Caryvention IX

Cary Grant tickles Genevieve Tobin in Kiss and Make Up (1934).

I'm back too soon from my seventh Caryvention, CVIX, in Chicago. It's always tough to say good-bye at Caryvention, and this year was no exception. I miss everyone already. Our hosts, Lynnette and Kim really outdid themselves. What a rush it was to pick up the program for the Music Box theater and see "Caryvention presents." I don't know how you guys swung it, but hats off too ya! As always all the warbrides went mental with the gifts. One dedicated warbride wrote to Eva Marie Saint and got her to send us an autographed statement about how much she loved working with Cary. My goody bag is truly awesome. Thanks everyone!

The Warbrides celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of North by Northwest in style at the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago. It was such a trip to walk up and down the staircase into the hotel every day that Cary uses in the movie. I'm such a dork, I had to walk the path that Cary walks toward the hotel in the exterior shot.

The highlight of the week-end for me was watching North by Northwest on the big screen of the Music Box Theater with the other warbrides. I have seen the movie twice before in a proper theater, but this time was definitely the best. The only thing better than watching Cary on the big screen is watching him on the big screen with a room full of fanatical fans. There were three warbrides who came from far corners of the earth who had never had the opportunity to see him on the big screen before. Janine, Natalie and Irena, I hope it was worth the trip! If only to see the yellow boxer shorts in larger than life format.

We also watched Kiss and Make-up, one of my favorite Cary pre-code films. I first watched this film on the big screen with the Warbrides at the DC Caryvention and it's always held a special place in my heart because of that. While this isn't a great movie by any stretch of rational measure, it is completely and utterly fun to watch in room full of semi-reverent warbrides. It's a high-energy comedy about a man who runs a beauty spa and the women in his life. It also has a love song to corned beef and cabbage. As the projectionist at the teater in DC said after screening it for the first time "Where has this movie been all my life?" I'd like to see watching this movie become a Caryvention tradition where we could give it the "Rocky Horror" treatment.

After the movie screenings, my favorite part of Caryvention is the random Cary Grant or other film conversations I have with other Warbrides. Turns out there's a big Jane Austen/Cary Grant cross over that I haven't had a chance to quite process yet, other than to think about finding a way to put my awesome Jane Austen "boots and shirtsleeves" screensaver on line for you.

I have a ton of other movies to blog after my two week break, so I'm gonna wrap this up by saying, "Happy Thoughts!"