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Of course, when it came to his appearance, this gorgeous star really didnt give a hoot. This showed in his consciousness of being seen as feminine in any way. It also stresses Clifts crucial role in changing the power balance between actors and studio chiefs in Hollywood, as well as the advancements he brought to film acting. But that didnt mean that the gossip press didnt hint at something different, something queer, in the broadest sense of the word, about him. He spent a great deal of time and money on psychiatry.In 1956, during filming of Raintree County (1957), he ran his Chevrolet into a tree after leaving a party at Elizabeth Taylor's; it was she who saved him from choking by pulling out two teeth lodged in his throat. Between 1963 and 1966, he faded from public view, emerging only to film a final performance in the French spy thriller The Defector (1966). In The Young Lions (1958), released just two years after the accident, the pain and resentment seem almost visible. Now were at a historical point in mainstream queer discourse where that story seems less viable., Though the film aims to update, and to fairly contextualize, the actors story, the directors stress that they dont want to simply swap one image of Montgomery Clift for another. I mean, he is a From the start, Clift was framed as a rebel and an individual. Born on October 17, 1920, Edward Montgomery Clift was born into a family with lofty ideals. A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift ( ne Anderson; 1888-1988). And when it came to riotous parties, well, he avoided nightlife like the plague. Instead, Clift enjoyed reading, filling his spare moments with Chekov and Aristotlediving into history, or learning about economics. Show details His interests lay elsewhere. It left him with chronic health issues for the rest of his life. And yet, the mystery persists. His decline was never explicitly evoked, but with his visage in Raintree County, it was there for all to see. Have I said something wrong? She made it known that it all boiled down to love. . But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. Montgomery Clift was an undeniably attractive man, and before long, hed cultivated a rather passionate female fan base. The long suicide was complete. During the filming of Raintree County, Clift and Taylor seemed to have rekindled their is-it-or-isnt-it relationship; according to one of Clifts biographers, Some days he would threaten to stop seeing Elizabeth Taylorthen, the thought would make him burst into tears. Other apocryphal legend has Taylor sending Clift piles of love letters, which he then read aloud to his male companion at the time. Montgomery Edward "Monty" Clift (October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) was an American movie, television, radio, and stage actor who is known for his roles in From Here to Eternity, A Place in the Sun, The Misfits, Red River, and in Judgement at Nuremberg.He was nominated four times for an Academy Award.His great-great-grandfather was politician Francis Preston Blair. 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He was sick of being a symbol, a symptom, a testament to something. His . The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Montgomery Clift, in full Edward Montgomery Clift, (born October 17, 1920, Omaha, Neb., U.S.died July 23, 1966, New York, N.Y.), American motion-picture actor noted for the emotional depth and sense of vulnerability he brought to his roles. But when he climbed into the room, he discovered something absolutely gut-wrenching. Not only would this film win him respect for his impeccable acting performance, but it would also fuel a brand new cycle of romance rumors. An interviewer once asked him what his hobbies were, Clift replied, "women. Making Montgomery Clift, which was co-directed by Clift's nephew Robert Clift (and Robert's wife Hillary. Oh dear. Even the press seemed to unintentionally hit upon the one thing he wanted to keep hidden, with titles like Two Loves Has Monty and Monty Clift: Woman Hater or Free Soul?. He could barely remember his lines and often didnt show up to set. Regardless of the veracity of this story, one thing remains true: theres not a single picture of Clifts broken face. Montgomery Clift was in relationships with Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Henry Willson, Jack Larson, William LeMassena, Libby Holman, Maurice Leonard and Arnold Saint Subber. The decline continued. However, his worry began to mount when the actor didnt respond to his insistent knocking. In order to get him the part, she had to offer up some kind of insurance, and this time, she put her own salary on the line. A bout five years ago, filmmaking duo Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon Clift decided to make a documentary about Robert's long-dead uncle. But even as Clift consistently took the road less traveled, he still had some biting things to say about the media, especially its desire to pin down his image. Every actor was in the midst of fighting their own demons. ': What Happened to the Stars of the Iconic Series through the Years, Debbie Reynolds Called Elizabeth Taylor's Phone Yet Her Own Husband Eddie Fisher Picked Up, Rock Hudson & Jim Nabors Never Spoke Again after They Were Reportedly Seen Getting Married, Elizabeth Taylor Proposed to an Actor 20 Years Her Senior & Replaced Him with 25-Year Older Man. James found his patient sitting up in bed and watching his film, The Misfits, but Clift clearly didnt want to be disturbed. Clift was able to appear in more Hollywood movies after he recuperated from the accident, but he was deeply affected by the decline in his career. And even then, he didnt live a glamorous movie star existence. Well, in 1955, he had a chance to reunite with his old friend and co-star, Elizabeth Taylor, in Raintree County. However, Clift soon realized that you cant always have your cake and eat it too. Montgomery Clift didnt need much to keep himself happy and entertained. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. In 1929, the Wall Street Crash hit Clifts father like a ton of bricks, and his mothers dreams disappeared in an instant. Montgomery Blair (May 10, 1813 - July 27, 1883) was an American politician and lawyer from Maryland. Some believe that Clifts romantic leanings were much less of a secret than originally thought. In its May 28, 1951, issue, meanwhile, LIFE magazine wrote of A Place in the Sun: It is easy for an ambitious young man to get himself involved simultaneously with a simple-hearted girl who lives in a cheap boarding house and an extravagant rich girl who gives gay parties. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Guided by the key biographies of Clift, they reliably parrot a narrative which paints the actor as a startlingly attractive and prodigiously gifted man who, according to one notably overheated tabloid TV show became a drug-addicted alcoholic living in a self-imposed hell because he had a secret he couldnt live with. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". He wasnt the only one who challenged such norms at the time. All rights reserved. A portrait of Montgomery Clift acting as Matt Garth in the western film "Red River" on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty Images. Horrified, James immediately called for help, but of course, it was already too late. Clift and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor first became acquainted when they played counterparts on George Stevens's "A Place in the Sun." In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. But the drama didnt end there. With alarm bells screaming in his head, James raced outside to fetch a ladder, climbing up toward Clifts bedroom window. It hardly helped lend nuance to that reading that Clift was a well-known and long-time abuser of pain killers and alcohol, actions which likely sped his death from a heart attack at 45 in 1966. He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. Fed up with the script, Clift desperately wanted to change her lines, saying, She isnt giving me enough to respond [to]. Of course, poor de Havilland soon had more than just her prickly love interest to contend with. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Help us build our profile of Montgomery Clift! Indiscretion of an American Wife 1953, 1h 3min - Romance , Drama Jennifer Jones is the American housewife on vacation in Italy who must choose between returning home to her husband and family in Philadelphia or her romance with an Italian academic played by Montgomery Clift. But for 12 years, he set Hollywood aflame. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. (1950), (originally written specifically for him; the story perhaps hitting a little too close to home) and High Noon (1952).His long apprenticeship on stage made him a thoroughly accomplished actor, notable for the intensity with which he researched and approached his roles. After his accident, Clift had an arduous road to recovery. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 1920-10-17. Still, unlike other notable gay actors, any affairs Montgomery Clift had were secured behind a lock and key. Even if Clift himself was already spiraling out of control, playing a character that did the same only amplified the psychological toll. And so he remains frozen in the popular imagination, circa From Here to Eternitythose high cheekbones, that set jaw, the firm stare: a magnificent, proud, tragically broken thing to behold. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. MONTY YOU WERE THE BEST!!! While filmingThe Search,he asked the director to reshoot a scene for one baffling reason: He called a boy dear. But that wasnt all. Whether morally repulsive or philosophically compelling, The Misfits bombed, only to be recuperated, years later, as a masterpiece of the revisionist genre. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. He also helped bring a more natural acting style to film. Curtis's relationship to the term nepo baby has evolved over the last few months. Nobody wanted to deal with him anymore, and for four years, he couldnt land a single role. His other side was mostly hidden and only became widely known after he passed on, thanks to his friend and colleague Elizabeth Taylor. His beat-up car was 10 years old, and his best friends were all outside of the movie business. Nothing could have prepared him for what he discovered. Another confidant said his personal life didnt bother him. Clift was nominated for awards . And thus began what Robert Lewis, Clifts teacher at the Actors Studio, called the longest suicide in Hollywood history. Even before Raintree, the decline had been visible. For example, in 1956 Taylor likely saved Clifts life when, after he crashed his car leaving a party at her home, she raced to the wreck and literally pulled from his mouth broken teeth on which he had begun to choke. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. With unprecedented control over the projects he starred in, Clift agreed to do the romantic drama, The Heiress. .. A seeming exception was one in his final years with a man named Lorenzo who had been hired to help him. Like them, Clift was comfortable with the full contours, and consequences, of his beauty, playing the object in a way previously preserved for female stars. Author Christopher Isherwood tracked Clifts decline in his journals, and by August 1955, he was drinking himself out of a career; on the set of Raintree, the crew had designated words to communicate how drunk Clift was: bad was Georgia, very bad was Florida, and worst of all was Zanzibar. Because of the accident, the studio worried about the success of Raintree County. Above all, Clift was perpetually curious. Taylor talked about the need for staunch support for gay people and their rights. With his screenwriting suggestions, the film took home an Academy Award. He played the desperate, the drunken, and the deceived, and the trajectory of his life was as tragic as that in any of his films. His mother wanted all of her children to be raised as distinguished aristocrats, and as such, little Clift and his siblings received an elite upbringing: private tutors, extensive travel, and language lessons. In fact, his doctors considered it amazing that the actor had even pulled through. William Brooks Clift (Was A Vice-President Of Omaha National Trust Company. I think he was 12 or 13., Its obviously a non-issue for her, co-director Demmon said. Welcome to Who Is Montgomery Clift?, a page dedicated to showcasing actors & movie makers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. When The Heiresscame out, Clifts loyal fanatics came with their claws out and wrote vicious letters to Olivia de Havilland for rejecting Clifts character in the film. Of course, as unusual as his lifestyle seemed, healso had a number of interesting routines. Clifts lifestyle had the press slotting him in with non-conformists of the dayright alongside hotshots like Marlon Brandobut the actor didnt respond well to being labeled and defined. His mother was born out of wedlock and spent much of her life and the family fortune finding her illustrious southern lineage and raising her children as aristocrats.At age 13, Monty appeared on Broadway ("Fly Away Home"), and chose to remain in the New York theater for over ten years before finally succumbing to Hollywood. (The Clash famously referenced that awful scene, which changed the course of Clifts career and set him on a winding path of booze-and-painkiller-fueled decay, in the song The Right Profile from London Calling: I see a car smashed at night. Free delivery for many products! About His parents were Quakers and met as students at Cornell University, marrying in 1914. They were even called the most beautiful couple in Hollywood. As hard as the press tried, they couldnt seem to breathe life into this nonexistent romance. Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn came to Clifts defense when the director tried to get rid of him. 3.80. Whisked away to the morgue, Clifts body underwent an autopsy that shed some light on his sudden demise. Lancaster's . Clift's childhood was unconventional. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of A Place in the Sun. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Merv was a sexual predator who once tried to sexually assault Danny Terrio, then threatened to ruin his career if he talked. . Along with Marlon Brando and James Dean, he helped delineate a new paradigm for American cinematic heroes. Clift wasn't one to hide a feeling, which made him a great actor and also a terrible straight man. He read books about Montgomery Clift and James Dean, and credited seeing "Taxi Driver" at age 13 with fueling his desire to be in movies. Montgomery Clift 39 30. This made him an A-list actor and a multi-award-winning star. In 1966, Clifts stalwart friend, Elizabeth Taylor, came to his aid once again and managed to get him a part in Reflections in a Golden Eye. Of course, Clifts words had always been futile in the face of Hollywood. That, combined with his spiraling alcohol addiction, wrung the youth right out of the handsome actor. Clift was off the Hollywood scene for four years, within which his career declined. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? Which gives that narrative a lot of traction. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. Monroe and Taylor are shadowed by Montgomery. The duo eventually got to know each other better, and according to Taylor, they liked each other. Montgomery Clift made a name for himself in Hollywood with several awards and nominations. Determined to make it better, he made some key changesand they made allthe difference. His perpetual question to himself, as he once scribbled in his journal, was, How to remain thin-skinned, vulnerable, and still alive? For Clift, the task proved impossible. A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953). . But before the film could be released, Clift passed away, wholly without fanfare, at the age of 45, succumbing to years of drug and alcohol abuse. His father made a lot of money in banking but was quite poor during the depression. Today, its impossible to know the specifics of Clifts sexuality: his brother, Brooks, would later claim that his brother was bisexual, while various writings from within Hollywood indicate that Clifts sexuality wasnt entirely a secret. When he came to visit storied fan-magazine author Elsa Maxwell at her home, she had her maid darn the elbow in his jacket. I wanted to figure out why there was such a difference., A deep trove of never-before-revealed evidence makes that disparity bracingly clear. Clift once said, The closer we come to the negative, to death, the more we blossom. He took himself to that precipice, but he fell straight in. The results were not pretty. Montgomery Clift later resided in . Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. She had always been there for him, and once said, Monty couldve been the biggest star in the world if he did more movies. But Taylors dedication to her friend went above and beyond. Part of honoring someone is being open to that person not being just one, reductive thing., Making Montgomery Clift is showing at NewFest with a release date yet to be announced, Tab Hunter: how Hollywood's boy next door became a gay icon, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Indiscrecin de una esposa: Dirigido por Vittorio De Sica. He was set to play in Taylor's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), when he died in the early morning hours of July 23, 1966, at his home at age 45. Some sources have the crash occurring when Clift was leaving the event, while others state he was on his way there. Directors Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Writers Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Stars Of course, by this time, Clifts drinking problems werent much of a secret, making him a liability to the studio. Taylor and Clift: Photos From the Set of A Place in the Sun. He advanced a collaborative approach with his directors, working over scripts and making suggestions for edits. He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! Montgomery Clift as the confused, likable, rather stupid social climber; Shelley Winters as the dowdy working girl; Elizabeth Taylor as the dazzling rich girl. The director, Joseph Mankiewicz, was appalled by this wavering professionalismbut when he tried to fire Clift, two angels intervened. and his wife, the former Ethel Fogg. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. He was lonely, yet with the help of his refusal to live in Los Angeles or participate in caf society, he was able to keep his private life private. Upon closer inspection, Clifts career reveals notable clues as to who he genuinely was and the private struggles he faced. ), William Brooks Clift, Jr. (19191986) (Aged 66 Or 67) (Who Had An Illegitimate Son With Actress Kim Stanley And Was Later Married To Political Reporter Eleanor Clift. Edward Montgomery Clift (nicknamed 'Monty' his entire life) was born on October 17, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, just after his twin sister Roberta (1920-2014) and eighteen months after his brother Brooks Clift.