17 Cary Grant Quotes To Start Your Week

In the history of cinema, the United States, and all of recorded history, there has never been a suaver man than Cary Grant. There just hasn't. Born "Archibald Leach," the British Grant legally adopted his stage name when he became an American in 1942. With his mid-Atlantic accent, Grant and his chin charmed their way into Hollywood's Golden Era and five marriages.

From The Philadelphia Story, to Hitchcock's North By Northwest, Grant cemented himself as one of the greatest leading men in history. Here, then, are 17 bits of his wisdom for your Monday morning. 

1. "To succeed with the opposite sex, tell her you're impotent. She can't wait to disprove it."

2. "My father used to say, 'Let them see you and not the suit. That should be secondary.'"

3. "A shot of brandy can save your life, but a bottle of brandy can kill you."

4. "Do your job and demand your compensation—but in that order."

5. "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant."

6. "Ah, beware of snobbery; it is the unwelcome recognition of one's own past failings."

7. "My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can."

8. "It takes 500 small details to add up to one favorable impression."

9. "I may not have married for very sound reasons, but money was the least of them."

10. "I think that making love is the best form of exercise."

11. "When people tell you how young you look, they are telling you how old you are."

12. "Divorce is a game played by lawyers."

13. "I improve on misquotation."

14. "I’m prepared. I have a gun and I know how to shoot, and whoever comes calling without an invitation will get it in the rear end."

15. "It is the law of life that if you are kind to someone you feel happy. If you are cruel you are unhappy. And if you hurt someone, you will be hurt back."

16. "When I’m married I want to be single, and when I’m single I want to be married."

17. "Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops."

Ethan Wolff-Mann is an editor at Supercompressor. He is going to watch The Philadelphia Story now. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann.