Cathy O’Donnell & Farley Granger

The teaming of Cathy O’Donnell and Farley Granger occurs in two movies:

They Live By Night (1948)
Side Street (1950)

Ms. O’Donnell catapulted to stardom with her touching portrayal of Wilma, the girl next door, in William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) and brought that same portrayal of the loyal ingenue to her two collaborations with Mr. Granger, who, in each turn, played her sincere, loving, but errant and, in one instance, tragic, mate. That they did not continue to collaborate may be the result of a classic Hollywood feud. In 1948, Cathy O’Donnell married the older brother of director William Wyler, an act that incensed studio boss Samuel Goldwyn, who was feuding with the director at the time. Mr. Goldwyn retaliated by cancelling Ms. O’Donnell’s studio contract, thus stifling her availability and desirability for future roles. Farley Granger’s status as a rising star unfortunately contrasted with Cathy O’Donnell’s somewhat diminishing glow, as far as the studios were concerned.