Were not trying to give a definitive version of who Monty was, added Clift. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter. As such, Taylors intervention only enhances the very real love story that existed between her and Clift. Author Christopher Isherwood aptly illustrated Montgomery Clifts shocking transformation: Nearly all his good looks are goneHe has a ghastly, shattered expression. But remember, Clift was never one to dwell on his looks, and it must have been frustrating that everyone else cared so much. At the end of the day, Clifts private nurse Lorenzo James checked in on him just after midnight. 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. 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. He was one of Hollywoods most desirable leading men, but mystery shrouded his entire private life. His apartment, which he rented for 10 dollars a month, was described by friends as beat up and by him as terrific. He survived on two meals a day, mostly combinations of steak, eggs, and orange juice, and he eschewed nightclubs, instead spending his spare time reading Chekov, classic works of history and economics, and Aristotle, whom he praised for his belief in happiness, or the gentle art of the soul. When he wasnt reading or exhausting himself in preparation for a part, he liked to go to the local night court and attend high-profile court cases just to watch the humanity on display. Her interests include the European Renaissance, popular culture, and Internet history. Director: William Wyler | Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins Votes: 16,212 4. There were questions about the woman in his life and why he was single. Montgomery Clift was an undeniably attractive man, and before long, hed cultivated a rather passionate female fan base. She developed an intense decade-plus obsession over the young actor, even financing an experimental play, "Mexican Mural" for him. Moments after the accident, actor Kevin McCarthy, driving in front of Clift, ran back to check on him, seeing that his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. He is most remembered for A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953).. His zodiac sign is Libra. 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. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! . Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. In a new documentary, myths and assumptions about the Oscar-nominated heartthrob who struggled with his sexuality are replaced with the little-known truth. Unlike many of his handsome contemporaries, he never had a blonde bombshell hanging off his arm. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. We want our readers to trust us. ufff q hombre tan guapo y atractivo, y grn actor ademas, como me hubiese gustado conocerlo con unos ojos maravillosos. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand., Clifts private life was boringhe didnt date, he didnt flirt, he didnt hang out in public. Which gives that narrative a lot of traction. Suddenly, the Clift family was completely broke and had no choice to move to New York. Some of the greatest celebrities of the day came out to mourn Clift at his funeral, including Lauren Bacall and Frank Sinatra. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. This made him an A-list actor and a multi-award-winning star. Of course, Clift didnt walk away unscathed either. Montgomery Clift had the most earnest of faces: big, pleading eyes, a set jaw, and the sort of immaculate side part we havent seen since. Even if Clift himself was already spiraling out of control, playing a character that did the same only amplified the psychological toll. Montgomery Clift was an undeniably attractive man, and before long, he'd cultivated a rather passionate female fan base. That said, he kept his sexuality a secret: The prejudices of the time left him no choice. d-d-darling, I r-r-really wouldnt know. 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. 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. Montgomery Clift girlfriend, wife list. While filmingRaintree County, Clift attended a dinner party at Taylors housebut sadly, he didnt make it home in one piece. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. Making Montgomery Clift is a 2018 American documentary film by directors Robert Anderson Clift and Hillary Demmon chronicling the life of the actor Montgomery Clift till his death in 1966. One time when he was delivering his line on the set of "The Search," he mistakenly called a boy 'dear' and insisted that the director did a reshoot. Taylor had married British actor Michael Wilding in 1952, but by 1956, their marriage was in decline. What does he inspire anyone to do drink, die young? Montgomery Clift's nephew, co-directing 'Making Montgomery Clift,' an eye-opening documentary about the great movie actor, excavates a treasure trove of family archives. . Clift was unperturbed by his apparent lack of a love life: he told the press that he would get married when he met a girl he wanted to marry; in the meantime, he was playing the field. When another columnist asked him if he had any hobbies, he replied, Yes, women. But as the years passed, it became more and more clear that Clift wasnt just picky. Free delivery for many products! 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. The two met under the big tent where they performed together. His interests lay elsewhere. Montgomery Clift had passed due to a heart attack, but many assumed that his addictions and various health problems contributed to his early death. This showed in his consciousness of being seen as feminine in any way. 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. He also sunk into alcoholism, of which Taylor and some other friends tried to help him. 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. While filming a 15-minute supporting role as a mentally handicapped victim of the Holocaust in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), he had to ad-lib all of his lines. 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. yo tambien hubiera tenido algo con el claro que si, Monty, I love you. Montgomery Clift Born: 1920-10-17, Omaha, Nebraska, USA Education: NA Ethnicity: Caucasian Death Date:-0001-11-30 Addition Websites. Clift appeared in The Misfits, a revisionist western best known as the final film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. The long suicide was complete. When Clift became a household name in the movie industry, his romantic life became a widely-discussed subject by the press. Thanks for your time! Although he may not have realized it, Clifts horrific accident sparked the beginning of the end, intensifying his preexisting ailments and sending him down a dark path from which he could never return. She noted that they needed to live a life of equality while being able to get married and adopt kids. If you have a story that tracks along that line, that will feel true to people. Clift, of course, knew better. The truth didnt come out until the 70s. Picture 1 of 12 . 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. He died. The view then about queer people was that they would be inherently conflicted or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon. is the hero of a long, oppressively powerful movie called A Place in the Sun. Directed by George Stevens for Paramount, it gives three young actors [Shelley Winters brilliantly played the poor girl] the chance to give the most natural performances of their careers. 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). TAYLOR ON CLIFT'S SEXUALITY AFTER HIS DEATH. 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. Show more . 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. He wasnt solely an actor, she said. 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. . July 22, 1966, was a sweltering day in New York City, and Montgomery Clift had been languishing in his townhouse on 61st Street. He hated the criticism and the labels, and eventually, he just couldnt take it anymore. One infamous fact about Montgomery Clift is that he only owned one suit. There are a few versions that detail the aftermath of Clifts accident, but one has all the drama of a motion picture itself. Elizabeth Taylor (all of 17 years old) and Montgomery Clift posed together at Paramount Studios during a break in filming A Place in the Sun. Many Hollywood stars have committed versions of the long suicide. Years before, Clift had battled dysentery, which introduced him to the sinister side effects of pain management. Upon closer inspection, Clifts career reveals notable clues as to who he genuinely was and the private struggles he faced. / Montys face is broken on a wheel. Still, his second venture was perhaps even more of an impressive feat. Universal Studios actuallysued him for the losses they incurred because of his troublesome behavior. Clift was off the Hollywood scene for four years, within which his career declined. After all, his leading lady was none other than the beguiling Elizabeth Taylor, and together, these two stars were pure fire. When The Heiress came out, Clift's loyal fanatics came with their claws out and wrote vicious letters to Olivia de Havilland for rejecting Clift's character in the film. After his accident, Clift had an arduous road to recovery. Christine Tran is a history buff(ette) and media scholar. Teach, I loved the way how he played in A Place in the Sun. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Sensitive, mysterious, brooding, and suspiciously single. But even Monroe reported that Clift was the only person I know who is in even worse shape than I am. The pictures from the set are as poignant as they are heartbreaking: its as if all three were meditating on their respective declines, and theres a sad, peaceful resignation at the difference between what their bodies could do and how people wanted to remember them. Ex-lover Larson said in the film that Clift actually preferred his work after the accident to his performances before. He could watch the real grit of humanity play out before himthe court a stage for some of the most sensational high-profile cases. His . With Clift on board, Suddenly, Last Summer morphed into a verifiable mess. About But the press will always be the press, and no amount of Montgomery Clifts ire could change that. He told everyone that hed marry when he met the right girl, but that in the meantime, he was simply playing the field. Once, when questioned about his pastimes, he quipped, Yes, women. But where were they? It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. In 1929, the Wall Street Crash hit Clifts father like a ton of bricks, and his mothers dreams disappeared in an instant. ), 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. Edward Montgomery Clift was born on October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. It was ironic his relationship with the bisexual middle-aged Holman would be the principal (and likely the last) heterosexual relationship of his life and only cause him further anguish over his sexuality. 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. 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. Sumner Redstone in Love: The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire, The elderly media titan flexed his MTV ownership, rang his grandson at 3 a.m. for hookups with new women, and rewarded companions with stock options and TV shows. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 1920-10-17. A portrait of Elizabeth Taylor And Montgomery Clift from the film "A Place In The Sun", 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. Contemporaries like James Dean and Marlon Brando also did. 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. It was unheard of, especially for a young star, but it was a sellers market. cocksucker, isnt he, Tallulah? Miss Bankhead said: Well, Benign to most but, in hindsight, highly suggestive. Their. After the success of 1953sFrom Here to Eternity, Montgomery Clift suddenly stopped making films. 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. When he came to visit storied fan-magazine author Elsa Maxwell at her home, she had her maid darn the elbow in his jacket. True or not, the resilience of the story is a testimony to what people wanted to believe about the bond between the two stars. He had a close friendship with a woman named Myra Letts, whom the gossip columnists tried arduously to frame as a love interest. 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. Clift's childhood was unconventional. About a month afterThe Misfitswrapped, Gable suffered a heart attack and passed. Making Montgomery Clift, which was co-directed by Clift's nephew Robert Clift (and Robert's wife Hillary. To Clift, however, he considered his humble home terrific.. However, the filming of The Misfits had a shadow lurking over it. Luckily, over time, they clawed their way back to financial security. A bulls horn scarred his nose and his attempt to tame a horse gave him intense rope burnnot to mention all the other scrapes he earned along the way. He called it as he saw it, describing himself as an ordinary, second-class wolf.. Lorenzo came into the picture when Monty was at his lowest. But when he climbed into the room, he discovered something absolutely gut-wrenching. Woodbury Blair was the son of Montgomery Blair, after whom his great-grandson received his middle name, and wife Mary Elizabeth Woodbury, daughter of Levi Woodbury (1789-1851), United States Supreme Court, and wife Elizabeth Wendell Clapp. Whether morally repulsive or philosophically compelling, The Misfits bombed, only to be recuperated, years later, as a masterpiece of the revisionist genre. Clift was there, as were actors Kevin McCarthy and Rock Hudson, and Hudson's wife, Phyllis Gates, per Vanity Fair. 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. Hailed as one of Hollywood's first true Method actors, Edward Montgomery Clift was born October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. Eyebrows were raised when the actor shared in an article he authored that he liked it "lonely. But this wasnt the actors first time at the rodeo. 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. 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. . Perkins, who once fended off the advances of Brigitte Bardot, later went to a shrink who maintained that homosexuality could be "cured," and in 1973 he married photographer Berry Berenson. Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. Marlon Brando girlfriend, wife list. So finely In fact, after the lovers have been separated for good and the young man is in the death house [Clifts character murders Winters after getting her pregnant], the face of the girl comes floating in via double exposure to give him a last unsubstantial peck before he goes out to be executed. In one tape made by his father in the 1960s, we hear the stars mother tell him, with untroubled candor, that Monty was a homosexual early. He advanced a collaborative approach with his directors, working over scripts and making suggestions for edits. During her appearance at the GLAAD Media Awards, Taylor openly spoke about her late friends sexuality while she addressed the rights of gay people. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. But that wasnt all. Above all, Clift was perpetually curious. But the drama didnt end there. Clift simply wasnt cut out for school, and unlike his siblings, turned his back on higher education. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun. But, in general, his relationships with men had more to do with sex than with a deep emotional connection. From here on out, however, he plunged even further into his addiction. Between 1963 and 1966, he faded from public view, emerging only to film a final performance in the French spy thriller The Defector (1966). A seeming exception was one in his final years with a man named Lorenzo who had been hired to help him. He also didnt want to sign a contract with a studio, then the only viable way into the business. She wouldnt die for another year and a half, but Misfits would be her last completed film. Montgomery Clift 39 30. Something was seriously wrong. . "Monty," as the performer was known to family and . His smashed face was rebuilt, he reconciled with his estranged father, but he continued bedeviled by dependency on drugs and his unrelenting guilt over his homosexuality.With his Hollywood career in an irreversible slide despite giving an occasional riveting performance, such as in Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Monty returned to New York and tried to slowly develop a somewhat more sensible lifestyle in his brownstone row house on East 61st Street in Manhattan. 3.80. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Can he still feel?). Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Montgomery Clift didnt need much to keep himself happy and entertained. INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE 1953 DVD PUBLIC DOMAIN FILM MONTGOMERY CLIFT. He became so known for his tousled appearance that theLos Angeles Times dubbed him the Rumpled Movie Idol. With his ancient, ramshackle car, and a circle of friends outsidethe realm of Hollywood, he certainly didnt fit the mold. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne. The entire scene was extremely unsettling as Clift still wore his eyeglasses, and had his hands rigidly clenched. In remembering Clift, McCarthy said, his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. ), 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. He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). Clift, however, lived a two-faceted life concerning his sexuality. Nearly all his good looks are gone, Isherwood wrote. Nope. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. Throughout filming, members of the crew came up with code words to alert everyone about the lead actors level of intoxication. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun. You see, when Clift sat down to read through the script for The Search,he was less than enthused with the writing. Some sources have the crash occurring when Clift was leaving the event, while others state he was on his way there. The subject matter, which involved him assisting in the cover-up of a dead mans apparent homosexuality, must have sparked mixed emotions. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. She made it known that it all boiled down to love. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. He used them to numb his physical pain. Of course, Clift took one of his greatest secrets to his grave. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. Montgomery Clift was in relationships with Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Henry Willson, Jack Larson, William LeMassena, Libby Holman, Maurice Leonard and Arnold Saint Subber. Welcome to Who Is Montgomery Clift?, a page dedicated to showcasing actors & movie makers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Jennifer Jones (Actor), Montgomery Clift (Actor), Vittorio De Sica (Director) Format: DVD 127 ratings IMDb 6.2/10.0 $797 Prime Video $0.99 $2.99 Blu-ray $14.99 DVD $7.97 VHS Tape $4.73 See More Frequently bought together + + Total price: $27.95 Add all three to Cart Some of these items ship sooner than the others. Unlike many other actors, he didnt jump straight into a contract. Allegedly, Rock Hudson was there to pull Clift from the wreckage and it was Taylor who held the stricken actor in her arms. Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) is one of the most tragic figures in Hollywood history. The script wasnt necessarily that special, but it would give him a chance to re-unite with Elizabeth Taylor, and that, it seemed, was enough to pull him out of semi-retirement. Dazzling Facts About Elizabeth Taylor, The Queen Of Hollywood, Stabbed In The Back: These Real-Life Betrayals Are Straight Up Brutal, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Plot Twist: These Surprise Endings Made Our Jaws Hit The Floor, These Ultra-Spoiled Brats Made Our Eyes Roll Into Our Heads. Hes so beautiful, murmured Miss Parker. 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. Montgomery Clift was certainly one of a kind, and when he landed in Hollywood, it became extremely clear that he was going to do things his own way. The actress had read many articles about Clift's acting prowess and thought she would not be the perfect match. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Carlo Fiore and Marlon Brando were in . Okay, if were being totally honest, Montgomery Clifts reserved lifestyle didnt exactly excite the press; it actually kind of stumped them. Liz Ronk edited this gallery for LIFE.com. In 1925 Theodore Dreiser [told such a tale in his] long, oppressively powerful novel, An American Tragedy, which in turn made only a fair movie in 1931. Free shipping for many products! It was a flimsy speculation built on shaky evidence, but with no sign of any real lovemaking in Clifts life, it was all the fan magazines had.

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