Movieline

The Cary Grant Gay Factor

"I'm going to suggest something radical: We'll never know whether Grant was or was not gay, and it does not matter. What matters was that his image, for all its perfection, also had its points of flexibility -- living intimately with a man for long stretches of time, doing cute man things together -- that leaves the possibility open. Grant made millions of women swoon, and millions of straight men aspire to his likeness. But he also provided thousands of queer audience members with the hope that famous, successful, high-profile performers and homosexuality were not mutually exclusive, further suggesting straight, high-class masculinity as an elaborate masquerade." [The Hairpin]