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THE week began with Cary Grant in a gray suit.
He was in town to quietly promote Faberge's new fragrance, A Touch
of Class, but he was really just passing through, on his way to a
meeting at M-G-M, perhaps, or the Hollywood Park race track. He's on
the boards of both. ''When you're 77, they're very kind to you,'' he
said, winking. ''They make you director emeritus, but they don't let
you vote.
''I'm used for whatever's left of my name. And
I'm not entirely stupid. Actors, you know, are the best businessmen
in the world. It's unfortunate they're not given credit for good
sense.
''When Reagan was head of the Screen Actors Guild, he dealt with all
the unions and learned a great deal from them. And he was good.'' He
took a bite of a sandwich. ''I know I'm supposed to answer all those
questions about my favorite leading lady and my style,'' he
continued. ''Well, Princess Grace is a great girl and all shirts
should be white, and squared-off at the bottom, so you can wear them
outside. But I don't know that I've any style at all. I just
patterned myself on a combination of Jack Buchanan, Noel Coward and
Rex Harrison. I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be, and I
finally became that person. Or he became me. Or we just met at some
point. It's a relationship.''
The phone rang. It was George Steinbrenner.
Grant is an avid baseball fan. ''Now, were we talking about
relationships?'' he asked. ''Yes, well, Norton Simon told me
something about that. He said you've got to ask yourself what's your
motive and what's theirs. I find I respond most to someone's trust.
It's a commitment I understand. Currently, I've put my trust in
quite a nice young woman.
''But I don't ever wish to be young again, even
though my vocabulary is slowly diminishing.'' He stopped, laughed
and was silent for a moment. ''If I could wish for one thing, it
would be to be sexually younger. But I can console you with one
fact. As you age, the desire remains, but it's not as strong, but
neither is the emotion that goes with it. So you're free to do more
useful things. You see, there's one thing that can't ever be
ignored. There is so little time. I just try to do the best I can.
It may not be great in other people's eyes, but I think it's pretty
good.''
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