Farley Granger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Farley Granger
Granger in 1951
Born	Farley Earle Granger Jr. (1925-07-01)July 1, 1925 San Jose, California, U.S.
Died	March 27, 2011(2011-03-27) (aged 85) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor singer acting coach
Years active	1943–2004
Partner(s)	Robert Calhoun (1963–2008; Calhoun's death)

Farley Earle Granger Jr. (July 1, 1925 – March 27, 2011) was an American actor. He is best known for working with director Alfred Hitchcock in two famous movies: Rope (1948) and Strangers on a Train (1951).

Granger was first discovered during a small play in Hollywood. He was given an important role in the movie The North Star (1943). After another film, The Purple Heart (1944), Granger served in the United States Navy. He was part of a group that organized entertainment for soldiers in the Pacific. There, he met famous people like Bob Hope, Betty Grable, and Rita Hayworth.

His role in Hitchcock's Rope earned him a lot of praise, even though the movie itself got mixed reviews. Hitchcock then chose him again for Strangers on a Train. In this film, Granger played a tennis star who gets involved in a murder plot. Granger said this was his favorite movie to make. He was very sad when his co-star, Robert Walker, passed away soon after filming.

Granger continued acting on stage, in movies, and on television until he was in his 70s. He performed in classic plays on Broadway and made several Italian films. Even though he sometimes found fault with his directors, his career is mostly remembered for his two films with Alfred Hitchcock.

Early Life and Acting Start

Farley Granger was born in San Jose, California. His parents were Eva and Farley Earle Granger, Sr. His father owned a car dealership. The family often spent time at their beach house in Capitola.

After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, his family lost their homes and most of their money. They had to move into a small apartment in Hollywood. His parents worked different temporary jobs and faced tough times.

Hoping he might become a tap dancer, Granger's mother enrolled him in a dance and drama school. Famous stars like Judy Garland and Shirley Temple had also started there.

Granger's father later found a steady job. This allowed the family to buy a small house in Studio City. Their neighbor was the actor Donald O'Connor. At his office, Granger's father met comedian Harry Langdon. Langdon suggested he take his son to auditions for a play called The Wookie.

Granger impressed the director with his Cockney accent. He was cast in several roles in the play. An agent and a casting director saw him perform. The next day, they asked Granger to audition for the movie The North Star.

Granger got the role of Damian, a Russian teenager. He signed a seven-year contract for $100 a week.

Building a Career in Hollywood

The movie studio wanted Granger to change his name. They thought audiences might confuse him with another actor, Stewart Granger. But Farley liked his name and refused to change it. The studio then made up a story for the press. They said he was a high school student who answered an ad in the paper. Granger thought this story was "really dumb."

Making The North Star was a good start for Granger. He enjoyed working with the director and other actors. The film was released in 1943. Some critics didn't like it because they thought it was Soviet propaganda.

For his next movie, The Purple Heart (1944), Granger worked with the same director and co-star again. He became good friends with fellow actor Sam Levene. He also became friends with Roddy McDowall.

After finishing The Purple Heart, Granger joined the United States Navy. He was sent to Honolulu, Hawaii. He spent his military career onshore. He worked in a unit that arranged entertainment for soldiers in the Pacific. This gave him the chance to meet many visiting entertainers. These included Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, and Hedy Lamarr.

When Granger returned home, his parents were doing better. The studio increased his salary and gave him a car. He met new friends, including director Nicholas Ray. Ray cast Granger in his film They Live by Night. This movie was seen by Alfred Hitchcock, who was preparing his film Rope.

Granger went to New York City to talk about Rope with Hitchcock. He also met Arthur Laurents, who wrote the film's script. The story was based on a play about a fictionalized murder case.

In Rope, Granger and John Dall played two smart friends who commit a murder. Hitchcock filmed the movie in long, continuous takes. This caused some technical problems during filming. The movie got mixed reviews in 1948. Granger later said he was happy to be part of the film.

After Rope, Granger made other films like Enchantment (1948) and Roseanna McCoy (1949). While filming Side Street (1950), he became friends with Leonard Bernstein, a famous composer.

Becoming a Leading Actor

In 1949, Granger signed a new five-year contract with his producer. His next two films, Edge of Doom and Our Very Own, were not good experiences for him. He refused to make another film he didn't like and was suspended. He traveled to Paris and London.

He was then contacted by Alfred Hitchcock for Strangers on a Train (1951). Granger played Guy Haines, a tennis player. He meets a psychopathic man named Bruno Anthony, played by Robert Walker. Bruno suggests they swap murders. Granger and Walker became close friends during filming. Granger was very sad when Walker died before the movie was released. The film was a big success and Granger's first major hit. He called it his "happiest filmmaking experience."

Granger also had a brief relationship with actress Ava Gardner around this time. He later went to New York City with his close friend Shelley Winters. They studied acting together.

Granger then made I Want You (1951), a drama about the Korean War. He thought the script was boring. His next films, Behave Yourself! (1951) and a segment of O. Henry's Full House (1952), were not very successful. However, his musical film Hans Christian Andersen (1952) with Danny Kaye did very well around the world.

Granger wanted to work with director Vincente Minnelli. He accepted a role in Mademoiselle, part of the 1953 film The Story of Three Loves. He was unhappy with how his career was going. He bought out his contract, which cost him a lot of money.

Granger wanted to move to Manhattan to study acting and perform on stage. But his agent convinced him to take a role in Senso (1954). This film was directed by Luchino Visconti and filmed in Italy. Filming lasted nine months, giving Granger time to explore Italy. He even made a cameo appearance as a gondolier in the 1956 movie Around the World in 80 Days.

After returning to the U.S., Granger made two more films: The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing and The Naked Street, both released in 1955.

Stage and Television Work

In 1955, Granger moved to New York. He began studying acting and made his Broadway debut in a play called The Carefree Tree. The play closed quickly. He then lived with his co-star, Janice Rule, for a while, but they later went their separate ways as friends.

With his film and theater career struggling, Granger started working in television. He appeared in many TV shows, including Schlitz Playhouse of Stars and Beyond This Place (1957) with Shelley Winters. He also appeared in popular shows like Get Smart, Ironside, and Hawaii Five-O.

In 1959, Granger returned to Broadway in a musical called First Impressions, based on Pride and Prejudice. The show had problems and closed in less than three months. Later that year, he was in another play, The Warm Peninsula, which also had a short run.

Later Career and Legacy

Despite his early struggles on Broadway, Granger continued to focus on theater in the 1960s. He joined the National Repertory Theatre. During this time, he became close friends with the production supervisor, Robert Calhoun. They later became partners.

Granger found more success on Broadway in plays like The Seagull, The Crucible, and Deathtrap. In 1986, he won an Obie Award for his performance in the play Talley & Son.

In the early 1970s, Granger and Calhoun moved to Rome, Italy. Granger made several Italian films there, including the Western They Call Me Trinity (1970) and the thriller What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974). He also appeared in TV soap operas like One Life to Live, for which he was nominated for an award.

Later, he appeared in several documentaries about Hollywood and Alfred Hitchcock. In 1995, he was interviewed for The Celluloid Closet, where he talked about how movies showed homosexuality and hidden meanings.

In 2003, Granger made his last film appearance in Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There. In this documentary, he shared his story of leaving Hollywood to work on the Broadway stage.

In 2007, Granger published his memoir, Include Me Out. He wrote it with his partner, Robert Calhoun. In the book, he openly discussed his career and personal life.

Granger passed away from natural causes in his New York apartment on March 27, 2011, at the age of 85.

For his contributions to television, Farley Granger has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1551 Vine Street.

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Farley Granger in the trailer for Strangers on a Train, (1951)

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  Scene with Alida Valli in the film Senso, 1954

See also

In Spanish: Farley Granger para niños