who was montgomery clift wife
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. Some sources have the crash occurring when Clift was leaving the event, while others state he was on his way there. My mom never told me how her best friend died. 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. 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. 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. The documentary was released at the Los Angeles Film Festival and . Montgomery Clift, Nando Bruno. 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. Director: William Wyler | Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins Votes: 16,212 4. That secret, depending on your source, was that Clift was gay or bisexual. A portrait of Elizabeth Taylor And Montgomery Clift from the film "A Place In The Sun", 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Of course, Clift took one of his greatest secrets to his grave. But after an initial flurry of coverage, he retreated from public view entirely. He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. (The director himself never met his famous uncle, having been born eight years after his death). (38) and his wife, Meghan Markle (41), officially . Yet, according to a new documentary, titled Making Montgomery Clift, the stars substance abuse had nothing at all to do with his sexuality. Hes so beautiful, murmured Miss Parker. Welcome to Who Is Montgomery Clift?, a page dedicated to showcasing actors & movie makers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. She once lovingly described how she was in awe of the star actor's perfect facial features. Upon closer inspection, Clifts career reveals notable clues as to who he genuinely was and the private struggles he faced. (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.). However, this was no quick fix. William Brooks Clift (Was A Vice-President Of Omaha National Trust Company. Whatever relationships Clift may have had, he was circumspect. Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 July 23, 1966) was an American actor. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest celebrity news, but don't worry we have you covered. She developed an intense decade-plus obsession over the young actor, even financing an experimental play, "Mexican Mural" for him. Taylor, caught up in filming with Richard Burton in Paris, sent flowers to the funeral. The director, Joseph Mankiewicz, was appalled by this wavering professionalismbut when he tried to fire Clift, two angels intervened. We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. But something of the old talent remainedor at least enough to earn Clift a nomination for best-supporting actor, playing, in the words of film critic David Thomson, a victim irretrievably damaged by suffering. Plans for Clift to play the lead in the film adaptation of Carson McCullerss The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter fell through, in large part due to his uninsurability on set, and promises of a fourth collaboration with Taylor, this time with producer Ray Stark, never came to pass. Hailed as one of Hollywood's first true Method actors, Edward Montgomery Clift was born October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. Between 1963 and 1966, he faded from public view, emerging only to film a final performance in the French spy thriller The Defector (1966). His leading lady, Olivia de Havilland, disappointed him in every wayand his criticisms were downright brutal. (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. This showed in his consciousness of being seen as feminine in any way. Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), Columbia Pictures, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Larger Than Life Facts About Milton Berle, The King Of TV, Vulgar Facts About Lenny Bruce, Stand-Up Comedys Virtuous Villain, Daring Facts About Gina Lollobrigida, Golden Hollywoods Last Survivor, Stunning Facts About Yvonne De Carlo, The Technicolor Queen. Montgomery Clift later resided in . Courtesy Everett Collection Elizabeth was more visible than the publicity-shy Monty. 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. and his wife, the former Ethel Fogg. Clift asserts that the actors use of alcohol and prescription drugs stemmed, primarily, from a near-fatal car accident in 1956. In truth, his face wasnt truly disfigured. Will she ride the term to Oscar gold? to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. But the producer, Sam Spiegel, decided to go forward, no matter the risk. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne. He advanced a collaborative approach with his directors, working over scripts and making suggestions for edits. Liz Ronk edited this gallery for LIFE.com. This would not only show off his range but allow him to sidestep any dangers of typecasting. 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. He was only 15 years old, but this wasnt just a fun pastimeit was serious business. His injuries included a broken nose and jaw, a fractured sinus, and deep cuts across his face that called for extensive plastic surgery. Above all, Clift was perpetually curious. Well, in 1955, he had a chance to reunite with his old friend and co-star, Elizabeth Taylor, in Raintree County. Apparently, one of Clifts tooths had pierced his tongue, causing him to choke. After filming wrapped, she tracked him down and spat directly in his face. He died in 1966 at the age of 45. "Monty," as his family called him, was the son of William Clift, a. 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. Close friends, such as actor Kevin McCarthy and his wife, tried to get Clift to slow down and dry out, but their pleas . 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. Taylor, on the other hand, felt intimidated when she was yet to meet him. 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. She continued to stand by his memory by supporting gay rights and speaking out against homophobia. Montgomery's ancestry was English, as well as more distant Scottish, Dutch, German and French. RIP GEORGOUS MONTY. .. Taylor immediately stuck her delicate, little hand down his throat and removed the obstruction. Picture 1 of 12 . Their. Her interests include the European Renaissance, popular culture, and Internet history. But while Clift certainly seemed like a budding Hollywood heartthrob on the outside, in reality, he wasfar from it. He also sunk into alcoholism, of which Taylor and some other friends tried to help him. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. 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. Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. She is completing her PhD in Toronto, Canada. One time when he was delivering his line on the set of "The Search," he mistakenly called a boy 'dear' and insisted that the director did a reshoot. Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. But right as filming began, he realized that hed made a terrible mistake. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand.. That said, he kept his sexuality a secret: The prejudices of the time left him no choice. 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: . About a month afterThe Misfitswrapped, Gable suffered a heart attack and passed. Montgomery Clift | 20 Gay Hollywood Legends | Purple Clover "I love men in bed, but I really love women," Montgomery Clift is quoted as saying in a 1978 biography. 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). Then again, nothing about Clifts life was expected. He had a close friendship with a woman named Myra Letts, whom the gossip columnists tried arduously to frame as a love interest. 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. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Author Christopher Isherwood tracked Clifts decline in his journals, and by August 1955, he was drinking himself out of a career; on the set of Raintree, the crew had designated words to communicate how drunk Clift was: bad was Georgia, very bad was Florida, and worst of all was Zanzibar. A bout five years ago, filmmaking duo Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon Clift decided to make a documentary about Robert's long-dead uncle. He hated the criticism and the labels, and eventually, he just couldnt take it anymore. When James offered to join him, the belligerent shot him down immediately, crying, Absolutely not.Sadly, this was Montgomery Clifts final interaction. Sadly, his greatest friend Elizabeth Taylor could only send flowers from Rome. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. made. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. However, the filming of The Misfits had a shadow lurking over it. It was a huge wager: since everyone knew how much booze and pills Clift was on, he was virtually uninsurable on set. Taylor and Clift: Photos From the Set of A Place in the Sun. Montgomery Clift may have been one of the most self-aware actors of his day, and he certainly knew the name of the game. Clift simply wasnt cut out for school, and unlike his siblings, turned his back on higher education. But the troubled star. Whisked away to the morgue, Clifts body underwent an autopsy that shed some light on his sudden demise. In remembering Clift, McCarthy said, his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. Unlike Rock Hudson, whose affairs were very nearly exposed to the entire nation by Confidential, Clift never made the pages of the scandal rags. 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. There were questions about the woman in his life and why he was single. Before long, photographers began to descend on the gory scene. But that wasnt the wildest part of the story. The pieces of the puzzle dont quite fit. 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. Directors Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Writers Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Stars Of course, by this time, Clifts drinking problems werent much of a secret, making him a liability to the studio. As to why Bosworth drew on the gay-self-hate narrative, and why that view took hold, the directors blame the homophobia of the time the book was written, in the 1970s. 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. 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. However, he became more comfortable with her and eventually found it easy to open up about his sexuality. He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). Nobody wanted to deal with him anymore, and for four years, he couldnt land a single role. But while his siblings enrolled in prestigious schools, Montgomery Clift went hurtling in a completely different direction. Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. American Actor Montgomery Clift was born Edward Montgomery Clift on 17th October, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA and passed away on 23rd Jul 1966 Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA aged 45. TAYLOR ON CLIFT'S SEXUALITY AFTER HIS DEATH. You see, when Clift sat down to read through the script for The Search,he was less than enthused with the writing. 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. [view couple] # 8 Carlo Fiore 12 28. Luckily, his isolated lifestyle gave him an advantage.