Along with Shirley Jones, today Gordon McCray stars in the 1956 favorite Carousel, which airs at 2.25pm on BBC Two. The beloved musical follows the story of Billy Bigelow, a man in heaven who learns that his wife and daughter are struggling on earth. When Billy began to speak openly about his life with them, he was told that he might be allowed to return to Earth to be with them for a day.
Carousel is among the most cherished films of the 1950s, and on Channel 4 it ranked 41st in the 100 Greatest Musicals, while also earning recognition from the American Film Institute.
Contemporary reviews, however, have not been kind to Carousel, with allmovie.com writing: “The film’s often pessimistic tone…did not resonate with audiences of the 1950s, making Carousel a surprising failure at the box office.
Some reviewers have also criticized the acceptance of wife beating in the film.
However, the film has made the likes of MacRae and Jones Hollywood stars, but the success of the former will one day irritate his first wife, Sheila McCray.
The couple married in 1941 after meeting when McCray was 19 and Sheila was 16 in what was “love at first sight”.
However, their relationship soon soured, with McCray later recalling how his struggles with alcohol led to a strain.
Sheila herself will discuss her relationship issues with McCray, particularly when it comes to his filming schedule and the sexism surrounding it.
According to a 1974 edition of Salina magazine, Sheila was asked “what went wrong in her marriage” with McCray, and after citing the positives of her second union with Ronald Wayne, the Londoner said: “When Gordon toured with bands between 1946 and 1948 he was gone months ago.
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Jones, who was selected to play Julie Jordan in the flick Rodgers & Hammerstein, spoke out in 2014 about the scheduling spat that eventually forced Sinatra out and McCray.
She told Classic Film Festival how Sinatra was furious that the production at the Carousel had to be completed on two takes, as opposed to regular shooting.
Knowing Jones’ close friendship with McCray, producers quickly begged the star to make the call and get the actor on board.
She said, “I was standing on the dock. I have some places. I went to a pay phone, got it, and told him the story.”
“I said, Gordon, would you like to play Billy Bigelow?”
And he said, ‘Give me a week. I have to lose ten pounds! “
And that’s what happened; it was cool because the role, of course, was so perfect for Sinatra, but I have to tell you, when I heard Gordon sing it, it broke down.
“He sang that song so beautifully. He was great at it.”
It wasn’t clear to Jones why Sinatra quit Carousel, but she revealed years later that she may have figured out why.
She added, “Ava Gardner [Mr Sinatra’s wife] He was doing Mogambo with Clark Gable in Africa.
“I invited him” [Mr Sinatra] “Unless you get your fan here,” he said, “I’m having an affair with Gable.”
“Apparently, that’s why he left the movie.”
Carousel airs from 2.25pm on BBC Two today.
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