User Reviews

Decent and moving show, generally very well acted, but marred by a number of surprisingly sloppy factual errors that don't gel with the assertions made at the start that it was a well researched drama - in particular Grant gave up his career as soon as Jennifer was born, the brother who died did so before Archie was born. Easy to fact check these and other basic timeline issues that call into question veracity of the piece otherwise.

Shame because the acting was good by Isaac's, Aikman and Waters, and Isaac's captured Grant's voice exceptionally, although the make up of older Grant seemed less effective.

Generally moving and it revealed the man's achievements and complexities.

Cary Grant was always one of my favourite film stars.

When I saw this series and Grant being played by Jeremy Issacs I thought he doesn't look anything like Grant and it would be terrible .

How wrong I was. Very quickly Issaacs became Grant in a compelling series of the man behind the name 'Cary Grant' .

Binge watched the 4 episodes and found it riveting .

Isaacs plays Grant brilliantly

Can't really say much else, but need to fill out the required wordage to say I think it is certainly worth a watch particularly if you enjoyed Grants' films and gives a riveting glimpse behind the persona.

The characterisations here are definitively subpar. No one looks or sounds like the people they portray, except for Laura Aikman, who looks quite a bit like and acts very much like her part. Therein lies the rub. Far too much effort to get that right that everything else fell by the wayside. The title is a misnomer, to say the least. It's not about Archie, it's not about Cary. It's about Dyan. It should have been called "Dyan, Me, Me, Me and the 6 years I spent with that guy to whom I've served up a narcissistic manipulation pie with a light sprinkle of powdered truth".

He said it best, everything is a confrontation to her. And every confrontation in this lifetime movie of the week is a character assassination for every acquaintance she makes. Everything that goes wrong is always someone else's fault. He does drugs, he sold the dog, he's overbearing and controlling, his mother is a beach, his biz partner is a time stealer. Despite all her obvious flaws, the production makes everyone else out to be the bad guy and poor misunderstood her. Every scene is manicured and curated to paint everyone else in a bad light, and even when you think that maybe there's a bit of balance here, it quickly turns to self-victimizing pandering, expecting the audience to be too stupid to see it.

An excellent study into the true character of a bitter ex-lover, but very little in the way of the person for whom we were duped into thinking it was about. It might think it's subtle, but it's not.

A troubled young Archie Alexander Leach takes off from his troubled young life to pursue a life of fame, he would become Hollywood Legend Cary Grant.

One of the drama hits of the year, this four part series really surprised me. In recent times I've gotten into Grants films, so it's been nice to learn more about him.

It deals with his early years, his family life, and his bizarre and tempestuous relationship with actress Dyan Cannon. I don't think it necessarily shows Grant in the best light, but I can't say it's changed my opinion of the great man.

Terrific production values, this is a terrific production, it looks phenomenal, great costumes, sets, cars, it's also an interesting snapshot of the time, we see Grant having medical LSD. I wish it had explored Grant's relationship with Randolph Scott a little more.

Isaacs gives a superb performance as Cary Grant, showing once again that he's an actor of true talent and versatility, it's unlike any other performance from him that I have ever seen.

Huge credit to Calam Lynch and Oaklee Pendergast, who also played the main man to perfection.

Laura Aikman and Harriet Walter are terrific in support.

9/10.

Isaac's portrayal is really good. I would never have guessed someone could nail the part. But don't say it is true if it isn't. His brother died before he was born. Made it look like Mae West movie was his first and so on. Stick to the facts so we all won't doubt the movie.

Any huge fan of Cary Grant will enjoy this and I did get entertained. The implied part of his Randolph Scott relationship is movie time crap. Jennifer Grant always claimed he wasn't gay. She knew him better than anyone. Read her book Good Stuff.

Also, what an inappropriate song to play when portraying New York. Movie looked so timely but failed there.

Look up the only photo I could find of his father, he was spot on.

Cary/Archie would be disappointed and disgusted.

The praise for Jason Isaacs that I've read in other reviews is certainly justified but I would not go so far as some who declare that he looks and sounds just like the original. The accent is good but it's not exactly like the man himself (actually I think that Captain Scarlett and Fancy from Top Cat were both slightly better), also it rather comes and goes a bit. That, of course, could be deliberate given that one of the main themes is that the character Cary Grant was all an act. As for the visuals, from what I've seen Jason Isaacs looks nothing like Grant, but long hours in makeup have made him into a good imitation, most of the time. At other times he looks like Eddie Albert or Robert DeNiro.

One thing that keeps coming up about Grant is whether he was gay or not. That's not addressed here. It seems a bit unfair that his great chum Randolph Scott is sidelined to one small scene though.

My Review- Archie Streaming on BritBox My Rating 7/10

Cary Grant the debonair elegant movie star that was was such a unique and sophisticated invention of the Hollywood star system of the 1930's 1940's would be nearly impossible for any actor to portray today successfully.

Jason Isaacs comes very close especially with impersonating the distinctive mid Atlantic cultured voice of Cary Grant but at times I felt I was watching an impersonation instead of an impression.

I've read and watched many fine documentaries on Cary Grant and his life pre Hollywood and post Hollywood and really learnt nothing new about the man himself in this entertaining 4 part series .

A series based on Dyan Cannon's 2011 memoir Dear Cary . Dyan Cannon was married to Cary Grant for less than 3 years from 1965 to 1968 they had a daughter Jennifer who is along with her mother is a Producer of this series .

The screenplay written jointly by Jeff Pope and Dyan Cannon has a documentary interview style that begins with one of Cary Grants audience participation question and answer tours of the mid 1980's that were titled "A Conversation with Cary Grant." As he thinks back over his life story Jason Isaacs as Cary Grant relates his rags to riches story beginning in Bristol as a young child with a critically ill brother a mostly absent and ineffectual father and a stressed and depressed mother.

However as pointed out by my viewing partner the interior of their home was not very convincing as a house of poverty, quite comfortable as a matter of fact.

I was aware of all this background from watching the wonderful 2017 documentary told in Cary Grant's own words Becoming Cary Grant .

Another two very informative documentaries one about the Academy Award winning Australian costume designer Orry Kelly titled Women He's Undressed made by Gillian Armstrong in 2015 and another about Scotty Bowers titled Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood more than implied that Cary Grant also had male lovers.

No one will ever know the truth about Cary Grant's sexuality and it's not really that important except to say that in this series the only time that it's even implied is when Dyan Cannon played by Laura Aikman asks him outright if he was gay he gives a rather ambiguous answer "I have loved many people and married a few times" Archy Leach the acrobat clown escaped his poor child and traumatic childhood to become Cary Grant the debonair and sharp witted and amusing Hollywood gentleman who had the hilarious line which still breaks me up from the classic 1938 comedy Bringing Up Baby where he has to put on Katherine Hepburn's bathrobe. When asked "Why are you wearing these?", he replies: Because I just went gay, all of a sudden which is apparently the first time the gay word was used in a movie in that context.

Cary Grant certainly was no stranger to Pink Hollywood culture he also played a gay man although it was never mentioned in the biographical fantasy movie Night and Day about composer Cole Porter in 1946 .

His close association with colleagues in the Hollywood community of that golden era certainly would have exposed him to Gay culture . His friends included Katharine Hepburn with who he made 4 films with George Cukor who desperately wanted him to play Norman Maine in the 1954 movie A Star is Born and was furious when he refused and the great costume designer Orry Kelly who , wrote that he had an on-again, off-again relationship with Cary Grant until the 1930s.

Actor Randolph Scott and Cary Grant lived together for a couple of years and were regarded as a couple . Toward the end of their lives, Scott and Grant were often seen together, on one occasion holding hands late at night in the Polo Lounge, alone except for the waiters.

So if Cary Grant wasn't gay or bisexual he certainly embraced that culture and I felt it a pity it wasn't mentioned much at all in this series which I suppose is understandable if told from his ex wife Dyan Cannon's perspective.

I was entertained by this 4 part series Archie but can't help thinking that it concentrated more on Dyan Cannon's relatively brief encounter with the phenomenon that was Cary Grant .

For me missing out on an opportunity to portray accurately the magic makeover and alchemy that created the charm and personality of Cary Grant .

He may never have won an Oscar a BAFTA or a Golden Globe although in 1942 he did win a Golden Apple Award as Most Cooperative Actor but he remains and always will one of Hollywood's great iconic movie stars.

Cary Grant like Clark Gable ,Spencer Tracy , Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford Garbo and Dietrich all were true originals and while imitations are interesting they just can't capture the true essence of the original.

A special mention about the wonderful performance of Harriet Walter in this series who plays Elsie Leach the mother that Cary Grant didn't know was still alive till towards the end of her life when his father confessed she was still alive. His father had her committed to an asylum when he was a young boy telling him she had died .

I was very impressed by this as it painted Cary Grant in both a sympathetic light and as a flawed man resulting from early trauma. He was suave and dashing on screen with a distinctive vocal delivery and Jason Isaacs excels in the portrayal - at times it is uncanny.

The settings and costume are superb throughout whether revealing the Edwardian Bristol streets or the warmth of Hollywoodland.

Additional support from Hariet Walter and a few others create a pacey story that uses some neat directing tricks to reflect the persona of Cary but the person of Archie.

My stand out is the amazing teenage Archie - a tour de force performance from Oaklee Pendergast. I see he's been in a few things but this was the first I had seen him and I was mightily impressed. Bigger things await.

I drop one star on the rating for some rather disappointing efforts with Grace Kelly, Danny Kaye and an unusually odd performance from Jason Watkins - he's been pitch perfect in everything before but seemed miscast here as Sam Fox.

By contrast I believed Audrey Hepburn, Mae West and Hitchcock thanks to better casting.

I recommend this and I was moved by the ending.

I was in the audience at Grant's 1984 Clearwater, FL show, "A Conversation with Cary Grant." He sat on a 3-legged stool with no back, not a high chair like in this miniseries. After showing clips from his films, he took questions from the audience. You could tell he'd been asked the same questions in previous shows because he had instant answers for everything.

Then I said to him, "Mr. Grant in my opinion, you are the epitome of true class." He thanked me as the audience applauded. I asked, "Mr. Grant, in your lifetime you've been blessed in many ways, both financially and emotionally. What I would like to know is, what is the one thing you always wanted in life but never got?"

He instantly jolted backwards like somebody had punched him in his chest. The audience was deadly silent. He frowned and stared at me for a good 10 to 15 seconds. I thought I had upset him!

Then he relaxed and said, "As you know I came from a large family. I have one child, a daughter." I said "Yes, Jennifer who's in her senior year at UCLA." He smiled and seemed pleased and said, "Oh you know about her? The one thing I always wanted but never got was a very large family. Nobody's ever asked me that before. Thank you for asking!"

At that moment, I felt I'd made a true connection with the man. I also felt bad for his wife, Barbara Harris Grant, who was 33 and sitting in the audience, because he never had any children with her. I will never forget that night and my time with him !

I was very disappointed. I don't usually go for biopics but I loved all his films and was interested in who he really was -- beneath the, sauve, handsome, debonair actor. This was definitely not a story about Archibald Leach aka Cary Grant. Outside of a few snippets of his personal life, there was no real insight into the man himself. I didn't want the story about Dyan Cannon. Seemed like an attempt for her and her daughter to capitalize on Dyan's story. Which isnt that interesting. Not even a good actress. Truly disappointed, particularly since Britbox usually delivers outstanding stories. The two stars were for Jason Isaac.

This is a very entertaining and beautifully made drama. It is not really a biography, it doesn't go through his life story - indeed it virtually glosses over his Hollywood career instead focusing on his relationship with his fourth wife in the 60s and his relationship with his mother. It does this sensitively, emotionally and intelligently.

Not simply listening his career allows the story to explore the man himself and what's wonderfully refreshing these days is that is doesn't dis him like so many biographies of celebrities tend to do these days. He wasn't perfect but he comes across as a genuinely nice guy.

Whilst the main narrative is set in the 60s, there are flashbacks into his awful childhood in Bristol. These insights into his past explains who he became. Considering these traumatic experiences, it's amazing that he turned out so normal.

It's a very watchable four hours.

Jason Isaacs is amazing and has his voice and cadence down very well. Along with this is Isaacs striking resemblance to Grant with a little make up and fake tan. All the ensemble cast play their roles very well and any film with Jason Watkins in gets my vote from the get go. It's locations cinematography and pace make this a great 4 part series to binge watch as I did.

I learnt much more about the man behind the movie star and his amazing rise to Hollywood Icon. Laura Aikman was fab too, with her portrayal of Dyan Cannon. With top notch production values and an attention to detail with a few inaccuracies that don't spoil the experience, this series is a must watch in my view! So turn it on and let yourself be transported to Holywoodland. Enjoy...

I'm old enough to remember Cary Grant starring in numerous hit movies. I was vaguely aware that he came from an impoverished English childhood and was one of those movie stars who seemed to have a different spouse or girlfriend every time you read about them. So I binge-watched this limited series and was glad I did. Other reviewers have been disappointed that only one spouse, Dyan Cannon, was featured. However, to incorporate all the other failed relationships would have required multiple seasons and been a grueling experience! Since the poor guy really did have an absolutely horrendous childhood, it was no surprise that he had relationship problems in adulthood. In my opinion, his shrink should have spent less time with LSD therapy and devoted more energy to exploring the types of behavior and communication skills that lead to long-term, in-depth relationships. Archie had no decent role models from whom to learn! I thought all the actors did a good job of portraying the real people they represented. When I watch a biopic, I am not looking for a typical comedian's imitation of a celebrity, re-creating all of their features, body movements, exact voice, quirks, etc. Obviously a tall, thin actor would not look right playing a well-known person who was short and fat, or vice versa. However, past casting the basic "type", I appreciate a performance that captures the person's personality and essence, regardless of whether or not the actor is a physical dead-ringer.

I completely forgot I was watching Jason Issacs... Thoroughly enjoyed this four episode mini series that gave a small insight into Cary Grants life... I cannot understand why this was on ITVX?

Should have been on mainstream ITV... He never forgot his British roots... Watch this it really is a lovely series - You won't be disappointed in the slightest... Was a lovely four hours on a chilly Sunday afternoon while I had a beef stew in the oven... Makes you realise that actors are human and not just the icons portrayed on the silver screen and as far as legends go they don't get more iconic than Archie Leech - Our very own Cary Grant.

Just having viewed the six episodes of this show, I am left wondering about the the real truth of the legendary actor known as Cary Grant. I have no doubt that there was a lot more to the legend himself than we actually knew. But was it all just a fabulous con job? I do like how well Jason Isaac's resembled Cary Grant. I knew his acting talent from viewing "Case Histories", a detective series from a decade ago in which he played a sympathetic but complex character. Dyan Cannon came across as a loving and patient young woman who tried her best to make her marriage work despite the constant put-downs and nagging of her famous husband. In her role, she certainly got my sympathy but you do ask if the innocent spouse is the best one to produce the show. Certainly there are fascinating insights into the real Cary Grant and how he managed to survive a harsh upbringing in which both he and his mother apparently suffered at the hands of the husband and father. It was also very moving to see how he fell in love with Dyan Cannon and how devoted he was to daughter Jennifer. It is instructive to see his tenacity as a young man reinventing himself to appeal to a mass audience, a huge effort in which he certainly succeeded. The extent of his transformation required him to take on a persona that must have taken a toll and this is where the movie may have gone overboard. I admired the work of Harriet Walker in the role of Grant's mother and it was very moving to see how devoted Grant appeared to be to the loving mother after her life had taken such a setback. All in all, it was a fascinating series that kept my attention but with a question mark about the real Cary Grant.

Having read several books about Cary Grant, this seems pretty accurate and it's very entertaining! Grant was a complex person. Generally a good guy who was emotionally ruined by his upbringing. Being a short story is glossed over a lot but that's more than made up for by the quality acting. It shows how Cary was too controlling with Cannon. He was definitely an imperfect person. I still enjoy his movies. The scenes with his mother are educational, however he did maintain a relationship with his father. He sent his father money when he first started working in the U. S. He was much younger than depicted in the show when he discovered that his mom was still alive. Minor criticism.

The acting in Archie was pretty good. Jason Isaacs does a pretty good older Cary Grant, especially his mannerisms and way of speaking with an old Atlantic accent. The choice of background and interlude music at times was bizarre. When young Archie first came to NY, the background music was an odd, anachronistic beach-rock music. I'm not saying they should've played 1920s jazz, but music more appropriate to the periods would have been much better. There are numerous other anachronisms and scenes that are out of time order also (such as placing North by Northwest in 1961, and 'filming the crop scene in a studio, when it was filmed out on location), which are distractions to any viewer that knows something of Cary Grant's career. A decent show that could have been a lot better.

What a slapped together, disappointing, spiteful mess. I am not saying that Archie Leech/Cary Grant was a saint. I'm sure he was a complex, flawed, fascinating human being like the rest of us, but writ large. None of this is explored with any honesty. It's just Dyan Cannon preening.

There are glaring historical inaccuracies, inexcusable for someone so public.

The acting is flat and well known people come off as caricatures. Nobody seems to be getting into the characters. They all seem to be just impersonating. This is a shame because so many are very talented, serious actors and they are totally wasted.

Prime has dropped only the first two episodes. I think I will give the next two a pass.

I have to admit I new little of the life of Cary Grant, apart from he was called Archibald Leach from Bristol and went on to be one of Hollywoods biggest stars. His journey there is a truly remarkable one, from a poverty stricken background and a lonely childhood Grant's journey to being one of the richest actors in Hollywood.

The show focuses on the years Grant spent with Dyan Cannon a stunning attractive much younger actress. Which is hardly surprising as it is based on her memoirs. And this would be my only criticism as Grant was married four times in total and made some of the greatest movies of the 50s and 60s.

I new nothing of Grant's later relationship with his mother who he assumed was dead for many years. The performance's by this all British cast are excellent and Issaacs just about get's the voice and mannerisms of this Hollywood legend right. 8/10.