Granger, Farley 1925–

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Granger, Farley 1925–

(Farley Earle Granger, II)

PERSONAL:

Born July 1, 1925, in San Jose, CA; son of Farley Earle and Eva H. Granger; longtime companion of Robert Calhoun.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Jay Julien, 1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.

CAREER:

Actor. Appeared in over forty films between 1943 and 1995, including North Star, Samuel Goldwyn, 1945; Rope, Warner Brothers, 1948; They Live by Night, RKO Radio Pictures, 1948; Side Street, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1950; and Strangers on a Train, Warner Brothers, 1951. Appeared on episodes of the TV programs United States Steel Hour, 1953; Playhouse 90, 1956; Get Smart, 1965; Ellery Queen, 1975; Love Boat, 1977; and Murder, She Wrote, 1984. Appeared on TV series As the World Turns and One Life to Live, 1976-77. Military service: U.S. Armed Forces, 1944-46.

MEMBER:

National Repertory Theatre, Circle Repertory Theatre.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama, 1977, for One Life to Live; Obie Award, 1986, for Talley and Son; Artistic Achievement Award, Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 2007.

WRITINGS:

(With Robert Calhoun) Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Farley Granger is best known as a leading film actor and Broadway star with a career spanning over fifty years, from the 1940s to the 1990s. In 2007 he published his memoirs, written with his longtime partner, Robert Calhoun, titled Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway. Granger's career began at the age of seventeen, when the great producer Samuel Goldwyn happened to watch Granger in a local theatre production of The Wookie. Granger was signed to a seven-year contact with Goldwyn, and went on to star in a number of films alongside leading ladies such as Ann Blyth, Shelley Winters, and Marilyn Monroe. Granger's relationship with Goldwyn eventually soured and he opted to settle out of his contract. Granger continued his acting career in films, such as the Italian masterpiece Senso; in television, with recurring roles in several daytime soap operas; and in theatre, in productions such as The Crucible and The Glass Menagerie.

In addition to recounting Granger's professional career, Include Me Out shares details from Granger's personal life, including what he describes as fluid sexuality, with relationships with both men and women. In an interview with Philadelphia Inquirer contributor Carrie Rickey, Granger stated his lifelong philosophy: "I've always been open to things." A critic for Kirkus Reviews described Include Me Out as "an engaging, colorful memoir," further adding: "Granger, who knows the dramatic when he sees it, fills his story with vivid moments from his career." Writing for Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, Michael Ehrhardt commented: "This is a memoir that will prove compulsive reading to old movie buffs as well as those who are fascinated by the inner workings of Hollywood." A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that "Granger and Calhoun write with a stylish and iridescent flair."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, July 1, 2007, Michael Ehrhardt, "What Happened in Hollywood," review of Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway, p. 36.

Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2006, review of Include Me Out, p. 1255.

Philadelphia Inquirer, July 12, 2007, Carrie Rickey, "Stunner and Shunner," review of Include Me Out.

Publishers Weekly, January 1, 2007, review of Include Me Out, p. 47.