His injuries included a broken nose and jaw, a fractured sinus, and deep cuts across his face that called for extensive plastic surgery. When he wasnt reading or preparing for his next role, he took pleasure in visiting the local night court. The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. Before long, photographers began to descend on the gory scene. ), 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. Thanks for your help! Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. This would not only show off his range but allow him to sidestep any dangers of typecasting. He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). She developed an intense decade-plus obsession over the young actor, even financing an experimental play, "Mexican Mural" for him. While filmingRaintree County, Clift attended a dinner party at Taylors housebut sadly, he didnt make it home in one piece. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Clift appeared in The Misfits, a revisionist western best known as the final film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. Unlike Rock Hudson, whose affairs were very nearly exposed to the entire nation by Confidential, Clift never made the pages of the scandal rags. Nope. In remembering Clift, McCarthy said, his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. 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. 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. But the facial reconstruction, heavy painkiller use, and rampant alcohol abuse made it look like hed aged a decade. (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. (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. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. According to this version of the story, when photographers arrived, Taylor announced that she knew each and every one of them personally-- and if they took pictures of Clift, who was still very much alive, shed make sure they never worked in Hollywood again. I thought he was dead. McCarthy ran to fetch Taylor, Wilding, and Rock Hudson and Hudsons wife, Phyllis Gates, who all raced to the site of the accident. Director Joseph Mankiewicz tried to replace Clift, but Taylor and co-star Katharine Hepburn defended and supported him. The movie, which plays at the LGBTQ movie festival NewFest in New York, refutes scores of oft-repeated assumptions about Clifts life, from his motivations as an actor, to his relationship with his mother to the characterization of his later years. She would wield considerable influence over the early part of his film career, advising him in decisions to decline lead roles in Sunset Blvd. Show details He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). You see, the entire healing process put Clift through the paces. 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?. Woodbury Blair was the son of Montgomery Blair, after whom his great-grandson received his middle name, and wife Mary Elizabeth Woodbury, daughter of Levi Woodbury (1789-1851), United States Supreme Court, and wife Elizabeth Wendell Clapp. By 1950, he was troubled with allergies and colitis (the U.S. Army had rejected him for military service in World War II for chronic diarrhea) and, along with pill problems, he was alcoholic. Clift, of course, knew better. In the bathroom, James found Clift in his bathtub, undressed and obviously deceased. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift goofed around during a break in filming A Place in the Sun. [view couple] # 8 Carlo Fiore 12 28. Another confidant said his personal life didnt bother him. But that didnt mean that the gossip press didnt hint at something different, something queer, in the broadest sense of the word, about him. But that wasnt all. Were always looking for your input! He also detested the man. 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. Clift gained actual scars from some filming mishaps. Curtis's relationship to the term nepo baby has evolved over the last few months. 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. at the best online prices at eBay! Not only did he rarely go out in public, but he also didnt date. 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. Ad Choices. Of course, Clift took one of his greatest secrets to his grave. I wanted to figure out why there was such a difference., A deep trove of never-before-revealed evidence makes that disparity bracingly clear. Peace. 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. Sumner Redstone in Love: The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire, The elderly media titan flexed his MTV ownership, rang his grandson at 3 a.m. for hookups with new women, and rewarded companions with stock options and TV shows. He was one of Hollywoods most desirable leading men, but mystery shrouded his entire private life. 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. Documentary Biography Classic film star and queer icon Montgomery Clift's legacy has long been a story of tragedy and self-destruction. In The Young Lions (1958), released just two years after the accident, the pain and resentment seem almost visible. You`ve being alwasy an inspiration for me. He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. MONTY YOU WERE THE BEST!!! Although he may not have realized it, Clifts horrific accident sparked the beginning of the end, intensifying his preexisting ailments and sending him down a dark path from which he could never return. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. Even his diet was rather spartan: orange juice, steak, and eggs. American actor Montgomery Clift was spectacular on the big screen for his portrayal of sensitive male characters. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. 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. 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. 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. Whatever the case may be, Montgomery Clifts life was unbelievably impressive and distressing. He was, in his words, nothing more than an ordinary, second-class wolf., These anecdotes, and dozens like them, would establish Clift, along with Brando, as the embodiment of 50s youth culture, rebelling against conformity and all that postwar Americans were supposed to embrace. made. Contact sheets from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. Although hed only been away from Hollywood for four and a half years, the handsome Montgomery Clift looked incrediblyoldand the reason was downright heartbreaking. As for Clift, the shoot was incredibly taxing, both mentally and physically: in addition to acquiring a scar across his nose from a stray bulls horn, severe rope burns while attempting to tame a wild horse, and various other rough-and-tumble injuries, he also performed what has widely come to be regarded as one of his best scenes, a stilted, heartbreaking conversation with his mother from a phone booth. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. The Searchturned out to be a huge hit for Clift. Of course, Clifts words had always been futile in the face of Hollywood. Production resumed on Raintree County, which the studio feared would fail following Clifts accident. The subject matter, which involved him assisting in the cover-up of a dead mans apparent homosexuality, must have sparked mixed emotions. Clifts lifestyle had the press slotting him in with non-conformists of the dayright alongside hotshots like Marlon Brandobut the actor didnt respond well to being labeled and defined. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand., Clifts private life was boringhe didnt date, he didnt flirt, he didnt hang out in public. This year the young man . Throughout filming, members of the crew came up with code words to alert everyone about the lead actors level of intoxication. James found his patient sitting up in bed and watching his film, The Misfits, but Clift clearly didnt want to be disturbed. Lancaster's first wife, June Ernst, was, like her mother before her, a renowned acrobat. 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. Absolutely stunning. Yet, according to a new documentary, titled Making Montgomery Clift, the stars substance abuse had nothing at all to do with his sexuality. 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. 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. A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". Clift once said, The closer we come to the negative, to death, the more we blossom. He took himself to that precipice, but he fell straight in. After his accident, Clift had an arduous road to recovery. 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. 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!. She made it known that it all boiled down to love. He was the son of Francis Preston Blair, elder brother of Francis Preston Blair Jr. and cousin of B. Gratz Brown . Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. She noted that they needed to live a life of equality while being able to get married and adopt kids. But right as filming began, he realized that hed made a terrible mistake. Horrified, James immediately called for help, but of course, it was already too late. 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. Their. One infamous fact about Montgomery Clift is that he only owned one suit. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The long suicide was complete. Of course, Clift didnt walk away unscathed either. Montgomery Clift was an undeniably attractive man, and before long, he'd cultivated a rather passionate female fan base. I Confess - Hitchcock - His Life in Pictures Magazine Pictorial [United Kingdom] (June 2022), Montgomery Clift - Retro Magazine Pictorial [Poland] (May 2022), Montgomery Clift - Pani domu Magazine Pictorial [Poland] (August 2011). 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. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. By 15, Clift made his Broadway debut in Cole Porters Jubilee. In fact, his doctors considered it amazing that the actor had even pulled through. After filming wrapped, she tracked him down and spat directly in his face. . 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. It was reported that Taylor even tried to help him find a partner. She wouldnt die for another year and a half, but Misfits would be her last completed film. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. The most beautiful young man Ive ever seen. On the morning of July 23, 1966, Montgomery Clift's housemate couldn't wake the actor. . But he was handsome and beguiling on-screen, creating an appetite for confirmation of that same Clift off the screen. With alarm bells screaming in his head, James raced outside to fetch a ladder, climbing up toward Clifts bedroom window. Help us build our profile of Montgomery Clift! Years before, Clift had battled dysentery, which introduced him to the sinister side effects of pain management. He called it as he saw it, describing himself as an ordinary, second-class wolf.. He pleaded with her to make changes to her book to correct the mischaracterizations. As his eyes drifted closed, Clift suddenly veered off the road and drove straight into a telephone pole. He was set to play in Taylor's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), when he died in the early morning hours of July 23, 1966, at his home at age 45. Clift was so protective of Holman that when offered the plum role of the male lead in Sunset Boulevard, he turned it downreportedly to avoid any suggestion that Libby Holman was his own delusional Norma Desmond, using a handsome young man to pursue her lost stardom. But when his nephew dives into the family archives, a much more complicated picture emerges. Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. 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. 3.80. Determined to make it better, he made some key changesand they made allthe difference. 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. He surely wasnt a suave Prince Charming, and yet, on-screen, he was a downright masterpiece. 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. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. Whether this captivating story is real or not remains to be seen. Allegedly, the director brought Clift on board, thinking hed be a soothing effect for Monroe. She had always been there for him, and once said, Monty couldve been the biggest star in the world if he did more movies. But Taylors dedication to her friend went above and beyond. In the face of such criticism, Clift went ahead and confused the gossip columns even more. At the age of 25, Clift made the leap to Hollywoodbut he was a rebel right from the get-go. Every actor was in the midst of fighting their own demons. The Clift picture didn't pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. The film-makers interviewed Bosworth extensively for the movie, but they contrast her words with old taped conversations she had with the actors brother. So finely The film went on to win six Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay, and is now hailed as a (flawed) classic. What happened next has since become the stuff of Hollywood legend. . He naturally gravitated to the theater. Login It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 1h 3min. 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. ", However, it became more eminent that his single status bordered on his sexuality as time went on. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Regardless of the veracity of this story, one thing remains true: theres not a single picture of Clifts broken face. That, combined with his spiraling alcohol addiction, wrung the youth right out of the handsome actor. When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. Clift detested Waynes antiquated male constraints. Clift's childhood was unconventional. And even more shocking? 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. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift ( ne Anderson; 1888-1988). Close friends, such as actor Kevin McCarthy and his wife, tried to get Clift to slow down and dry out, but their pleas . He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. Will she ride the term to Oscar gold? When he came to visit storied fan-magazine author Elsa Maxwell at her home, she had her maid darn the elbow in his jacket.
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