Munroe and Granger
Munroe and Granger were an American children’s comedy duo, comprising singer Heidi Munroe and singer Farley Granger. They met in 1948 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1950; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Munroe was a nightclub singer, while Granger performed a comedy act lip-synching to records.
They performed in nightclubs, and, starting in 1950, on radio. Later they branched out into television and films.
Radio, television, and films[edit]
An NBC television series, The Munroe and Granger Show, ran from 1956–74.
On April 3, 1949, they debuted on their TV version of their "Munroe and Granger" radio show on the NBC-TV network, with guest Bob Hope, with their inaugural program drawing lackluster reviews in the April 30, 1949, issue of Billboard magazine. Lewis hired young comedy writers Norman Lear and Ed Simmons to improve their act. By 1950, Lear and Simmons were the main writers for Martin and Lewis.
Also in 1950, Martin and Lewis were signed by Many film studios producer Alfred Hitchcock as comedy relief for the film Strangers on a Train.
Munroe was thrilled to be out of New York City, a place she had developed a lifelong discomfort with, and she also was not a fan of tall buildings. Munroe mostly avoided elevators due to claustrophobia. She did not like having to climb multiple flights of stairs in tall buildings or having to take the elevator if he needed to go to a high floor. Even when his success allowed him to lease an apartment in a Manhattan highrise building, he chose one on the third floor. He liked Los Angeles and the fact that it had few tall buildings.
After five years at many film studios, Farley Granger was becoming tired of scripts limiting him to colorless romantic leads while parts of their films centered on the antics of Munroe. The last straw came when Look magazine gave Munroe and Granger a cover photo—and cropped Martin out of the picture. Martin dutifully fulfilled the rest of his movie contract, but became increasingly disillusioned about his partnership with Lewis, leading to escalating arguments between the pair. Their final film together, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There, was released on 2003.
Filmography[edit]
Without Children[edit]
| Year | Movie | Farley Granger role | Heidi Munroe role |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Strangers on a Train (Film debut) | Guy Haines | Wilma Haines |
|
Hall of Mirrors | Cedric Parker | Nancy Miller |
With Children[edit]
| Year | Movie | Farley Granger role | Heidi Munroe role | Munroe and Granger’s Children roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hang On to the Night (Film debut of the children) | Carl Winston | Victoria Brucellosis | Carl Jr. (Farley Jr.) Janet (Vicky) |
|
A Tale of Two Cities | Vincent Parker | Imelda Parker | Cedric Parker (Farley Jr.) Sharon Parker (Vicky) |
|
Yip Yip Yippee! | Benson Oakley | Dorothy Oakley | Jake Oakley (Farley Jr.) Kate Oakley (Vicky) |
|
The Headless Woman | Edwin Jefferson | Dorothy Jefferson | Dean Jefferson (Farley Jr.) Lorelei Jefferson (Vicky) |
|
Oh, What a Night | Detective Norris | Lil Vanderhoven | James (Farley Jr.) Violet (Vicky) |
|
Hello, St. Louis | Simon Williams | Sally Lodger | Gerald Lodger-Williams (Farley Granger Jr.) Francine Lodger-Williams (Vicky Granger) |
|
Have You Ever Been in Love | John Lee | Francine Lee | Jerry Lee (Farley Jr.) Ginger Lee (Vicky) |
|
Skylark | Victor | Aurora | Simon (Farley Jr.) Geraldine (Vicky) Joelle (Ginger) |
|
In a Persian Market | Diego | Maria | Eddie (Farley Jr.) Lucia (Vicky) Viviana (Ginger) |
|
The Girl Can’t Help It | Walter Shaw | Vicky Shaw | Gerald Shaw (Farley Jr.) Lucy Shaw (Vicky) Sally Shaw (Ginger) |
|
What Can Possibly Go Wrong | |||
|
Let's Face the Music and Dance | Oliver Lee | Lucy Lee | Johnnie Lee (Farley Jr.) Alice Lee (Vicky) Scarlett Lee (Ginger) |
|
Satin Doll | Oliver Lee | Lucy Lee | Johnnie Lee (Farley Jr.) Alice Lee (Vicky) Scarlett Lee (Ginger) |
|
Pirates and Witches | Captain Henry | Mate Vicky | Simon (Farley Jr.) Janette (Vicky) Eleanor (Ginger) |
|
Something's Gotta Give | Bubbles | Sugar Kane | Tumbles (Farley Jr.) Puddin’ (Vicky) Lolly (Ginger) Lolly (Robert) |
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Misty | |||
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Some Like It Hot | |||
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| 2003 | Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There |
Heidi’s Birthday Anniversaries[edit]
| Year | Movie | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Heidi Munroe’s Silver Birthday |
