Mr. Granger writes about his childhood years, living in a home with his mother, father, sister, and his mother's boyfriend (whom he had thought for years was his uncle); his friendship with well-known Brits Michael Wilding, Vivien Leigh, and "Larry" Olivier; behind the scenes stories from both his British and American film careers; the struggle he and his first wife endured to become parents; his 10-year marriage to the "ravishing young beauty" Jean Simmons, whom he said "could outsparkle anyone"; his and Jean's battles with Howard Hughes and his own murderous thoughts toward Hughes; his desire for good roles and his struggles with the studio to obtain them; roles he might have had, but didn't (From Here to Eternity and 1954's A Star is Born being two of them); telling off Hedda Hopper; his years as a rancher; and a host of other things.
Like a kiss-and-tell teenage boy, Mr. Granger writes of his many love affairs. From the loss of his virginity at the hands of a French prostitute, to his acquisition of an STD while cheating on his first wife, to a near-episode with Hedy Lamarr, to a backseat limousine fling with Deborah Kerr, he recounts some of his more memorable sexual escapades. (It must be noted that Deborah Kerr has said no such affair ever took place. It is definitely a case of "he said, she said.")
With an absolute comic flair, Mr. Granger recreates the stories of his life, and I found myself positively howling on several occasions...such as when, at a Polynesian restaurant, chopsticks in hand, his dinner companion completely startled him by reaching under the table and groping at him, causing him to nearly choke on the shrimp in his mouth; or when older, established actor, Henry Kendall, mistakenly assumed that the naive, young Granger would be interested in having a same-sex encounter with him; or the roundabout way with which he credits himself for launching Anne Bancroft to a successful career; or his "it's not as easy as I thought it was" introduction to cattle breeding; or his determination to remain faithful to Jean while on location with Ava Gardner during the filming of Bhowani Junction. All those episodes---and many more---are brought vividly and humorously to life in Mr. Granger's wonderful memoir.
Although published in 1981, the book abruptly ends in the early 1960's, shortly after the filming of North to Alaska. There is no mention of Granger's third marriage (which would also end in divorce) or of the daughter born from that marriage. I found that strange. He ended his story with these words, "I remembered Mrs. Perryman's (a fortune teller) prediction. "You'll cross the sea again and continue your success and later I see another marriage." I wondered what she'd look like..."
He could easily have transitioned from that sentence into who she was and what she looked like, but for whatever reason, he opted to end the story in 1960. I, for one, was completely enthralled and would have loved to have kept on reading and learned more.
I rate this book 5 stars---informative, fun, and very entertaining. While there are a few inaccuracies and confusing statements (such as saying he missed out on making a Hitchcock film with Gary Cooper---not sure what he's talking about, as Coop never made a Hitchcock film; referring to his next-door neighbor Gene Tierney's husband as Igor Cassini, rather than Oleg; referring to Deborah Kerr's husband as Tony Bartlett instead of Tony Bartley; citing his appearance on the cover of Life magazine as June, 1952, rather than May 26, 1952), in all, Sparks Fly Upward is a totally terrific read. Mr. Granger definitely had a flair for writing, and that is very evident here. The book reads like an exciting novel, which is what sets it above the other biographies/autobiographies. Not a list of dry, boring dates and facts, Sparks Fly Upward is alive with humor, adventure, and passion. While I checked the book out from my public library, it is one I definitely will be purchasing and adding to my own collection.
Occasional language and sexual situations give this book a PG rating.
