Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. He spent a great deal of time and money on psychiatry.In 1956, during filming of Raintree County (1957), he ran his Chevrolet into a tree after leaving a party at Elizabeth Taylor's; it was she who saved him from choking by pulling out two teeth lodged in his throat. But the producer, Sam Spiegel, decided to go forward, no matter the risk. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. As such, Taylors intervention only enhances the very real love story that existed between her and Clift. His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (1886-1964), was the vice-president of Omaha National Trust Company. Years before, Clift had battled dysentery, which introduced him to the sinister side effects of pain management. He worked on a summer production where his talents blossomed and it opened an auspicious doorone that would seal his fate forever. Observers also point out that Clift had sexual relationships with women. A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953). Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. She made it known that it all boiled down to love. The two met under the big tent where they performed together. Dazzling Facts About Elizabeth Taylor, The Queen Of Hollywood, Stabbed In The Back: These Real-Life Betrayals Are Straight Up Brutal, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Plot Twist: These Surprise Endings Made Our Jaws Hit The Floor, These Ultra-Spoiled Brats Made Our Eyes Roll Into Our Heads. Luckily, his isolated lifestyle gave him an advantage. In the face of such criticism, Clift went ahead and confused the gossip columns even more. ), 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. An inside look at the actors secretive love life. Indeed, it was his apparent lack of romantic attachments that confounded the gossip press the most. Unlike Rock Hudson, whose affairs were very nearly exposed to the entire nation by Confidential, Clift never made the pages of the scandal rags. Not only did he rarely go out in public, but he also didnt date. She wouldnt die for another year and a half, but Misfits would be her last completed film. Apparently, one of Clifts tooths had pierced his tongue, causing him to choke. Clift wasn't one to hide a feeling, which made him a great actor and also a terrible straight man. Horrified, James immediately called for help, but of course, it was already too late. The actress had read many articles about Clift's acting prowess and thought she would not be the perfect match. said: Oh. (The Clash famously referenced that awful scene, which changed the course of Clifts career and set him on a winding path of booze-and-painkiller-fueled decay, in the song The Right Profile from London Calling: I see a car smashed at night. Montgomery Clift may have been one of the most self-aware actors of his day, and he certainly knew the name of the game. Marlon Brando girlfriend, wife list. Thats not what people would expect from a mother in that period.. TAYLOR ON CLIFT'S SEXUALITY AFTER HIS DEATH. 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. 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. 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. A way into the 70s, there was more clarification to his sexuality. Contact sheets from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpole's shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. However, even with all the negative hubbub surrounding this shoot, it was nothing compared to the darkness of one of Clifts next projects. A still of Montgomery Clift. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne. A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter. 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. . During the peak period of his career, the actor and some Hollywood friends were returning from a party held at Taylor's home. 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. Nope. In its May 28, 1951, issue, meanwhile, LIFE magazine wrote of A Place in the Sun: It is easy for an ambitious young man to get himself involved simultaneously with a simple-hearted girl who lives in a cheap boarding house and an extravagant rich girl who gives gay parties. Montgomery Clift spent a miserly 10 dollars a month on what his friends referred to as a beat up apartment. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. He was such a mess on the set of Freud (1962) that Universal sued him. Clifts recuperation took months, and when he finally returned to set, there was more trouble afoot. When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. Every actor was in the midst of fighting their own demons. These are just among the many words which have been used to describe Montgomery Clift, the enigmatic heartthrob of the 1950s. yo tambien hubiera tenido algo con el claro que si, Monty, I love you. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Help us build our profile of Marlon Brando! Clift was able to appear in more Hollywood movies after he recuperated from the accident, but he was deeply affected by the decline in his career. His father made a lot of money in banking but was quite poor during the depression. Christine Tran is a history buff(ette) and media scholar. I mean, he is a Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. Clift cared nothing for appearances: the Los Angeles Times called him the Rumpled Movie Idol; he infamously owned only one suit. While working in New York in the early 1940s, he met wealthy former Broadway star Libby Holman. Merv was a sexual predator who once tried to sexually assault Danny Terrio, then threatened to ruin his career if he talked. There are a few versions that detail the aftermath of Clifts accident, but one has all the drama of a motion picture itself. . His interests lay elsewhere. Of course, when it came to his appearance, this gorgeous star really didnt give a hoot. [view couple] # 8 Carlo Fiore 12 28. Clift gained actual scars from some filming mishaps. 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 pointed out that she just let the director determine her every move. (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 the most earnest of faces: big, pleading eyes, a set jaw, and the sort of immaculate side part we havent seen since. I do not count myself as a member of the ripped-sweatshirt fraternity.. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. 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). 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. 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. Months of surgeries, rebuilding, and physical therapy followed. Determined to make it better, he made some key changesand they made allthe difference. Sadly, his greatest friend Elizabeth Taylor could only send flowers from Rome. But when hedid get a hankering for a fun excursion, Clift knew exactly where he wanted to be. Monroe and Taylor are shadowed by Montgomery. 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. 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. 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. Although hed only been away from Hollywood for four and a half years, the handsome Montgomery Clift looked incrediblyoldand the reason was downright heartbreaking. When he first arrived in Hollywood, he didnt sign a contract, waiting until after the success of his first two films to negotiate a three-picture deal with Paramount that allowed him total discretion over projects. Montgomery Clift's full name is Edward Montgomery Clift and his nickname is Montgomery Clift. We want our readers to trust us. cocksucker, isnt he, Tallulah? Miss Bankhead said: Well, Instead, Clift enjoyed reading, filling his spare moments with Chekov and Aristotlediving into history, or learning about economics. .. A bout five years ago, filmmaking duo Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon Clift decided to make a documentary about Robert's long-dead uncle. This was entertainment at its finest. What finally brought him back to the screen? We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. With his screenwriting suggestions, the film took home an Academy Award. His leading lady, Olivia de Havilland, disappointed him in every wayand his criticisms were downright brutal. In all honesty, his face wasnt horribly changed at all, but there was one shocking difference. But after an initial flurry of coverage, he retreated from public view entirely. Well, in 1955, he had a chance to reunite with his old friend and co-star, Elizabeth Taylor, in Raintree County. The view then about queer people was that they would be inherently conflicted or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon. However, this was no quick fix. 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. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Edward Montgomery Clift was born on October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. His . 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. cocksucker. Then, sweetly, wide-eyed with little girl navet, she 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. According to Clifts doctors, it was amazing that he was even alive. The script wasnt necessarily that special, but it would give him a chance to re-unite with Elizabeth Taylor, and that, it seemed, was enough to pull him out of semi-retirement. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. But this wasnt the actors first time at the rodeo. 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. In Clifts eyes, de Havilland imparted nothing of herself into the role. The Big Lift (1950) Approved | 120 min | Drama, War 6.4 Rate Indiscrecin de una esposa: Dirigido por Vittorio De Sica. 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. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 1h 3min. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. Were always looking for your input! American actor Montgomery Clift was spectacular on the big screen for his portrayal of sensitive male characters. 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. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. . He had a close friendship with a woman named Myra Letts, whom the gossip columnists tried arduously to frame as a love interest. He advanced a collaborative approach with his directors, working over scripts and making suggestions for edits. When Clift became a household name in the movie industry, his romantic life became a widely-discussed subject by the press. While driving, he fell asleep at the wheel and the consequences were utterly gruesome. Montgomery Clift 39 30. Connect any celebrity with Montgomery Clift to see how closely they are linked romantically! Montgomery Clift was in relationships with Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Henry Willson, Jack Larson, William LeMassena, Libby Holman, Maurice Leonard and Arnold Saint Subber. He still drank, but not as heavily. Montgomery Blair. "Indiscretion of an American Wife" romance and drama movie produced in Italy and USA and released in 1953. This made him an A-list actor and a multi-award-winning star. 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. 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. Clift's childhood was unconventional. 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. Eyebrows were raised when the actor shared in an article he authored that he liked it "lonely. Montgomery Clift as the confused, likable, rather stupid social climber; Shelley Winters as the dowdy working girl; Elizabeth Taylor as the dazzling rich girl. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. Contact sheets from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. What does he inspire anyone to do drink, die young? He looked about ten years older than the Montgomery Clift audiences remembered and adored. . You see, the entire healing process put Clift through the paces. at the best online prices at eBay! The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. But he was handsome and beguiling on-screen, creating an appetite for confirmation of that same Clift off the screen. However, one salient fact remains: Clifts ruined face never made it to the papersIn fact, not one photograph of that night exists. Nothing could have prepared him for what he discovered. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Beautiful man. However, Clift soon realized that you cant always have your cake and eat it too. His own mother, in a voice recording played in Making Montgomery Clift, said, "Monty was a . Free shipping for many products! Who is Montgomery Clift dating? The revelation of his sexuality did not emerge until the 70s, when two high-profile biographers, one endorsed by his close confidants, revealed as much, rendering him a gay icon within the span of two years. 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. The results were not pretty. He pleaded with her to make changes to her book to correct the mischaracterizations. 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. A portrait of Elizabeth Taylor And Montgomery Clift from the film "A Place In The Sun", 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. On the set of 1958sLonelyhearts,Clift had a message for those that tried to fit him into a box. She once lovingly described how she was in awe of the star actor's perfect facial features. 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. Then again, nothing about Clifts life was expected. About 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. INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE 1953 DVD PUBLIC DOMAIN FILM MONTGOMERY CLIFT. In fact, his doctors considered it amazing that the actor had even pulled through. This would not only show off his range but allow him to sidestep any dangers of typecasting. 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. 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: . Jennifer Jones (Actor), Montgomery Clift (Actor), Vittorio De Sica (Director) Format: DVD 127 ratings IMDb 6.2/10.0 $797 Prime Video $0.99 $2.99 Blu-ray $14.99 DVD $7.97 VHS Tape $4.73 See More Frequently bought together + + Total price: $27.95 Add all three to Cart Some of these items ship sooner than the others. They went to London to see Laurence Olivier together, ate together, sat in front of the fire together, Clift said. But if you look at his own words, his testimonies about what acting did to him, youll see the culprit. 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. He also sunk into alcoholism, of which Taylor and some other friends tried to help him. Show details His first two films were smashing successesand for veryimpressive reasons. While she sounds apologetic, the changes were never made. William Brooks Clift (Was A Vice-President Of Omaha National Trust Company. We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! Unlike many other actors, he didnt jump straight into a contract. Welcome to Who Is Montgomery Clift?, a page dedicated to showcasing actors & movie makers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Elizabeth Taylor at Paramount Studios, 1950. 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). And then there was the physical toll. It also stresses Clifts crucial role in changing the power balance between actors and studio chiefs in Hollywood, as well as the advancements he brought to film acting. Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 July 23, 1966) was an American actor. He gained excellent theatrical notices and soon piqued the interests of numerous lovelorn actresses; their advances met with awkward conflict. July 22, 1966, was a sweltering day in New York City, and Montgomery Clift had been languishing in his townhouse on 61st Street. . By the time they shared the screen together for the first time, in the classic murder-romance-melodrama, A Place in the Sun (1951), both were bona fide box-office draws: Taylor had been onscreen since she was 10, and Clift a soulful, introverted Method actor who influenced countless others who came after him had already garnered the first of his four career Oscar nominations. This year the young man . 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. You couldn't help but come. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. 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. The unhinged character he played in the film hit too close to home and psychologically drained him. Whatever the case may be, Montgomery Clifts life was unbelievably impressive and distressing. 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. 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. He hated the criticism and the labels, and eventually, he just couldnt take it anymore. Allegedly, Rock Hudson was there to pull Clift from the wreckage and it was Taylor who held the stricken actor in her arms. 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. Their claims were deemed reliable because one of the biographers was certified by one of Clift's confidants. Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando were in a . A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. He died in 1966 at the age of 45. He wasnt the only one who challenged such norms at the time. / Cut the applause and dim the light. Montgomery Clift as Noah Ackerman Dean Martin as Michael Whiteacre Hope Lange as Hope Plowman Barbara Rush as Margaret Freemantle May Britt as Gretchen Hardenberg Maximilian Schell as Captain Hardenberg Dora Doll as Simone Lee Van Cleef as First Sergeant Rickett Liliane Montevecchi as Franoise Parley Baer as Sergeant Brandt 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. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives. Whatever relationships Clift may have had, he was circumspect. But the tragedies didnt end there. But while his siblings enrolled in prestigious schools, Montgomery Clift went hurtling in a completely different direction. Some believe that Clifts romantic leanings were much less of a secret than originally thought. 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. 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. Taylor, caught up in filming with Richard Burton in Paris, sent flowers to the funeral. Once on stage, Clift truly came into his own. A portrait of Montgomery Clift acting as Matt Garth in the western film "Red River" on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty Images. 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