Why Hitchcock Walked Away from Cary Grant’s Final Demand

Alfred Hitchcock’s rapport with actors was, more often than not, a rather prickly affair—Tippi Hedren could certainly attest to that. Yet, with Cary Grant, the director seemed to find a rare sense of ease. Their creative partnership not only shaped their own careers but left a lasting mark on the world of cinema. Hitchcock relished orchestrating every detail from behind the lens, while Grant, with his effortless charm and poise, became the director’s on-screen counterpart. Together, they formed a duo that seemed almost tailor-made for the golden age of film.

Their collaboration began in 1941 with Suspicion, a project that allowed Grant to step into the shoes of a villain—an unusual turn for the actor. Five years later, he returned to help Hitchcock push boundaries in Notorious. By 1955, the pair reunited for To Catch a Thief, a film now remembered as much for Grant’s sparkling chemistry with Grace Kelly as for its Riviera backdrop. Their final outing, North by Northwest, delivered a masterclass in cinematic spectacle, cementing their place in film history.

Plans for a New Chapter

Hitchcock, known for his fondness for familiar faces, was keen to keep the partnership going. After North by Northwest, he began developing a new project in the early 1960s, working alongside screenwriter Evan Hunter. The idea was to adapt Daphne du Maurier’s tale of a Cornish town under siege by flocks of birds, but with a twist—Hunter proposed starting as a screwball comedy before veering into thriller territory. The director immediately pictured Grant and Kelly in the lead roles. Kelly, with her cool wit, and Grant, a veteran of screwball comedies, seemed the perfect fit.

Hunter crafted the script with their dynamic in mind, drawing inspiration from their previous work together. However, reality intervened. Kelly, now Princess of Monaco, had long since left acting behind. Hitchcock, undeterred, cast a relative newcomer, Tippi Hedren, who would go on to make quite an impression in the role.

The Unbridgeable Divide

Just as the production seemed to be finding its feet, another obstacle emerged. Grant, it turned out, was not entirely unavailable. He was willing to take part, but only if his terms were met. This time, he wasn’t content with his standard fee. Instead, he wanted a full half of the film’s profits.

“It was impossible,”

Hunter later recalled.

“Hitch would never give him anything like that.”

The director, steadfast as ever, refused to budge. With neither side willing to compromise, the partnership that had produced some of cinema’s most memorable moments came to an abrupt end.

To fill the gap, Hitchcock turned to Rod Taylor, an Australian actor with the right look but, as some would argue, not quite the same magnetism. While The Birds would go on to become one of Hitchcock’s most notable works of the 1960s, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been had Grant and Kelly taken centre stage once more.