When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. Adopted at the age of one, his mother was told by a well-intentioned doctor years later that she was the offspring of Southern aristocrats, so she chose to raise her own children accordingly. 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. 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. Close friends, such as actor Kevin McCarthy and his wife, tried to get Clift to slow down and dry out, but their pleas . Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. 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. Allegedly, the director brought Clift on board, thinking hed be a soothing effect for Monroe. They went to London to see Laurence Olivier together, ate together, sat in front of the fire together, Clift said. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. What a pity hes a During the filming of Raintree County, Clift and Taylor seemed to have rekindled their is-it-or-isnt-it relationship; according to one of Clifts biographers, Some days he would threaten to stop seeing Elizabeth Taylorthen, the thought would make him burst into tears. Other apocryphal legend has Taylor sending Clift piles of love letters, which he then read aloud to his male companion at the time. But that didnt mean that the gossip press didnt hint at something different, something queer, in the broadest sense of the word, about him. It was unheard of, especially for a young star, but it was a sellers market. She noted that they needed to live a life of equality while being able to get married and adopt kids. 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. Help us build our profile of Marlon Brando! He surely wasnt a suave Prince Charming, and yet, on-screen, he was a downright masterpiece. He also detested the man. Montgomery Clift, Nando Bruno. Edward Montgomery Clift (nicknamed 'Monty' his entire life) was born on October 17, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, just after his twin sister Roberta (1920-2014) and eighteen months after his brother Brooks Clift. 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. That secret that Clift was gay during an impossible era (the 1930s through the 60s) led many interpreters to conclude that the actor must have led a life riddled with fear and shame. Login My mom never told me how her best friend died. Luckily, his isolated lifestyle gave him an advantage. 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. But even as Clift consistently took the road less traveled, he still had some biting things to say about the media, especially its desire to pin down his image. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. And then there was the physical toll. Luckily, over time, they clawed their way back to financial security. After Eternity he dropped out of Hollywood for several years, and signed a three-year contract with MGM in 1955 to make Raintree County, which re-united him with his Place in the Sun co-star Elizabeth Taylor. In 1966, Clifts stalwart friend, Elizabeth Taylor, came to his aid once again and managed to get him a part in Reflections in a Golden Eye. But for 12 years, he set Hollywood aflame. You see, the reason behind Montgomery Clifts barren dating life was rather simple: He was gay. She once lovingly described how she was in awe of the star actor's perfect facial features. Merv was a sexual predator who once tried to sexually assault Danny Terrio, then threatened to ruin his career if he talked. 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!. He wanted to be a free agent, and he did it successfully. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. 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. Taylor talked about the need for staunch support for gay people and their rights. 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. Lorenzo came into the picture when Monty was at his lowest. While driving, he fell asleep at the wheel and the consequences were utterly gruesome. 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. Upon closer inspection, Clifts career reveals notable clues as to who he genuinely was and the private struggles he faced. A year and a half away from her own tragic end, Marilyn Monroe described Clift as the only person I know who is in even worse shape than I am. Together, this cast truly reflected a band of withering misfits. Allegedly, Rock Hudson was there to pull Clift from the wreckage and it was Taylor who held the stricken actor in her arms. But while Clift certainly seemed like a budding Hollywood heartthrob on the outside, in reality, he wasfar from it. Their claims were deemed reliable because one of the biographers was certified by one of Clift's confidants. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE 1953 DVD PUBLIC DOMAIN FILM MONTGOMERY CLIFT. 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. Not only are you not allowed to be smart, but you were not allowed to be funny in the 90s, the actor said of her career. ", However, it became more eminent that his single status bordered on his sexuality as time went on. Soon, the washed-up actor was completely out of work. 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Finally, Someone Gets Montgomery Clift's Biography Right Clift, however, lived a two-faceted life concerning his sexuality. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne. He got him going again. But even Monroe reported that Clift was the only person I know who is in even worse shape than I am. The pictures from the set are as poignant as they are heartbreaking: its as if all three were meditating on their respective declines, and theres a sad, peaceful resignation at the difference between what their bodies could do and how people wanted to remember them. Hollywood began to see him as hostile and messy and frugal, and Clift wasnt having it. Of course, Clift took one of his greatest secrets to his grave. You couldn't help but come. Heres A Mystery: Why Did Arthur Conan Doyles Son Dress Up Like a Knight? Then again, nothing about Clifts life was expected. The Clift picture didn't pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. As he lay wounded in the arms of his dear friend, Clift began choking and pointing to his throat. When interviewed, the "From Here to Eternity" actor would wave it off, noting that he would be with a woman when he finds the right person. 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). Montgomery Clift was in relationships with Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Henry Willson, Jack Larson, William LeMassena, Libby Holman, Maurice Leonard and Arnold Saint Subber. While on his way back, he had an accident. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest celebrity news, but don't worry we have you covered. James found his patient sitting up in bed and watching his film, The Misfits, but Clift clearly didnt want to be disturbed. He could watch the real grit of humanity play out before himthe court a stage for some of the most sensational high-profile cases. The Search _ 1948 DVD Montgomery Clift Aline MacMahon Wendell Corey V Hes so beautiful, murmured Miss Parker. 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. The decline continued. I am not one of Americas Angry Young Men. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. In 1951, Clift embarked upon one of his most famous roles as George Eastman inA Place in the Sun. From here on out, however, he plunged even further into his addiction. But he was handsome and beguiling on-screen, creating an appetite for confirmation of that same Clift off the screen. The two met under the big tent where they performed together. A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. Montgomery Clift Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family His smashed face was rebuilt, he reconciled with his estranged father, but he continued bedeviled by dependency on drugs and his unrelenting guilt over his homosexuality.With his Hollywood career in an irreversible slide despite giving an occasional riveting performance, such as in Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Monty returned to New York and tried to slowly develop a somewhat more sensible lifestyle in his brownstone row house on East 61st Street in Manhattan. A portrait of Montgomery Clift acting as Matt Garth in the western film "Red River" on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty Images. Thanks for your help! His first two films were smashing successesand for veryimpressive reasons. ), 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. 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. 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. 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?. He naturally gravitated to the theater. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of A Place in the Sun. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. He could barely remember his lines and often didnt show up to set. 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? Beautiful man. In 1961, Montgomery Clift went on to star alongside some of Hollywoods greatest legendsMarilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. and his wife, the former Ethel Fogg. Between 1963 and 1966, he faded from public view, emerging only to film a final performance in the French spy thriller The Defector (1966). However, he became more comfortable with her and eventually found it easy to open up about his sexuality. Not only did he rarely go out in public, but he also didnt date. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. At the end of the day, Clifts private nurse Lorenzo James checked in on him just after midnight. Montgomery Clift girlfriend, wife list. But, in general, his relationships with men had more to do with sex than with a deep emotional connection. Peace. 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. There was a nonchalance to Clifts attitude in regards to women. He wasnt the only one who challenged such norms at the time. Who is Montgomery Clift dating? Montgomery Clift girlfriend, wife Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. 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. And when it came to riotous parties, well, he avoided nightlife like the plague. 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. I mean, he is a 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. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne Helen Petersen recounts the actors lonely life, ferocious talent, and tragic decline. Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. He was lonely, yet with the help of his refusal to live in Los Angeles or participate in caf society, he was able to keep his private life private. . 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. Clift gained actual scars from some filming mishaps. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand.. He was sick of being a symbol, a symptom, a testament to something. It turned into John Cassavetes' "Too Late Blues," with Bobby Darrin. Clift wasn't one to hide a feeling, which made him a great actor and also a terrible straight man. Randy Chrisley Is Todd Chrisley's Brother Who Was Diagnosed with Cancer in 2014, Johnny Depp's Weight Gain & Changes in Appearance over the Years, 'Whos the Boss? Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. Montgomery Clift was in relationships with Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Henry Willson, Jack Larson, William LeMassena, Libby Holman, Maurice Leonard and Arnold Saint Subber. . Indeed, it was his apparent lack of romantic attachments that confounded the gossip press the most. Actor Montgomery Clift, 45, three times nominated for Academy Awards, died early Saturday of a heart attack in his plush East Side townhouse. But the tragedies didnt end there. Scandals of Classic Hollywood: The Long Suicide of Montgomery Clift ufff q hombre tan guapo y atractivo, y grn actor ademas, como me hubiese gustado conocerlo con unos ojos maravillosos. But while his siblings enrolled in prestigious schools, Montgomery Clift went hurtling in a completely different direction. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. Nobody wanted to deal with him anymore, and for four years, he couldnt land a single role. Unlike many other actors, he didnt jump straight into a contract. He still drank, but not as heavily. And even then, he didnt live a glamorous movie star existence. Eyebrows were raised when the actor shared in an article he authored that he liked it "lonely. 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. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? The 'Red River star was then tagged a gay icon. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. Montgomery Clift Hid His Sexuality for Years but Elizabeth Taylor Knew His Secret & Revealed It after His Death By Olowokandi Fiyin Aug 14, 2021 04:00 P.M. Montgomery Clift made a name for himself in Hollywood with several awards and nominations. On the set of 1958sLonelyhearts,Clift had a message for those that tried to fit him into a box. His interests lay elsewhere. He pleaded with her to make changes to her book to correct the mischaracterizations. .. 3.80. 'The longest suicide in Hollywood history': who was the real Montgomery She continued to stand by his memory by supporting gay rights and speaking out against homophobia. (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. 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. Sal Mineo and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Montgomery Clift is rumored to have hooked up with Paul Newman Henry Willson and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Jack Larson and Montgomery Clift had a relationship William LeMassena and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Montgomery Clift and Libby Holman had a relationship Maurice Leonard and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Arnold Saint Subber and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando shared a link: https://www.allmovie.com/artist/montgomery-clift-p13682, I never used to like him until I saw 'The Heiress' he really was gorgeous, it's such a shame his life was unhappy. 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.. ", A portrait of Montgomery Clift against a wooden backdrop on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty mages. True or not, the resilience of the story is a testimony to what people wanted to believe about the bond between the two stars. Montgomery Blair. Montgomery Clift | American actor | Britannica She wouldnt die for another year and a half, but Misfits would be her last completed film. 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.