In 1926, Kiama-born Orry-Kelly was living in a large studio in Greenwich Village, New York, when he first met Cary Grant, then known as Archie Leach.

In Kelly’s memoir, Women I’ve Undressed, he recalls the moment: “One winter evening, through these same black gates walked Archie Leach - later better known as Cary Grant. He was carrying a little two-foot-square shiny black tin box which held all his worldly possessions, and he was wearing a much shinier black suit. He had been locked out of his hall bedroom. I took him in.”

At the time, Grant was in poor health, and Orry allowed him to stay with him, supporting him as he pursued his dream of becoming an actor. The two formed a close bond, spending late nights making ties together for their business and even turning their apartment into a speakeasy.

Kiama Historical Society president Sue Eggins, who has extensively researched Orry-Kelly’s life, says their relationship from the start was a good indicator of what was to come.

“They had lots of fights,” says Eggins. “When Cary first came to live with Orry, he was thin and unwell, and Orry helped him. But they had numerous arguments.”

One notable incident occurred when Orry-Kelly, who frequented New York’s arts and social circles, introduced Grant to Minnie Chaplin, wife of Charlie Chaplin’s brother, Sydney. 

Minnie suggested that Grant should pursue a screen test at Warner Brothers and to help move things along, Orry threw a party for Minnie and invited many of his theatre friends. However, Kelly believed Grant treated the guests disrespectfully, and he called him out for it.

“I certainly didn’t think he acted like the horse’s head,” Kelly wrote. “And told him - who did he think he was? Gracie, George, and Jack were my friends, why had he ignored them completely, particularly as he himself was still in red underwear on the Gus Sun Time (Grant was working at the circus at the time)? Or was he? That’s all I remember - wham! A fist flew, my jaw went up, I went down - and out.”

Following this outburst, Orry kicked Grant out. However, before Grant even stepped out the door, he turned on, what Orry referred to as, the “Archie Leach charm,” and all was forgiven.

The two lived together for nearly nine years, and many believe that Orry, who was openly gay, and Grant were lovers during this time. Eggins notes that several texts refer to their relationship in romantic terms.

“There’s a biography of Cary Grant that refers to them as lovers throughout the entire book. Another, by Scotty Bowers, says they were lovers. And there’s one by William A. Mann, which talks about the gay scene between 1900 and 1950, and he also mentions them as lovers,” Eggins says.

In the 2015 film Women He’s Undressed by Gillian Armstrong, their relationship is strongly implied. 

In an interview with Cinephild, Armstrong says, “I interviewed director Vincent Sherman’s son, Eric, in the film, whose parents took over the apartment when Cary and Orry were on the run from the mafia because of the unpaid bills from their speakeasy. I didn’t include this in the film but I asked Eric and he confirmed that the apartment only had one bedroom.”

Despite these references, Orry-Kelly never explicitly mentioned a romantic relationship with Grant in his memoir. However, the memoir was not published until 2016 because Cary Grant took out an injunction to prevent its release, which raises questions about what he might have wanted to keep hidden.

Grant was also suspected of having a secret relationship with Randolph Scott, which he also tried to conceal, suggesting a pattern of hiding his personal life.

In the end, Grant completely cut Orry out of his life after their time together, and the two did not speak for 20 years. When they did meet again, the encounter was not a positive one. However, something of their past connection remained, as when Orry died of liver cancer in 1964, Cary Grant was one of his pallbearers.

While their relationship may not have had the typical Hollywood ending Orry would have hoped for, it is remarkable that two artists came together just before they became huge stars in their own rights. Grant would go on to star in the 1932 film Blonde Venus, while Orry would design costumes for the hit film 42nd Street in 1933.

Whether they were truly lovers during their time together remains a matter of speculation. However, there is no doubt that for those nine years, despite the frequent arguments, they were best of friends.

This is one of many in a series of articles about Kiama’s Orry-Kelly in the lead up to the Orry Kelly gala on 26 July. You can read some of the other articles here, here and here.