James Lablache Stewart
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Stewart Granger’s role in The Man in Grey 1943 made him a star in England. He adopted the stage name Stewart Granger to avoid confusion with James Stewart, later moving to Hollywood for Scaramouche 1952 and The Prisoner of Zenda 1952. He was critical of his career and struggled with typecasting.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Stewart Granger — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Stewart Granger by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Stewart Granger — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
The great-grandson of opera singer Luigi Lablache, Stewart Granger was born James Lablache Stewart on May 6, 1913 in Kensington, London. He attended Epsom College but left after deciding not to pursue medicine. Determined to act, he trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and made his stage debut in 1935 in The Cardinal at the Little Theatre Hull.
Granger’s film career launched with The Man in Grey 1943 for Gainsborough Pictures, making him a star in Britain. Dissatisfied with being typecast as the dashing hero while James Mason got more substantial roles, he eventually inherited better parts when Mason left for Hollywood. He starred in Caesar and Cleopatra 1945 with Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh. In 1950, he signed with MGM and moved to Hollywood, where he was cast as a swashbuckler in remakes of The Prisoner of Zenda 1952 and Scaramouche 1952. He was paired with Jean Simmons in Young Bess 1953. He found the roles unsatisfying and was critical of Hollywood.
Granger married Elspeth March in 1938, with whom he had children Lindsey and Jamie, divorcing in 1948. He then married actress Jean Simmons in 1950 after they met on the set of Adam and Evalyn 1949. They had a daughter, Tracy, and became naturalized US citizens in 1956, but divorced in 1960. Granger later married Viviane Caroline LeCerf in 1964, had a daughter Samantha, and divorced in 1969. He had an extramarital affair with Deborah Kerr in the mid-1940s.
Stewart Granger’s swashbuckling roles in Scaramouche 1952 and The Prisoner of Zenda 1952 define his legacy. He honed his fencing skills with an Olympic champion for those films. He was a top box office star in Britain in the 1940s and later worked in European cinema. In 2018, TCM’s Summer Under The Stars honored him with a day of his films. He is remembered for his solid performances despite his own critical view of his career.
The complete filmography of Stewart Granger — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Stewart Granger — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Stewart Granger's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from Stewart Granger — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
The Cinema World Is Not Easy. It’s Full of Envy from Little People – Heads of Studios, for Example, Who Hate People for Their Attractiveness.
I Haven’t Aged into a Character Actor. I’m Still an Old Leading Man.
I Was a Good Costume Actor, but I Shortened My Career Because I Made the Wrong Choices.
I’ve Never Done a Film I’m Proud Of.
I Don’t Know Which Was the Greatest Disaster: My Career or My Wives.
I Hated Working with Fritz Lang – He Was a Kraut and It Was a Bloody Awful Film. I Wanted to Produce and Act It in Cornwall and Made Them Buy the Book. MGM Turned It into a Big Colour Film. Moonfleet Was Not Lang’s Type of Film – It Is a Romantic Child’s Film. It Wasn’t a Bad Part.
Little-known facts about Stewart Granger — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Granger made more than 60 movies and once grumbled that he could not stand any of them.
His great-grandfather was Italian opera singer Luigi Lablache, who emigrated to England and became Queen Victoria’s singing master.
He adopted the name Stewart Granger to avoid confusion with American actor James Stewart.
Granger proposed to Jean Simmons after seeing her as Kanchi in Black Narcissus 1947.
Granger took fencing seriously for his roles in The Prisoner of Zenda 1952 and Scaramouche 1952. He trained with a retired Olympic fencing champion, wearing out a dozen pairs of shoes. He appeared on the cover of Life magazine as Stewart Granger: Swashbuckler, and only Basil Rathbone was a better fencer.
Granger became a star in England after appearing in The Man in Grey 1943.
Granger was England’s top box office star in the 1940s, attracting Hollywood’s attention.
Granger smoked sixty cigarettes a day for forty years and in 1980 was mistakenly diagnosed with lung cancer, leading to partial lung and rib removal. He was later told he was cancer-free but had tuberculosis.
Granger and Jean Simmons became naturalized US citizens in 1956.
Granger performed his own stunts.
In his autobiography Sparks Fly Upward, Granger said he liked Saraband 1948 even though he disliked most of his films.
He had a daughter, Samantha, with Caroline Lecerf.
Granger had an extramarital affair with Deborah Kerr in the mid-1940s.
Granger was a friend of Michael Powell and suggested Moira Shearer for The Red Shoes 1948.
His best friend was actor Michael Wilding.
For Scaramouche 1952, Granger wore lifts to match the height of taller co-stars Mel Ferrer, Henry Wilcoxon, Richard Anderson, and John Dehner.
Granger was father to Tracy with Jean Simmons, and Lindsey and Jamie with Elspeth March.
His niece, Bunny Campione, is an antiques expert on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
Granger served in the Black Watch and was a second lieutenant when he was demobilized.
He owned about 1,000 acres near Marbella, Spain.
He took violin lessons from David McCallum’s father for his role in The Magic Bow.
Eleanor Parker and Grace Kelly both said Granger’s ego made working with him unpleasant.
Granger trained at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, whose alumni include Terence Stamp, Hugh Bonneville, and Minnie Driver.
On August 20, 2018, TCM’s Summer Under the Stars honored Granger with a day of his films.
Granger would rather have been a doctor but his father could only afford general practitioner training, while he wanted to be a specialist. He was invalided out of the British Army’s Gordon Highlanders in 1939 due to an ulcer and worked as a film extra for two years at a guinea a day.
Granger was under contract to Gainsborough Studios from 1943 to 1946.
He co-starred with Pier Angeli in The Light Touch 1951 and Sodom and Gomorrah 1962.
Granger’s niece Bunny Campione, daughter of his sister Iris, has been an antiques expert on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow since 1985 and also worked with Sotheby’s and Christie’s London.
Granger turned down Esther Waters, allowing Dirk Bogarde to take the role and become a star.
Granger declined the lead in Esther Waters, which then helped Dirk Bogarde achieve stardom.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Stewart Granger.
Celebrities similar to Stewart Granger — same craft, ranked by reach.
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