In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. He used them to numb his physical pain. Also in 1951, Clift was for the first time cast as Tom in the radio world premiere of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, with Helen Hayes (Amanda) and Karl Malden (the Gentleman Caller), for The Theatre Guild on the Air.[25]. His 15 minute funeral was at attended by 150 mourners, including Lauren Bacall and Sinatra. Jan 30, 2016 - In 1956, Montgomery Clift checked into the Chateau Marmont to recuperate from a near-fatal automobile accident that occurred while he was in production on "Raintree County." The accident occurred as he was leaving a dinner party at the home of his co-star and close friend, Elizabeth Taylor, at the top of Tower Road in Beverly In 1966, Clift finished filming his last project, "The Defector," and returned to his New York City apartment. By 15, Clift made his Broadway debut in Cole Porters Jubilee. Ah, Monty. If you have a story that tracks along that line, that will feel true to people. 12023, Dance with demons: the life of Jerome Robbins by Lawrence, Greg, p. 127, Jerome Robbins: his life, his theater, his dance by Jowitt, Deborah, pp. [61] Montgomery Clift informed his psychiatrist that he was homosexual and struggling to cope with it. Elizabeth Taylor used her clout to get Clift cast on "Suddenly, Last Summer" (1959) with mixed results. He was filming "Raintree County," which also starred Taylor and Lee Marvin. [63], Many of Clift's biographers note his relationships with men and some few women based on friends' accounts and interviews. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor star in A Place in the Sun. "Red River," which has become a classic western, featured Clift starring opposite John Wayne. Clift, presumably an introvert, would have been super frustrated to know his physical look would be a topic for national speculation. Clift asserts that the actors use of alcohol and prescription drugs stemmed, primarily, from a near-fatal car accident in 1956. Clift made his Broadway debut in "Fly Away Home" in 1935, according to the Irish Times. Montgomery Clift is known for his remarkable diversity onset and great looks. Over the next decade, the burgeoning actor dug his heels in and made a name for himself on the stage. that benefits the victims. He also didnt want to sign a contract with a studio, then the only viable way into the business. The schedule for Reflections in a Golden Eye was then set for August 1966, but Clift died in July 1966. He said that he was with Monty at a party on Fire Island [and Clift said] 'I've got an idea for a musical. (The director himself never met his famous uncle, having been born eight years after his death). He owed his life to his close friend Taylor, who immediately went to help him when she learned of the incident. Clift (per IMDb) made a big splash with his first two films with leading roles in "The Search" and "Red River," both released in 1948. He owed his life to his close friend Taylor, who immediately went to help him when she learned of the incident. Still, the last half of his 20-year career has been referred to as the "longest suicide in Hollywood history" by acting teacher Robert Lewis because of Clift's subsequent abuse of painkillers and alcohol. 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. When they left, they got into their . Clift had shown an interest in acting and theatrics as a child living in Switzerland and France but did not take the initiative to go out for a part in a local production until age 13, when his family was forced to downsize and relocate from Chicago to Sarasota, Florida. He used them to numb his physical pain. After completing John Huston's Freud: The Secret Passion (1962), Universal Studios sued him for his frequent absences that caused the film to go over budget. The New York World-Telegram noticed Clifts "amazing poise and dexterity" while producer Theo Bamberger commended him for what he called a "natural histrionic instinct. He was the first shot fired in the revolution in stage and film acting that. Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. [47] Director Stanley Kramer, later wrote in his memoirs that Clift "wasn't always close to the script, but whatever he said fitted in perfectly" and that he suggested Clift turn to Spencer Tracy to "ad lib something" when he struggled to remember his lines for his one scene. Clift and Taylor would star again in another 1950s film, the Civil War-era drama, Raintree County the movie they were making when Clift almost died in the car wreck outside Taylor's homeand would remain deeply attached to one another until Clift's death, at the too-young age of 45, in New York City in 1966. Clift was willing to waive his fee entirely but accepted the supporting part with minimum compensation. Taylor found him crushed under the steering wheel, his face a bloody pulp. He shifted his moods erratically, from a brooding pose to a bursting smile. [60] According to Clift's brother, Clift was either gay or bisexual. Clift would appear in one last film, The Defector, before dying, apparently in his sleep, in 1966, at the age of 45 a culmination of years of drug and alcohol abuse. In "The Heiress" (1949), Clift took the role of romantic lead, playing up his charismatic good looks. He used inner silence, unusual pauses in his speeches, awkward body movements. According to Balaban, she was nave about Clift's homosexuality and romantic involvement with the young English actor, who would occasionally accompany them on public outings. [28] Although filmed in 1946, the film was delayed release until August 1948. 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. James Franco's brother, Dave Franco, portrays Montgomery Clift in a short scene in the movie. While his mother, Ethel Fogg 'Sunny' Clift was your typical American homemaker. He had a holistic view.. [31] MGM distributed the film nationwide as magazines generated massive attention for Clift. The actor died there on July 23, 1966, of an apparent heart attack. "His life has. Monty brought a different masculinity to the screen, said Demmon. Clift is said to have valued privacy and ambiguity in his personal life, though he was known to be friendly and affectionate, blurring the emotions of platonic love and sexual attraction, particularly with close friend Elizabeth Taylor, as soon as Paramount Pictures arranged her to attend the Los Angeles premiere of The Heiress as Clift's date to generate publicity.[58]. [4] A documentary titled Making Montgomery Clift was made by his nephew in 2018, to clarify many myths that were created about the actor.[5]. How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to The New York Times.[1][2]. Judy Balaban, his daughter, has stated that she had an immediate connection with Clift and the two were "joined at the hip," dating for many months following. [36], On the evening of May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift was involved in a serious car crash after leaving a dinner party hosted by Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, Michael Wilding. He was linked to actresses Libby Holman[64][65] and Phyllis Thaxter. Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. Clift was recovering from a car accident during the movie's shoot (the actor was "dying on his feet," according to one biography), but Hepburn treated him with great kindness. Posted on October 17, 2012 by sheila. He even appeared in the original production of Tennessee Williams' play "You Touched Me" (1945) (per Playbill). However, in 1962, Cliff had to sign up to play Sigmund Feud in Huston's biopic "Freud: The Secret Passion." Yet, according to a new documentary, titled Making Montgomery Clift, the stars substance abuse had nothing at all to do with his sexuality. The true story of Montgomery Clift, as told by his youngest nephew Making Montgomery Clift explodes the myths surrounding the Hollywood star and queer icon. He earned an impressive four Academy Award nominations during his career. A portrait of Montgomery Clift leaning on a fence with an intent expression before his accident on 01 January, 1950 | Photo: Getty Images. He played the adopted son of Wayne's character, and the two brought two different images of maleness to the big screen, as The Guardian newspaper pointed out. Kramer, Stanley and Thomas M. Coffey (1997). The cause of death was listed as a heart attack, but a major contributing factor was the cumulative effect of pain killers and liquor. The younger Clift serves the added role of narrator, voicing his journey to discover who the late actor really was, in contrast to what so many others have made him out to be. Clift gave a stronger performance in "The Misfits" (1961), a John Huston contemporary western that proved to be the last film for both his co-stars, Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. In addition to lingering effects of dysentery and chronic colitis, an underactive thyroid was later revealed during the autopsy. Clift reunited with Taylor for "Raintree County," a Civil war era romantic drama. The stars first worked together in the 1951 drama 'A Place in the Sun,' leading to a close bond that lasted until the actor's death in 1966 at age 45. Clift never fully physically or emotionally recovered from his car accident. A near-fatal auto accident in 1957 changed his looks and sent him into drug and alcohol addiction. James then used the bedroom telephone to call some of Clift's personal physicians and the medical examiner's office before an ambulance arrived.[99]. As a consequence, he was unable to find film work for four years. Girelli, Elisabetta (2013) "Montgomery Clift Queer Star", Wayne University Press. Clift's next major films were "The Heiress" (1949) and "A Place in the Sun" (1951), cementing his romantic lead status. [76][77] He told Clift "I could make you love me," at the end of their two-year affair. [84] During the two and a half years that Clift stayed away from films, McDowall's career was nonexistent. [27], At age 25, Clift's first Hollywood film role was opposite John Wayne in the Western film Red River whose director Howard Hawks was impressed by his recent stage performance and was willing to sign him with no strings attached, which greatly appealed to Clift's sense of independence. [62] In a taped telephone conversation with his brother, Clift's mother stated she had known Clift was homosexual early on. Clift, however, was so unsteady and unstable while filming "Freud" (1962) that his movie studio brought a lawsuit against him (via Vanity Fair). In one of the most evocative treasures in the Clift papers at the N.Y.P.L., this black-page scrapbook, titled My Trip West, details Clifts Depression-era visit to the American West. His next four films were The Young Lions (1958), which is the only film featuring both Clift and Marlon Brando, Lonelyhearts (1958), Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) and Elia Kazan's Wild River, released in 1960. 1960. . Clift's early foray into acting led him to a Broadway debut in 1935. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Inc. "Elizabeth Taylor at the 11th Annual GLAAD Media Awards", "TCM Fest: West Side Story's Queer Origins and Other LGBTQ+ Highlights", "Montgomery Clift's Pedigreed Upper East Side Townhouse Could Be Yours", "A Star Is Born Is the Ultimate Hollywood Horror Story, and Lady Gaga Might Be Perfect Casting", "Clift Takes Role in Columbia Film: Will Portray Paul Morel in Adaptation of Lawrence's Novel, 'Sons and Lovers', "The 21st Academy Awards (1949) Nominees and Winners", Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "The 24th Academy Awards (1952) Nominees and Winners", "The 26th Academy Awards (1954) Nominees and Winners", "The 34th Academy Awards (1962) Nominees and Winners", New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Montgomery Clift papers, Additions, 19291969, Montgomery Clift: better than Brando, more tragic than Dean, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montgomery_Clift&oldid=1140258718, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2022, Internet Off-Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata, TCMDb name template using non-numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. No evidence was found that suggested foul play or suicide. 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. He also helped bring a more natural acting style to film. One of the few men on this list is actor Montgomery Clift. The re-opening of the German market since WW2 put potential profits ahead of everything else and the picture suffered for it. But. [24] In January 1951, he participated in the episode "The Metal in the Moon" for the series Cavalcade of America, sponsored by the chemical company DuPont Company. The crash caused severe damage to his face, and McCarthy noted in a 2018 interview that he thought Clift was dead when he saw the scene. She left him when one of his beatings made. BIPS // Getty Images Monty was also impressed with Elizabeth, at least physically. The famed movie star and her leading man first starred together in the 1951 drama, A Place in the Sun, resulting in a life-changing connection that lasted until Clift's death in 1966 at age 45. Clift died in 1966. Clift was there, as were actors Kevin McCarthy and Rock Hudson, and Hudson's wife, Phyllis Gates, per Vanity Fair. [55], During this time, Peter Bogdanovich was working at a cinema in New York City when Clift came to see a revival screening of one of his early films I Confess (1953) and decided to show him the guestbook where a cinema patron had written in a film request for "Anything with Montgomery Clift!"[56]. for The Theatre Guild on the Air. [33], Clift's first film for Paramount was The Heiress (1949). He represented the new wave of post-World War II actors who were handsome, intelligent, soft-spoken, introspective, and acted with intensity. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift ( ne Anderson; 1888-1988). It is commonly believed that drug addiction was responsible for Clift's many health problems and his death. How Montgomery Clift Self-Destructed. In Making Montgomery Clift, the film-makers note that the actor made as many movies after the accident as before. In 1963, when the "Red River" star recalled the traumatic incident, he mentioned a long day's shoot as the reason he was asleep during the crash. Thats why his work doesnt feel dated, Demmon said. Clift declined, and that morning, at the age of 45, he was dead. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. It wasn't long before he made his way to New York City. He worked extensively on his character, and was again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Paramount Pictures ended up offering him the best of any incoming studio offer (which he accepted): a three-film deal (down from the typical seven-year contract) that came with the freedom to turn down any script and any director, as well as the ability for either himself or the studio to terminate the agreement at any time. Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) was an American film and stage actor. On the morning of July 23, 1966, Montgomery Clift's housemate couldn't wake the actor. Were not trying to give a definitive version of who Monty was, added Clift. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) Happy birthday to Montgomery Clift, who would have turned 97 today. [72] Clift and Robbins camouflaged their relationship by dating women. He also talked publicly for the first time about his 1956 car accident, the injuries he received, and its aftereffects on his appearance. 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