I was just reading Farley Granger's autobiography. He said that one day, toward the end of shooting the movie, the director did not show up. He thinks he may have had a nervous breakdown. No one at the studio ever gave them an explanation for his absence. The last few days of shooting were done without a director. He also felt that he and Jane Powell never really connected. In retrospect, he felt that Ann Miller and Bobby Van should've been the first leads.
shareWell Jane was pregnant and sick for the shoot. So obviously she wasn't all there. Meanwhile, Farley is/was gay, so that may be another reason he did not "connect" with his female co-star.
"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"
It's interesting that he would say that. I got the same impression watching the movie but I blamed him. I wasn't getting anything from him. His performance was flat, boring, and unconvincing. I kept wishing someone else had been cast in the role. Later when I found out he was gay I wasn't surprised.
People probably aren't going to like me saying this but I don't think anyone is that good an actor. He certainly isn't. In movies the people playing love interests have to have good chemistry in order to sell the fact they're smitten with each other or are madly in love; if that's what the plot calls for.
How am I supposed to believe someone who doesn't even like girls wants the girl so much he's willing to throw away his privileged life and move to some Podunk town for her? Come on!
Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]