Granger had become a close friend of production supervisor Robert Calhoun, and although both had felt a mutual attraction, they never had discussed it. The two men remained friends until Bernstein's death. Kensington, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Greater London, England. He also became a friend of Roddy McDowall and found himself linked with June Haver in gossip columns and fan magazines. Following U.S. Navy Recruit Training in Farragut, Idaho, he sailed from Treasure Island in San Francisco to Honolulu. Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 - 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. Granger became a close friend of supporting cast member Sam Levene, a character actor from New York City who took him under his wing. Granger would describe this as his happiest film-making experience, and was deeply saddened by Walker's death shortly after shooting. It proved to be the start of a romantic relationship that lasted about a year and a frequently tempestuous friendship that extended for decades beyond their breakup. He and Granger engaged in a casual affair until the actor was summoned to return to New York to help publicize Edge of Doom and Our Very Own, both of which received dreadful reviews. [3], His wealthy father owned a Willys-Overland automobile dealership, and the family frequently spent time at their beach house in Capitola on Monterey Bay. As a result, the remainder of his military career was spent onshore, where he first was assigned to the cleanup crew at an enlisted men's club situated at the end of Waikiki Beach and then to a unit in Honolulu that worked with Army Special Services that was commanded by classical actor Maurice Evans, who put together and arranged entertainment for all the troops in the Pacific. At the Buxton Festival, he played Tybalt in a production of Romeo and Juliet opposite Robert Donat and Constance Cummings. The two left to hear Nat King Cole perform at a nearby nightclub and then went to Granger's home, where they began an intense affair that lasted until Gardner began filming Show Boat a month later. (1951), the Gift of the Magi segment of the anthology film O. Henry's Full House (1952), and the musical film Hans Christian Andersen (1952) were no more successful. The film's producer, Gottfried Reinhardt, also directed the other two segments, and he mercilessly edited Mademoiselle in order to give his stories more screen time. Granger auditioned for producer Goldwyn, screenwriter Lillian Hellman and director Lewis Milestone. In 1952, Granger starred in Scaramouche in the role of Andre Moreau, the bastard son of a French nobleman, a part Ramn Novarro had played in the 1923 version of Rafael Sabatini's novel. Another hit was Love Story (1944), where he plays a blind pilot who falls in love with terminally ill Margaret Lockwood, with Patricia Roc co-starring. [9] The Times reported that "this six-foot black-visaged ex-soldier from the Black Watch is England's Number One pin up boy. [39], His niece is Antiques Roadshow appraiser Bunny Campione, the daughter of his sister Iris. [25] The role in The Leopard ultimately went to Burt Lancaster, the one in I Thank a Fool to Peter Finch, and the Fregonese and Farrow movies were never made. [20] While filming Side Street (1950) on location in Manhattan for Anthony Mann, Granger briefly became involved with Leonard Bernstein, who invited him to join him on his South American tour. Right out of high school, he was brought to the attention of movie producer Samuel Goldwyn, who cast him in a small role in The North Star (1943). Granger returned to the U.S. and made a TV movie Any Second Now (1969). In 1944 it was reported Granger's ambition was to play, Richard Burton claimed Granger turned down the leading role in, 1945 9th biggest star in Britain (2nd most popular British star), 1946 6th biggest star in Britain (3rd most popular British star), 1947 5th most popular British star in Britain. Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend. Eventually the studio issued a press release announcing Farley Granger, a senior at North Hollywood High School, had been cast in The North Star after he responded to an ad in the local paper. In 2003, Granger made his last film appearance in Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There. RM B7T03N - Rope Year: 1948 USA Director : Alfred Hitchcock James Stewart Farley Granger John Dall RM 2K08C9W - Ann Marie Blyth and Farley Earle Granger on the set of Our Very Own, a 1950 American drama film directed by David Miller. Even though she herself was outspoken, Dietrich was. The opening night audience included talent agent Phil Gersh and Samuel Goldwyn casting director Bob McIntyre, and the following morning Gersh contacted Granger's parents and asked them to bring him to his office that afternoon to discuss the role of Damian, a teenaged Russian boy in the film The North Star. He is not dating anyone. . Expert Answers: Farley Earle Granger Jr. was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: Rope in 1948 and Strangers on a Train . [30] Unhappy with the direction his career was taking, Granger sought solace with Shelley Winters, who was separated from Vittorio Gassman, and the two friends resumed their love affair, which at one point nearly had culminated in marriage. Farley Granger is probably best remembered today as an actor for his appearance in two Alfred Hitchcock films Rope and Strangers on a Train (with Robert Walker) and in director Nicholas Ray's 1949 film They Live By Night (with Cathy O'Donnell). Granger, Hitch, Stewart & John Dall (Image via Warner Bros.) Farley Earle Granger was born in 1925 in San Jose, California, to Eva (Hopkins) and Farley Earle Granger, who owned an automobile dealership. Granger passed away in 1993 from prostate cancer at the age of 80. It was also where he began exploring his bisexuality, which he said he never felt any need to conceal. He also announced he had reactivated his production company, Tracy Productions, which was scheduled to make Dark Memory by Jonathan Latimer. In 1959, Granger returned to Broadway as Fitzwilliam Darcy opposite Polly Bergen as Elizabeth Bennet in First Impressions, a musical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice with a book and direction by Abe Burrows. During this period he made his Broadway debut in The Carefree Tree, a play with music based on an old Chinese legend. Goldwyn cast Granger in I Want You, a 1951 drama about the effect the Korean War has on an American family still trying to recover from World War II. The movie was popular, though it did not recover its cost, and it remained a favourite of Granger's. Goldwyn expected the film to be as successful as The Best Years of Our Lives, but it proved to be as "tepid and old-fashioned" as Granger feared and, opening after cease-fire negotiations with Korea had begun, no longer topical, and it died at the box office. [12], Granger's stage production of Leo Tolstoy's The Power of Darkness (a venture he had intended as a vehicle for him to star with Jean Simmons) was very poorly received when it opened in London at the Lyric Theatre on 25 April 1949. It was here that he had the opportunity to meet and mingle with visiting entertainers such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr, Gertrude Lawrence and many others. [35] He starred in Beyond This Place (1957), an adaptation of the A.J. "[7] It was the second most popular movie at the British box office in 1944. In 1986 he won the Obie Award for his performance in the Lanford Wilson play Talley & Son. In the early 1970s, Granger and Calhoun moved to Rome, where the actor made a series of Italian language films, most notably They Call Me Trinity. He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old Brompton Road, Kensington, West London, the only son of Major James Stewart, OBE and his wife Frederica Eliza (ne Lablache). December 8, 2012 10:52 AM. Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES. Mar 27 2011 - New York City, United States, Mar 30 2011 - Lucas County, Ohio, United States, July 1 1925 - San Jose, Santa Clara, California, United States, Mar 27 2011 - New York City, New York, United States, Farley Earle Granger, Eva Granger (born Hopkins), 1930 - San Jose, Santa Clara, California, USA, 1940 - 12113 Maxwelton Road, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA, Cause of death: Natural causes - Mar 27 2011 - New York City, San Jos, Santa Clara County, California, United States, Manhattan, New York City, New York County, New York, United States. The appeal of the storyline for Rope is striking, clear and strong. March 29, 2011. Granger wanted a change of pace and so appeared in Woman Hater (1948), a comedy with Edwige Feuillre. The studio publicity department was concerned audiences would confuse Farley with British actor Stewart Granger, so they suggested he change his name and offered him a list from which to choose. Granger had become a close friend of production supervisor Robert Calhoun, and although both had felt a mutual attraction, they never had discussed it. In 2003, Granger made his last film appearance in Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There. And . Goldwyn signed him to a seven-year contract for $100 per week. With both his film and theatrical career foundering, Granger turned to television. As a result of this financial setback and the loss of their social status, both of Granger's parents began to drink heavily. Granger went to Britain to make Footsteps in the Fog (1955), a movie with Simmons, for Columbia. Through the couple, Granger met Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Gene Kelly, who invited him to join his open house gatherings that included Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen and Stanley Donen. He went to Italy and played Lot in Robert Aldrich's Sodom and Gomorrah (1962), filmed in Rome. Hitchcock then cast him again in Strangers on a Train as a tennis-star drawn into a double murder plot by a scheming psychopath played by Robert Walker. Back at MGM, he was in Moonfleet (1955), cast as adventurer Jeremy Fox in the Dorset of 1757, a man who rules a gang of cut-throat smugglers with an iron fist until he is softened by a 10-year-old boy who worships him and who believes only the best of him. He returned to Los Angeles to support John Wayne in North to Alaska (1960). He also became a friend of Roddy McDowall and found himself linked with June Haver in gossip columns and fan magazines. During his time in Venice, Granger renewed his friendship with Peggy Guggenheim, whom he had met during his earlier trip to Italy with Arthur Laurents, and he met Mike Todd, who cajoled him into making a cameo appearance as a gondolier in his epic Around the World in 80 Days. "I liked Farley Granger. In the book, named after one of Goldwyn's famous malapropisms, he freely discusses his career and personal life. As a result of this financial setback and the loss of their social status, both of Granger's parents began to drink heavily. His productions at Birmingham included The Courageous Sex and Victoria, Queen and Empress; he also acted at the Malvern Festival in The Millionairess and The Apple Cart and was in the movie Under Secret Orders (1937). Caravan (1946), starring Granger and Kent, was the sixth most popular movie at the British box office in 1946. . Farley Earle Granger Jr. [1] (July 1, 1925 - March 27, 2011) was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: Rope in 1948 and Strangers on a Train in 1951. Granger was determined to move to Manhattan to study acting and perform on stage, but his agent convinced him to accept a role in Senso, directed by Luchino Visconti and co-starring Alida Valli. Not to be confused with American actor James Stewart, James Lablanche Stewart became Stewart Granger (though he was "Jimmy" to his off-screen friends). The Men from Shiloh was previously known as The Virginian. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas. Farley Granger Jr. was born in San Jose, California, where his father owned a thriving auto dealership. Granger had small roles in the movies So This Is London (1939) and Convoy (1940). Granger made his film debut as an extra in 1933, starting with The Song You Gave Me (1933). So I said "Who the hell needs that? His work ranged from classical drama on Broadway to several Italian-language films and major documentaries about Hollywood, but he tended to find fault with his directors and scriptwriters and he remains defined by the two Hitchcock classics. Years of theatre work followed, initially at Hull Repertory Theatre and then, after a pay dispute, at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He also was featured in episodes of Climax Mystery Theater, Ford Television Theatre, The 20th Century Fox Hour, Robert Montgomery Presents, Playhouse 90, Wagon Train, Kraft Television Theatre, The United States Steel Hour, and The Bell Telephone Hour, and in later years Get Smart, Run for Your Life, Ironside, The Name of the Game and Hawaii Five-O, among others. Farley Earle Granger Jr.[1] (July 1, 1925 March 27, 2011) was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: Rope in 1948 and Strangers on a Train in 1951. Goldwyn cast Granger in I Want You, a drama about the effect the Korean War has on an American family still trying to recover from World War II. "The names were all interchangeable, like Gordon Gregory and Gregory Gordon. Ava Gardner played an Anglo-Indian (mixed race) woman caught between the two worlds of the British and the Indians, and Granger the British officer with whom (in a change from the novel) she ultimately fell in love. Errol Flynn was offered the role but turned it down; Granger's signing was announced in August 1949. The cast included Janice Rule as Granger's love interest and Alvin Ailey, Frances Sternhagen, Jerry Stiller and Sada Thompson in supporting roles. Most influential among his new acquaintances was director Nicholas Ray, who cast Granger in his film noir Thieves Like Us. Just being in his presence was bad. "I thought that was a really dumb story," said Granger. He also acted opposite them both in The Good Natured Man. He played a professional adventurer in Harry Black (1958), partly shot in India. In 1949, Granger was reported as earning around 30,000 a year. The film is best known for being . The night before their initial meeting, Granger coincidentally met Arthur Laurents, who had written the film's screenplay, which was based on the play Rope's End, a fictionalized account of the Leopold and Loeb murder case. Once there, they went their separate ways, and Granger met Ava Gardner. Despite his three unsuccessful Broadway experiences, Granger continued to focus on theater in the early 1960s. I thought at one point the crew was going to kill him. When Sodom started filming, Granger announced he had signed a three-picture deal with MGM, which would include I Thank a Fool, Swordsman of Siena and a third movie for Jacques Bar. It proved to be the start of a romantic relationship that lasted about a year and a frequently tempestuous friendship that extended for decades beyond their breakup. Stewart Farley in New York. The New York Times reported that Granger "is a young man worth watching. [19], Upon the completion of Rope, Goldwyn cast Granger, Teresa Wright, David Niven and Evelyn Keyes in Enchantment (1948), which was panned for a weak script and indifferent direction by Irving Reis. He tended to find fault with his directors and scriptwriters, however, and his career remains defined by the two Hitchcock films. Hitchcock then cast him again in Strangers on a Train, as a tennis star drawn into a double murder plot by a wealthy psychopath, played by Robert Walker. The President had attended NRT's opening night and post-performance gala in the nation's capital, so the news hit everyone in the company especially hard. Farley Earle Granger II was born July 1, 1925, in San Jose, Calif., the son of a well-to-do auto dealer, who lost his business during the Depression and moved his family to Los Angeles. Upon the completion of Rope, Goldwyn cast Granger, Teresa Wright, David Niven and Evelyn Keyes in Enchantment, which was plagued by a weak script and indifferent direction by Irving Reis. So too was Bhowani Junction (1956), adapted from a John Masters novel about colonial India on the verge of obtaining independence. Mar 29, 2011 at 9:10 am. Also Known As Farley Earl Granger Iii Birth Place San Jose, California, USA Born July 01, 1925 Died March 27, 2011 Cause of Death Natural Causes Biography Read More A handsome, polished leading man of the 1940s and 1950s, Farley Granger's most enduring roles were polar opposite characters in films for director Alfred Hitchcock. Farley Earle Granger was born in 1925 in San Jose, California, to Eva (Hopkins) and Farley Earle Granger, who owned an automobile dealership. Granger and Walker, whose wife Jennifer Jones had recently left him for David O. Selznick, became close friends and confidantes during filming, and Granger was devastated when Walker died from an accidental combination of alcohol and barbiturates prior to the film's release. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. That night they became lovers. [22] Granger said he accepted the role for money and because it "seemed like it could be a lot of fun", but was disappointed by the lack of character development for his role.[22]. Granger returned to civilian life and was pleased to discover his parents had curbed their drinking and were treating each other more civilly. In 1995 he was interviewed on camera for The Celluloid Closet, discussing the depiction of homosexuality in film and the use of subtext in various films, including his own. Farley Granger, who found quick stardom in films like Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" in the 1940s and '50s but who then turned aside from Hollywood to pursue . Later that year, he was cast in The Warm Peninsula, a play by Joe Masteroff. Burial. Only Bing Crosby can match him for popularity."[10]. In the world's tightest pair of white army pants, Granger at last reveals the villain who had been lurking behind his male ingenue roles for Goldwyn. It proved to be a box office hit, the first major success of Granger's career, and his "happiest filmmaking experience.". By HOWARD THOMPSON. In 1948, Hitchcock cast him in Rope, a fictionalized account of the Leopold and Loeb murder case, which earned mixed reviews, but much critical praise for Granger. [27] His subsequent projects a screwball comedy with Winters called Behave Yourself! Upon its completion, he bought his release from Goldwyn, a costly decision that left him with serious financial difficulties. Filming in Italy lasted nine months, although Granger frequently was idle during this period, allowing him free time to explore Italy and even spend a long weekend in Paris, where he had a brief affair with Jean Marais. Granger acted alongside Mario Adorf in the Italian slasher film La Polizia chiede aiuto, which was directed by Massimo Dallamano. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1980 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the New London Theatre. Making the film proved to be a fortunate start to Granger's career. At the last moment they were joined by Arthur Laurents, who remained behind when the group departed for London to see the opening of the New York City Ballet, which had been choreographed by Jerome Robbins. [39] He starred opposite Barbara Cook in a revival of The King and I at the off-Broadway New York City Center,[40] and in 1979 he was cast in the Roundabout Theatre Company production of A Month in the Country. He was in a stage production of Rebecca when he was asked to audition for the film that turned him into a star. [25], Having reconciled, Granger and Winters went to New York City, where they audited classes at the Actors Studio and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. Their relationship was complicated, but Granger felt "it works for us.". The customers like his dark looks and his dash; he puts them in mind, they say of Cary Grant. He moved to Pacific Palisades, California. Stars contemplate director's fate: Farley Granger, John Dall, Hitchcock, and James Stewart Suddenly, Granger found himself summoned to Hollywood to meet with the Master of Suspense about his new project Rope, based on a successful play by Patrick Hamilton. That night they became lovers. "[9], Making the film proved to be a fortunate start to Granger's career. For his contribution to television, Granger has a star located at 1551 Vine Street on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Once again placed on suspension, he departed for Europe, where he spent time in Italy, Austria and Germany with Laurents before being contacted about an upcoming film by Alfred Hitchcock. He can also be glimpsed in Give Her a Ring (1933), Over the Garden Wall (1934) and A Southern Maid (1934). Bisexual screen idol Farley Granger, known for his roles in Hitchcock classics such as Strangers on a Train and Rope, has passed away at age 85 due to natural causes. Farley Earle Granger, Jr., was the son of a San Jose car dealer who, after his business failed in the first years of the Great Depression, moved the family to Los Angeles. Goldwyn increased his weekly salary to $200 and presented him with a 1940 Ford Coupe. Granger was first noticed in a small stage production in Hollywood by a Goldwyn casting director, and given a significant role in The North Star, a controversial film praising the Soviet Union at the height of the war, but later condemned for its political bias. Here he made useful contacts, including Bob Hope, Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth. [14], In 1949 Granger made his move; MGM was looking for someone to play H. Rider Haggard's hero Allan Quatermain in a movie version of King Solomon's Mines. [1][self-published source]. As with Rope, there was a homosexual subtext to the two men's relationship, although it was toned down from Patricia Highsmith's 1950 original novel. Granger was born in San Jose, California, the son of Eva (ne Hopkins) and Farley Earle Granger. Back at MGM he co-starred with his wife in Young Bess (1953), playing Thomas Seymour. Granger and Walker, whose wife Jennifer Jones had recently left him for David O. Selznick, became close friends and confidantes during filming, and Granger was devastated when Walker died from an accidental combination of alcohol and barbiturates prior to the film's release. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas . I was the only one who thought it was funny," Granger later recalled. [11], Upon completion of The Purple Heart, Granger enlisted in the United States Navy. [31][32] The couple divorced after ten years. Their drinking increased, and the couple frequently fought. Hoping he might become a tap dancer, Granger's mother enrolled him at Ethel Meglin's, the dance and drama instruction studio where Judy Garland and Shirley Temple had started. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll Votes: 135,189 | Gross: $7.63M 9/10 3. Anxious to work with Vincente Minnelli, Granger willingly accepted a role opposite Leslie Caron and Ethel Barrymore in Mademoiselle, one of three segments in the 1953 MGM film The Story of Three Loves. Upon completion of The Purple Heart, Granger enlisted in the United States Navy. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Granger enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders, then transferred to the Black Watch with the rank of second lieutenant. He accepted an invitation from Eva Le Gallienne to join her National Repertory Theatre. Granger and Laurents met again, and Laurents invited the actor to spend the night. He declined, but when the offer was extended again several days later, he accepted. Stewart Granger, the handsome leading man in more than 60 films, including adventure tales like "King Solomon .