Ad Choices, The elegant Montgomery Clift once reigned as one of Hollywoods most sought-after leading men, best remembered as the star of iconic films *From Here to Eternity *(1953) and, Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Fragile Snowflake Donald Trump for Allegedly Trying to Censor Him, SAG Awards 2023 Red Carpet Fashion: See All the Looks. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. 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. At 6:30a.m., James woke up and went to wake Clift, but found the bedroom door closed and locked. [71], Clift was deeply and intensely involved with Broadway choreographer Jerome Robbins; very few associates were aware of how intimate and emotionally charged the relationship between the pair was. The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. 11:50 AM. Clift's life was derailed, however, by a terrible car accident in 1956. Clift's body was taken to the city morgue about 2 miles (3.2km) away at 520 First Avenue, and autopsied. Now were at a historical point in mainstream queer discourse where that story seems less viable., Though the film aims to update, and to fairly contextualize, the actors story, the directors stress that they dont want to simply swap one image of Montgomery Clift for another. He also didnt want to sign a contract with a studio, then the only viable way into the business. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. Edward Montgomery "Monty" Clift (/ m n t m r i /; October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) was an American actor.A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. ", The "Suddenly, Last Summer" star reportedly had the worse of experience with John Huston. Clift did the film without pay because he just wanted to tackle this character. He is best remembered for his roles in Howard Hawks's Red River (1948), George Stevens's A Place in the Sun (1951), Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity (1953), Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and John Huston's The Misfits (1961). [88], While filming for Vittorio De Sica in Italy, Clift had a romance with Truman Capote. 7 Books We Cant Stop Thinking About This Month, Great speculative fiction, a novel about bad mothers, and more favorite reads from the staff of, Peptides, Explained: How a Skin Care Supercharger Became Beautys Big Buzzword. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. He had a small non-paying role. [81] She attended the New York premiere of A Place in the Sun in August 1951 as his date. It tells the story of a working-class young man who is entangled with two women: one who works in his wealthy uncle's factory, and the other a beautiful socialite. Hollywood's Montgomery Clift, who was highly wanted for his diverse acting skill in the industry, kept the public entertained during his time. He used them to numb his physical pain. When he took his final curtain call, Clift was just 45 years old. On 12 May 1956, he was leaving the home of his friend, Elizabeth Taylor, high in Coldwater Canyon, Los Angeles, when his car crashed into a telephone pole. 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. There' s more to Clift than hiding homosexuality, there s pain and romance and passion and hopelessness . He struggled to make through some of the longer scenes. 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. 108, 135, Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About American Masters, Season 23, Episode 1, Somewhere the life of Jerome Robbins by Vaill, Amanda, p. 240, Jerome Robbins: his life, his theater, his dance by Jowitt, Deborah, pp. He was found dead in bed in his New York apartment the morning of July 23, 1966; he was 45. A portrait of Montgomery Clift after his accident on 01 January, 1958 | Photo: Getty Images, After Clift's terrible car accident, the star faced some challenging moments in the movie industry. 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. During the filming of the movie in 1956, Taylor and her then-husband, Michael Wilding, had guests over for a party one night. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor lounging on the grass during the filming of Raintree County in Indiana, 1956. Most critics, in fact . For decades, the star has been the subject of Hollywood gossip and speculation, and Robert Clift is determined to share his uncle's untold story. Clift was recovering from a car accident during the movies shoot (the actor was dying on his feet, according to one biography), but Hepburn treated him with great kindness. If you have a story that tracks along that line, that will feel true to people. Clift had a brother named William Brooks Clift Jr., 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. When I saw him entering his favorite restaurant Musso & Frank Grill, on Hollywood Boulevard, where he'd meet every Wednesday evening Karl Malden, Robert Wise, and a . On the morning of July 23, 1966, Montgomery Clift's housemate couldn't wake the actor. Despite the studio's concerns over profits, Clift correctly predicted the film would do well, if only because moviegoers would flock to see the difference in his facial appearance before and after the crash.[42]. Clift was only 45 years old when he died. The song "The Right Profile" by the English punk rock band The Clash, from their album London Calling, is about the later life of Clift. But the documentary notes Clift made as many movies after the accident as before, and that those projects included some of his most acclaimed performances. for The Theatre Guild on the Air. [96], Clift supported Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 United States presidential election.[97]. However, this changed after Clift's car accident that left his face in a terrible condition. A near-fatal auto accident in 1957 changed his looks and sent him into drug and alcohol addiction. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift (ne Anderson; 18881988). Clift was born in Omaha, Nebraska, a son . [52][53][54] The case was later settled out of court, with evidence in Clift's favor, but the damage to Clift's reputation as unreliable and troublesome endured. Portrait of American actor Montgomery Clift as he looks over the back of a chair, his chin on his hands, late 1940s or early 1950s. The schedule for Reflections in a Golden Eye was then set for August 1966, but Clift died in July 1966. Inside, he found Clift dead: he was undressed, lying in his bed still wearing his eyeglasses and with both fists clenched by his side. On the evening of May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift was involved in a serious auto accident when he smashed his car into a telephone pole after leaving a dinner party at the Beverly Hills home of his Raintree County co-star and close friend Elizabeth Taylor and her second husband, Michael Wilding. But, in general, his relationships with men had more to do with sex than with a deep emotional connection. When Clift made his debut on Broadway at the age of 14 he began to realize how isolated and special his childhood had been, a fact he struggled with all his life. advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. He pleaded with her to make changes to her book to correct the mischaracterizations. Later that same year, he appeared in Cole Porter's "Jubilee." How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951) Directed by George Stevens. A bout five years ago, filmmaking duo Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon Clift decided to make a documentary about Robert's long-dead uncle. George Eastman (Montgomery Clift), the nephew of a wealthy industrialist, arrives in California in the hopes of making his way up in his uncle's company. When they left, they got into their . Why not have a musical about Romeo and Juliet but make it with gangs in New York?' The character has a tattoo of Mr. Clift and Elizabeth Taylor on his shaved head. When he resumed filming on "Raintree County," he was a different man, one left in chronic pain because of the accident. Here are some examples: Scenes filmed before the accident involving Montgomery 'Monty' Clift's character of John Wickliff Shawnessy:-Scene with his parents where his dad tells him he is related to Thomas Carlyle-First time John meets Flash Perkins-Photography scene (first time he meets Susannah)-Drinking scene with Flash Perkins-The race-The . He shifted his moods erratically, from a brooding pose to a bursting smile. [22] On May 24, 1944, he was part of the cast of Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! SAG Awards 2023: See the 34 Best-Dressed Stars. That year, Clift voted for Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. 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. With his next two films, The Misfits (1961) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Clift pivoted to somewhat smaller supporting or cameo roles that required less overall screen time while still delivering demanding performances. It all took a toll on him physically and mentally, and movie studios became wary of hiring him. 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. "[79] Robbins called Clift a "theatrical genius" early on in their affair.[80]. After leaving a party at Elizabeth Taylor's house, he wrapped his car around a telephone pole . In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne. Kramer, Stanley and Thomas M. Coffey (1997). "I was warned not to trust all the stories," Robert told . 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. He was linked to actresses Libby Holman[64][65] and Phyllis Thaxter. I think he was 12 or 13., Its obviously a non-issue for her, co-director Demmon said. American actor Montgomery Clift (1920 - 1966), circa 1950. Paramount Pictures Montgomery Clift was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and was a contemporary of Marlon Brando (also born in Omaha) and James Dean. Published: 20:36 EST . July 24, 1966 12 AM PT Actor Montgomery Clift, 45, three times nominated for Academy Awards, died early Saturday of a heart attack in his plush East Side townhouse. Nevertheless, he showed no bitterness and remained one of Clift's loyal friends. A short while later, Taylor and some of the others rushed to the scene of the accident. does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. Wayne portrayed a hard and brutal father and boss while Clift played a gentler and more vulnerable son. Working with her was like going up and down on an escalator.. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. In "The Heiress" (1949), Clift took the role of romantic lead, playing up his charismatic good looks. Barred from feature films, Clift turned to voice work. He is best remembered for his roles in Howard Hawks' Red River (1948), William Wyler's The Heiress (1949), George Stevens' A Place in the Sun (1951 . Clift's early foray into acting led him to a Broadway debut in 1935. Life once described them as soul mates, and added: That Clift was gay made little difference in the intensity and duration of the two stars adoration of one another. The pair first starred together in the 1951 film A Place in the Sun; Clifts early nickname for the actress was Bessie Mae. They also appeared together in Raintree County (1957) and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). that benefits the victims. In 1957 however, he suffered from a terrible car accident and was pulled from the wreck by his friend Eizabeth Taylor. Clift never fully physically or emotionally recovered from his car accident. He suffered a concussion, broken jaw, broken nose, fractured sinuses, fractured cheekbones, and several facial lacerations which required plastic surgery. [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 Montgomery Clift Self-Destructed. In Making Montgomery Clift, the film-makers note that the actor made as many movies after the accident as before. He is best remembered for his role as Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt in the 1953 film From Here to Eternity. His 15 minute funeral was at attended by 150 mourners, including Lauren Bacall and Sinatra. 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. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. It also stresses Clifts crucial role in changing the power balance between actors and studio chiefs in Hollywood, as well as the advancements he brought to film acting. But it was his next pairing with Elizabeth Taylor that proved to be his most dynamic on-screen. Along with Marlon Brando and James Dean, Clift was considered one of the original method actors in Hollywood (though Clift distanced himself from the term); he was one of the first actors to be invited to study in the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan. Clift was nominated for. Monty brought a different masculinity to the screen, said Demmon. [30] The film was awarded a screenwriting Academy Award for the credited writers. Clift's next major films were "The Heiress" (1949) and "A Place in the Sun" (1951), cementing his romantic lead status. 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. For him, the freedom to be selective about his roles was more important than money or fame. Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. [citation needed]. He was in the middle of making "Raintree County," a movie that reunited him with his "A Place in the Sun" co-star Elizabeth Taylor, and his accident took place after Clift had been a guest at Taylor's Beverly Hills home. In a new documentary, myths and assumptions about the Oscar-nominated heartthrob who struggled with his sexuality are replaced with the little-known truth. Ex-lover Larson said in the film that Clift actually preferred his work after the accident to his performances before. 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. Happy Birthday, Montgomery Clift. He starts in a blue-collar job in the factory, where he soon begins to date his co-worker Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters). Clift, along with actor Kevin McCarthy, had been attending a party at Elizabeth Taylor's house in Beverly Hills. The re-opening of the German market since WW2 put potential profits ahead of everything else and the picture suffered for it. Ah, Monty in just about anything (even after his face-scarring accident). [95], Clift was also friends with Marlon Brando, who dropped by his home offering to accompany him to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. After the car accident, Clift only took on a few more movie roles. After leaving a party organized by co-star Elizabeth Taylor in May 1956, Clift raced along a steep road before crashing. 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