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Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway
In classic Hollywood tradition, Farley Granger, a high school senior, was discovered by Sam Goldwyn's casting director in an off-Hollywood Boulevard play. Granger describes how he learned his craft as he went on to star in a number of films, giving an insider's view of working with Hitchcock on Strangers on a Train and Rope , Luchino Visconti on Senso , and Nick Ray on They Live by Night .He is eloquent about his bisexuality and tells of affairs with Patricia Neal, Arthur Laurents, Shelley Winters, Leonard Bernstein and Ava Gardner and his involvement with Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, and Tyrone Power.Granger recreates his legendary struggle to break his contract with Goldwyn. He had to buy his way out to work on Broadway. He describes the early days of live television and working with Julie Harris, Christopher Plummer, Helen Hayes, and Claire Bloom. He captures the thrill of acting on the stage with Janice Rule, June Havoc, Larry Hagman, Barbara Cook, and the National Repertory Theatre, where his determination paid off with an OBIE for his work in Tally & Son .Granger's delightful and elegant memoir captures the extravangance of Hollywood's Golden Age-and provides colorful portraits of many of its major players.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
43 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Farley Granger
2Ìýbooks5ÌýfollowersFarley Granger is probably best remembered today as an actor for his appearance in two Alfred Hitchcock films Rope and Strangers on a Train (with Robert Walker) and in director Nicholas Ray's 1949 film They Live By Night (with Cathy O'Donnell). He was dissatisfied with the options open to him in Hollywood and ultimately bought himself out of his seven year contract with producer Samuel Goldwyn. In 1954 he went to Italy and starred in Luchino Visconti's masterpiece Senso. Beginning in the 1960s, Granger began to focus on stage work and appeared on Broadway in many productions including Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Tennesse William's The Glass Menagerie and Iran Levin's Deathtrap. In 1971 he appeared in Enzo Barboni's Spaghetti Western They Call Me Trinity. In the 1990s Granger began appearing in several documentaries discussing Hollywood, Alfred Hitchcock and the depiction of homosexuality in film. These include Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's ground-breaking adaptation of Vito Russo's book The Celluloid Closet as well as Rick McKay's 2004 film Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 16, 2024
2024 Pride Month Book #5.
3 stars, "I enjoyed this," which I did, but maybe more of a 2.5 star book.
3 stars, "I enjoyed this," which I did, but maybe more of a 2.5 star book.
April 15, 2018
The very handsome Farley Granger is only a minor part of Hollywood history, mostly due to starring in Hitchcock's classic suspense thrillers Rope (1948) & Strangers on a Train (1951) - turns out he was way more into stage acting. He eventually largely left filmmaking behind in the late fifties to immerse himself in the Broadway and off-Broadway scene for the bulk of his acting career in the decades to come. This autobiography is fairly interesting in its first half, particularly when Granger zeroes in on the deets of the affairs (both longterm & short) he had with such noted luminaries as Shelley Winters, Janice Rule, Barbara Stanwyck, Arthur Laurents, & Jean Marais, plus there are juicy bits about which actors & Big Names he found kind of awful (Danny Kaye and Polly Bergen in particular come off pretty badly, plus we learn that Ann Blyth and Robert Stack were each very professional but quite humorless). Ultimately though, there's no real arc to Granger's story other than his feeling good about his overall life choices: he's glad he said Bug Off to Samuel Goldwyn & the studio system, b/c you know, Theater was Granger's Life. Good for him, but his book remains light reading at best (which is honestly what I was looking for). 2 1/2 outta 5.
July 18, 2018
Granger's autobiography written with Robert Calhoun, like a lot of Hollywood memoirs is really just an endless list of the people who knew and met in his life. Sadly, the genre encourages this and while there is no doubt that he led a fascinating life, it would have been nice if the endless lists of names was peppered with a little more introspection about the life that he led.
"During those days I discovered the enchantments of Venice in the winter. It was almost devoid of tourists, and the constant fog gave the city a new layer of mystery. Saints and gargoyles would suddenly and spookily materialize as I approached. At night, the colours from a lit flower shop across a square appeared, first as a faint glow of colours, that as you got closer, would brighten and slowly swim into focus." 168
"During those days I discovered the enchantments of Venice in the winter. It was almost devoid of tourists, and the constant fog gave the city a new layer of mystery. Saints and gargoyles would suddenly and spookily materialize as I approached. At night, the colours from a lit flower shop across a square appeared, first as a faint glow of colours, that as you got closer, would brighten and slowly swim into focus." 168
July 15, 2011
“Include Me Out,� an autobiography, is good book if you are interested in the life of actor Farley Granger or interested in the acting life in general. Granger was a movie star in the 1950s, when he was in his twenties. He continued to work as an actor all through his life � but he never achieved the movie- star status that he had in his younger, prettier days. He worked on Broadway, on TV in dramas and soap operas, summer stock, and dinner theaters. His bio is an interesting account of the nuts and bolts of the working life of an actor. He writes that he was bi-sexual, and said that he lost his virginity to both a man and a woman on the same day. That part of the book read like fiction to me. He writes about his affairs with Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurent, Ava Gardner, Shelly Winters and Jean Maris, Jean Cocteau’s lover and leading man. To me the most interesting parts of the book are when he details the making of the three classics movies he starred in, movies directed by three of my favorite directors: Nicholas Ray’s “They Live by Night,� Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train,� and Luciano Visconti’s “Senso.� He devoted a number of chapters to working with Visconti. If you are a fan of any of those movies, his bio will give you a personal insight into the making of them. And if you haven’t seen any of the movies, give yourself a treat and put them in your queue.
August 17, 2007
This is a pretty interesting account of life in the Hollywood machine between 1943 and 1955 or so. I only read the first half, but found Farley Granger's narrative and personality interesting. I think this book could have used a little trimming. It does get repetitive. But it's atypical for a showbiz memoir. First of all, it's about an intelligent man. Farley Granger is eminently sane. While he was bisexual at a time of extreme conformity, he was not a victim. This book does not feature shady agents insisting on sex. There are no shotgun marriages arranged by the studio. Granger had self-esteem. He dares to say ROPE, arguably his most famous movie, was a failed experiment. (Of course, he co-starred in one of Hitchcock's other movies; one which, by general consensus, is one of the Master's three or four best: STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. That one lost money, by the way. Unbelieveable, but true.)
I also recommend a DVD which was just released: THEY LIVE BY NIGHT/SIDE STREET. Farley Granger is on the commentary track for THEY LIVE BY NIGHT. I tip my hat to him. He was unspoiled by Hollywood and continues to give fans his perspective on that alluring repository of fool's gold.
I also recommend a DVD which was just released: THEY LIVE BY NIGHT/SIDE STREET. Farley Granger is on the commentary track for THEY LIVE BY NIGHT. I tip my hat to him. He was unspoiled by Hollywood and continues to give fans his perspective on that alluring repository of fool's gold.
January 31, 2025
I've crushed hard on Farley Granger ever since I first saw him in Strangers on a train in college but didn't realize he had an autobiography until a few weeks ago! I have to admit I am disappointed that he barely talks about being gay at all in this book. I felt a similar disappoint after reading Tab Hunter's book. Tab goes into much more detail than Farely, but I think it's clear that these Hollywood men had to be so in the closet to protect their livelihoods, that even when times changed they still couldn't bring themselves to talk openly about something that they worked so hard to keep secret for so long.
Farely's book is fun and interesting with details about Hitchcock, and lots of Broadway stories, and some juicy tidbits on Shelly Winters whom he dated off and on for sometime. Farley doesn't dish much dirt tho, and a huge section of the book feels more like a travel log of Italy as Farely details his time making movies there.
Farely's book is fun and interesting with details about Hitchcock, and lots of Broadway stories, and some juicy tidbits on Shelly Winters whom he dated off and on for sometime. Farley doesn't dish much dirt tho, and a huge section of the book feels more like a travel log of Italy as Farely details his time making movies there.
January 26, 2021
Eh. I don't think he's that gifted an actor, so all the stuff about his craft and his true calling on Broadway was tiresome. And the memoir falls into the trap of the second half mostly being a recitation of parts in various plays and movies. His accounts of relationships with women lacked credibility as well. I did like the accounts of Goldwyn and his work with Dana Andrews, particularly on a 1950s Goldwyn movie I like (and Granger doesn't) called I Want You.
April 2, 2024
This memoir is tedium mixed with an occasional aside to reference a surprising affair with a man or woman. It is an oddly-written, poorly-edited book that spends way too much time on insignificant details like what hotel he stayed in, what he ate, the time he had to be at a party at a star's house, and his dealing with the old Hollywood contract system.
The problem is that the majority of the book is his focusing on minutia while failing to deliver on the big stories. Yes, he reveals some shocking names of people he had sex with and his early introduction to bisexuality (losing his virginity on the same night to a man and woman in separate incidences in Hawaii while in the military). He freely admits to sleeping with a number of big stars, including Leonard Bernstein who ended up marrying a woman after Granger turned down a serious relationship with the composer.
It all could be naughty fun if the author gave specifics about their love affairs or even conversations, but instead we get all sorts of nonsense that you'll never care about and only vague hints at his love life.
For example, instead of giving us insights into their intimate time together, Granger uses the page leading up to his affair with Bernstein to mention: getting a great night's sleep at the hotel the night before (he talks about sleep often); the beauty of the Palisades Parkway (comparing it to Hawaii?); lunch at Aaron Copeland's house; years later watching Yo-Yo Ma at Tanglewood; and finally having a midnight supper with Lenny after he had conducted the Philharmonic. Then, after giving no specifics about conversations, Granger adds: "It could not have seemed more right when he asked me to stay. I did. We had a couple of glorious days and nights together. He was as passionate and enthusiastic a lover as he was a conductor." That's it? There's more on New York City foliage than his love affair!
If you want to know about his best known films with Hitchcock you'll be disappointed. It only takes up a couple pages. Then the last third of the book is about his theatrical work, which most of us have never seen. The final 20 pages cover 1963-1986, then it suddenly stops even though this was published in 2007 and he didn't die until 2011.
Granger also has a whopper of an error regarding the JFK assassination. He claims he was in a touring show that infamous Friday in November, writing that he was so distraught that he and the male production supervisor went to their hotel room that night and for the first time "became lovers." The show moved to Washington D.C. where it opened on Monday after JFK's death and then he says, "On Tuesday morning the funeral mass for JFK was held in St. Matthew's Church, which was only a block away from our hotel." One little problem--the funeral, as pretty much anyone from that era knows, was on Monday November 25th and not on Tuesday. It was held on the fourth day, not the fifth day. Was the author so enthralled with his new lover that he mixed up the dates?
So too much of this book is sitting through his droll travel itineraries, unnecessary European commentary, and dinner parties without telling us what these famous people talked about or did together! If you're willing to slog through all of that then maybe you'll enjoy the occasional bisexual nugget or confirmation of gossip about another star. Otherwise, include it out.
The problem is that the majority of the book is his focusing on minutia while failing to deliver on the big stories. Yes, he reveals some shocking names of people he had sex with and his early introduction to bisexuality (losing his virginity on the same night to a man and woman in separate incidences in Hawaii while in the military). He freely admits to sleeping with a number of big stars, including Leonard Bernstein who ended up marrying a woman after Granger turned down a serious relationship with the composer.
It all could be naughty fun if the author gave specifics about their love affairs or even conversations, but instead we get all sorts of nonsense that you'll never care about and only vague hints at his love life.
For example, instead of giving us insights into their intimate time together, Granger uses the page leading up to his affair with Bernstein to mention: getting a great night's sleep at the hotel the night before (he talks about sleep often); the beauty of the Palisades Parkway (comparing it to Hawaii?); lunch at Aaron Copeland's house; years later watching Yo-Yo Ma at Tanglewood; and finally having a midnight supper with Lenny after he had conducted the Philharmonic. Then, after giving no specifics about conversations, Granger adds: "It could not have seemed more right when he asked me to stay. I did. We had a couple of glorious days and nights together. He was as passionate and enthusiastic a lover as he was a conductor." That's it? There's more on New York City foliage than his love affair!
If you want to know about his best known films with Hitchcock you'll be disappointed. It only takes up a couple pages. Then the last third of the book is about his theatrical work, which most of us have never seen. The final 20 pages cover 1963-1986, then it suddenly stops even though this was published in 2007 and he didn't die until 2011.
Granger also has a whopper of an error regarding the JFK assassination. He claims he was in a touring show that infamous Friday in November, writing that he was so distraught that he and the male production supervisor went to their hotel room that night and for the first time "became lovers." The show moved to Washington D.C. where it opened on Monday after JFK's death and then he says, "On Tuesday morning the funeral mass for JFK was held in St. Matthew's Church, which was only a block away from our hotel." One little problem--the funeral, as pretty much anyone from that era knows, was on Monday November 25th and not on Tuesday. It was held on the fourth day, not the fifth day. Was the author so enthralled with his new lover that he mixed up the dates?
So too much of this book is sitting through his droll travel itineraries, unnecessary European commentary, and dinner parties without telling us what these famous people talked about or did together! If you're willing to slog through all of that then maybe you'll enjoy the occasional bisexual nugget or confirmation of gossip about another star. Otherwise, include it out.
March 1, 2008
An above-average actor autobiography. What makes it unique is Granger's no apologies account with various lovers, men and women. He also appeared in several classic Hollywood movies, only some of which he thinks were good: They Drive By Night for director Nicholas Ray, Rope and Strangers on a Train for , Luchino Visconti's Senso, Hans Christian Anderson, the MGM musical Small Town Girl with Jane Powell, Ann Miller and Bobby Van, and O. Henry's Full House among others.
Granger writes with intelligence and a sort of wonder that his life has turned out the way it has. He is critical of his own work, respectful of many wonderful friends and not afraid to honestly describe those he encountered who were not particularly enjoyable to work with. Anyone interested in the Hollywood and Broadway worlds of the late 1940s through the 1980s should enjoy Mr. Granger's candid and entertaining account of those times.
Granger writes with intelligence and a sort of wonder that his life has turned out the way it has. He is critical of his own work, respectful of many wonderful friends and not afraid to honestly describe those he encountered who were not particularly enjoyable to work with. Anyone interested in the Hollywood and Broadway worlds of the late 1940s through the 1980s should enjoy Mr. Granger's candid and entertaining account of those times.
April 15, 2022
An amazing life. He says he was fortunate to live during the golden age of Hollywood, Live TV and theatre. I was amazed by the great writers, actors, producers, directors and artists that was such a part of his life. Reminds me of Margot Fonteyn's life. Celebrities in the 40s 50s and 60s interacted with each other in a reality of their own. Enjoyed reading it.
February 17, 2025
Disappointing. This was literally like reading an address / phone book of all of the people Farley Granger ever met in his entire life. I'd hoped for at least some insight into his collaborations with Hitchcock, but the combined total on his two films with Hitch totaled about 4 pages with nothing novel.
If you want any sort of "dirt", you will not find it here. You will, however get absurdly inane details about a multitude of boring topics like the hotel rooms he stayed in during film production or theatre tours. But for someone who supposedly had affairs with a slough of big names, you won't get any more gossip than "we had a nightcap and I stayed the night". No emotion, no personality, no insight.
Perhaps the interesting bits were cut out because his partner for the last 45+ years of his life was his ghostwriter. But even descriptions of that relationship seemed bland.
First half is ok RE his cinema experience. 2nd half is boring RE his theatre experience. I forced my way through, but it should have been a hard pass.
Read / watch the Celluloid Closet instead, you'll get to see Farley Granger for a moment, and that is more than sufficient for what he has to say.
If you want any sort of "dirt", you will not find it here. You will, however get absurdly inane details about a multitude of boring topics like the hotel rooms he stayed in during film production or theatre tours. But for someone who supposedly had affairs with a slough of big names, you won't get any more gossip than "we had a nightcap and I stayed the night". No emotion, no personality, no insight.
Perhaps the interesting bits were cut out because his partner for the last 45+ years of his life was his ghostwriter. But even descriptions of that relationship seemed bland.
First half is ok RE his cinema experience. 2nd half is boring RE his theatre experience. I forced my way through, but it should have been a hard pass.
Read / watch the Celluloid Closet instead, you'll get to see Farley Granger for a moment, and that is more than sufficient for what he has to say.
August 26, 2011
There are plenty of details about Granger's film and theater credits, opinions about the work of fellow actors and various directors and writers, and there's admission of several sexual encounters with famous people - men and women - yet the book lacks the style or structure to engage the reader. This is the difference between being presented a cake, or all the ingredients to make a cake. The story is told strictly in chronological order, with details tacked on the end of paragraphs, so there's no sense of a person evolving from their experiences, just a chronicling of facts. I came away from reading this with a sense that Farley Granger was shallower and more self-centered than I wanted him to be, and just a little snooty.
November 15, 2022
I fell in love with Farley when I "Rope", then loved his performance in "Strangers on a Train." There are so many of his projects I need to watch, if they are even still available. His book read more like a who's who of the silver screen and stage. Instead of six degrees of Kevin Bacon, old hollywood and broadway has become a six degrees of Farley Granger. I only wish he would have gone further than the late 80s.
August 29, 2023
Granger's story moves well and has many anecdotes as well as the author's mentioning of so many celebrities and actors with whom he was a contemporary. Farley Granger was a highly focused young man but in spite of his active social life, there was , to me, a sense of loneliness about him. Such a handsome, talented man but he made some unpopular choices in life. Being an only child it was sad that his parents were impossible to live with. This was the beginning of Farley's seeming friendlessness. It was a paradox that while such a well-beloved figure, yet Granger was very much a loner.
June 11, 2023
Hollywood's Golden Era, Brought to life!
Farley Granger takes you on a magical ride through the Golden age of Hollywood! He brings it to life with intimate stories about his friends....Arthur Laurents, Gene Kelly, Alfred Hitchcock, to name just a few!! Such an enjoyable read!
Farley Granger takes you on a magical ride through the Golden age of Hollywood! He brings it to life with intimate stories about his friends....Arthur Laurents, Gene Kelly, Alfred Hitchcock, to name just a few!! Such an enjoyable read!
February 13, 2025
What a Life!!!!
This autobiography of the wonderful,talented and sexy Farley Granger was an amazing read! I mean the man knew EVERYBODY!!! I have always been a fan of this exceptional actor and his memoir gave me superb insights into a life VERY well lived. Written in a flowing informal narrative with no holds barred�. This is a show business memoir NOT to be missed!
This autobiography of the wonderful,talented and sexy Farley Granger was an amazing read! I mean the man knew EVERYBODY!!! I have always been a fan of this exceptional actor and his memoir gave me superb insights into a life VERY well lived. Written in a flowing informal narrative with no holds barred�. This is a show business memoir NOT to be missed!
December 11, 2022
Modern, yet �
Mostly a very enjoyable, candid read. At times a little more detailed than necessary. His attitude toward his personal life was very evolved. I wish there had been more about that. But he saw himself as an actor first. That shines through.
Mostly a very enjoyable, candid read. At times a little more detailed than necessary. His attitude toward his personal life was very evolved. I wish there had been more about that. But he saw himself as an actor first. That shines through.
January 1, 2024
Didn’t finish it. It just became a bit of a grocery list of “…and then I did this with these people.� I got bored. Except for any mention if Shelley Winters � maybe I was reading the wrong biography!
April 20, 2020
Great review of an acting career
July 27, 2020
I have always been an admirer of Farley Granger's work and reading his autobiography was very rewarding.
October 30, 2021
A fascinating look behind the scenes of Hollywood and Broadway by one of its most gifted actors. His openness and honesty is refreshing
March 10, 2022
“I have loved men. I have loved women. I will talk with affection and without guilt or remorse about both in this book.�
March 19, 2022
Autobiography of actor Farley Granger. Perhaps a more evocative title would have been “Famous People Who Have met Me.� Written with his longtime lover Robert Calhoun.
February 7, 2024
Pretty good, but the last part of the book drags a bit. I also found a shocking number of typos??
January 31, 2025
i love farley granger
April 9, 2025
I love him so much
August 28, 2009
For anyone who thinks Farley Granger was just one of the most beautiful male faces of the golden age of Hollywood, this book will come as a surprise: Granger's career is far richer than one might think, and the actor's memories of his movie career in the US as well as abroad, and of his theater career in the second half of his life, are lively, precise, and often fascinating. Granger has met many of the most interesting people of his time, and he writes about them with honesty, intelligence, humility, and humor. His portraits of Visconti, Shelley Winters, Peggy Guggenheim, Samuel Goldwyn, for example, are priceless. The reader who hopes for a juicy book about the sexual escapades of a bisexual hunk will be disappointed: Granger evokes his love life honestly but without much details. The problem of this book has mostly to do with the writing, which is nothing special, if not sometimes a bit clumsy: Granger's book doesn't have the charm of Tab Hunter's beautiful memoirs. Still, it's quite enchanting to discover this very underrated star through his own words.
May 25, 2010
Mr. Granger is such a gentleman, he can hardly be bothered to say anything bad about anyone, including Sam Goldwyn. His book is an interesting skim across the years with fond memories about the people he obviously loves. There's an interesting theme here about the struggle of an incredibly good-looking man to be taken seriously as an actor, balanced by the significant number of doors his looks helped him to open; however, it is a theme that is not explored in much depth, probably because it's hard to get a full perspective on such things in an autobiography. I get the feeling that Mr. Granger would be a wonderful dinner companion and a great travel partner.
June 2, 2012
Include me out was a revelation, knowing only a fraction about Farley this book was insightful, beautifully written and warm to the end. His narrative spoke of happiness and reflection, taken from childhood to his career highs and lows.
Farley opens up to the audience in a way that is personal without being vulgar. His funny anecdotes and honesty about his life and loves was amusing and honest.
Each story reflects a section of his life and details the various films and the career he built.
Honest and straight forward this memoir made each story an engaging and you were part of the moment following his life.
Farley opens up to the audience in a way that is personal without being vulgar. His funny anecdotes and honesty about his life and loves was amusing and honest.
Each story reflects a section of his life and details the various films and the career he built.
Honest and straight forward this memoir made each story an engaging and you were part of the moment following his life.
February 23, 2009
Farley Granger was one of my favorite actors in films like Strangers on a Train and They Live By Night. He shares his personal story of making such films and living an even more interesting life behind the scenes. Working with great directors like Nicholas Ray, Hitchcock and Visconti his was a great film career.
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