIMISTIC, YET MALY OPTIMISTIC. I NO LONGER RIST, OR HIB, THE PERATN OF KNOWLEDGE WHICH I TST WILL EVENTUALLY RULT WISDOM!I ENJOY THE BOUNDLS FEELG OF LOVE AND TEND TO LET GROW FOREVER ME. I TEND TO TRY TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE TO, AND LIVE WH NSIRATN OF, OTHERS.LOOKG BACK ON MY LIFE, I OCSNALLY WISH I HAD KNOWN ENOUGH TO CHOOSE A PROFSN THAT ULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIRECTLY BENEFICIAL TO OTHERS. BUT, SCE I DIDN’T, I MT TAKE THAT TO NSIRATN ALL FUTURE ENAVORS. . . .IT’S A GOOD DAY AND A GOOD LIFE! GRANT’S IENDSHIP WH HAROLD LLOYD REMAED STRONG. “HAROLD HAD A PRIVATE N UPSTAIRS, WH A PHONE THAT ONLY RANG THAT ROOM,” REMEMBERED LLOYD’S GRANDDGHTER SUE. I HUNG AROUND UP THERE A LOT. ONE DAY THE PHONE RGS, AND WAS THAT DISTCTIVE VOICE: “OH, HEL-LO. THIS IS CARY GRANT. IS HAROLD THERE?”AND I SAID, “OH YEAH. DAD’S HERE, BUT HE’S ON THE THRONE.” AND THEN I ULDN’T TALK TO HIM ANYMORE. I’D SEEN AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER AND WAS JT HERENT ABOUT . I THREW THE PHONE DOWN AND RAN DOWN THE HALL.“DAD, ’S CARY GRANT.”“OKAY, LM DOWN. JT TELL HIM I’M ON THE THRONE AND I’LL LL HIM BACK A MUTE.”SO AFTER THAT, I BEGGED HIM TO LET ME GO TO LUNCH WH THE TWO OF THEM, AND HAROLD SAID, “IF YOU N POSE YOURSELF, WE’RE GOG TO GO TO THE POLO LOUNGE.” BUT AT THAT POT HE DIDN’T THK I WOULD BE ABLE TO PULL MYSELF TOGETHER.THE FIRST TIME THAT I REALLY HAD A NVERSATN WH CARY WAS WHEN WE WERE LONDON. I WAS SEVENTEEN OR EIGHTEEN, AND WE WERE STAYG AT THE INN AT THE PARK. WE WENT TO DNER WH CARY AT THE WHE ELEPHANT. HAROLD AND CARY WERE VERY TERTG TOGETHER. YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN THEY WERE EDIANS. SER. NO JOKG AROUND. THEY LOOKED LIKE BSMEN, AND THEY ACTED LIKE BSMEN. SUS AND GLASS.AND Y, CARY WAS CHARMG. HE ASKED ABOUT WHAT I DID WH DAD. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE SHRER HOSPALS, AND THAT I WENT TO WTLAKE, I READ DAD’S LIGHT METER FOR HIM WHEN HE WAS TAKG PICTUR AND SO FORTH. CARY HAD A KD OF A WARMTH WHEN HE TALKED TO YOU. HE REALLY LOOKED AT YOU. HE WASN’T GRAND AT ALL. HE WAS FORTABLE HIS SK AND TERTED YOU. IN THKG ABOUT , HE WAS A LOT LIKE HAROLD. SUE LLOYD’S EXPERIENC WH GRANT WERE ALMOST ENTIRELY WH THE PROFSNAL ASPECT OF HIS PERSONALY, BUT THERE WAS ONE TIME WHEN SHE GOT A GLIMPSE OF HIS MORE RMAL SI. THE BISEXUAL THG. I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT . I N TELL YOU THAT PEOPLE DIDN’T MAKE A BIG AL ABOUT . I N SEE , KD OF. MY IEND RICHARD CORRELL AND I WENT TO A PARTY ONCE. MY UNCLE WAS THERE WH HIS BOYIEND, AND CARY WAS THERE AS WELL, SWIRLG AROUND A FTAN. AND I WAS BLOWN BACK. OH, HAD AN EFFECT ON ME. HE WAS SWISHG AROUND THE PARTY. I SAW THAT SI OF HIM, AND I SAW THE BSMAN SI AS WELL. LET ME TELL YOU, THERE WAS A REAL NTRAST. STT EYMAN
- CARY GRANT'S DGHTER: DAD WASN'T GAY OR BI, BUT IF HE HAD BEEN, OK
- WHEN HOLLYWOOD STUDS MARRIED OFF GAY STARS TO KEEP THEIR SEXUALY A SECRET
- CARY GRANT’S DGHTER SLAMS SPECULATN IN WAS GAY: ‘I NEVER SAW A HT OF THAT’
HOLLYWOOD LEGEND CARY GRANT’S BISEXUALY AND LOVE OF LSD REVEALEDICONEXCLIVEGEE HOYNGEN-HUENE/CONDé NAST VIA GETTY IMAGIN THIS EXCLIVE EXCERPT OM STT EYMAN’S NEW BGRAPHY “CARY GRANT: A BRILLIANT DISGUISE,” OUT OCT. 20, THE THOR EXPLOR THE SCREEN IN’S SEXUALY AND MORE. STT EYMANPUBLISHED OCT. 18, 2020 5:16AM EDT CARY GRANT’S MOST PRIZED POSSSN WAS EHER HIS FATHER’S POCKET WATCH, OR A GOLD CHA THAT HE WORE AROUND HIS NECK THAT HELD ONE OF JENNIFER’S BABY TEETH LUCE, AND THREE CHARMS THAT REPRENTED THE THREE RELIGNS OF HIS FOUR EX-WIV: A ST. CHRISTOPHER MEDAL OM THE CATHOLIC VIRGIA CHERRILL, A SMALL CROSS REPRENTG THE PROTTANT RELIGNS OF BARBARA HUTTON AND BETSY DRAKE, AND A STAR OF DAVID FOR THE JEWISH DYAN CANNON. HE NTUED TO EXPOUND ON THE BENEFS OF LSD TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LISTEN, AS WELL AS ANYONE WHO WAS DISCLED. HE BEME KNOWN AS THE GO-TO MAN FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE THKG OF EXPERIMENTG WH THE DG. AT ONE POT, THE SCREENWRER IVAN MOFFAT AND CAROLE BLACKWOOD HAD LUNCH WH GRANT. (BLACKWOOD WAS MARRIED TO LUCIAN FRD BUT HAVG AN AFFAIR WH MOFFAT.) GRANT STRONGLY REMEND THAT BLACKWOOD TRY A URSE OF LSD TREATMENT AND REMEND A DOCTOR. BLACKWOOD UNRTOOK TWELVE SSNS, AND MOFFAT BELIEVED THAT “ CERTALY HAD A TREMENDO EFFECT ON CAROLE. SHE SUDNLY BEME MUCH CLEARER THOUGHT, CLEARER OF PURPOSE—AND SHE STARTED TO WRE.” THE TERTG THG ABOUT GRANT’S ATTU TOWARD LSD WAS THAT HE REMAED ROLUTELY ANTIDG. WHEN THIS BLARG NTRADICTN WOULD BE POTED OUT, HE WOULD EXPLA THAT WASN’T A NTRADICTN AT ALL: “LSD IS A CHEMIL, NOT A DG. PEOPLE WHO TAKE DGS ARE TRYG TO PE OM THEIR LIV. LSD IS A HALLUCOGEN, AND PEOPLE WHO TAKE ARE TRYG TO LOOK WH THEIR LIV.” WHEN SOMEBODY WOULD LL HIM ON ONE OF THE NVENIENT DISPOSNS THAT SUPPORTED HIS PREJUDIC, HE WOULD SAY, “I’M NOW 70 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE LIVED A LOT LONGER THAN YOU HAVE.” AND THAT WOULD BE THAT. AGE AND EXPERIENCE, HOWEVER SUBJECTIVE, TMPED LOGIC OR FACTS. IN SHORT, HE WAS WHAT HE SELF-DIAGNOSED AS A “SERI OF NTRADICTNS”—TENSELY HUMAN, OFTEN MADNGLY SO. HE KNEW THE STORI THAT HAD BEEN FLOATG AROUND HOLLYWOOD FOR FORTY YEARS, AND THEY BOTHERED HIM . . . BUT NOT TOO MUCH. “THAT I’M A HOMOSEXUAL AND THAT I’M A MISERABLE TIGHTWAD. AND I RE BEE HURTS. YOU N’T JT WAVE AWAY BLHELY WHAT PEOPLE SAY OR DON’T SAY.”PRE-ORDER ‘CARY GRANT: A BRILLIANT DISGUISE’ HERE SIMON & SCHTER HE BEGAN GOG OUT WH MREEN DONALDSON 1973. SHE WAS A YOUNG ENGLISH WRER WHO WORKED FOR RONA BARRETT AND WAS PRECISELY FORTY-THREE YEARS YOUNGER THAN GRANT. THEY WERE TOGETHER FOR FOUR YEARS, AND WAS GRANT’S URGG THAT NVERTED HER TO A PHOTOGRAPHER. DONALDSON FOUND HIM AN ARNT, TENR LOVER, AT FIRST SHY ABOUT SEX WH THE LIGHTS ON. HE EXPLAED THAT WAS HIS “CHICKEN SK. YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THAT WHILE WE’RE MAKG LOVE. BUT THE DARK YOU N IMAGE I’M ONE OF THOSE YOUNG MEN YOUR AGE.” HE NTUALLY RETURNED TO THE AGE DISPARY—SECURY TGED WH SPICN. WHAT WAS SHE DOG WH AN OLD MAN? THERE MT BE OTHER, YOUNGER MEN HER LIFE. DONALDSON WORKED ON OPENG HIM UP. THE LIGHTS ME ON, AND THEY EVEN SHOWERED TOGETHER. HE ALWAYS HAD A TRIPWIRE WHERE CHILDREN OR TENTNAL CELTY WERE NCERNED. THEN, HE WOULD ALLOW ALL HIS PREJUDIC ABOUT ANIMALS TO BE QUICKLY FILED AWAY. HE DIDN’T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR TERT ANIMALS, BUT HE DREW THE LE AT HURTG THEM—THE FLICTN OF PA WAS THE RED LE. ONE DAY HE WAS GOG TO A POLYNIAN RTRANT WH DONALDSON WHEN THEY SAW A DNK ABG A DOG. GRANT PROMPTLY WALKED UP TO THE MAN AND OFFERED HIM A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE DOG. THE DNK UPPED THE PRICE TO TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS, WHICH GRANT PROMPTLY HAND OVER, GRABBG THE LEASH AS THE MONEY CHANGED HANDS.“WHAT ARE WE GOG TO DO WH THIS MUTT?” HE ASKED DONALDSON AS THEY WALKED AWAY.“I DON’T KNOW, BUT I LOVE YOU,” SHE SAID. “GOOD. THEN YOU FD A HOME FOR THIS ANIMAL.” ADVERTISEMENT SIARLY, A WOODPECKER TOOK UP RINCE ON THE ROOF OF HIS HOE, AND DROVE EVERYBODY MAD WH THE CSANT HAMMERG. GRANT’S SECRETARY OFFERED TO GET A GUN AND KILL THE BIRD, BUT GRANT WOULDN’T HEAR OF . INSTEAD, HE ORRED THE SECRETARY TO TAP BACK THE HOPE THAT THE WOODPECKER WOULD BE STARTLED AND LEAVE. THERE WAS MUCH BACK-AND-FORTH TAPPG, UNTIL THE BIRD MAGILLY FLEW AWAY TO HARASS SOMEONE ELSE.ONE OF DONALDSON’S IENDS WAS BILL ROYCE, WHO WAS SLOWLY BROUGHT TO GRANT’S CIRCLE BY HOE-STG WHEN GRANT AND DONALD- SON WERE OUT ON THE TOWN—GRANT WAS ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT THIEV, BUT REFED TO STALL A SECURY SYSTEM.“HE WAS A MUCH MORE PLEX MAN THAN HE SEEMED ON-SCREEN,” SAID ROYCE. AND MUCH MORE NTRADICTORY. I’M AN ADULT CHILD OF ALHOLICS, AND THAT TEACH YOU TO BE HYPER-VIGILANT. MOST DAYS, HE WOULD BE SUPER-CHEERFUL, EVERYTHG POSIVE. IF I LLED HIM AND I’D SAY DO YOU NEED ANYTHG? OR WANT ME TO DROP BY WH FOOD? I ULD TELL WH THREE WORDS IF HE WAS ANOTHER EMOTNAL STATE. USUALLY HE WOULD GET SEVERELY PRSED ABOUT HIS RELATNSHIP WH DYAN OR HIS ACCS TO HIS CHILD. JENNIFER WAS THE ABSOLUTE CENTER, THE PRRY OF HIS LIFE. IF THAT WASN’T GOG WELL, OR IF HE THOUGHT MIGHT NOT GO WELL, HE WOULD BE A BLUE FUNK. HIS MOOD WOULD BE ONE OR THE OTHER. I ULD BE WH HIM FOR HOURS, BUT I NEVER SAW A GOOD MOOD TURN DARK.I DON’T THK JENNIFER EVER EXPERIENCED THE DARKNS WH HIM. HE ALWAYS PRENTED A HAPPY PICTURE WH HER. HE WANTED HIS LIMED VISS WH HER TO BE UP, UP, UP, SO SHE WOULD ALWAYS WANT TO E BACK. AS FAR AS HIS RELATNSHIP WH HIS MOTHER, I THK HE FELT ABANDONED BY HER TILL THE DAY HE DIED. HE TRIED SPERATELY TO HAVE A GOOD RELATNSHIP WH HER AND SHE ALWAYS RISTED HIS ATTEMPTS AT AFFECTN. IF HE BROUGHT HER GIFTS, SHE WOULD ST THEM ASI. DONALDSON AND ROYCE WERE GIVEN CREASED ACCS TO THE HOE AND GRANT, AND THEIR MARCHG ORRS ME, NOT OM GRANT, BUT OM STANLEY FOX. MREEN DONALDSON HAD PLAYFULLY PLANTED MARIJUANA GRANT’S GARN, AND FOX POTED OUT THAT BIS DAMAGG GRANT’S REPUTATN, A BT ULD AFFECT HIS ALREADY LIMED VISATN RIGHTS WH JENNIFER. “HE MA CLEAR TO MREEN AND I THAT THERE WAS TO BE NO FUNNY STUFF. NO IENDS, NO WEED, NO DRKG UNLS CARY VED . HE SAID ALL THIS POT BLANK. FOX REMD ME OF [ELVIS PRLEY’S MANAGER] COLONEL TOM PARKER.”LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF THIS EXCERPT HERE: ADVERTISEMENT ROYCE SERVED AS A GO-BETWEEN WH GRANT AND DONALDSON AS WELL AS AN EMISSARY TO LIFE ON THE SUNSET STRIP—GRANT VELOPED AN UNRSTANDABLE FASCATN WH PAM GRIER AND ROYCE ACPANIED HIM TO SEVERAL OF HER MOVI. ROYCE GRADUALLY VELOPED A RELATNSHIP WH GRANT THAT WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FILIAL AND PATERNAL, WH A SGLE EMBARRASSG EXCEPTN. THE TWO MEN WERE THE SWIMMG POOL, WHEN GRANT GOT OUT AND WAS TOWELG HIMSELF OFF. WATCHG GRANT, ROYCE REALIZED HE WAS HAVG AN VOLUNTARY PELVIC RPONSE TO GRANT’S UNSELFNSC BETY. GRANT NOTICED AND SAID, “WELL, YOU TAKE RE OF THAT, AND I’M GOG UP TO GET SOME WE AND YOU N E UP WHEN YOU’RE DRIED OFF.”“IT DIDN’T ANGER OR EMBARRASS HIM THE SLIGHTT,” REMEMBERED ROYCE. “HIS REACTN WAS SO ELEGANT.”GRANT’S OK AND HOEKEEPER WAS AN AIN-AMERIN WOMAN NAMED WILLIE WATSON. “HE ADORED WILLIE,” SAID ROYCE. “HE STOLE HER OM DYAN. SHE WAS CHARMG AND SHE WAS SMART; THERE WAS SOMETHG MYSTER ABOUT HER—YOU ALWAYS FELT SHE HAD SECRETS. CARY SPOILED HER. NOT TERMS OF SALARY, BUT TRIPS HE WOULD PAY FOR, OR TICKETS TO DODGER GAM. WILLIE MASTERED THE TURKEY SANDWICH HE LOVED. HE HAD GOTTEN THE RECIPE OM DORIS DAY, AND THEY BEME HIS GO-TO FOOD. THE CST WAS SLICED OFF, AND THERE WAS A TH SLICE OF WATERCRS WH THE TURKEY.” ROYCE SHARED WH GRANT A CHILDHOOD THAT ULD BE TERMED UNNVENTNAL—HE HAD BEEN ADOPTED BY A MARRIED UPLE WHO WERE BOTH ALHOLICS, AND HE HAD BEEN RELATNSHIPS WH BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. “AS I PEELED OFF ONE LAYER OF MY ONN, HE WOULD DO THE SAME.”LIKE MOST ADOPTE, ROYCE WAS CUR ABOUT HIS BIRTH PARENTS. GRANT WENT BEHD ROYCE’S BACK, HIRED A PRIVATE TECTIVE TO FD ROYCE’S MOTHER, AND HAD HER BROUGHT TO THE HOE ON BEVERLY GROVE. THE EXPECTED MOTHER AND CHILD RNN WAS HAMPERED BY ROYCE’S FEELG OF ABANDONMENT AND A RULTG EMOTNAL NFN. “CARY SAW MY AMBIVALENCE AND TOOK ME ASI. HE TOLD ME SHE WAS ONLY GOG TO BE AROUND A SHORT TIME—SHE HAD PANCREATIC NCER. HE TOLD ME THAT IF I DIDN’T MAKE RIGHT, I WOULD REGRET TO MY DYG DAY. AND THEN HE FLEW HER TO JOHNS HOPKS TO SEE IF THEY ULD DO ANYTHG FOR HER.“PEOPLE ALWAYS SAID CARY WAS CHEAP. HE WASN’T CHEAP, HE WAS UGAL. HE RPECTED THE VALUE OF MONEY. CARY WAS NEVER CHEAP WHEN UNTED.” ADVERTISEMENT ROYCE WAS WORKG FOR A HOLLYWOOD FAN MAGAZE, AND GRANT URGED HIM TO TRAVEL, TO GET OUT OF TOWN. “IT’S TOO SULAR,” HE SAID. “YOUR VALUE SYSTEM GETS SKEWED.” HE SISTED ROYCE READ NATHANAEL WT’S DAY OF THE LOCT. “I TOLD HIM I HAD SEEN THE MOVIE, BUT HE SAID, ‘NO, YOU HAVE TO READ THE BOOK.’” GRANT DIDN’T READ THAT MUCH AT THIS POT, ALTHOUGH HE HAD A HARD TIME WH SOMNIA AND OCSNALLY TOOK SENAL TO GET SOME SLEEP. “HE STILL READ JOHN O’HARA; ONE TIME I SAW HIM REREADG A RAGE TO LIVE, AND HE SAID THAT O’HARA ‘HAD NYMPHOMANIACS ON THE BRA.’” GRANT’S PLAYFUL SPIR ME OUT REGULARLY. HE AND ROYCE WOULD PLAY THE PIANO TOGETHER—GRANT ULD PLAY A BOUNCY VVILLE STYLE, WHILE ROYCE WAS LIMED TO TWO FGERS. WHEN THEY WERE FISHED, THEY WOULD TRAIPSE OUT TO THE PAT AND PRETEND TO TAKE BOWS ONT OF A HOLLYWOOD BOWL DIENCE. GRANT WOULD BOW ROYCE’S DIRECTN AND SAY “YOU FIRST,” POTG TO THE IMAGARY THRONG. “OH, NO,” ROYCE WOULD REPLY. “I SIST.” AND SO ON, BACK AND FORTH, UNTIL ONE OF THEM BROKE OUT LGHG. “IT WAS JT AS SILLY AS SOUNDS, BUT GAVE BOTH GREAT PLEASURE,” SAID ROYCE. THE LIGHTHEARTED FUN WOULD ALWAYS BE PUT ASI WHENEVER THE SUBJECT OF ACTURED FAY RELATNSHIPS AND THEIR VICTIMS ME UP. ROYCE REMEMBERED ONE TIME WHEN WILLIAM INGE ME TO THE HOE AND GRANT ASKED HIM TO LEAVE THE ROOM SO GRANT ULD TALK TO INGE PRIVATELY.ROYCE AND GRANT EVEN HAD A NVERSATN ABOUT SEX. AFTER ROYCE UNBURNED HIMSELF ABOUT HIS AFFAIRS WH BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, GRANT RPOND BY IMPLYG HE HAD BEEN BASILLY GAY AS A YOUNG MAN, LATER BISEXUAL, STILL LATER STRAIGHT. RANDY STT, HE SAID, HAD SEEN THEIR RELATNSHIP AS “LOCKER-ROOM PLAYG AROUND.” IT HAD NOTHG TO DO WH HOW A MAN SHOULD LEAD HIS LIFE. BIS THAT, AT ONE POT DARRYL ZANUCK HAD TAKEN RANDY ASI AND TOLD HIM THAT ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH.GRANT EXPLAED SEXUALY TERMS OF PERFORMANCE, OF ACTG. HE TOLD ROYCE THAT TO NOT PLETELY EXPLORE ONE’S SEXUALY WOULD BE LIKE AN ACTOR PLAYG ONLY ONE CHARACTER FOR LIFE. EVERYBODY, HE SAID, HAD MORE THAN ONE CHARACTER SI THEM. HE DIDN’T THK HOMOSEXUAL ACTS WERE ANYTHG TO BE ASHAMED OF, OR, FOR THAT MATTER, PROUD OF. THEY SIMPLY WERE—PART OF THE JOURNEY, NOT NECSARILY THE FAL STATN. ADVERTISEMENT I THK CARY SAW THE SEARCHG I WAS DOG AND TSTED ME. HE HAD BEEN FLUENCED BY THE KSEY REPORT AND SAW SEX AS A SPECTM. MOST PEOPLE THK ’S EHER/OR. AND THERE ARE MEN LIKE THAT, BUT THERE ARE ALSO MEN WHO ARE OCSNALLY GAY AND OCSNALLY STRAIGHT. I REMEMBER ONE THG CARY SAID: “ENGLAND IS VICTORIAN, BUT AMERI IS MORE VICTORIAN THAN ENGLAND.”MY SENSE OF WAS THAT HE FOUND HOMOSEXUAL LIFE UNREWARDG. AS HE GOT OLR, HE WANTED CHILDREN, AND HE DIDN’T THK HE HAD ANY CHANCE AT A CHILD AS LONG AS HE WAS LIVG THAT LIFE. HIS NVERSATN WH GRANT MA ROYCE CUR ABOUT RANDY STT. HE WAS AT THE BEVERLY HILLS POST OFFICE ONE DAY WHEN STT ME TO PICK UP SOME MAIL. HE WAS DRSED TWEEDS, AN AST, HAD STEEL GRAY HAIR AND SPORTED A EP TAN, JT LIKE GRANT. ROYCE WALKED OVER AND TRODUCED HIMSELF. “MR. STT, MY NAME IS BILL ROYCE. I HELP CARY GRANT WH HIS PLACE OFF BENEDICT AND JT WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOVI.” “MY SENSE OF WAS THAT HE FOUND HOMOSEXUAL LIFE UNREWARDG. AS HE GOT OLR, HE WANTED CHILDREN, AND HE DIDN’T THK HE HAD ANY CHANCE AT A CHILD AS LONG AS HE WAS LIVG THAT LIFE.” STT SED AND SAID “WELL, I HAVEN’T SEEN HIM A WHILE. TELL CARY I SAID HELLO.” ROYCE THOUGHT STT WAS STUNNG; HE WENT BACK TO THE HOE AND TOLD GRANT ABOUT HOW STT HAD LOOKED. “YEAH, HE WAS REALLY SOMETHG,” GRANT SAID, A TONE THAT BED TEEM, FONDNS, AND SADNS. GRANT’S HOE AT 9966 BEVERLY GROVE WAS BETIFULLY SUATED, WH A VIEW OF THE ENTIRE SHG CY OF LOS ANGEL. BEYOND THE ONT DOOR WAS THE LIVG ROOM. OFF TO THE LEFT WAS THE KCHEN, WHILE THE BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS WERE OFF TO THE RIGHT. GRANT’S OWN BEDROOM WAS MOST, ALTHOUGH THE BED FEATURED MONOGRAMMED WHE SHEETS BENEATH AN ELECTRIC BLANKET. ON BOTH SIS OF THE BED WERE BOOKSHELV, WH PICTUR OF JENNIFER AS WELL AS PICTUR OF YOUNG ARCHIE WH HIS MOTHER. THERE WAS HIS OSR, AS WELL AS THE DI DONATELLO AWARD HE’D RECEIVED ITALY. THE BEDROOM LED TO HIS OFFICE, AND BEYOND THE OFFICE WAS THE TERRACE WHERE HE LIKED TO EAT. JT SI THE ONT DOOR WAS A FIREPROOF VLT, WHICH WAS FULL OF MEMORABILIA OF HIS AND JENNIFER’S LIFE. THERE WERE HIS OLD PASSPORTS, AN OLD JACKET OM HIS GRA SCHOOL DAYS, ELIAS LEACH’S MONOGRAMMED WATCH, HIS MOVI ON 16MM. TRANSCENDG ALL THIS WERE THE HUNDREDS OF TAPE RERDGS AND THOANDS OF PHOTOGRAPHS WH WHICH HE HAD DOCUMENTED JENNIFER’S LIFE SCE HER BIRTH. IT ALSO NTAED TOGRAPHED GIFTS HE HAD REQUTED OM OTHER FAMO PEOPLE HE MET HIS TRAVELS—A SIGNED BASEBALL OM HANK AARON, A SIGNATURE OM NEIL ARMSTRONG, A SIGNED PICTURE OM THE BEATL. JENNIFER HAD NO PARTICULAR TERT THE HOME MOVI GRANT HAD TAKEN OF HER, BUT HE LOVED TO WATCH THEM. ADVERTISEMENT THE VLT WAS HIS WAY OF DOCUMENTG THEIR LIV, AND A ROUND- ABOUT WAY HE SEEMS TO HAVE FELT WAS PROOF OF HIS LOVE FOR HER. BILL ROYCE THOUGHT WENT EPER THAN THAT. “NEXT TO JENNIFER, THE VLT SEEMED TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THG CARY’S LIFE,” SAID ROYCE. “HE WAS TERRIFIED THAT HE WOULD DIE AND JENNIFER WOULD NOT REMEMBER HIM.”“I’M JT AN OLD, OLD MAN,” HE SAID ONE DAY WHEN HE WAS SEVENTY. “MY LIFE IS REALLY VOTED TO JENNIFER. SHE IS GOG TO HAVE THE KD OF CHILDHOOD I NEVER HAD. SHE’S GOG TO KNOW AT ALL TIM WHERE HER MOTHER AND FATHER ARE, AND SHE WILL BE TOTALLY SECURE OUR LOVE FOR HER, EVEN IF WE ARE DIVORCED.” CIR 1935: CARY GRANT WH RANDOLPH STT. THE TWO STARS SHARED A BEACH HOE DURG THE 1930S, WHICH WAS JOKGLY KNOWN AS "BACHELOR HALL." JOHN KOBAL FOUNDATN/GETTY LEFT UNANSWERED WERE THE QUTNS PROVOKED BY THIS OBSSIVE DOCUMENTATN OF HIS DGHTER’S LIFE. WHO TAP AND PRERV THE MEANRG SPEECH OF THEIR SMALL CHILD? HOW N ANY CHILD LIVE UP TO SUCH ADMIRATN? ALL THE LOVE AND PASSN THAT HAD BEEN STORED UP FOR A LIFETIME, THAT HE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO EELY BTOW ON PARENTS OR WIV WAS RELEASED A NTUG LUGE UPON HIS DGHTER.THE PROBLEM WH THE BEVERLY GROVE HOE WAS THAT GRANT HAD ED AS A RENTAL OFF AND ON FOR YEARS, AND WAS SAD SHAPE. THE ROOF LEAKED, THE CEILG WAS FULL OF WATER STAS, AND PATCH OF PLASTER SAGGED DOWN. THE FRENCH DOORS LEADG ONTO THE TERRACE HAD BEE WARPED BY RA AND CRACKS HAD OPENED UP LARGE ENOUGH TO ALLOW STREAMS OF WATER ONTO THE FLAGSTONE FLOOR. GRANT DISVERED SOME RDBOARD BOX HE HAD LONG FOTTEN NTAG A BOUD PATG AND TWO TIEPOLO SKETCH THAT HAD BEEN A GIFT OM BARBARA HUTTON. AFTER POSNG A NUMBER OF POTS AND PANS UNR THE LEAKS, GRANT REALIZED HE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND SOME MONEY ON THE HOE WHETHER HE LIKED OR NOT. AND SO BEGAN YEARS OF SELF-PARODY THAT MA MR. BLANDGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOE LOOK LIKE A MOL OF NSTCTN EFFICIENCY. GRANT’S SECRETARY REPORTED THAT TWO ELECTRICIANS, EACH EARNG $20 AN HOUR, SPENT AN ENTIRE DAY CHANGG THE POSN OF A SGLE LIGHT PLUG WHILE GRANT PONRED THE PERFECT LOTN. THE LIGHT PLUGS WEREN’T THE ONLY THGS THAT GOT SWCHED—SO DID SIGNERS AND NTRACTORS.IT UNDOUBTEDLY SEEMED ODD TO THE NTRACTORS, BUT WASN’T REALLY. GRANT RELENTLSLY SEND-GUSED MOST OF HIS CREATIVE CHOIC, SO DHERG ENDLSLY OVER RATG A HOE WAS VERY MUCH CHARACTER. THIS OVERSENSIVY TO OPTNS WAS WHY THE IA OF AN TOBGRAPHY WAS IMPOSSIBLE, SPE THE SIZE OF THE ADVANC THAT WERE OFFERED—HE WOULD NEVER HAVE STOPPED REWRG. AND THERE WAS ANOTHER REASON—OR ANOTHER FEAR: HE BELIEVED THAT IF HE RRIED HIS STORY TO THE DAY OF WRG WOULD MEAN HIS OWN END WAS NEAR. “THE DROWNG MAN SE HIS LIFE GO BY AS HE GO DOWN, AND SO DO THE MAN WHO GO BACK OVER HIS MEMORI TO WRE ABOUT THEM.” ADVERTISEMENT AS HE AGED, HE NATURALLY THOUGHT ABOUT ATH AND MA PREPARATNS. WHEN LORD MOUNTBATTEN WAS MURRED BY THE IRA AUGT 1979, HE WAS VISIBLY VASTATED. AFTER THE FUNERAL, HE LLED A IEND AND ANNOUNCED, “I’M ABSOLUTELY POOPED, AND I’M SO GODDAMNED OLD . . . I’M GOG TO LIE BED . . . I SHALL JT CLOSE ALL DOORS, TURN OFF THE TELEPHONE AND ENJOY MY LIFE.” HE MA MREEN DONALDSON PROMISE THAT IF HE SHOULD DIE DURG THE NIGHT, SHE WAS NOT TO LL THE POLICE OR EVEN AN AMBULANCE, BUT RATHER STANLEY FOX. “I’VE GONE OVER THIS WH HIM MANY TIM. HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO. I N TST HIM TO FOLLOW MY STCTNS TO THE LETTER.” “ROYCE THOUGHT STT WAS STUNNG; HE WENT BACK TO THE HOE AND TOLD GRANT ABOUT HOW STT HAD LOOKED. ‘YEAH, HE WAS REALLY SOMETHG,’ GRANT SAID, A TONE THAT BED TEEM, FONDNS, AND SADNS.” MOSTLY, HOWEVER, HE EXHIBED A BLHE GRACE THAT RETIREMENT HAD HELPED CREATE. PETER BOGDANOVICH WNSED AN AMG SCENE 1973, WHEN HE AND GRANT BOTH ATTEND THE AMERIN FILM INSTUTE’S LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR JOHN FORD. GRANT HAD FOTTEN HIS TICKET AND ASKED THE LADY AT THE RECEPTN FOR SOME HELP. NAME? SHE ASKED, LOOKG DOWN AT HER LIST. “CARY GRANT,” HE SAID. SHE LOOKED UP AND WASN’T SURE ABOUT WHAT SHE SAW. “YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE CARY GRANT.”“I KNOW,” HE SAID WH A SE. “NOBODY DO.”OCSNALLY THERE WOULD BE A TAC MOMENT OF E. AT A PARTY, GAZG AT THE STUNNG WOMEN CLTERED AROUND WARREN BEATTY, HE NODD AND SAID, “SEE THAT GUY? THAT ED TO BE ME.” BEATTY HAD BEEN OBSERVG GRANT AT CLOSE RANGE SCE VISG LLIE CARON DURG THE SHOOT OF FATHER GOOSE, AND IS PROBABLE THAT BEATTY’S GENERAL RA OF A MEGASTAR FLOATG ABOVE THE SEEDY MISHEGOSS OF THE MOVIE BS RIVED OM THE OLR ACTOR’S ATTU.PL SYLBERT WORKED WH BEATTY AND SAID, “HE LEARNED OM GRANT . . . PICKG UP THE DO’S AND DON’TS OM HANGG AROUND THE PEOPLE AND SEEG HOW THEY OPERATE.” FOR A TIME, BEATTY SISTED ON G MASRA TO ACCENT HIS EY, AND HE WOULD ADOPT A TRICK OFTEN ED BY AGG ACTRS, AS WELL AS ACTORS—PUT THE MERA FIFTEEN FEET AWAY AND SHOOT CLOSE-UPS WH A LONG LENS, WHICH SLIGHTLY SOFTENS THE FOC WHOUT BEG OBV ABOUT . ADVERTISEMENT IN THE FALL OF 1968, GRANT WROTE AN EXUBERANT SELF-ANALYSIS REDOLENT OF SCROOGE AFTER HIS ENLIGHTENMENT: I AM A SIXTY-FIVE YEAR OLD PROFSNAL MAN, RECENTLY DIVORCED FOR THE FOURTH TIME, AND FATHER OF A TWO-AND-A-HALF YEAR OLD DGHTER. I AM HAPPIER THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN, YET NOT AS HAPPY AS I TEND TO BE.I AM OFTEN PSIMISTIC, YET MALY OPTIMISTIC. I NO LONGER RIST, OR HIB, THE PERATN OF KNOWLEDGE WHICH I TST WILL EVENTUALLY RULT WISDOM!I ENJOY THE BOUNDLS FEELG OF LOVE AND TEND TO LET GROW FOREVER ME. I TEND TO TRY TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE TO, AND LIVE WH NSIRATN OF, OTHERS.LOOKG BACK ON MY LIFE, I OCSNALLY WISH I HAD KNOWN ENOUGH TO CHOOSE A PROFSN THAT ULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIRECTLY BENEFICIAL TO OTHERS. BUT, SCE I DIDN’T, I MT TAKE THAT TO NSIRATN ALL FUTURE ENAVORS. . . .IT’S A GOOD DAY AND A GOOD LIFE! GRANT’S IENDSHIP WH HAROLD LLOYD REMAED STRONG. “HAROLD HAD A PRIVATE N UPSTAIRS, WH A PHONE THAT ONLY RANG THAT ROOM,” REMEMBERED LLOYD’S GRANDDGHTER SUE. I HUNG AROUND UP THERE A LOT. ONE DAY THE PHONE RGS, AND WAS THAT DISTCTIVE VOICE: “OH, HEL-LO. THIS IS CARY GRANT. IS HAROLD THERE?”AND I SAID, “OH YEAH. DAD’S HERE, BUT HE’S ON THE THRONE.” AND THEN I ULDN’T TALK TO HIM ANYMORE. I’D SEEN AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER AND WAS JT HERENT ABOUT . I THREW THE PHONE DOWN AND RAN DOWN THE HALL.“DAD, ’S CARY GRANT.”“OKAY, LM DOWN. JT TELL HIM I’M ON THE THRONE AND I’LL LL HIM BACK A MUTE.”SO AFTER THAT, I BEGGED HIM TO LET ME GO TO LUNCH WH THE TWO OF THEM, AND HAROLD SAID, “IF YOU N POSE YOURSELF, WE’RE GOG TO GO TO THE POLO LOUNGE.” BUT AT THAT POT HE DIDN’T THK I WOULD BE ABLE TO PULL MYSELF TOGETHER.THE FIRST TIME THAT I REALLY HAD A NVERSATN WH CARY WAS WHEN WE WERE LONDON. I WAS SEVENTEEN OR EIGHTEEN, AND WE WERE STAYG AT THE INN AT THE PARK. WE WENT TO DNER WH CARY AT THE WHE ELEPHANT. HAROLD AND CARY WERE VERY TERTG TOGETHER. YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN THEY WERE EDIANS. SER. NO JOKG AROUND. THEY LOOKED LIKE BSMEN, AND THEY ACTED LIKE BSMEN. SUS AND GLASS.AND Y, CARY WAS CHARMG. HE ASKED ABOUT WHAT I DID WH DAD. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE SHRER HOSPALS, AND THAT I WENT TO WTLAKE, I READ DAD’S LIGHT METER FOR HIM WHEN HE WAS TAKG PICTUR AND SO FORTH. CARY HAD A KD OF A WARMTH WHEN HE TALKED TO YOU. HE REALLY LOOKED AT YOU. HE WASN’T GRAND AT ALL. HE WAS FORTABLE HIS SK AND TERTED YOU. IN THKG ABOUT , HE WAS A LOT LIKE HAROLD. SUE LLOYD’S EXPERIENC WH GRANT WERE ALMOST ENTIRELY WH THE PROFSNAL ASPECT OF HIS PERSONALY, BUT THERE WAS ONE TIME WHEN SHE GOT A GLIMPSE OF HIS MORE RMAL SI. THE BISEXUAL THG. I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT . I N TELL YOU THAT PEOPLE DIDN’T MAKE A BIG AL ABOUT . I N SEE , KD OF. MY IEND RICHARD CORRELL AND I WENT TO A PARTY ONCE. MY UNCLE WAS THERE WH HIS BOYIEND, AND CARY WAS THERE AS WELL, SWIRLG AROUND A FTAN. AND I WAS BLOWN BACK. OH, HAD AN EFFECT ON ME. HE WAS SWISHG AROUND THE PARTY. I SAW THAT SI OF HIM, AND I SAW THE BSMAN SI AS WELL. LET ME TELL YOU, THERE WAS A REAL NTRAST. STT EYMAN
“That I’m a homosexual and that I’m a miserable tightwad. After Royce unburned himself about his affairs wh both men and women, Grant rpond by implyg he had been basilly gay as a young man, later bisexual, still later straight. He didn’t thk homosexual acts were anythg to be ashamed of, or, for that matter, proud of.
And there are men like that, but there are also men who are ocsnally gay and ocsnally straight.
”My sense of was that he found homosexual life unrewardg. ”“My sense of was that he found homosexual life unrewardg.
CARY GRANT'S DGHTER: DAD WASN'T GAY OR BI, BUT IF HE HAD BEEN, OK
He worked at a gas statn on the rner of North Van Ns Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, out of which, he says, he and a dre of his male and female iends serviced Hollywood celebri—many of them closeted homosexuals.
WHEN HOLLYWOOD STUDS MARRIED OFF GAY STARS TO KEEP THEIR SEXUALY A SECRET
They provid a safety zone for people whose reers would have been ed if the tth about them emerged the s before gay rights and the AIDS crisis.
Between the film and Kelly’s recently published, long-supprsed memoir “Women I’ve Undrsed, ’’ a vivid portra emerg of Grant as an amb young immigrant vvillian who revented himself so thoroughly, he end up nyg his te self a homophobic dtry. “The physil vlence between the men [was] not unmon between homosexual men of the perd, ’’ Kathere Thompson, the documentary’s wrer, told The Post. The bate over whether the former Archie Leach was gay, bi or straight has centered for s around his on-and-off habatn wh Stt a beach hoe Malibu, which was documented a famo seri of still photographs of them domtic pos.
CARY GRANT’S DGHTER SLAMS SPECULATN IN WAS GAY: ‘I NEVER SAW A HT OF THAT’
’’ (And 1980, he actually brought a famatn su agast edian Chevy Chase, who was forced to issue a retractn of his jokg reference to Grant as a “homo. But one of the most persistent mors about Grant was that he was secretly gay, or at least bisexual.
Zerbe himself was gay, and his work had a homoerotic tge even when created for a female, heterosexual dience. Cary Grant was long mored to be gay or bisexual.