So the fan magazines got creative: the August 1949 cover of Movieland, for example, featured a grinning, suited, respectable-looking Clift paired with the tantalizing headline Making Love the Clift Way. But when readers looked inside the magazine, all they found was a two-page spread of stills from The Heiress, featuring Clift in various stages of flirtation with Olivia de Havilland, extrapolating that Clifts kissing style was soft yet possessively brutal; pleading, but demanding all. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift goofed around during a break in filming A Place in the Sun. Taylor, caught up in filming with Richard Burton in Paris, sent flowers to the funeral. . Montgomery Clift: The Untold Story of Hollywood's Misunderstood Star Montgomery Clift - Biography - IMDb In 1961, Montgomery Clift went on to star alongside some of Hollywoods greatest legendsMarilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. (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.). This made him an A-list actor and a multi-award-winning star. Allegedly, the director brought Clift on board, thinking hed be a soothing effect for Monroe. Montgomery's ancestry was English, as well as more distant Scottish, Dutch, German and French. Sensitive, mysterious, brooding, and suspiciously single. 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. Some of the greatest celebrities of the day came out to mourn Clift at his funeral, including Lauren Bacall and Frank Sinatra. 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. Montgomery Clift Net Worth, Height, Age, and More Documentary Biography Classic film star and queer icon Montgomery Clift's legacy has long been a story of tragedy and self-destruction. 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. "Monty," as his family called him, was the son of William Clift, a. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne Helen Petersen recounts the actors lonely life, ferocious talent, and tragic decline. Thats not what people would expect from a mother in that period.. In 1966, Clifts stalwart friend, Elizabeth Taylor, came to his aid once again and managed to get him a part in Reflections in a Golden Eye. Of course, as unusual as his lifestyle seemed, healso had a number of interesting routines. He served in the Lincoln administration cabinet as Postmaster-General from 1861 to 1864, during the Civil War. 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. Ex-lover Larson said in the film that Clift actually preferred his work after the accident to his performances before. In 1951, Clift embarked upon one of his most famous roles as George Eastman inA Place in the Sun. According to two A-list biographers, the late star was gay. But this was only the beginning. Hepburn was reportedly so incensed by Mankiewiczs treatment of Clift that when the film officially wrapped, she found the director and spat in his face. Suddenly, the Clift family was completely broke and had no choice to move to New York. / Is he alive? 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. And yet, the mystery persists. But the facial reconstruction, heavy painkiller use, and rampant alcohol abuse made it look like hed aged a decade. The subject matter, which involved him assisting in the cover-up of a dead mans apparent homosexuality, must have sparked mixed emotions. Along with Marlon Brando and James Dean, he helped delineate a new paradigm for American cinematic heroes. ), 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. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Between 1963 and 1966, he faded from public view, emerging only to film a final performance in the French spy thriller The Defector (1966). While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. .. Grasping at straws, the media decided to do what little they could to sensationalize the actors non-existent, One of Clifts closest friends was a woman named Myra Letts, and for the ruthless gossip columns, it wasnt a huge leap from friend to girlfriend. Clift didnt entertain this for a second and shot the sordid speculations down immediately, saying that there was zero intimacy between them: those romantic rumors are embarrassing to both of us.. He naturally gravitated to the theater. (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. But that wasnt all. He believed that the media often, and easily, twisted the truth until it disappeared entirely: I learned that most writers dont need interviews to write about me. (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. But the documentary notes Clift made as many movies after the accident as before, and that those projects included some of his most acclaimed performances. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). In a new documentary, myths and assumptions about the Oscar-nominated heartthrob who struggled with his sexuality are replaced with the little-known truth. 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. Clift appeared in The Misfits, a revisionist western best known as the final film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. According to Clifts doctors, it was amazing that he was even alive. He advanced a collaborative approach with his directors, working over scripts and making suggestions for edits. Clifts early foray into acting led him to a Broadway debut in 1935. Clift wasn't one to hide a feeling, which made him a great actor and also a terrible straight man. Clift was off the Hollywood scene for four years, within which his career declined. 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. We want our readers to trust us. Oh dear. A way into the 70s, there was more clarification to his sexuality. Montgomery Clift - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. You see, the reason behind Montgomery Clifts barren dating life was rather simple: He was gay. Sal Mineo and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Montgomery Clift is rumored to have hooked up with Paul Newman Henry Willson and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Jack Larson and Montgomery Clift had a relationship William LeMassena and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Montgomery Clift and Libby Holman had a relationship Maurice Leonard and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Arnold Saint Subber and Montgomery Clift had a relationship Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando shared a link: https://www.allmovie.com/artist/montgomery-clift-p13682, I never used to like him until I saw 'The Heiress' he really was gorgeous, it's such a shame his life was unhappy. He was one of Hollywoods most desirable leading men, but mystery shrouded his entire private life. The long suicide was complete. During her appearance at the GLAAD Media Awards, Taylor openly spoke about her late friends sexuality while she addressed the rights of gay people. 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. Whether platonic or not, these two actors shared an undeniable bond that was undeniably strengthened by this one unfortunate event. A portrait of Montgomery Clift acting as Matt Garth in the western film "Red River" on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty Images. Tom Sizemore's acting dreams and troubled journey began in Detroit While working in New York in the early 1940s, he met wealthy former Broadway star Libby Holman. 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. All Rights Reserved. They were even called the most beautiful couple in Hollywood. As hard as the press tried, they couldnt seem to breathe life into this nonexistent romance. 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?. There were no wild outings for this reserved homebody. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Search _ 1948 DVD Montgomery Clift Aline MacMahon Wendell Corey V Rare at the best online prices at eBay! I do not count myself as a member of the ripped-sweatshirt fraternity. He wasnt a young rebel, an old rebel, a tired rebel, or a rebellious rebelall he cared about was re-creating a slice of life on the screen. Montgomery Clift, Nando Bruno. 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. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. The results were not pretty. He used them to numb his physical pain. 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. Not only did he rarely go out in public, but he also didnt date. Moments after the accident, actor Kevin McCarthy, driving in front of Clift, ran back to check on him, seeing that his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. You see, when Clift sat down to read through the script for The Search,he was less than enthused with the writing. Clift asserts that the actors use of alcohol and prescription drugs stemmed, primarily, from a near-fatal car accident in 1956. But the tragedies didnt end there. 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. Contact sheets from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpole's shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. The entire scene was extremely unsettling as Clift still wore his eyeglasses, and had his hands rigidly clenched. He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. ", However, it became more eminent that his single status bordered on his sexuality as time went on. 'The longest suicide in Hollywood history': who was the real Montgomery About a month afterThe Misfitswrapped, Gable suffered a heart attack and passed. Sadly, his greatest friend Elizabeth Taylor could only send flowers from Rome. With unprecedented control over the projects he starred in, Clift agreed to do the romantic drama, The Heiress. 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.