Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest celebrity news, but don't worry we have you covered. But the drama didn't end there. 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? 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. 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. 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. The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. Absolutely stunning. Thanks for your help! When Clift became a household name in the movie industry, his romantic life became a widely-discussed subject by the press. He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. You see, the entire healing process put Clift through the paces. Montgomery Clift made a name for himself in Hollywood with several awards and nominations. 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. You`ve being alwasy an inspiration for me. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. But when he climbed into the room, he discovered something absolutely gut-wrenching. Clift was there, as were actors Kevin McCarthy and Rock Hudson, and Hudson's wife, Phyllis Gates, per Vanity Fair. According to Clifts doctors, it was amazing that he was even alive. There were even speculations that he was warned about being gay. But the tragedies didnt end there. Whatever relationships Clift may have had, he was circumspect. In 1929, the Wall Street Crash hit Clifts father like a ton of bricks, and his mothers dreams disappeared in an instant. Months of surgeries, rebuilding, and physical therapy followed. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. The long suicide was complete. Clift was nominated for awards . Indiscretion of an American Wife 1953, 1h 3min - Romance , Drama Jennifer Jones is the American housewife on vacation in Italy who must choose between returning home to her husband and family in Philadelphia or her romance with an Italian academic played by Montgomery Clift. Following The Misfits, Clifts disintegration continued. But this wasnt the actors first time at the rodeo. ), 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. Oddly enough, when he died, the homocons on Gay Patriot praised him on . At the time of the premiere, Monroe had been admitted to a psychiatric ward and required a day pass just to attend. However, even with all the negative hubbub surrounding this shoot, it was nothing compared to the darkness of one of Clifts next projects. Montgomery Clifts sexuality finally emerged with the help of two biographers, and before long, the public turned him into a gay icon. (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. I think he was 12 or 13., Its obviously a non-issue for her, co-director Demmon said. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. 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. The Searchturned out to be a huge hit for Clift. 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. Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! He was only 15 years old, but this wasnt just a fun pastimeit was serious business. She would wield considerable influence over the early part of his film career, advising him in decisions to decline lead roles in Sunset Blvd. 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. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? 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. For somewhat mysterious reasons, Robert Clifts father Brooks taped endless conversations with his famous brother, as well as with their mother and other figures relevant to the story. 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 also detested the man. 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. The two met under the big tent where they performed together. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor. Montgomery Clift had passed due to a heart attack, but many assumed that his addictions and various health problems contributed to his early death. He surely wasnt a suave Prince Charming, and yet, on-screen, he was a downright masterpiece. Christine Tran is a history buff(ette) and media scholar. 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Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Benign to most but, in hindsight, highly suggestive. The old Hollywood system was breaking apart and he was a major part of that., The first role Clift took, opposite John Wayne in Red River in 1948, offered a stark contrast in masculine presentations. Even his diet was rather spartan: orange juice, steak, and eggs. It was a flimsy speculation built on shaky evidence, but with no sign of any real lovemaking in Clifts life, it was all the fan magazines had. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. Clift was off the Hollywood scene for four years, within which his career declined. Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) is one of the most tragic figures in Hollywood history. Clifts recuperation took months, and when he finally returned to set, there was more trouble afoot. Montgomery Clift may have been one of the most self-aware actors of his day, and he certainly knew the name of the game. The results were not pretty. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. 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. But the troubled star. Prior to leaving by train for Paris, a married American woman tries to break off her affair with a young Italian in Rome's Stazione Termini. Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. He didnt want the studios to dictate the kinds of roles he would play, his nephew said. Director: William Wyler | Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins Votes: 16,212 4. (He never won an Academy Award, although most movie aficionados feel he deserved at least one, for his unforgettable turn as the tortured Robert E. Lee Prewitt in From Here to Eternity.). Clift cared nothing for appearances: the Los Angeles Times called him the Rumpled Movie Idol; he infamously owned only one suit. 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. During her appearance at the GLAAD Media Awards, Taylor openly spoke about her late friends sexuality while she addressed the rights of gay people. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. 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. When the duo finally met in Stevens' office, it was pretty magical for Taylor. Their. 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. 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. Ad Choices. Monroe and Taylor are shadowed by Montgomery. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. said: Oh. So finely 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. ", A portrait of Montgomery Clift against a wooden backdrop on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty mages. Determined to make it better, he made some key changesand they made allthe difference. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. In remembering Clift, McCarthy said, his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. Moreover? Edward Montgomery Clift was born on October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. 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. Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. Free delivery for many products! Clift wasn't one to hide a feeling, which made him a great actor and also a terrible straight man. One infamous fact about Montgomery Clift is that he only owned one suit. A fellow actor asserts that Clift was equally confident in his sexuality. As his eyes drifted closed, Clift suddenly veered off the road and drove straight into a telephone pole. That secret, depending on your source, was that Clift was gay or bisexual. Clift, of course, knew better. Until it sinks into a sentimental quagmire the end, the second movie excels first in being remarkably faithful to Dreisers tale of three pitiful youngsters and in telling the story with the same earnestness and breadth that have made the novel survive as a classic. A bout five years ago, filmmaking duo Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon Clift decided to make a documentary about Robert's long-dead uncle. Another confidant said his personal life didnt bother him. Of course, when it came to his appearance, this gorgeous star really didnt give a hoot. A still of Montgomery Clift. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne Helen Petersen recounts the actors lonely life, ferocious talent, and tragic decline. In the rife, overstuffed annals of Hollywood, few real-life love stories can match that of Liz Taylor and Montgomery Clift. Hailed as one of Hollywood's first true Method actors, Edward Montgomery Clift was born October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. Author Christopher Isherwood aptly illustrated Montgomery Clifts shocking transformation: Nearly all his good looks are goneHe has a ghastly, shattered expression. But remember, Clift was never one to dwell on his looks, and it must have been frustrating that everyone else cared so much. The decline continued. Nothing could have prepared him for what he discovered. However, the filming of The Misfits had a shadow lurking over it. Of course, by this time, Clifts drinking problems werent much of a secret, making him a liability to the studio. 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. Montgomery Clift is American by birth. His other side was mostly hidden and only became widely known after he passed on, thanks to his friend and colleague Elizabeth Taylor. Whether morally repulsive or philosophically compelling, The Misfits bombed, only to be recuperated, years later, as a masterpiece of the revisionist genre. When he wasnt reading or preparing for his next role, he took pleasure in visiting the local night court. Quite fittingly, he once said, The closer we come to the negative, todeath, the more we blossom. Even after his passing, his forever friend, Elizabeth Taylor, never forgot him. Not only did he rarely go out in public, but he also didnt date. But before the film could be released, Clift passed away, wholly without fanfare, at the age of 45, succumbing to years of drug and alcohol abuse. 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. "Indiscretion of an American Wife" romance and drama movie produced in Italy and USA and released in 1953. Clift gained actual scars from some filming mishaps. You see, Clift wasnt just a pretty face, he also had a bunch of quirks that made him incredibly singular in comparison to other leading men. Not only would this film win him respect for his impeccable acting performance, but it would also fuel a brand new cycle of romance rumors. Which gives that narrative a lot of traction. Login Ex-lover Larson said in the film that Clift actually preferred his work after the accident to his performances before. Whatever the case may be, Montgomery Clifts life was unbelievably impressive and distressing. But right as filming began, he realized that hed made a terrible mistake. ': What Happened to the Stars of the Iconic Series through the Years, Debbie Reynolds Called Elizabeth Taylor's Phone Yet Her Own Husband Eddie Fisher Picked Up, Rock Hudson & Jim Nabors Never Spoke Again after They Were Reportedly Seen Getting Married, Elizabeth Taylor Proposed to an Actor 20 Years Her Senior & Replaced Him with 25-Year Older Man. His injuries included a broken nose and jaw, a fractured sinus, and deep cuts across his face that called for extensive plastic surgery. He died. The story of Clift's devastating car crash varies somewhat from one account to the next. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. He played the desperate, the drunken, and the deceived, and the trajectory of his life was as tragic as that in any of his films. Making Montgomery Clift is a 2018 American documentary film by directors Robert Anderson Clift and Hillary Demmon chronicling the life of the actor Montgomery Clift till his death in 1966. He wanted to be a free agent, and he did it successfully. A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". 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. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 1920-10-17. He advanced a collaborative approach with his directors, working over scripts and making suggestions for edits. 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. His image was, more than anything else, confusingunmalleable to Hollywoods preexisting star categories. Yet Clift would come to hate the image that constrained him, just as he hated the suggestion that he was a slob, unfriendly, or loathed in Hollywood: after the story of his bare closet came out in the Saturday Evening Post, he worked arduously to set the record straight, underlining the ways in which publicity takes a kernel of the truth and expands it into legend. He hated the criticism and the labels, and eventually, he just couldnt take it anymore. Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 July 23, 1966) was an American actor. But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. While she sounds apologetic, the changes were never made. Clift couldnt get through longer scenes, having to split them up into two or three chunks. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Their claims were deemed reliable because one of the biographers was certified by one of Clift's confidants. Unlike many of his handsome contemporaries, he never had a blonde bombshell hanging off his arm. It shows a different side to Clift, portraying him as a man who enjoyed life and love, and was comfortable enough with him being a gay man. Documentary Biography Classic film star and queer icon Montgomery Clift's legacy has long been a story of tragedy and self-destruction. As such, Taylors intervention only enhances the very real love story that existed between her and Clift. 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. A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953). Taylor, caught up in filming with Richard Burton in Paris, sent flowers to the funeral. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Show more . Born on October 17, 1920, Edward Montgomery Clift was born into a family with lofty ideals. Above all, Clift was perpetually curious.