However, one salient fact remains: Clifts ruined face never made it to the papersIn fact, not one photograph of that night exists. With unprecedented control over the projects he starred in, Clift agreed to do the romantic drama, The Heiress. That said, he kept his sexuality a secret: The prejudices of the time left him no choice. Free shipping for many products! / Cut the applause and dim the light. Of course, when it came to his appearance, this gorgeous star really didnt give a hoot. His injuries included a broken nose and jaw, a fractured sinus, and deep cuts across his face that called for extensive plastic surgery. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. (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. His own mother, in a voice recording played in Making Montgomery Clift, said, "Monty was a . Taylor, caught up in filming with Richard Burton in Paris, sent flowers to the funeral. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? His interests lay elsewhere. Liz Taylor, Montgomery Clift: Rare Photos, 'A Place in the Sun,' 1950 He surely wasnt a suave Prince Charming, and yet, on-screen, he was a downright masterpiece. 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. Above all, Clift was perpetually curious. d-d-darling, I r-r-really wouldnt know. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. After filming wrapped, she tracked him down and spat directly in his face. . 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. July 24, 1966 12 AM PT. Welcome to Who Is Montgomery Clift?, a page dedicated to showcasing actors & movie makers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. 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. 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. I mean, he is a Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. In a new documentary, myths and assumptions about the Oscar-nominated heartthrob who struggled with his sexuality are replaced with the little-known truth. 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). But for 12 years, he set Hollywood aflame. A wild exclusive excerpt from the new book, Oscars 2023: Yes, Some Awards Movies Flopped, but Art Matters, How in the F--k Does Anyone Live Here?: Bret Easton Ellis on Life, Art, and What the Hell Happened to Manhattan, Todd Field on 2 Decades of Oscar Campaigns, From, I didnt realize the deadly minefield of a campaign season, the Oscar nominee says in a career-spanning interview. Universal Studios actuallysued him for the losses they incurred because of his troublesome behavior. Taped interviews with his brother reveal that the actor felt those roles werent quite right for him and he didnt want to make the wrong first impression. Clifts teacher, Robert Lewis, called his gradual decline the longest suicide in Hollywood history. Although he had problems before filmingRaintree County, Clifts drinking was more pronounced than ever. Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 July 23, 1966) was an American actor. But the tragedies didnt end there. He could watch the real grit of humanity play out before himthe court a stage for some of the most sensational high-profile cases. I think he was 12 or 13., Its obviously a non-issue for her, co-director Demmon said. His other side was mostly hidden and only became widely known after he passed on, thanks to his friend and colleague Elizabeth Taylor. He wasnt solely an actor, she said. With alarm bells screaming in his head, James raced outside to fetch a ladder, climbing up toward Clifts bedroom window. He knew that people would flock to the cinema just to see his damaged face. / Is he alive? While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor. But Clift knew the film would be a smash, if only because audiences would want to compare his long unseen face from before and after the accident. There were even speculations that he was warned about being gay. 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!. Their claims were deemed reliable because one of the biographers was certified by one of Clift's confidants. But that wasnt the wildest part of the story. Whether he liked it or not, they were out for a storyAnd the one they wanted above all? He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. Yet, according to a new documentary, titled Making Montgomery Clift, the stars substance abuse had nothing at all to do with his sexuality. Elizabeth Taylor Tried to Seduce Montgomery Clift - Peoplemag Regardless of the veracity of this story, one thing remains true: theres not a single picture of Clifts broken face. He worked on a summer production where his talents blossomed and it opened an auspicious doorone that would seal his fate forever. 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. Carlo Fiore and Marlon Brando were in . In The Young Lions (1958), released just two years after the accident, the pain and resentment seem almost visible. A car crash in the prime of his career left him in constant pain, and he drank himself to an early death, creating an aesthetic of suffering that has guided the way we think about him today. Close friends, such as actor Kevin McCarthy and his wife, tried to get Clift to slow down and dry out, but their pleas . Montgomery Clift's Disastrous Car Wreck Changed His Career Forever He was sick of being a symbol, a symptom, a testament to something. 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. As to why Bosworth drew on the gay-self-hate narrative, and why that view took hold, the directors blame the homophobia of the time the book was written, in the 1970s. It turned into John Cassavetes' "Too Late Blues," with Bobby Darrin. Ad Choices. . 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. 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. I am not one of Americas Angry Young Men. He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). From here on out, however, he plunged even further into his addiction. Born on October 17, 1920, Edward Montgomery Clift was born into a family with lofty ideals. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. I do not count myself as a member of the ripped-sweatshirt fraternity.. The actress had read many articles about Clift's acting prowess and thought she would not be the perfect match. He could barely remember his lines and often didnt show up to set. The Young Lions (film) - Wikipedia ), 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. He started out in films in the late 1940's and immediately made a name for himself with his good looks and emotionally raw performances. 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. The pieces of the puzzle dont quite fit. But this wasnt the actors first time at the rodeo. A still of Montgomery Clift. At the end of the day, Clifts private nurse Lorenzo James checked in on him just after midnight. Montgomery Clift is American by birth. In 1951, Clift embarked upon one of his most famous roles as George Eastman inA Place in the Sun. In Clifts eyes, de Havilland imparted nothing of herself into the role. Who is Marlon Brando dating? Marlon Brando girlfriend, wife Ex-lover Larson said in the film that Clift actually preferred his work after the accident to his performances before. 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. Fellow actor Kevin McCarthy was driving ahead of Clift when the horror show went down. 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. 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. And even then, he didnt live a glamorous movie star existence. Free Postage. / Montys face is broken on a wheel. Apparently, one of Clifts tooths had pierced his tongue, causing him to choke. The true story of Montgomery Clift, as told by his youngest nephew All his life, it was misery," said McCarthy. Whatever relationships Clift may have had, he was circumspect. Indiscrecin de una esposa: Dirigido por Vittorio De Sica. Its impossible for us to know what happenedor if the two even had a relationship that went beyond the platonicbut it was returning from a party at Taylors house, mid-filming for Raintree County, that he smashed his car into a telephone pole. Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. 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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. 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. A portrait of Montgomery Clift acting as Matt Garth in the western film "Red River" on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty Images. However, Clift soon realized that you cant always have your cake and eat it too. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. Whisked away to the morgue, Clifts body underwent an autopsy that shed some light on his sudden demise. Indiscretion of an American Wife (1954) - Turner Classic Movies 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. Montgomery's ancestry was English, as well as more distant Scottish, Dutch, German and French. Marlon Brando girlfriend, wife list. 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. 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. The revelation of his sexuality did not emerge until the 70s, when two high-profile biographers, one endorsed by his close confidants, revealed as much, rendering him a gay icon within the span of two years. Of course, Clift didnt walk away unscathed either. A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. They took a risk on the troubled actorand it endedbadly. 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. Can he still feel?). We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. 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 on his way back, he had an accident. He looked about ten years older than the Montgomery Clift audiences remembered and adored. Luckily, over time, they clawed their way back to financial security. (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. Allegedly, hed been forewarned that the truth would destroy his career, and as a result, the actor became increasingly wary of appearing feminine in any way. ': 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. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. 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. Watch 'Indiscretion of an American Wife' Online Streaming (Full Movie Of course, by this time, Clifts drinking problems werent much of a secret, making him a liability to the studio. And when it came to riotous parties, well, he avoided nightlife like the plague. cocksucker, isnt he, Tallulah? Miss Bankhead said: Well, Fearful for her friends image, she threatened the press: If they even dared to take one photo of her friend, she would personally ensure the end of their careers. Montgomery Clift spent a miserly 10 dollars a month on what his friends referred to as a beat up apartment. Montgomery Clift - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. Con Jennifer Jones, Montgomery Clift, Gino Cervi, Richard Beymer. 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. They went to London to see Laurence Olivier together, ate together, sat in front of the fire together, Clift said. ufff q hombre tan guapo y atractivo, y grn actor ademas, como me hubiese gustado conocerlo con unos ojos maravillosos. Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. "Monty," as the performer was known to family and . In fact, his doctors considered it amazing that the actor had even pulled through. Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. And then there was the physical toll. The decline continued. Sensitive, mysterious, brooding, and suspiciously single. Will she ride the term to Oscar gold? He is most remembered for A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953).. His zodiac sign is Libra. We want our readers to trust us. A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". But the producer, Sam Spiegel, decided to go forward, no matter the risk. While filming his next picture, Lonelyhearts (1958), Clift lashed out, proclaiming, I am notrepeat nota member of the Beat Generation. Montgomery Clift made a name for himself in Hollywood with several awards and nominations. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. Heres A Mystery: Why Did Arthur Conan Doyles Son Dress Up Like a Knight? American Actor Montgomery Clift was born Edward Montgomery Clift on 17th October, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA and passed away on 23rd Jul 1966 Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA aged 45. Montgomery Clift: The Untold Story of Hollywood's Misunderstood Star According to Clifts doctors, it was amazing that he was even alive.