Stewart Granger - Bournemouth Resident

[Dorsetman]

East Cliff Cottage was built in 1895 and became the home of British actor Stewart Granger (6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) with his mother, Mrs. Lablanche Stewart, owning this property until 1979.

Stewart Granger was born James Lablanche Stewart but changed his name to avoid confusion with established American actor James Stewart when he entered the film industry. Stewart Granger is a mix of his surname and his Grandmother’s surname.

He had originally planned to be a doctor but lacked the dedication (as he later admitted) to continue medical studies. A friend suggested that since he had a car and a good set of clothes he could find work as a film extra for a guinea a day.

This led to a long-lasting career as an English film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles popular from the 1940s to the early 1960s.

By 1935, Stewart Granger made his stage debut in "The Cardinal" at the Little Theatre Hull. He was with the Birmingham Repertory Company between 1936 and 1937 and, in 1938, he made his debut in the West End, London in "The Sun Never Sets". He joined the Old Vic company in 1939 appearing in 'Tony Draws a Horse' at the Criterion and 'A House in the Square' at the St Martins.

After a short stint in the army, he quickly landed his first film opportunity in The Man in Grey (1943) for Gainsborough Pictures. This led to many more roles including Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), Adam and Evelyne (1949), the remake of The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), Scaramouche (1952) and Young Bess (1953).

Original Article Source:  https://www.eastcliffcottage.com/stewart-granger/