Hitchcock put a small light in the glass of milk, so it glowed as Cary Grant ascended the stairs – drawing the attention of the audience – making us wonder: “What the hell is in that glass??”
It’s very jarring to see Cary Grant in the light Hitchcock puts him in here. We don’t know if we can trust him. He seems like a user. Maybe a liar? But then there are sweet moments, tender moments … who is this guy? Can we trust him? You can’t help but like him. Despite his odd-ness. Hitchcock kept an audience in a state of imbalance, unsurety … he was, obviously, a master at it, even down to his casting choices.
Mel Brooks did something similar in “Young Frankenstein,” when Dr. F was carrying a candle. Hitch did it first, but Brooks’ use of the technique was very well done. Especially since Gene Wilder had to turn the candle with the light inside it several times to adjust for his movements around the camera.
Of course! I remember that moment perfectly! What an absolutely riotous movie.
Slightly off topic, but have you ever seen Monkey Business with Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, and Charles Coburn?
It is another one of those movies that only Cary Grant could make. He plays a chemist trying to find a miracle youth drug. Of course, all havoc breaks loose.
And Charles Coburn is my all-time favorite character actor.
Tim:
yes! I saw that movie years ago! heh heh heh
Ginger Rogers was quite quite funny, as I recall. And Cary Grant was at his distracted best … I do remember him randomly doing a cartwheel in the lab. That must have been when he took the youth serum.