Farley Granger
A handsome leading man of Hollywood's golden age who found his truest expression in the morally complex thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock.
1925–2011 (age 86)·American actor·Birthday: July 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Farley Granger's boyish good looks landed him a studio contract at 17, but it was a restless intelligence beneath that charm that defined his path. After wartime service, he returned to Hollywood and was thrust into the heart of cinematic innovation by Alfred Hitchcock. In 'Rope' and 'Strangers on a Train,' Granger excelled at portraying genteel young men entangled in webs of obsession and murder, bringing a nuanced vulnerability to roles that could have been mere ciphers. He chafed against the constraints of the studio system, however, and made a bold move to New York to pursue theater and television, a decision that refreshed his career but perhaps cost him mainstream movie stardom. His later years were marked by a candid openness about his bisexuality and a rich life in the arts, painting the portrait of an actor who valued creative freedom over fame and left behind a small but perfect collection of screen gems.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Farley was born in 1925, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Farley Was Born
The biggest hits of 1925
#1 Movie
The Gold Rush
Farley's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1925Born
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1930Started school
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1938Became a teenager
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Could drive
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1943Could vote
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Turned 21
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1955Turned 30
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 40
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 50
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 60
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 70
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 80
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2011Died at 86
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Starred as one of the two murderous protagonists in Alfred Hitchcock's experimental single-take film 'Rope' (1948).
- Delivered a defining performance as Guy Haines, entangled with a psychotic stranger, in Hitchcock's 'Strangers on a Train' (1951).
- Won a Daytime Emmy Award for his role in the soap opera 'One Life to Live' in 1977.
- Had a successful stage career, including a run in the Broadway production of 'The Glass Menagerie' opposite Tallulah Bankhead.
Did You Know?
He was in a long-term relationship with playwright Arthur Laurents, who wrote the screenplay for 'Rope.'
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was stationed in Honolulu, where he helped organize entertainment for troops.
He turned down a long-term contract with Samuel Goldwyn to have more artistic control over his roles.
He published a candid autobiography, 'Include Me Out,' with his partner Robert Calhoun in 2007.
“I never really wanted to be a movie star. I wanted to be an actor.”
