Showing posts with label Al Hirschfeld. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Al Hirschfeld. Show all posts
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Friday, November 29, 2019
CARY GRANT remembered.
We lost Cary Grant on November 29, 1986.
Born Archibald Alexander Leach, he was born in Horfield, Bristol on January 18, 1904 and passed away on November 29, 1986 at the age of 82.
His skill at playing comedy and dramatic roles with equal ease, was unparalleled in his time and as of today, there's still no other actor that can match his style or charismatic screen presence and charm.
I immensely enjoyed his early screwball comedies from the mid thirties through the forties like GUNGA DIN, THE AWFUL TRUTH, BRINGING UP BABY, PENNY SERENADE, HIS GIRL FRIDAY, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE, and I still watch them repeatedly whenever I can.
But my favorite films are the ones from his later career like TO CATCH A THIEF, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, OPERATION PETTICOAT and CHARADE, probably just because I was born in the fifties and I related to these more closely.
Anyway, Cary Grant was one of my very favorite actors and, like every male back in the day, I also wished I was more like Cary Grant.
By Al Hirschfeld

Hollywood Steps Out (Merrie Melodies) 1941
Born Archibald Alexander Leach, he was born in Horfield, Bristol on January 18, 1904 and passed away on November 29, 1986 at the age of 82.
His skill at playing comedy and dramatic roles with equal ease, was unparalleled in his time and as of today, there's still no other actor that can match his style or charismatic screen presence and charm.
Anyway, Cary Grant was one of my very favorite actors and, like every male back in the day, I also wished I was more like Cary Grant.
Cary Grant and his fifth wife, Barbara Harris.
Cary Grant, like many celebrities, was the subject of many affectionate caricatures throughout his career.
By Al Hirschfeld

Hollywood Steps Out (Merrie Melodies) 1941
It should be mentioned that Cary Grant was one of the names considered when Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli were about to cast the first James Bond film, DR. NO, back in 1962. Grant didn't want to sign for a multi-picture contract so he passed on the offer.
Here's a video showing how Cary Grant could've handled 007's duties:
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
HIirschfeld's World of Comedy
The Marx Brothers
Laurel & Hardy

W.C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Groucho Marx
The Marx Brothers
Danny Kaye



Martin & Lewis
The cast of SEINFELD
Labels:
Abbott & Costello,
Al Hirschfeld,
Bob Hope,
Buster Keaton,
caricatures,
Danny Kaye,
Harold Lloyd,
Jerry Lewis,
Jerry Seinfeld,
Laurel and Hardy,
The Marx Brothers,
W.C. Fields,
Woody Allen,
ZaSu Pitts
Monday, July 29, 2019
AL HIRSCHFELD
One of my most admired cartoonists has always been Al Hirschfeld.
His way of capturing likenesses and translating them into simple, flowing and dynamic lines is absolutely amazing and even poetic.
His caricatures are widely known and renowned, and almost every self-respecting cartoonist has learned part of his craft by studying Hirschfeld's renderings.
Yesterday, I paid a visit to the famed Algonquin Hotel located at 59, West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan and was greeted by some framed examples of Al Hirschfeld's artwork.
The story of the Algonquin Hotel is part of New York City's folklore and so is Mr. Hirschfeld.
Al Hirschfeld was born in St. Louis, Missouri on June 21, 1903 and died January 20, 2003 at the age of 99.
His way of capturing likenesses and translating them into simple, flowing and dynamic lines is absolutely amazing and even poetic.
His caricatures are widely known and renowned, and almost every self-respecting cartoonist has learned part of his craft by studying Hirschfeld's renderings.


Yesterday, I paid a visit to the famed Algonquin Hotel located at 59, West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan and was greeted by some framed examples of Al Hirschfeld's artwork.
The story of the Algonquin Hotel is part of New York City's folklore and so is Mr. Hirschfeld.
Al Hirschfeld was born in St. Louis, Missouri on June 21, 1903 and died January 20, 2003 at the age of 99.
In 1943, Hirschfeld married famous European actress Dolly Haas and they had one daughter, Nina, born in 1945. After her birth, Hirschfeld developed the habit of hiding her name, spelled in capital letters, on most every drawing he did thereafter. The number of NINAs concealed in every drawing was shown next to the artist's signature. It quickly became a favorite pastime to try and find out the hidden NINAs in the cartoons.
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