Montgomery Clift made a name for himself in Hollywood with several awards and nominations. Clift earned best-actor Oscar nominations for 1951s A Place in the Sun and 1953s From Here to Eternity; both times he lost to older actors (Humphrey Bogart and William Holden, respectively), and established his reputation, alongside Marlon Brando and James Dean, as a young outsider whose talent intimidated Hollywood. What finally brought him back to the screen? He died in 1966 at the age of 45. 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. 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. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. Monroe and Taylor are shadowed by Montgomery. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. She developed an intense decade-plus obsession over the young actor, even financing an experimental play, "Mexican Mural" for him. What happened next is somewhat fuzzy: one version has Hudson pulling Clift from the car and Taylor cradling him in her arms, at which point Clift started choking and motioning to his throat, where, it soon became clear, two of his teeth had lodged themselves after coming loose during the accident. But even the troubled blonde bombshell recognized that her co-star was in dire straits. 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 the rife, overstuffed annals of Hollywood, few real-life love stories can match that of Liz Taylor and Montgomery Clift. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. Show more . 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. 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. . But when his nephew dives into the family archives, a much more complicated picture emerges. However, his worry began to mount when the actor didnt respond to his insistent knocking. We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! Itd be his only film with Brando, even though the two barely shared the screen. He worked on a summer production where his talents blossomed and it opened an auspicious doorone that would seal his fate forever. He also detested the man. . There were no wild outings for this reserved homebody. cocksucker, isnt he, Tallulah? Miss Bankhead said: Well, But 1961 audiences were too close to the day-to-day deterioration of its stars to see the meditative genius of The Misfits. Before long, photographers began to descend on the gory scene. Fellow actor Kevin McCarthy was driving ahead of Clift when the horror show went down. Something was seriously wrong. Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. Montgomery Clift girlfriend, wife list. Montgomery Clift is American by birth. You couldn't help but come. Yet Clift would come to hate the image that constrained him, just as he hated the suggestion that he was a slob, unfriendly, or loathed in Hollywood: after the story of his bare closet came out in the Saturday Evening Post, he worked arduously to set the record straight, underlining the ways in which publicity takes a kernel of the truth and expands it into legend. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. With his screenwriting suggestions, the film took home an Academy Award. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. In his words, I learned that most writers dont need interviews to write about me. 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?. Soon, Montgomery Clift became almost impossible to work with. Indiscretion Of An American Wife -- (Movie Clip) Open, Rome High-wattage credits in unusual combination, from David O. Selznick's short feature Indiscretion Of An American Wife, 1954, starring Jennifer Jones and Montgomery Clift, directed by Vittorio De Sica, dialogue by Truman Capote. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. (1936), Ghostwriting Gloria Swanson: The Strange, Sexually Charged Genesis of a Legendary Autobiography, A New Power Generation: Radhika Jones Introduces the 2023 Hollywood Issue, Salma Hayek Pinault Explains How She Got Hollywood to Stop Typecasting Her as Sexy. The director, John Huston, supposedly brought in Clift because he thought hed have a soothing effect on Monroe, who was deeply embroiled in her own addictions, with her own personal demons. He advanced a collaborative approach with his directors, working over scripts and making suggestions for edits. Clift wasn't one to hide a feeling, which made him a great actor and also a terrible straight man. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. She is completing her PhD in Toronto, Canada. Unlike many of his handsome contemporaries, he never had a blonde bombshell hanging off his arm. His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (1886-1964), was the vice-president of Omaha National Trust Company. His parents were Quakers and met as students at Cornell University, marrying in 1914. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. / Cut the applause and dim the light. 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. 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. The decline continued. He pointed out that she just let the director determine her every move. Nothing could have prepared him for what he discovered. Some believe that Clifts romantic leanings were much less of a secret than originally thought. Picture Information. His interests lay elsewhere. On the set of 1958sLonelyhearts,Clift had a message for those that tried to fit him into a box. But when he climbed into the room, he discovered something absolutely gut-wrenching. At the end of the day, Clifts private nurse Lorenzo James checked in on him just after midnight. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. 5 talking about this. In the face of such criticism, Clift went ahead and confused the gossip columns even more. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives. About a month afterThe Misfitswrapped, Gable suffered a heart attack and passed. Whether this captivating story is real or not remains to be seen. On the morning of July 23, 1966, Montgomery Clift's housemate couldn't wake the actor. That secret, depending on your source, was that Clift was gay or bisexual. In The Young Lions (1958), released just two years after the accident, the pain and resentment seem almost visible. In Clifts eyes, de Havilland imparted nothing of herself into the role. The most beautiful young man Ive ever seen. / Montys face is broken on a wheel. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 1h 3min. William Brooks Clift (Was A Vice-President Of Omaha National Trust Company. Whether platonic or not, these two actors shared an undeniable bond that was undeniably strengthened by this one unfortunate event. It was a huge wager: since everyone knew how much booze and pills Clift was on, he was virtually uninsurable on set. Taylor, caught up in filming with Richard Burton in Paris, sent flowers to the funeral. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Help us build our profile of Montgomery Clift! Thats not what people would expect from a mother in that period.. ", However, it became more eminent that his single status bordered on his sexuality as time went on. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. In 1951, Clift embarked upon one of his most famous roles as George Eastman inA Place in the Sun. 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. Teach, I loved the way how he played in A Place in the Sun. Yet, according to a new documentary, titled Making Montgomery Clift, the stars substance abuse had nothing at all to do with his sexuality. Directors Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Writers Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Stars Login While filmingRaintree County, Clift attended a dinner party at Taylors housebut sadly, he didnt make it home in one piece. 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. Thanks for your time! Montgomery Clift Born: 1920-10-17, Omaha, Nebraska, USA Education: NA Ethnicity: Caucasian Death Date:-0001-11-30 Addition Websites. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 1920-10-17. 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. Firstly, he didnt even like Hollywood, preferring to stay in New York as much as he could. They took a risk on the troubled actorand it endedbadly. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor. That said, he kept his sexuality a secret: The prejudices of the time left him no choice. Nearly all his good looks are gone, Isherwood wrote. Of course, as unusual as his lifestyle seemed, healso had a number of interesting routines. Months of surgeries, rebuilding, and physical therapy followed. And even then, he didnt live a glamorous movie star existence. Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. 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. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.2 stars out of 10. Lancaster's . RIP GEORGOUS MONTY. 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. Which gives that narrative a lot of traction. . Observers also point out that Clift had sexual relationships with women. Clift appeared in The Misfits, a revisionist western best known as the final film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. True or not, the resilience of the story is a testimony to what people wanted to believe about the bond between the two stars. However, even with all the negative hubbub surrounding this shoot, it was nothing compared to the darkness of one of Clifts next projects. According to two A-list biographers, the late star was gay. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. The actress had read many articles about Clift's acting prowess and thought she would not be the perfect match. She continued to stand by his memory by supporting gay rights and speaking out against homophobia. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. For Clift, The Heiress was a mess from top to bottom, and he even walked out on the films premiere, disgusted with his own performance. 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. at the best online prices at eBay! Merv was a sexual predator who once tried to sexually assault Danny Terrio, then threatened to ruin his career if he talked. 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. His father made a lot of money in banking but was quite poor during the depression. The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now, Titled Refueling at Albuquerque, New Mexico, in Clifts handwriting. Clift asserts that the actors use of alcohol and prescription drugs stemmed, primarily, from a near-fatal car accident in 1956. By the early 1950s he was exclusively homosexual, though he continued to hide his homosexuality and maintained a number of close friendships with theater women (heavily promoted by studio publicists).His film debut was Red River (1948) with John Wayne quickly followed by his early personal success The Search (1948) (Oscar nominations for this, A Place in the Sun (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)). When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. Clifts sexuality, like those other 50s idols Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, was carefully concealed from the public. . But the drama didnt end there. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest celebrity news, but don't worry we have you covered. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? So finely 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? 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. Instead, Clift enjoyed reading, filling his spare moments with Chekov and Aristotlediving into history, or learning about economics. At the time of the premiere, Monroe had been admitted to a psychiatric ward and required a day pass just to attend. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives, as well as to the familys story, courtesy of a special connection: the doc was co-directed by the stars nephew, Robert Clift, and his wife, Hillary Demmon. Montgomery Clift 39 30. 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. From the start, Clift was framed as a rebel and an individual. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE 1953 DVD PUBLIC DOMAIN FILM MONTGOMERY CLIFT. These are just among the many words which have been used to describe Montgomery Clift, the enigmatic heartthrob of the 1950s. Their. His first two films were smashing successesand for veryimpressive reasons. There was a nonchalance to Clifts attitude in regards to women. In his eyes, he wasnt a rebel, he was simply an actor who wanted to portray a slice of life. Tired of being boxed in, he stated, I am notrepeat nota member of the Beat Generation. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Heres A Mystery: Why Did Arthur Conan Doyles Son Dress Up Like a Knight? Luckily, his isolated lifestyle gave him an advantage. For us, it seemed there was this big difference between what people thought about Monty in the public sphere and what people that knew him would say, said Clift. He got him going again. He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. Grasping at straws, the media decided to do what little they could to sensationalize the actors non-existent, One of Clifts closest friends was a woman named Myra Letts, and for the ruthless gossip columns, it wasnt a huge leap from friend to girlfriend. Clift didnt entertain this for a second and shot the sordid speculations down immediately, saying that there was zero intimacy between them: those romantic rumors are embarrassing to both of us..