He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). ", A portrait of Montgomery Clift against a wooden backdrop on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty mages. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. There were even speculations that he was warned about being gay. His other side was mostly hidden and only became widely known after he passed on, thanks to his friend and colleague Elizabeth Taylor. Even if Clift himself was already spiraling out of control, playing a character that did the same only amplified the psychological toll. 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. So the fan magazines got creative: the August 1949 cover of Movieland, for example, featured a grinning, suited, respectable-looking Clift paired with the tantalizing headline Making Love the Clift Way. But when readers looked inside the magazine, all they found was a two-page spread of stills from The Heiress, featuring Clift in various stages of flirtation with Olivia de Havilland, extrapolating that Clifts kissing style was soft yet possessively brutal; pleading, but demanding all. You couldn't help but come. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of A Place in the Sun. While filmingRaintree County, Clift attended a dinner party at Taylors housebut sadly, he didnt make it home in one piece. His father made a lot of money in banking but was quite poor during the depression. He gained excellent theatrical notices and soon piqued the interests of numerous lovelorn actresses; their advances met with awkward conflict. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. Montgomery Clift was in 8 on-screen matchups, including Anne Baxter in I Confess (1953), Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun (1951), Dolores Hart in Lonelyhearts (1958), Donna Reed in From Here to Eternity (1953) and Jennifer Jones in Indiscretion of an American Wife (1953). Moreover? Monroe and Taylor are shadowed by Montgomery. But while his siblings enrolled in prestigious schools, Montgomery Clift went hurtling in a completely different direction. Free shipping for many products! What does he inspire anyone to do drink, die young? But Clifts rebuttal was firm, emphasizing that they were neither in love nor engagedtheyd known each other for 10 years, she helped him with his work, and those romantic rumors are embarrassing to both of us. He was also close with stage actress Libby Holman, 16 years his senior, who had become a notorious feature in the gossip columns following the suspicious death of her wealthy husband, rumors of lesbianism, and her general practice of dating younger men. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. 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. 5 talking about this. Prior to leaving by train for Paris, a married American woman tries to break off her affair with a young Italian in Rome's Stazione Termini. Picture Information. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. There were no wild outings for this reserved homebody. Well, in 1955, he had a chance to reunite with his old friend and co-star, Elizabeth Taylor, in Raintree County. Benign to most but, in hindsight, highly suggestive. The unspoken truth was that Clift was gay. 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. And when it came to riotous parties, well, he avoided nightlife like the plague. Sal Mineo and Montgomery Clift were in a rela Montgomery Clift and Paul Newman were rumored Henry Willson and Montgomery Clift were in a Jack Larson and Montgomery Clift were in a re William LeMassena and Montgomery Clift were i Montgomery Clift and Libby Holman were in a r Maurice Leonard and Montgomery Clift are sepa Arnold Saint Subber and Montgomery Clift were Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando were in a Heart attack (brought on by "occlusive coronary artery disease"), Friends Quaker Cemetery, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York City, New York, USA. Firstly, he didnt even like Hollywood, preferring to stay in New York as much as he could. Soon, the washed-up actor was completely out of work. Adopted at the age of one, his mother was told by a well-intentioned doctor years later that she was the offspring of Southern aristocrats, so she chose to raise her own children accordingly. With alarm bells screaming in his head, James raced outside to fetch a ladder, climbing up toward Clifts bedroom window. An interviewer once asked him what his hobbies were, Clift replied, "women. Clift asserts that the actors use of alcohol and prescription drugs stemmed, primarily, from a near-fatal car accident in 1956. . / Is he alive? After the success of 1953sFrom Here to Eternity, Montgomery Clift suddenly stopped making films. I Confess - Hitchcock - His Life in Pictures Magazine Pictorial [United Kingdom] (June 2022), Montgomery Clift - Retro Magazine Pictorial [Poland] (May 2022), Montgomery Clift - Pani domu Magazine Pictorial [Poland] (August 2011). He was one of Hollywoods most desirable leading men, but mystery shrouded his entire private life. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. 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. 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. He was, at least in the press, something approaching asexualthe title of a Motion Picture article, authored by Clift, declared simply, I Like It Lonely!. But when his nephew dives into the family archives, a much more complicated picture emerges. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. Montgomery Clift is a member of the following lists: American film actors, Actors Studio alumni and Bisexual actors. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. 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. He summoned a doctor, but it was already too late. 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. In Montgomery Clift: A Biography, author Patricia Bosworth describes Monty's father Bill as passive, good-natured, and very dependent on his charismatic wife, Sunny. Montgomery Blair (May 10, 1813 - July 27, 1883) was an American politician and lawyer from Maryland. 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. Clift appeared in The Misfits, a revisionist western best known as the final film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. Elizabeth Taylor Tried to Seduce Montgomery Clift Then Stood By Him After He Came Out to Her Despite his deep attraction to Taylor, at first Clift couldn't bring himself to tell her he was. Clift was off the Hollywood scene for four years, within which his career declined. The actress had read many articles about Clift's acting prowess and thought she would not be the perfect match. There was a nonchalance to Clifts attitude in regards to women. Clift had a fraternal twin sister, Roberta, and a brother, William Brooks Clift Jr, who had an illegitimate son with actress Kim Stanley. 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. (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. Have I said something wrong? For somewhat mysterious reasons, Robert Clifts father Brooks taped endless conversations with his famous brother, as well as with their mother and other figures relevant to the story. I thought he was dead. He immediately returned to Taylors house to notify the party of the bloody disaster. But after an initial flurry of coverage, he retreated from public view entirely. A portrait of Montgomery Clift acting as Matt Garth in the western film "Red River" on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty Images. 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. said: Oh. But that wasnt the wildest part of the story. Realizing that Clift was in mortal danger, McCarthy raced to the scene of the accident. Beautiful man. Determined to make it better, he made some key changesand they made allthe difference. She noted that they needed to live a life of equality while being able to get married and adopt kids. You see, the entire healing process put Clift through the paces. Hepburn was reportedly so incensed by Mankiewiczs treatment of Clift that when the film officially wrapped, she found the director and spat in his face. It was, however, much olderby the time Raintree County made its way to theaters, hed been off the screen for four and a half years. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? Taylor, at last free from her long-standing contract with MGM, next used her power as the biggest star in Hollywood to insist that Clift be cast in her new project, Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. The Life and Sad Ending of Montgomery Clift The Life and Sad Ending 182K subscribers Subscribe 2.2K Share 106K views 2 years ago Mini bio of the life of actor Montgomery Clift who is. He also didnt want to sign a contract with a studio, then the only viable way into the business. A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter. Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) is one of the most tragic figures in Hollywood history. Allegedly, Rock Hudson was there to pull Clift from the wreckage and it was Taylor who held the stricken actor in her arms. Some of the greatest celebrities of the day came out to mourn Clift at his funeral, including Lauren Bacall and Frank Sinatra. ", However, it became more eminent that his single status bordered on his sexuality as time went on. The decline continued. He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE 1953 DVD PUBLIC DOMAIN FILM MONTGOMERY CLIFT. By the time they shared the screen together for the first time, in the classic murder-romance-melodrama, A Place in the Sun (1951), both were bona fide box-office draws: Taylor had been onscreen since she was 10, and Clift a soulful, introverted Method actor who influenced countless others who came after him had already garnered the first of his four career Oscar nominations. 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. But the facial reconstruction, heavy painkiller use, and rampant alcohol abuse made it look like hed aged a decade. The movie, which plays at the LGBTQ movie festival NewFest in New York, refutes scores of oft-repeated assumptions about Clifts life, from his motivations as an actor, to his relationship with his mother to the characterization of his later years. Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. Christine Tran is a history buff(ette) and media scholar. And yet, the mystery persists. . Montgomery Clift 39 30. It was a huge wager: since everyone knew how much booze and pills Clift was on, he was virtually uninsurable on set. As such, Taylors intervention only enhances the very real love story that existed between her and Clift. But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. Taylor opened his mouth, put her hand down his throat, and pulled out the teeth. Ad Choices. Taylor talked about the need for staunch support for gay people and their rights. During the peak period of his career, the actor and some Hollywood friends were returning from a party held at Taylor's home. Next came "The Nutty Professor" as Lewis' student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. Luckily, his isolated lifestyle gave him an advantage. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. She once lovingly described how she was in awe of the star actor's perfect facial features. While on his way back, he had an accident. Jack Larson, famous for playing Jimmy Olsen in the hit 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman, recalled how Clift gave him a full mouth kiss the first time they casually met. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. By 15, Clift made his Broadway debut in Cole Porters Jubilee. Clift detested Waynes antiquated male constraints. This would not only show off his range but allow him to sidestep any dangers of typecasting. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne Helen Petersen recounts the actors lonely life, ferocious talent, and tragic decline. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. 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. Unlike many other actors, he didnt jump straight into a contract. The old Hollywood system was breaking apart and he was a major part of that., The first role Clift took, opposite John Wayne in Red River in 1948, offered a stark contrast in masculine presentations. But he was handsome and beguiling on-screen, creating an appetite for confirmation of that same Clift off the screen. In the bathroom, James found Clift in his bathtub, undressed and obviously deceased. When interviewed, the "From Here to Eternity" actor would wave it off, noting that he would be with a woman when he finds the right person. Montgomery's ancestry was English, as well as more distant Scottish, Dutch, German and French. Following The Misfits, Clifts disintegration continued. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. These are just among the many words which have been used to describe Montgomery Clift, the enigmatic heartthrob of the 1950s. Director: William Wyler | Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins Votes: 16,212 4. Help us build our profile of Montgomery Clift! A year and a half away from her own tragic end, Marilyn Monroe described Clift as the only person I know who is in even worse shape than I am. Together, this cast truly reflected a band of withering misfits. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 1920-10-17. By 1950, he was troubled with allergies and colitis (the U.S. Army had rejected him for military service in World War II for chronic diarrhea) and, along with pill problems, he was alcoholic. When the press talked about Clift, they talked about the skill and the beauty, but they also talked about what an offbeat, weird guy he was. 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. Over the next 10 years, he earned prominent roles in plays by Tennessee Williams and Thornton Wilder, opposite stars like Fredrick March and Tallulah Bankhead. . Regardless of the veracity of this story, one thing remains true: theres not a single picture of Clifts broken face. Montgomery Blair. Hollywood began to see him as hostile and messy and frugal, and Clift wasnt having it. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Taylor, on the other hand, felt intimidated when she was yet to meet him. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. Actor Montgomery Clift, 45, three times nominated for Academy Awards, died early Saturday of a heart attack in his plush East Side townhouse. d-d-darling, I r-r-really wouldnt know. And even then, he didnt live a glamorous movie star existence. And then there was the physical toll. He may have been lonely but the distance he put between his public life and his work life helped keep his mysterious bachelorhood in check. But the drama didnt end there. What finally brought him back to the screen? In 1929, the Wall Street Crash hit Clifts father like a ton of bricks, and his mothers dreams disappeared in an instant. 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. While they may not make old-timers forget the Greta Garbo-John Gilbert embraces of the 20s, Miss Taylor and Mr. Clift lose no chance to show why they are considered two of the hottest juveniles in Hollywood. He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. or over 30 years, scripts have floated around Hollywood promising to tell the story of Montgomery Clift, one of the most innovative and handsome actors in history. He was such a mess on the set of Freud (1962) that Universal sued him. cocksucker. Then, sweetly, wide-eyed with little girl navet, she It turned into John Cassavetes' "Too Late Blues," with Bobby Darrin. ), Elizabeth Taylor, Roddy McDowell, Dean Martin, Kevin McCarthy, Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Jones, Libby Holman, Thornton Wilder, Salka Viertel, Stewart Granger, Jack Larson, Oscar Levant, Pilar Levi, Giuseppe Perrone, Fred Zinnemann, Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Abigail Tommye Adams. Hes so beautiful, murmured Miss Parker. . When James offered to join him, the belligerent shot him down immediately, crying, Absolutely not.Sadly, this was Montgomery Clifts final interaction. The film-makers interviewed Bosworth extensively for the movie, but they contrast her words with old taped conversations she had with the actors brother. Where were these so-called women? Well, at the very heart of it all, Montgomery Clift hid a dangerous secretone that wouldnt emerge untilyears later. Elizabeth Taylor stuck by her friends, and Montgomery Clift undoubtedly claimed a special spot in her heart. The truth didnt come out until the 70s. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. At the age of 25, Clift made the leap to Hollywoodbut he was a rebel right from the get-go. Throughout filming, members of the crew came up with code words to alert everyone about the lead actors level of intoxication. 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?. Some believe that Clifts romantic leanings were much less of a secret than originally thought. Born on October 17, 1920, Edward Montgomery Clift was born into a family with lofty ideals. But when hedid get a hankering for a fun excursion, Clift knew exactly where he wanted to be. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. From Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of Hollywood Cinema by Anne Helen Petersen, to be published by arrangement with Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC on September 30, 2014 2014 by Anne Helen Petersen. Many of the myths surrounding Clift sprang from two biographies: a salacious one by Robert Laguardia and another flawed work by Patricia Bosworth, titled A Life. She is completing her PhD in Toronto, Canada.