Starring Cary Grant: Casting and performance in classical Hollywood film

Casting, acting and performance are under-researched areas within film studies. My research aims to develop a general framework for analysing film acting in close and precise detail, while also taking the production context into account. This framework focuses on: physical and close-up performance; the relationships between star and genre; casting against type; and the idea of the star vehicle. Such close analysis of film acting is unusual, but the combination of this approach with production contexts and casting is unique. It will therefore also enhance understanding of the relationships between economic and creative factors within the Hollywood studio system.

Specifically, the research focuses on Cary Grant - according to David Thomson, 'the best and most important actor in the history of the cinema'. I aim to explore aspects of Grant's casting and performance across a range of films and genres, including Bringing Up Baby, Only Angels Have Wings, The Talk of the Town, Night and Day, North by Northwest and Charade. Grant is a particularly interesting figure for such analysis: he was one of the earliest Hollywood stars to gain relative independence and control over casting, including setting up his own production companies; but he also worked with celebrated directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks. This combination enables the research to re-evaluate the ways in which the working relationships between actor/star and director/auteur impact on the creative process.