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. 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). Indiscrecin de una esposa: Dirigido por Vittorio De Sica. 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. But the press will always be the press, and no amount of Montgomery Clifts ire could change that. When Clift became a household name in the movie industry, his romantic life became a widely-discussed subject by the press. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives, as well as to the familys story, courtesy of a special connection: the doc was co-directed by the stars nephew, Robert Clift, and his wife, Hillary Demmon. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. He also didnt want to sign a contract with a studio, then the only viable way into the business. William Brooks Clift (Was A Vice-President Of Omaha National Trust Company. Oddly enough, when he died, the homocons on Gay Patriot praised him on . TAYLOR ON CLIFT'S SEXUALITY AFTER HIS DEATH. 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. Throughout filming, members of the crew came up with code words to alert everyone about the lead actors level of intoxication. ", A portrait of Montgomery Clift against a wooden backdrop on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty mages. His . The two met under the big tent where they performed together. 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. You see, the entire healing process put Clift through the paces. 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. .. 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 simply wasnt cut out for school, and unlike his siblings, turned his back on higher education. Luckily, over time, they clawed their way back to financial security. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. 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. Soon, the washed-up actor was completely out of work. / Is he alive? 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. Clift's reputation in the 1960s was coloured by the brutal comment of Robert Lewis, Clift's teacher at the Actors Studio, who called his late . ), 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. Thats why his work doesnt feel dated, Demmon said. From here on out, however, he plunged even further into his addiction. The Searchturned out to be a huge hit for Clift. Allegedly, the director brought Clift on board, thinking hed be a soothing effect for Monroe. Montgomery Clift made a name for himself in Hollywood with several awards and nominations. His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (1886-1964), was the vice-president of Omaha National Trust Company. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun. Because of the accident, the studio worried about the success of Raintree County. INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE 1953 DVD PUBLIC DOMAIN FILM MONTGOMERY CLIFT. Next came "The Nutty Professor" as Lewis' student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. He used them to numb his physical pain. Absolutely stunning. 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. Montgomery Clift was an undeniably attractive man, and before long, hed cultivated a rather passionate female fan base. 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. But after an initial flurry of coverage, he retreated from public view entirely. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. 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. 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?. Here was someone who was vulnerable and sensitive - and who actually listened to women.. Nope. Of course, by this time, Clifts drinking problems werent much of a secret, making him a liability to the studio. 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. On the morning of July 23, 1966, Montgomery Clift's housemate couldn't wake the actor. . When The Heiresscame out, Clifts loyal fanatics came with their claws out and wrote vicious letters to Olivia de Havilland for rejecting Clifts character in the film. Clift was nominated for awards . Lorenzo came into the picture when Monty was at his lowest. Above all, Clift was perpetually curious. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. The unspoken truth was that Clift was gay. After his accident, Clift had an arduous road to recovery. At the time of the premiere, Monroe had been admitted to a psychiatric ward and required a day pass just to attend. 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. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives. Okay, if were being totally honest, Montgomery Clifts reserved lifestyle didnt exactly excite the press; it actually kind of stumped them. While on his way back, he had an accident. Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. Randy Chrisley Is Todd Chrisley's Brother Who Was Diagnosed with Cancer in 2014, Johnny Depp's Weight Gain & Changes in Appearance over the Years, 'Whos the Boss? With unprecedented control over the projects he starred in, Clift agreed to do the romantic drama, The Heiress. Help us build our profile of Montgomery Clift! Montgomery Clift, Nando Bruno. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 1h 3min. Show details Something was seriously wrong. Montgomery Clift's full name is Edward Montgomery Clift and his nickname is Montgomery Clift. Montgomery Clift was certainly one of a kind, and when he landed in Hollywood, it became extremely clear that he was going to do things his own way. Montgomery Clift is a member of the following lists: American film actors, Actors Studio alumni and Bisexual actors. Connect any celebrity with Montgomery Clift to see how closely they are linked romantically! He was only 15 years old, but this wasnt just a fun pastimeit was serious business. 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. Apparently, Burt Lancaster's From Here to Eternity co-star Montgomery Clift intimidated himso much so that in their first scene together you can see Lancaster shaking. The view then about queer people was that they would be inherently conflicted or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon. But even as Clift consistently took the road less traveled, he still had some biting things to say about the media, especially its desire to pin down his image. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. Production resumed on Raintree County, which the studio feared would fail following Clifts accident. In fact, after the lovers have been separated for good and the young man is in the death house [Clifts character murders Winters after getting her pregnant], the face of the girl comes floating in via double exposure to give him a last unsubstantial peck before he goes out to be executed. Were always looking for your input! 3.80. Picture 1 of 12 . Whether platonic or not, these two actors shared an undeniable bond that was undeniably strengthened by this one unfortunate event. Looking back, the film had a legacy of darkness surrounding it: Gable died of a heart attack less than a month after filming; Monroe was only able to attend the films premiere with a pass from her stay at a psychiatric ward. In all honesty, his face wasnt horribly changed at all, but there was one shocking difference. 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. "Indiscretion of an American Wife" romance and drama movie produced in Italy and USA and released in 1953. But while his siblings enrolled in prestigious schools, Montgomery Clift went hurtling in a completely different direction. Heres A Mystery: Why Did Arthur Conan Doyles Son Dress Up Like a Knight? He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. Clift was there, as were actors Kevin McCarthy and Rock Hudson, and Hudson's wife, Phyllis Gates, per Vanity Fair. 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. But her heroism didnt end there. But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. It left him with chronic health issues for the rest of his life. According to two A-list biographers, the late star was gay. Thanks for your time! 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. A way into the 70s, there was more clarification to his sexuality. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Marlon Brando girlfriend, wife list. . 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. Horrified, James immediately called for help, but of course, it was already too late. But right as filming began, he realized that hed made a terrible mistake. Realizing that Clift was in mortal danger, McCarthy raced to the scene of the accident. In the face of such criticism, Clift went ahead and confused the gossip columns even more. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. The entire scene was extremely unsettling as Clift still wore his eyeglasses, and had his hands rigidly clenched. Clift couldnt get through longer scenes, having to split them up into two or three chunks. But for 12 years, he set Hollywood aflame. A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". However, he became more comfortable with her and eventually found it easy to open up about his sexuality. Hailed as one of Hollywood's first true Method actors, Edward Montgomery Clift was born October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. His body was found by his live-in personal secretary/companion Lorenzo James, who found Clift lying nude on top of his bed, dead from what the autopsy called "occlusive coronary artery disease." 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. 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. Fellow actor Kevin McCarthy was driving ahead of Clift when the horror show went down. I think he was 12 or 13., Its obviously a non-issue for her, co-director Demmon said. Hes never sucked my cock.. You see, when Clift sat down to read through the script for The Search,he was less than enthused with the writing. He was one of Hollywoods most desirable leading men, but mystery shrouded his entire private life. ), 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. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. 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. His father made a lot of money in banking but was quite poor during the depression. Moreover? In 1961, Montgomery Clift went on to star alongside some of Hollywoods greatest legendsMarilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. July 22, 1966, was a sweltering day in New York City, and Montgomery Clift had been languishing in his townhouse on 61st Street. He wasnt the only one who challenged such norms at the time. However, this was no quick fix. He was not worried [about being gay], Larson asserts in the film. Edward Montgomery Clift was born on October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1951, Clift embarked upon one of his most famous roles as George Eastman inA Place in the Sun. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. Taylor talked about the need for staunch support for gay people and their rights. Show more . Clifts early foray into acting led him to a Broadway debut in 1935. Perkins, who once fended off the advances of Brigitte Bardot, later went to a shrink who maintained that homosexuality could be "cured," and in 1973 he married photographer Berry Berenson. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. Of course, Clifts words had always been futile in the face of Hollywood. But even the troubled blonde bombshell recognized that her co-star was in dire straits. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! She would wield considerable influence over the early part of his film career, advising him in decisions to decline lead roles in Sunset Blvd. He got him going again. By 15, Clift made his Broadway debut in Cole Porters Jubilee. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. In remembering Clift, McCarthy said, his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. ", However, it became more eminent that his single status bordered on his sexuality as time went on. The story of Clift's devastating car crash varies somewhat from one account to the next. RIP GEORGOUS MONTY. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. But the tragedies didnt end there. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. "Monty," as the performer was known to family and . He was such a mess on the set of Freud (1962) that Universal sued him. According to Clifts doctors, it was amazing that he was even alive. Montgomery Clift girlfriend, wife list. (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. All his life, it was misery," said McCarthy. Taylor and Clift: Photos From the Set of A Place in the Sun. Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn came to Clifts defense when the director tried to get rid of him. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of A Place in the Sun. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. That said, he kept his sexuality a secret: The prejudices of the time left him no choice. 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. 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. Hollywood began to see him as hostile and messy and frugal, and Clift wasnt having it. It was ironic his relationship with the bisexual middle-aged Holman would be the principal (and likely the last) heterosexual relationship of his life and only cause him further anguish over his sexuality. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest celebrity news, but don't worry we have you covered. The film-makers interviewed Bosworth extensively for the movie, but they contrast her words with old taped conversations she had with the actors brother. He was sick of being a symbol, a symptom, a testament to something. Born Edward Montgomery Clift on Oct. 17, 1920 in Omaha, NE, he was the son of Ethel Fogg and William Brooks Clift, a successful Wall Street stockbroker. When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. But the drama didn't end there. 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. But he was handsome and beguiling on-screen, creating an appetite for confirmation of that same Clift off the screen.