He has a ghastly, shattered expression. And it wasnt just in private record: in October 1956, Louella Parsons reported on Clifts very bad health and Holmans attempts to clean him up. He also won a nomination for Best Actor. His other side was mostly hidden and only became widely known after he passed on, thanks to his friend and colleague Elizabeth Taylor. But after an initial flurry of coverage, he retreated from public view entirely. But just as Clift dove into this exciting new chapter, an unforeseen tragedy changedeverything. That was really frightening to see., Penn Badgley Loves His Wife Too Much to Do Sex Scenes in, I askedSera Gamble, the creator, Can I just do no more intimacy scenes? the former, Oscar-winning producer Dede Gardner looks back at her many groundbreaking awards darlings, from the triumph of. I am not one of Americas Angry Young Men. cocksucker. Then, sweetly, wide-eyed with little girl navet, she Apparently, Burt Lancaster's From Here to Eternity co-star Montgomery Clift intimidated himso much so that in their first scene together you can see Lancaster shaking. (The director himself never met his famous uncle, having been born eight years after his death). Itd be his only film with Brando, even though the two barely shared the screen. From Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of Hollywood Cinema by Anne Helen Petersen, to be published by arrangement with Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC on September 30, 2014 2014 by Anne Helen Petersen. 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. Thanks for your help! Assistir 'Indiscretion of an American Wife' online - ver filme completo But when his nephew dives into the family archives, a much more complicated picture emerges. Taylor and Clift: Photos From the Set of A Place in the Sun. Of course, when it came to his appearance, this gorgeous star really didnt give a hoot. The view then about queer people was that they would be inherently conflicted or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon. He looked about ten years older than the Montgomery Clift audiences remembered and adored. Elizabeth Taylor stuck by her friends, and Montgomery Clift undoubtedly claimed a special spot in her heart. Still, unlike other notable gay actors, any affairs Montgomery Clift had were secured behind a lock and key. He had a close friendship with a woman named Myra Letts, whom the gossip columnists tried arduously to frame as a love interest. He also sunk into alcoholism, of which Taylor and some other friends tried to help him. The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. Born on October 17, 1920, Edward Montgomery Clift was born into a family with lofty ideals. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. However, one salient fact remains: Clifts ruined face never made it to the papersIn fact, not one photograph of that night exists. 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. But when hedid get a hankering for a fun excursion, Clift knew exactly where he wanted to be. Beautiful man. Montgomery Clift Net Worth, Height, Age, and More Director: William Wyler | Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins Votes: 16,212 4. Clift's childhood was unconventional. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. However, Clift's life was shrouded by a dark secret that became public after his passing, by actress Elizabeth Taylor. 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. Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) is one of the most tragic figures in Hollywood history. . Montgomery Clift's Disastrous Car Wreck Changed His Career Forever Director Joseph Mankiewicz tried to replace Clift, but Taylor and co-star Katharine Hepburn defended and supported him. While his brother claimed that Clift was bisexual, writer Truman Capotes unpublished work alludes to Clifts gayness quite explicitly. Peter Stackpole The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock. But something of the old talent remainedor at least enough to earn Clift a nomination for best-supporting actor, playing, in the words of film critic David Thomson, a victim irretrievably damaged by suffering. Plans for Clift to play the lead in the film adaptation of Carson McCullerss The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter fell through, in large part due to his uninsurability on set, and promises of a fourth collaboration with Taylor, this time with producer Ray Stark, never came to pass. His father made a lot of money in banking but was quite poor during the depression. Because of the accident, the studio worried about the success of Raintree County. / Montys face is broken on a wheel. Although Clift and Montgomery were only good friends, their coupling inA Place in the Sunhelped drive its popularity. A documented conversation between two stars, Tallulah Bankhead and Dorothy Parker, during a dinner party also showed that there was knowledge among stars that Clift was gay. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. Clift's last 10 years prior to his death from his 1956 car accident were called the "longest suicide in history" by famed acting teacher Robert Lewis. Montgomery Clift - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clift and Taylor would star again in another 1950s film, the Civil War-era drama, Raintree Countythe movie they were making when Clift almost died in the car wreck outside Taylors homeand would remain deeply attached to one another until Clifts death, at the too-young age of 45, in New York City in 1966. The Tragedy of Montgomery Clift - TCM Message Boards It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 1h 3min. For 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. Once on stage, Clift truly came into his own. 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. Then again, nothing about Clifts life was expected. A portrait of Elizabeth Taylor And Montgomery Clift from the film "A Place In The Sun", 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. 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. After his accident, Clift had an arduous road to recovery. The film went on to win six Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay, and is now hailed as a (flawed) classic. She is completing her PhD in Toronto, Canada. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. It was also a dark, melancholy film: as a review in Variety pointed out, the complex mass of introspective conflicts, symbolic parallels, and motivational contradictions was so nuanced as to seriously confound general audiences, who were likely unable to cope with the philosophical undercurrents of the Arthur Miller script. Clift and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor first became acquainted when they played counterparts on George Stevens's "A Place in the Sun." 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hitchcock's I CONFESS (DVD, 1953); M CLIFT, A BAXTER. All rights reserved. In the face of such criticism, Clift went ahead and confused the gossip columns even more. 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)). 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. William Brooks Clift (Was A Vice-President Of Omaha National Trust Company. You see, the entire healing process put Clift through the paces. Christine Tran is a history buff(ette) and media scholar. 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. He believed that the media often, and easily, twisted the truth until it disappeared entirely: I learned that most writers dont need interviews to write about me. They took a risk on the troubled actorand it endedbadly. Oh dear. Picture Information. 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. When the press talked about Clift, they talked about the skill and the beauty, but they also talked about what an offbeat, weird guy he was. 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 talked about the need for staunch support for gay people and their rights. 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. Monroe and Taylor are shadowed by Montgomery. Montgomery Clift Hid His Sexuality for Years but Elizabeth - AmoMama Watch 'Indiscretion of an American Wife' Online Streaming (Full Movie When it came to the lengthier scenes, the actor just couldnt deliver; they had to be divided into smaller cuts just so he could see them through. The unspoken truth was that Clift was gay. Sealed, new. There was a nonchalance to Clifts attitude in regards to women. He surely wasnt a suave Prince Charming, and yet, on-screen, he was a downright masterpiece. The Big Lift (1950) Approved | 120 min | Drama, War 6.4 Rate 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. Over the next decade, the burgeoning actor dug his heels in and made a name for himself on the stage. However, even with all the negative hubbub surrounding this shoot, it was nothing compared to the darkness of one of Clifts next projects. While filming his next picture, Lonelyhearts (1958), Clift lashed out, proclaiming, I am notrepeat nota member of the Beat Generation. The subject matter, which involved him assisting in the cover-up of a dead mans apparent homosexuality, must have sparked mixed emotions. RIP GEORGOUS MONTY. A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953). ", A portrait of Montgomery Clift against a wooden backdrop on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty mages. If Paramount wanted him, theyd have to give him what he wanteda power differential that would go on to structure the star-studio relationship for the next 40 years. Ad Choices. But that wasnt the wildest part of the story. Born Edward Montgomery Clift on Oct. 17, 1920 in Omaha, NE, he was the son of Ethel Fogg and William Brooks Clift, a successful Wall Street stockbroker. Another confidant said his personal life didnt bother him. While working in New York in the early 1940s, he met wealthy former Broadway star Libby Holman. While driving, he fell asleep at the wheel and the consequences were utterly gruesome. Welcome to Who Is Montgomery Clift?, a page dedicated to showcasing actors & movie makers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. However, he became more comfortable with her and eventually found it easy to open up about his sexuality. Taylor had married British actor Michael Wilding in 1952, but by 1956, their marriage was in decline. 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. That Clift was gay made little difference in the intensity and duration of the two stars adoration of one another: here, after all, were two talented, passionate artists who met at a young age (she was in her teens; he was in his late twenties) and immediately discovered that they were, for lack of a better phrase, soul mates. I do not count myself as a member of the ripped-sweatshirt fraternity. He wasnt a young rebel, an old rebel, a tired rebel, or a rebellious rebelall he cared about was re-creating a slice of life on the screen. Finally, Someone Gets Montgomery Clift's Biography Right Who Is Montgomery Clift? - Facebook A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. 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. / Cut the applause and dim the light. He pointed out that she just let the director determine her every move. According to two A-list biographers, the late star was gay. Their unique bond so evident in these pictures made on the Paramount lot during filming of A Place in the Sun, and never published in LIFE, was occasionally deepened even further by disasters visited upon them both through the years. After all, his leading lady was none other than the beguiling Elizabeth Taylor, and together, these two stars were pure fire. . 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. 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. His first two films were smashing successesand for veryimpressive reasons. Hollywood repeatedly came courting, but he put off offers for nearly a decade, even turning down roles in classic films like East of Eden and the co-lead in Sunset Boulevard. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne Helen Petersen recounts the actors lonely life, ferocious talent, and tragic decline. 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. Indiscretion of An American Wife - amazon.com I am not one of Americas Angry Young Men. From the start, Clift was framed as a rebel and an individual. 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. I mean, he is a 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. When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. Montgomery Clift was in relationships with Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Henry Willson, Jack Larson, William LeMassena, Libby Holman, Maurice Leonard and Arnold Saint Subber. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. That said, he kept his sexuality a secret: The prejudices of the time left him no choice. 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Okay, if were being totally honest, Montgomery Clifts reserved lifestyle didnt exactly excite the press; it actually kind of stumped them. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun. Carlo Fiore and Marlon Brando were in . Montgomery Clift was in 8 on-screen matchups, including Anne Baxter in I Confess (1953), Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun (1951), Dolores Hart in Lonelyhearts (1958), Donna Reed in From Here to Eternity (1953) and Jennifer Jones in Indiscretion of an American Wife (1953). 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. [view couple] # 8 Carlo Fiore 12 28. Clift, of course, knew better. Thats not what people would expect from a mother in that period.. Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn came to Clifts defense when the director tried to get rid of him. Contact sheets from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpole's shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950.