Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1951)

( Continued from page 62) Farley believes in “long engagements” if any, because more than loving any gal, he loves being a bachelor, and has always appreciated the bounties of single bliss. Because he’s fascinated with his single status, he holds tenaciously to it with one hand, while holding onto Shelley with the other. I know at this writing that Farley gets an unfailing kick out of Shelley and wants to go on and on with her. His praise of her camaraderie is even topped by his admiration for her performances. He says, “Shelley is a wonderful actress. No one quite realizes how great. She’s a wonderful girl, too.” So far he’s made no statements about what kind of a wife he thinks Shelley would be. But what kind of a life Granger thinks any wife might lead him is tipped off by this incident: One morning a studio friend came to pick Farley up. He was in bed sipping orange juice and listening to classical music. “Isn’t this the life?” he grinned. “I can lounge around like this every day I’m not working— without anyone to say otherwise.” The sound of wedding chimes may strike terror to his heart, but the “life in a goldfish bowl” that Granger and Winters lead, doesn’t bother them at all! Matter of fact, the crazy things they do individually and together, are an important factor in holding them to each other. Farley, for sure, doesn’t feel he could get away with, nor participate in, a lot of their “gags,” nor indulge in the easy-going life he loves, if they were Mr. and Mrs. The day he’s convinced that things can continue to ripple along as usual, and that life can be as casual and amusing for a husband, will be the day Farley stops being a bachelor! There was the time when he’d just returned from Europe and had a date to take Shelley to a big Hollywood premiere. Shelley was dressed to the teeth when he arrived. Farley showed up in slacks, topped by a loud sports jacket and no tie! Shelley almost had hysterics! P. S. They went to the show — just as they were. (Now, if they’d been married, Shelley might have rightly stood on her “marital rights” and made hubby change his clothes before she’d budge.) The blue-jeans routine of Farley’s wasn’t confined to Hollywood. He and Shelley were much criticized for traipsing around the better New York thoroughfares and even trying to lunch at one of Manhattan’s swankier restaurants, while both were in blue-jeans! The lifted-eyebrows didn’t bother them at all, at all! Another episode during the time this pair was prancing around Gotham together is funny — and much noisier. They had just come out of a theatre and it was almost midnight. Farley insisted they walk back to her hotel through Central Park. Shelley wanted to ride instead. She hopped into a cab, telling the driver to follow Farley through the park. Then she kept sticking her head out of the window, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Who’s that tramp?” Farley enjoyed the whole thing. Shelley was hoarse for days. When “A Place in the Sun” was premiered in Hollywood, instead of sending her orchids or any kind of wearable corsage, Farley bestowed a huge, floral horseshoe upon Shelley. But even though it was her “big night” (people are sure she’ll get an Academy Award nomination for her work in this one) Shelley not only took the gag with good grace (instead of what might have been “wifely indignation”) but took the horseshoe along to p the theatre with her! And to Ciro’s later. And was still dragging it around in the wee hours when the two of them went Long Engagements Are Fun to Hamburger Hamlet where she sang and clowned for at least another hour. Now, Farley revels in this kind of uninhibited nonsense, and undoubtedly feels it would all “get lost” with marriage. He may be right — or just scared. However, the two of ’em — and especially Granger, enjoy some calmer pursuits together. Sailboating, for instance. Usually they go with friends who are old hands at the sport. But even though neither our hero nor our heroine knows a thing about sailing sloops, skiffs — or anything that floats, they leaped to Balboa Bay one day when neither had to work and rented themselves a sailboat. They were doing just fine until they wanted to turn around (at a spot just short of where bay meets ocean) and almost upset their “applecart” trying! Frantic hailing of passing boats was no help — because people thought they were just waving a greeting! After a frightening two-hour tussle, Farley and Shelley finally managed to get themselves towed in! FARLEY is a very erratic spender. His business manager once asked him to keep a record of his spending for one week, and was furious when he got a report which read: “Mon. $2; Tues. $5; Wed. $2; Thurs. $7; Fri. $84; Sat., nothing; Sun., nothing.” Now, F. G. may have been kidding about those two-dollar days, but there’s no doubt he really spent the eightyfour bucks that Friday — and in a record shop! (Another vote for “long engagements.” After all, what wife would approve that kind of expenditure in a single day — while she was trying to balance the family budget?) Another eccentricity of Farley’s is the way he falls asleep at parties. Once at a shindig at Ida Lupino’s, Farley dozed off after dinner — and they just let him sleep through till dawn when everyone left. This sort of thing might get a husband a fast rolling-pin over the head. But where a sweetheart might raise the roof over it, she can be pacified with sweet words. If you want further proof of why Farley finds long engagements fun, dig this: It happened when he and Shelley and Tony Martin were at a dull, low-score ball game. During the fifth inning, Shelley said, “Come on — let’s go.” But Farley wanted to stay and did. Shelley dashed MOVING? For prompt change of address, please notify us six weeks beforehand ; otherwise, some issues may miss you. Also, some back copies may not be available. Write to MACFADDEN PUBLICATIONS, INC., 205 E. 42ND ST., NEW YORK 17, N. Y. Send both old and new address, and, if possible, enclose mailing label from a recent copy of your Photoplay magazine. It’s possible to have your mailing address corrected by filing your new address with the Post Office; they will notify us. However, if delayed and we dispatch current magazine before that notice reaches us, it means added expense to you because the Post Office will not forward copies unless you pay extra postage. home in a snit. Then Granger said to Tony, “She’ll get over it. A year ago I would have had to go along. That’s the advantage of a long friendship.” If you ask me, what he really meant was, “I’ve got her trained — and it takes time, brother — it takes time!” It also takes time (or a long engagement) for a guy not to care whether the gal of his dreams goes around without make-up; looking sloppy most of the time and even showing up at the chic Beverly Hills Hotel’s swimming pool with zinc paste all over her face — as Shelley does. I don’t approve of this kind of tolerance for man or woman. It’s the kind of thing that bores most married men — and sends them out to flirt with someone more glamour-wise. But maybe in “long engagements”— each of the two either fails to notice or unconsciously “forgives” a lot of things that wedding rings point up! Who knows? Farley thinks he does. He says, “I used to travel alone and enjoyed it, but now I don’t get the boot out of it I did. It’s more fun traveling with Shelley. Knowing her all this time, I enjoy everything double — seeing it through both pairs of eyes. That’s one of the advantages of long engagements.” And that’s his ambition — travel. Nothing but. He adds, “I’ve seen everything in Europe but the Scandinavian countries. They’re next.” So what happened? Farley, finding himself with at least six weeks off before he was to start “The Hans Christian Andersen Story” for Sam Goldwyn, decided to travel. And this unpredictable lad immediately started negotiating for a house for himself — not in Stockholm, kiddies, but in Paris! Shelley immediately announced to the world that she’d be going along — or meeting him abroad. Since they weren’t married, this, of course, called for finding a chaperone — a not too difficult chore. Perhaps Farley is still too immature to properly weigh the fruits and joys of married life against the thrills of an endless bachelor binge. Maybe, as many think, these two have already worn out the original, mad infatuation that goes with a big, new crush and are on a basis of great comradeship — with no hectic emotions involved — and no intention of marrying. And both of them smart enough to carry on the big question of whether they will or won’t wed for as long as it gets them newspaper space. Maybe by winter, each will have married someone else. Again, knowing their utter unpredictableness, I say, who knows? Farley says, “I really never do enough. I’m lazy. I’m terribly impatient. I’m highstrung and nervous.” Shelley’s had plenty of time to find all this out. If they’re really in love, she’ll stick it out until Farley makes up his mind. BUT — here’s something that is rather revealing — and may mean he’s beginning to realize that even “long engagements,” no matter how much fun, must end sometime — one way or another. While still working in “I Want You” — and before starting his vacation, Farley showed up on the movie set one morn in a pair of busted house-slippers. As he was putting a patch of tape (tape, I said!) over a hole in a sole, he turned to a pal and said, “Maybe Shelley and I ought to get married in Paris as we told people we would. She’s a good kid— not nearly as crazy as some think. People are always crying for color in this town. Then when someone gives it to them, they scream for the whitewash. You can’t win!” Well, boys and gals — write your own comment! Mine is???!**??!! The End