Just a counterpoint: I have short A's and a clipped cadence. I'm English and have never been to America. (Not that I'm from Bristol either!)

I've never thought of Cary Grant's accent to be anything but English. I don't hear any American in it at all.

(It's "eke". Unless you've just seen a big spider!)

Tectonic?

Reading it on an ereader/your phone might help.