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. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame through his appearances in the
Gainsborough melodramas.
Early life
He was born James Lablache Stewart in
Old Brompton Road
Old Brompton Road is a major street in the South Kensington district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London.
It starts from South Kensington tube station, South Kensington Underground station and runs south-west, through a ma ...
,
Kensington
Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...
, west London, the only son of
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
James Stewart,
OBE and his wife Frederica Eliza (née Lablache). Granger was educated at
Epsom College and the
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehen ...
in
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district at the West End of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with the advent of the ra ...
. He was the great-great-grandson of the Italian-French-Irish opera singer
Luigi Lablache and the grandson of the actor Luigi Lablache.
Granger lived in
Bournemouth
Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
at 57 Grove Road with his mother. His mother owned the property now called East Cliff Cottage Hotel until 1979.

When he became an actor, he was advised to change his name in order to avoid being confused with the American actor
James Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...
. Granger was his Scottish grandmother's maiden name. Offscreen friends and colleagues continued to call him Jimmy for the rest of his life, but to the general public he became Stewart Granger.
Career
Early work : 1933–1940
Granger made his film debut as an
extra in 1933, starting with ''
The Song You Gave Me'' (1933). He can also be glimpsed in ''
Give Her a Ring'' (1933), ''
Over the Garden Wall'' (1934) and ''
A Southern Maid
''A Southern Maid'' is an operetta in three acts composed by Harold Fraser-Simson, with a book by Dion Clayton Calthrop and Harry Graham and lyrics by Harry Graham (poet), Harry Graham and Harry Miller. Additional music was provided by Ivor No ...
'' (1934). It was at this time that he met the actor
Michael Wilding, and they remained friends until Wilding's death in 1979.
Years of theatre work followed, initially at
Hull Repertory Theatre and then, after a pay dispute, at
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...
. Here he met
Elspeth March, a leading actress with the company, who became his first wife. 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).
Granger began to get work on stage in London. He appeared in ''The Sun Never Sets'' (1938) at the Drury Lane Theatre and in ''Serena Blandish'' (1938) opposite
Vivien Leigh.
At the Buxton Festival, he played Tybalt in a production of ''
Romeo and Juliet
''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' opposite
Robert Donat and
Constance Cummings. He also acted opposite them in ''The Good Natured Man''. In London he was in ''Autumn'' with
Flora Robson and ''The House in the Square'' (1940).
Granger had small roles in the movies ''
So This Is London'' (1939) and ''
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
'' (1940).
War service and after : 1940–1943
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. However he suffered from stomach ulcers and was invalided out of the army in 1942.
Granger had a small role in the war movie ''
Secret Mission'' (1942) and a bigger one in a comedy, ''
Thursday's Child'' (1943). He was in a stage production of ''Rebecca'' when he was asked to audition for the film that turned him into a star. Granger had been recommended by Donat, who most recently worked with Granger on stage in ''To Dream Again''.
Stardom
Gainsborough melodramas : 1943–1946

Granger's first starring film role was as the acid-tongued Rokeby in the
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, east London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The co ...
period melodrama ''
The Man in Grey'' (1943), a movie that helped to make him and his three co-stars –
James Mason,
Phyllis Calvert and
Margaret Lockwood – box-office names in Britain.
Granger followed it with ''
The Lamp Still Burns'' (1943), playing the love interest of nurse
Rosamund John. More popular was ''
Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944), another for Gainsborough Pictures, which reunited him with Calvert and Mason, and added
Jean Kent. ''The New York Times'' reported that Granger "is a young man worth watching. The customers... like his dark looks and his dash; he puts them in mind, they say of
Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...
."
It was the second most popular movie at the British box office in 1944.
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. Granger filmed this at the same time as ''
Waterloo Road'' (1945), playing his first villain, a "spiv" who has run off with the wife of the
John Mills character. This movie was popular too, and it was one of Granger's favourites. He was too busy to accept a role offered in ''The Way to the Stars''.
''
Madonna of the Seven Moons'' (1945), with Calvert and Roc, was more Gainsborough melodrama, and another hit. Also popular was ''
Caesar and Cleopatra'', supporting
Claude Rains
William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...
and
Vivien Leigh; this movie lost money because of its high production cost but was widely seen, and was the first of Granger's movies to be a hit in the U.S. At the end of 1945 British exhibitors voted Granger the second most popular British film star, and the ninth most popular overall. ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' reported that "this six-foot black-visaged ex-soldier from the Black Watch is England's Number One pin up boy. Only
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
can match him for popularity."
''
Caravan'' (1946), starring Granger and Kent, was the sixth most popular movie at the British box office in 1946. Also well liked was ''
The Magic Bow'' (1946), with Calvert and Kent, where Granger played
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; ; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices ...
. That year he was voted the third most popular British star, and the sixth most popular overall. James Mason wrote about Granger in his memoir, saying "although he seemed to get as much fun from a spot of producer-baiting as anyone I ever worked with, he was deeply conscientious and had a load of theatrical talent. He should have made himself a producer and/or director."
Rank Organisation : 1947–1949
Granger went over to
Rank, for whom he made a series of historical dramas: ''
Captain Boycott'' (1947), set in Ireland, directed by
Frank Launder
Frank Launder (28 January 1906 – 23 February 1997) was a British writer, film director and producer, who made more than 40 films, many of them in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat.
Early life and career
He was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, ...
; ''
Blanche Fury'' (1948), with
Valerie Hobson; and ''
Saraband for Dead Lovers'' (1948), an
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in west London, England. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on th ...
production. Granger was cast as the outsider, the handsome gambler
Philip Christoph von Königsmarck
Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck (4 March 1665 – 2 July 1694), also spelled Philipp, was a Swedes, Swedish count and soldier. He was allegedly the lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Sophia Dorothea, Princess of Celle, the wife of Duke Ge ...
who is perceived as 'not quite the ticket' by the established order, the Hanoverian court where the action is mostly set. Granger stated that this was one of his few movies of which he was proud. However it was a disappointment at the box office, as was ''Blanche Fury''.
Granger wanted a change of pace and so appeared in ''
Woman Hater'' (1948), a comedy with
Edwige Feuillère. In 1949, Granger was reported as earning around £30,000 a year.
That year Granger made ''
Adam and Evelyne'', starring with
Jean Simmons. The story, about a much older man and a teenager whom he gradually realises is no longer a child but a young woman with mature emotions and sexuality, had obvious parallels to Granger's and Simmons' own lives. Granger had first met the young Jean Simmons when they both worked on
Gabriel Pascal
Gabriel Pascal (born Gábor Lehel; 4 June 1894 – 6 July 1954) was a Hungarian film producer and director whose best-known films were made in the United Kingdom.
Pascal was the first film producer to successfully bring the plays of Georg ...
's ''
Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1945). Three years later, Simmons had transformed from a promising newcomer into a star. They married the following year in a bizarre wedding ceremony organised by
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...
: One of his private aircraft flew the couple to Tucson, Arizona, where they were married, mainly among strangers, with Michael Wilding as Granger's best man.
Granger's stage production of
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
'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. During the run, two men attempted to cut some locks from Granger's hair. The disappointment added to his dissatisfaction with the Rank Organisation, and his thoughts turned to Hollywood.
According to Alan Wood, historian, "Granger, annoyed because his name was not billed sufficiently prominently in posters for ''Saraband for Dead Lovers'', had asked to be released from his contract, and Rank agreed to let him go; box-office results for his latest British films had been disappointing."
American career
MGM : 1950–1957
In 1949 Granger made his move;
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
was looking for someone to play
H. Rider Haggard's hero
Allan Quatermain in a movie version of ''
King Solomon's Mines''.
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...
was offered the role but turned it down; Granger's signing was announced in August 1949.
On the basis of the huge success of this movie, released in 1950 and co-starring
Deborah Kerr and
Richard Carlson, he was offered a seven-year contract by MGM. He signed it in May 1950, and MGM announced three vehicles for him: ''Robinson Crusoe'', a remake of ''Scaramouche'' and an adaptation of ''Soldiers Three''.
His first movie under the new arrangement was an action comedy, ''
Soldiers Three'' (1951). Granger followed it with location work for ''Constable Pedley'' in Canada. This was put on hold so Granger could make a light comedy, ''
The Light Touch'', in a role meant for
Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...
. It was a box office disappointment. However filming resumed on ''Constable Pedley'' which became ''
The Wild North'' (1953) and that was a big hit.
In 1952, Granger starred in ''
Scaramouche'' in the role of Andre Moreau, the bastard son of a French nobleman, a part
Ramón Novarro had played in the 1923 version of
Rafael Sabatini
Rafael Sabatini (29 April 1875 – 13 February 1950) was an Italian people, Italian-born British writer of novels, writer of romance novel, romance and adventure novel, adventure novels.
He is best known for his worldwide bestsellers: ''The Sea ...
's novel. Granger's co-star
Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, 1922 – December 9, 2013) was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for her roles in the films ''Caged (1950 film), Caged'' (1950), ''Detective Story (1951 film), Detective Story'' (1951 ...
said Granger was the only actor she did not get along with during her entire career. "Everyone disliked this man...Stewart Granger was a dreadful person, rude...just awful. Just being in his presence was bad. I thought at one point the crew was going to kill him."
However, the resulting movie was a notable critical and commercial success.
After this came the remake of ''
The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1952), for which his theatrical voice, stature (6'2") and dignified profile made him a natural. It too was popular.
In 1952 he and Jean Simmons sued
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...
for $250,000 damages arising from an alleged breach of contract. The case was settled out of court.
Columbia borrowed him to play the love interest of
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...
in ''
Salome
Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...
'' (1953), another big hit. Back at MGM he co-starred with his wife in ''
Young Bess'' (1953), playing
Thomas Seymour. The movie was popular, though it did not recover its cost, and it remained a favourite of Granger's.
He had a commercial success in ''
All the Brothers Were Valiant'' (1953), playing a villain opposite Robert Taylor. Granger lost the role in ''
A Star Is Born'', which went to
James Mason. He had the title role in ''
Beau Brummell'' (1954), opposite Elizabeth Taylor, and it was a box-office disappointment. More successful was the adventure story ''
Green Fire
''Green Fire'' is a 1954 American CinemaScope and Eastmancolor adventure film, adventure drama (film and television), drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Andrew Marton and produced by Armand Deutsch, with original musi ...
'' (1954), co starring
Grace Kelly.
Granger went to Britain to make ''
Footsteps in the Fog'' (1955), a movie with Simmons, for Columbia. Back at MGM, he was in ''
Moonfleet'' (1955), cast as adventurer Jeremy Fox in the
Dorset
Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...
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. The film was directed by
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...
and produced by
John Houseman, a former associate of
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
. It was a flop.
Granger and Robert Taylor were reunited in ''
The Last Hunt'' (1956), a Western, with Taylor playing the villain, and a box office disappointment. So too was ''
Bhowani Junction'' (1956), adapted from a
John Masters novel about colonial India on the verge of obtaining independence.
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' att ...
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.
Granger was teamed with Gardner and
David Niven in a three-hander, ''
The Little Hut'' (1957), a sex farce that proved a surprise smash at the box office. He followed it with ''
Gun Glory'' (1957), his last movie under his MGM contract. Granger reportedly turned down the role of Messala in the 1959 film ''
Ben-Hur'', apparently because he did not want to take second billing to
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...
.
Leaving MGM : 1957–1960
Granger had become a successful cattle rancher. He bought land in New Mexico and Arizona and introduced
Charolais cattle to America.
In order to finance his ranch he kept acting. He played a professional adventurer in ''
Harry Black'' (1958), partly shot in India. He went to Britain to be in the thriller ''
The Whole Truth'' (1958) for Romulus, for whom he was to make ''The Nightcomers'' but it never was filmed.
He returned to Los Angeles to support John Wayne and
Capucine in ''
North to Alaska'' (1960). By now his marriage to Simmons had ended, and Granger relocated to Europe.
Later career
Continental European career : 1960–1969
In June 1960, Granger announced he would appear in ''The Leopard''; two movies for MGM in Britain, one of which was ''
I Thank a Fool'' alongside
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrener; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American actress best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories.
After working as a fashion model for the Walter Clarence Thornton, Walt ...
; ''Pontius Pilate'' for
Hugo Fregonese
Hugo Geronimo Fregonese (8 April 1908 – 11 January 1987) was an Argentine film director and screenwriter who worked both in Hollywood and his home country during the Golden Age of Argentine cinema, classical era of Argentine cinema.''Cine Na ...
; and ''The Tumbled House'' for
John Farrow
John Villiers Farrow, Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic), KGCHS (10 February 190427 January 1963) was an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Spending a considerable amount of his career in the United States, he was nomina ...
. 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. Granger did go to Britain to appear in the thriller ''
The Secret Partner'' (1961) for MGM.
He went to Italy and played
Lot in
Robert Aldrich
Robert Burgess Aldrich (August 9, 1918 – December 5, 1983) was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. An iconoclastic and maverick '' auteur'' working in many genres during the Golden Age of Hollywood, he directed main ...
's ''
Sodom and Gomorrah
In the Abrahamic religions, Sodom and Gomorrah () were two cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Sodom and Gomorrah are repeatedly invoked throughout the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical texts, and the New Testament as symbols of sin, di ...
'' (1962), filmed in Rome. When ''Sodom and Gomorrah'' 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. He also announced he had reactivated his production company, Tracy Productions, which was scheduled to make ''Dark Memory'' by
Jonathan Latimer. Granger did not appear in ''I Thank a Fool'', and ''Dark Memory'' was not made. Instead Granger stayed in Italy to make ''
Commando
A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines.
Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...
'' (1962), an action movie and ''
Swordsman of Siena'' (1963), a swashbuckler. Granger was in the war movie ''
The Secret Invasion'' (1964) for
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
, shot in Yugoslavia.
In West Germany, Granger acted in the role of Old Surehand in three Western movies adapted from novels by German author
Karl May, with French actor
Pierre Brice
Pierre-Louis Le Bris (6 February 1929 – 6 June 2015), known as Pierre Brice, was a French actor, best known as portraying fictional Apache chief Winnetou in German films based on Karl May novels.
Life and films
Brice was born in Brest, ...
(playing the fictional Indian chief
Winnetou
Winnetou is a fictional Native American hero of several novels written in German by Karl May (1842–1912), one of the best-selling German writers of all time with about 200 million copies worldwide, including the ''Winnetou'' trilogy. The ...
), in ''
Among Vultures
''Among Vultures'' (German: ''Unter Geiern'') is a 1964 Red Western film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice, Elke Sommer and Götz George. It was also released as ''Frontier Hellcat''.
The film was a co-product ...
'' (1964), with
Elke Sommer; ''
The Oil Prince'' (1965) (''Rampage at Apache Wells'') (1965), shot in Yugoslavia; and ''
Old Surehand'' (''Flaming Frontier'') (1965). He was teamed with Brice and
Lex Barker, also a hero of
Karl May movies, in the crime movie ''
Killer's Carnival'' (1966).
Granger starred in several
Eurospy movies such as ''
Red Dragon'' (1965), a West German-Italian movie shot in Hong Kong; and ''
Requiem for a Secret Agent'' (1966). He did ''
The Crooked Road'' (1965), with Robert Ryan under the direction of
Don Chaffey
Donald Chaffey (5 August 1917 – 13 November 1990) was a British film director, writer, Film producer, producer, and art director.
Chaffey's film career began as an art director in 1947, and his directorial debut was in 1953. He remained acti ...
in Yugoslavia; ''
Target for Killing'' (1966), a crime movie with
Karin Dor; and ''
The Trygon Factor'' (1966), a British co-production based on a novel by
Edgar Wallace
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer of crime and adventure fiction.
Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was ...
.
Granger's last studio picture was ''
The Last Safari'' (1967), shot in Africa and directed by Henry Hathaway. Granger was billed under
Kaz Garas. He later called this "my last real film...the worst film ever made in Africa!"
[MacFarlane 1997, p. 230.]
In 1970, he described his recent movies as "movies not even I will talk about".
He later estimated that he made more than $1.5 million in the 1960s but lost all of it.
[Stewart Granger plans his return—as actor, not star ''Chicago Tribune'' 26 November 1981: e10]
U.S. television
Granger returned to the U.S. and made a TV movie, ''
Any Second Now'' (1969).
In 1970, he appeared as Colonel Mackenzie on ''The Men from Shiloh'', a re-tooling of the long-running NBC Western series ''
The Virginian''. Wardrobes and hairstyles were updated,
Doug McClure grew a mustache, as did
Lee Majors
Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. He portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley on the American television Western series '' The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin on the American television sc ...
(who joined the show along with Granger), making the actors more dashing and realistic for the time. Granger followed
Lee J. Cobb,
Charles Bickford, and
John McIntire as the new owner of the Shiloh ranch on prime-time TV for its ninth season (1971).
Granger said he accepted the role for the money and because it "seemed like it could be a lot of fun", but was disappointed at what he perceived as a lack of character development for his role.
He went on to play
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
in a poorly received 1972 TV film version of ''
The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...
''.
Retirement
In the 1970s, Granger retired from acting and went to live in southern Spain, where he invested in real estate and resided in Estepona, Málaga. While living there, he became a friend and business partner of former
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...
and television producer James Todesco (''
Eldorado'' TV series). Together they were involved in real estate investment and development.
He appeared in his last major film, the 1978 hit ''
The Wild Geese'', as an unscrupulous banker who hires a unit of mercenary soldiers including (
Richard Harris
Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. Having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he rose to prominence as an icon of the British New Wave. He received numerous a ...
,
Roger Moore, and
Richard Burton
Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor.
Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...
) to stage a military coup in an African nation. His character then makes a deal with the existing government, and betrays the mercenaries.
In 1980, he was diagnosed with
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
and was told he had three months to live. Granger later said, "I was 67 and had smoked 60 cigarettes a day for 40 years, but the doctor said if I had an operation there might be a chance of two to four more years of life. So I said, 'Who the hell needs that? But you better give me three months to put my house in order'." Granger underwent the operation, having a lung and a rib removed, only to be informed he did not have cancer after all but
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
.
He was the subject of ''
This Is Your Life'' in 1980 when he was surprised by
Eamonn Andrews at the New London Theatre.
Return to acting
Granger returned to acting in 1981 with the publication of his autobiography ''Sparks Fly Upward'', claiming he was bored.
Granger spent the last decade of his life appearing on stage and television including playing
Prince Philip in ''
The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana'' (1982), a guest role in the hit TV series ''
The Fall Guy'' with his ''Men From Shiloh'' co-star
Lee Majors
Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. He portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley on the American television Western series '' The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin on the American television sc ...
, and as a suspect in ''
Murder She Wrote'' in 1985. He starred in a German soap-opera, ''
Das Erbe der Guldenburgs'' (The Guldenburg Heritage) (1987).
He moved to Pacific Palisades, California.
One of his later roles was in the 1989–1990 Broadway production of ''
The Circle'' by
W. Somerset Maugham, opposite
Glynis Johns and
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play '' French W ...
in Harrison's final role. The production opened at
Duke University
Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
for a three-week run, followed by performances in Baltimore and Boston, then opened on 14 November 1989 on Broadway.
In 1990 he toured Europe in ''The Circle'', opposite
Ian Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who Ian Carmichael on stage, screen and radio, worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career that spanned seventy years. Born in Kingston upon ...
and
Rosemary Harris.
Personal life, death, and honours
Granger was married three times and had four children:
*
Elspeth March (married 1938–1948); two children, Jamie and Lindsay
*
Jean Simmons (married 1950–1960), (with whom he had starred in ''
Adam and Evelyne'', ''
Young Bess'' and ''
Footsteps in the Fog''); one daughter, Tracy
* Caroline LeCerf (married 1964–1969); one daughter, Samantha.
Granger wrote in his autobiography that
Deborah Kerr approached him romantically in the back of his chauffeur-driven car at the time he was making ''Caesar and Cleopatra''. Although he was married to Elspeth March, he stated that he and Kerr went on to have an affair. When asked about this revelation, Kerr's response was, "What a gallant man he is."
In 1956, Granger became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Granger died in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
on August 16, 1993, from
prostate
The prostate is an male accessory gland, accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found in all male mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemica ...
and
bone cancer
A bone tumor is an neoplastic, abnormal growth of tissue in bone, traditionally classified as benign, noncancerous (benign) or malignant, cancerous (malignant). Cancerous bone tumors usually originate from a cancer in another part of the body su ...
at the age of 80.
His niece is ''
Antiques Roadshow'' appraiser
Bunny Campione (born Carolyn Elizabeth Fisher), the daughter of his sister Iris.
There is a street named after Granger in
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...
.
Appraisal
In 1970, Granger said, "Stewart Granger was quite a successful film star, but I don't think he was an actor's actor."
Among the movies that Granger was announced to star in but went on to be made with other actors were ''
Ivanhoe
''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...
'' (1952), ''
Mogambo'' (1953), ''
The King's Thief'' (1955), and ''
Man of the West'' (1958).
Complete filmography
*''
The Song You Gave Me'' (1933) as Waiter (uncredited)
*''
A Southern Maid
''A Southern Maid'' is an operetta in three acts composed by Harold Fraser-Simson, with a book by Dion Clayton Calthrop and Harry Graham and lyrics by Harry Graham (poet), Harry Graham and Harry Miller. Additional music was provided by Ivor No ...
'' (1933) (uncredited)
*''
Give Her a Ring'' (1934) as Diner (uncredited)
*''
Over the Garden Wall'' (1934) (uncredited)
*''
I Spy (1934 film)'' (uncredited)
*''
Under Secret Orders'' (1937) (uncredited)
*''
So This Is London'' (1939) as Laurence
*''
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
'' (1940) as Sutton (uncredited)
*''
Secret Mission'' (1942) as Sub-Lieutenant Jackson
*''
Thursday's Child'' (1943) as David Penley
*''
The Man in Grey'' (1943) as Peter Rokeby
*''
The Lamp Still Burns'' (1943) as Laurence Rains
*''
Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944) as Harry Somerford
*''
Love Story'' (1944) as Kit Firth
*''
Madonna of the Seven Moons'' (1945) as Nino
*''
Waterloo Road'' (1945) as Ted Purvis
*''
Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1945) as Apollodorus
*''
Caravan'' (1946) as Richard Darrell
*''
The Magic Bow'' (1946) as Niccolo Paganini
*''
Captain Boycott'' (1947) as Hugh Davin
*''
Blanche Fury'' (1948) as Philip Thorn
*''
Saraband for Dead Lovers'' (1948) as Konigsmark
*''
Woman Hater'' (1948) as Lord Terence Datchett
*''
Adam and Evelyne'' (1949) as Adam Black
*''
King Solomon's Mines'' (1950) as Allan Quatermain
*''
Soldiers Three'' (1951) as Pvt. Archibald Ackroyd
*''
The Light Touch'' (1951) as Sam Conride
*''
The Wild North'' (1952) as Jules Vincent
*''
Scaramouche'' (1952) as Andre Moreau
*''
The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1952) as Rudolf Rassendyll / King Rudolf V
*''
Salome
Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...
'' (1953) as Commander Claudius
*''
Young Bess'' (1953) as Thomas Seymour
*''
All the Brothers Were Valiant'' (1953) as Mark Shore
*''
Beau Brummell'' (1954) as George Bryan 'Beau' Brummell
*''
Green Fire
''Green Fire'' is a 1954 American CinemaScope and Eastmancolor adventure film, adventure drama (film and television), drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Andrew Marton and produced by Armand Deutsch, with original musi ...
'' (1954) as Rian X. Mitchell
*''
Moonfleet'' (1955) as Jeremy Fox
*''
Footsteps in the Fog'' (1955) as Stephen Lowry
*''
The Last Hunt'' (1956) as Sandy McKenzie
*''
Bhowani Junction'' (1956) as Col. Rodney Savage
*''
The Little Hut'' (1957) as Sir Philip Ashlow
*''
Gun Glory'' (1957) as Tom Early
*''
Harry Black'' (1958) as Harry Black
* This Is London (1957) as himself ''
British Pathé
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...
'' (FILM ID:2257.03)
*''
The Whole Truth'' (1958) as Max Poulton
*''
North to Alaska'' (1960) as George Pratt
*''
The Secret Partner'' (1961) as John Brent aka John Wilson
*''
Sodom and Gomorrah
In the Abrahamic religions, Sodom and Gomorrah () were two cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Sodom and Gomorrah are repeatedly invoked throughout the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical texts, and the New Testament as symbols of sin, di ...
'' (1962) as Lot
*''
The Legion's Last Patrol'' (US: ''Commando'') (1962) as Captain Le Blanc
*''
Swordsman of Siena'' (1962) as Thomas Stanswood
*''
The Shortest Day'' (1963) as Avvocato (uncredited)
*''
The Secret Invasion'' (1964) as Maj. Richard Mace
*''
Among Vultures
''Among Vultures'' (German: ''Unter Geiern'') is a 1964 Red Western film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice, Elke Sommer and Götz George. It was also released as ''Frontier Hellcat''.
The film was a co-product ...
'' (1964) as Old Surehand
*''
The Crooked Road'' (1965) as Duke of Orgagna
*''
Red Dragon'' (1965) as Michael Scott
*''
Flaming Frontier'' (1965) as Old Surehand
*''
The Oil Prince'' (1965) as Old Surehand
*''
Killer's Carnival'' (1966) as David Porter (Vienna segment)
*''
Target for Killing'' (1966) as James Vine
*''
Requiem for a Secret Agent'' (1966) as Jimmy Merrill
*''
The Trygon Factor'' (1966) as Supt. Cooper-Smith
*''
The Last Safari'' (1967) as Miles Gilchrist
*''
Any Second Now'' (1969 TV movie) as Paul Dennison
*''
The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...
'' (1972 TV movie) as
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
*''
The Wild Geese'' (1978) as Sir Edward Matheson
*''
The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana'' (1982 TV movie) as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
*''
A Hazard of Hearts'' (1987 TV movie) as the elder Lord Vulcan
*''
Hell Hunters'' (1988) as Martin Hoffmann
*''Chameleons'' (1989 TV movie) as Jason
*''
Fine Gold'' (1989) as Don Miguel
Unmade films
* In 1944 it was reported Granger's ambition was to play
Rob Roy – J. Arthur Rank announced he was interested in a Rob Roy project in 1945 but it was never made.
* ''Digger's Republic'' for
Leslie Arliss as
Stafford Parker (1946) – this became ''
Diamond City'' with
David Farrar in the role instead.
* ''Self-Made Man'' (1947) from a script by Alan Campbell about a cocky type who comes out of the RAF and makes and loses a million dollars
* Richard Burton claimed Granger turned down the leading role in ''
Odd Man Out'' (1947), which made an international star of James Mason.
* ''
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
'' in the title role (1947) – the film was eventually made with
Fredric March
Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, page 95. As ...
* ''Pursuit of Love'' for producer
Davis Lewis at Enterprise Studios (1947)
* ''Treacher'' (1947) produced by
Nunnally Johnson for Universal
* ''
The Saxon Charm'' (1947)
* Reported as testing for
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...
in ''
Quo Vadis'' (1949)
* ''The House by the Sea'' based on book by Jon Godden, with Granger as producer (1949)
* ''The Donnybrook Fighter'' (1952)
* ''Robinson Crusoe'' (early 1950s)
* ''Highland Fling'' (1957)
* ''Ever the Twain'' (1958)
*
biography
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...
of
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( ; ; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelist ...
for his own production company (1958)
*''The Night Comers'' with Jean Simmons – adaptation of
Eric Ambler
Eric Clifford Ambler OBE (28 June 1909 – 23 October 1998) was an English author of thrillers, in particular spy novels, who introduced a new realism to the genre. Also working as a screenwriter, Ambler used the pseudonym Eliot Reed for books ...
book ''State of Siege''
*''The Four Winds'' from a 1954 novel by David Beatty – for his own production company, Tracy Productions (1958)
*''
I Thank a Fool'' (1962)
Box-office ranking
At the peak of his career, exhibitors voted Granger among the top stars at the box office:
*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
*1948 – 5th most popular British star in Britain.
*1949 – 7th most popular British star in Britain.
*1951 – most popular star in Britain according to ''
Kinematograph Weekly''
*1952 – 19th most popular star in the US
* 1953 – 21st most popular star in the US and 8th most popular in Britain
Partial television credits
*''
The Virginian The Men from Shiloh'' (1970–71) – Starred in 11 of 24 episodes as Col. Alan MacKenzie. Episodes 1 "The West v Colonel MacKenzie", 5 "The Mysterious Mr Tate", 7 "Crooked Corner", 9 "The Price of the Hanging", 11 "Follow the Leader", 12 "Last of the Comencharos", 14 "Nan Allen", 19 "Flight from Memory", 21 "The Regimental Line", 23 "Wolf Track", and 24 "Jump Up".
*''
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
'' – episodes "Glass People", "Blackout" (1983–1987) as Anthony Sheridan / Tony Fielding
*''
The Fall Guy'' – episode "Manhunter" (1983) as James Caldwell
*''
Murder, She Wrote
''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'' – episode "
Paint Me a Murder" (1985) as Sir John Landry
*''
The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...
'' – episode "Call Me Grandma/A Gentleman of Discretion/The Perfect Divorce/Letting Go" (1985) as General Thomas Preston
*''
The Wizard'' – episode "The Aztec Dagger" (1987) as Jake Saunders
*''
Das Erbe der Guldenburgs'' (1987) – two episodes as Jack Brinkley
*''
Pros and Cons'' (1991) – episode "It's the Pictures That Got Small" (final television appearance)
Partial theatre credits
*''The Courageous Sex'' by Mary D. Sheridan – Birmingham, May 1937
*''The Millionairess'' by
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
–
Malvern Festival, July 1937 – with
Elspeth March
*''
The Apple Cart'' –
Malvern Festival, August 1937 – with Elspeth March
*''Victoria, Queen and Empress'' – Birmingham Repertory, September 1937 – as
Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party.
In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
*''The Sun Never Sets'' – Drury Lane Theatre, London, 1938
*''Serena Blandish'' – 1938 – with
Vivien Leigh
*''
Romeo and Juliet
''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' –
Buxton Festival, September 1939 – with
Robert Donat and
Constance Cummings, as Tybalt
*''The Good Natured Man'' by Oliver Goldsmith – Buxton Festival, September 1939 – with Robert Donat and Constance Cummings
*''Autumn'' – with
Flora Robson
*''House in the Square'' – St Martins Theatre, London, April 1940
*''To Dream Again'' – Theatre Royal, August 1942
*''Rebecca''
*wartime tour of ''Gaslight'' with
Deborah Kerr
*''
The Power of Darkness'' adapted from by
Peter Glenville from the story by
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
– March–April 1949 – with
Jean Simmons
*''The Circle'' – 1989 – with
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play '' French W ...
and
Glynis Johns
*''The Circle'' - 1990 - with
Ian Carmichael
Ian Gillett Carmichael, (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who Ian Carmichael on stage, screen and radio, worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career that spanned seventy years. Born in Kingston upon ...
and
Rosemary Harris
Partial radio performances
* ''Continuous Performance – the Film'', BBC (December 1946)
* ''
Lux Radio Theatre'', ''
King Solomon's Mines'' (1952)
[ ]
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Box office reception of Stewart Granger's films in FranceBritmovie.co.ukPhotographs and literatureBBC interview with Gloria Hunniford
{{DEFAULTSORT:Granger, Stewart
1913 births
1993 deaths
Male actors from London
Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Deaths from bone cancer in California
Deaths from prostate cancer in California
English male film actors
British emigrants to the United States
English male television actors
Black Watch officers
Gordon Highlanders soldiers
People educated at Epsom College
20th-century British male actors
British Army personnel of World War II
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
Actors from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
People from Kensington
American people of Italian descent
English people of Italian descent