Peter Stackpole The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock. 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. And so he remains frozen in the popular imagination, circa From Here to Eternitythose high cheekbones, that set jaw, the firm stare: a magnificent, proud, tragically broken thing to behold. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. While on his way back, he had an accident. Con Jennifer Jones, Montgomery Clift, Gino Cervi, Richard Beymer. He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. Clifts early foray into acting led him to a Broadway debut in 1935. What does he inspire anyone to do drink, die young? 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. 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. 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. Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) is one of the most tragic figures in Hollywood history. The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. Clift was off the Hollywood scene for four years, within which his career declined. Even if Clift himself was already spiraling out of control, playing a character that did the same only amplified the psychological toll. You see, when Clift sat down to read through the script for The Search,he was less than enthused with the writing. From here on out, however, he plunged even further into his addiction. The accident changed his appearance, and many biographers assumed Clift felt ruined by it and, so, drank more. Documentary Biography Classic film star and queer icon Montgomery Clift's legacy has long been a story of tragedy and self-destruction. But Clifts rebuttal was firm, emphasizing that they were neither in love nor engagedtheyd known each other for 10 years, she helped him with his work, and those romantic rumors are embarrassing to both of us. He was also close with stage actress Libby Holman, 16 years his senior, who had become a notorious feature in the gossip columns following the suspicious death of her wealthy husband, rumors of lesbianism, and her general practice of dating younger men. (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. Merv was a sexual predator who once tried to sexually assault Danny Terrio, then threatened to ruin his career if he talked. We want our readers to trust us. 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. Clift and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor first became acquainted when they played counterparts on George Stevens's "A Place in the Sun." 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. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 1h 3min. 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. 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 surely wasnt a suave Prince Charming, and yet, on-screen, he was a downright masterpiece. 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. Free shipping for many products! Whatever relationships Clift may have had, he was circumspect. Itd be his only film with Brando, even though the two barely shared the screen. Observers also point out that Clift had sexual relationships with women. But right as filming began, he realized that hed made a terrible mistake. 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. 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. That, combined with his spiraling alcohol addiction, wrung the youth right out of the handsome actor. He summoned a doctor, but it was already too late. Clift had a fraternal twin sister, Roberta, and a brother, William Brooks Clift Jr, who had an illegitimate son with actress Kim Stanley. He was one of Hollywoods most desirable leading men, but mystery shrouded his entire private life. Director: William Wyler | Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins Votes: 16,212 4. He was sick of being a symbol, a symptom, a testament to something. 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. 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. You see, the reason behind Montgomery Clifts barren dating life was rather simple: He was gay. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives. He also detested the man. But when his nephew dives into the family archives, a much more complicated picture emerges. 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. Taylor and Clift: Photos From the Set of A Place in the Sun. 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. The film-makers interviewed Bosworth extensively for the movie, but they contrast her words with old taped conversations she had with the actors brother. ), William Brooks Clift, Jr. (19191986) (Aged 66 Or 67) (Who Had An Illegitimate Son With Actress Kim Stanley And Was Later Married To Political Reporter Eleanor Clift. According to Clifts doctors, it was amazing that he was even alive. 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. But after an initial flurry of coverage, he retreated from public view entirely. The long suicide was complete. 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. When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. And when it came to riotous parties, well, he avoided nightlife like the plague. The results were not pretty. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. ufff q hombre tan guapo y atractivo, y grn actor ademas, como me hubiese gustado conocerlo con unos ojos maravillosos. In Truman Capotes unpublished novel Answered Prayers, for example, the author imagines a dinner party between Clift, Dorothy Parker, and flamboyant stage actress Tallulah Bankhead: . It was, however, much olderby the time Raintree County made its way to theaters, hed been off the screen for four and a half years. Contact sheets from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. He was only 15 years old, but this wasnt just a fun pastimeit was serious business. Unlike Rock Hudson, whose affairs were very nearly exposed to the entire nation by Confidential, Clift never made the pages of the scandal rags. He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. RIP GEORGOUS MONTY. Christine Tran is a history buff(ette) and media scholar. She would wield considerable influence over the early part of his film career, advising him in decisions to decline lead roles in Sunset Blvd. Nothing could have prepared him for what he discovered. The unspoken truth was that Clift was gay. Nearly all his good looks are gone, Isherwood wrote. 3.80. July 24, 1966 12 AM PT. 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. / Is he alive? Clifts sexuality, like those other 50s idols Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, was carefully concealed from the public. In 1925 Theodore Dreiser [told such a tale in his] long, oppressively powerful novel, An American Tragedy, which in turn made only a fair movie in 1931. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.2 stars out of 10. 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. A portrait of Elizabeth Taylor And Montgomery Clift from the film "A Place In The Sun", 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. The Searchturned out to be a huge hit for Clift. Montgomery Clift didnt need much to keep himself happy and entertained. His mother wanted all of her children to be raised as distinguished aristocrats, and as such, little Clift and his siblings received an elite upbringing: private tutors, extensive travel, and language lessons. Well, in 1955, he had a chance to reunite with his old friend and co-star, Elizabeth Taylor, in Raintree County. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. 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.