His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (1886-1964), was the vice-president of Omaha National Trust Company. Inside, he found Clift dead: he was undressed, lying in his bed still wearing his eyeglasses and with both fists clenched by his side. [40][41] In a filmed interview years later in 1963, Clift described his injuries in detail, including how his broken nose could be snapped back into place. [47] Director Stanley Kramer, later wrote in his memoirs that Clift "wasn't always close to the script, but whatever he said fitted in perfectly" and that he suggested Clift turn to Spencer Tracy to "ad lib something" when he struggled to remember his lines for his one scene. On January 13, 1963, a few weeks after the initial release of Freud, Clift appeared on the live television discussion program The Hy Gardner Show, where he spoke at length about the release of his current film, his film career, and treatment by the press. He tended to funnel most of his energy into intense rehearsals with acting coach Mira Rostova who accompanied him on set. By 15, Clift made his Broadway debut in Cole Porters Jubilee. No evidence was found that suggested foul play or suicide. (1936), Titled Marnie the Victor, in Clifts handwriting. Clift, however, was so unsteady and unstable while filming "Freud" (1962) that his movie studio brought a lawsuit against him (via Vanity Fair). Mini bio of the life of actor Montgomery Clift who is probably most famous for starring in "A place in the sun" and "From here to eternity".This video was ma. [21] At age 20, he appeared in the Broadway production of There Shall Be No Night, a work which won the 1941 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. [87] It is said that McDowall took the breakup with Clift hard. Clift was recovering from a car accident during the movies shoot (the actor was dying on his feet, according to one biography), but Hepburn treated him with great kindness. 5, 114, Montgomery Clift: A Biography, Patricia Bosworth, 2012, List of actors with Academy Award nominations, List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories, List of LGBT Academy Award winners and nominees, "Montgomery Clift Dead at 45; Nominated 3 Times for Oscar; Completed Last Movie, 'The Defector,' in June Actor Began Career at Age 13", "Scandals of Classic Hollywood: The Long Suicide of Montgomery Clift", "Making Montgomery Clift: truth behind gay self-loathing myth". He pleaded with her to get them out, and gently, she managed to relieve him of the teeth. The song "Montgomery Clift" by British band Random Hold concerns the legend that Clift enjoyed hanging from the window ledges of tall buildings. 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. An adopted child, his mother Sunny maintained that Clifts true maternal great-grandfathers were the US postmaster-general Montgomery Blair as well as Union commander Robert Anderson, a part of her lineage that was clarified to her (when she came of age) by Dr. Edward Montgomery, the family doctor who delivered her. A studio portrait of Montgomery Clift before his accident on 01 January, 1940 | Photo: Getty Images. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. Before the terrible incident, the star made a significant impact in the entertainment industry. Lawrence, Amy (2010) "The Passion of Montgomery Clift", Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Although the results of Clift's plastic surgeries were remarkable for the time, there were noticeable differences in his facial appearance, particularly the left side of his face, which was nearly immobile. [24] In January 1951, he participated in the episode "The Metal in the Moon" for the series Cavalcade of America, sponsored by the chemical company DuPont Company. [10][11] She spent the rest of her life trying to gain the recognition of her alleged relations. He was not worried [about being gay], Larson asserts in the film. "I was warned not to trust all the stories," Robert told . In one instant Montgomery Clift's life changed forever. He even appeared in the original production of Tennessee Williams' play "You Touched Me" (1945) (per Playbill). Clift died in 1966. For the next nine years, Clift made nearly as many films after his traumatic car accident as he had previously. His father, William Brooks Clift was the vice president of Omaha National Trust Company. Films like A Place in the Sun and From Here to Eternity made Clift a rare performer enjoyed by audiences and critics alike, but when he passed away in 1966 aged just 45, the actor had long since become best known for his personal dramas, in particular a disfiguring 1956 car accident that undid his once near-saintly beauty and accelerated his . We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. The accident permanently damaged his looks and health, and his fortunes were further eroded by his abuse of drugs and alcohol. In this classic version of Theodore Dreiser's novel "An American Tragedy," George Eastman (Montgomery Clift), the nephew of a wealthy industrialist, is excluded from high society and given a blue . The New York Times' obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". I think he was 12 or 13., Its obviously a non-issue for her, co-director Demmon said. Also in 1951, Clift was for the first time cast as Tom in the radio world premiere of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, with Helen Hayes (Amanda) and Karl Malden (the Gentleman Caller), for The Theatre Guild on the Air.[25]. 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. His 15 minute funeral was at attended by 150 mourners, including Lauren Bacall and Sinatra. [citation needed], Following a 15-minute funeral at St. James' Church on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, which was attended by 150 guests, including Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Walker, Clift was buried in the Friends Quaker Cemetery, Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Isabella Rossellini, Zendaya, and more on Lancmes La Vie Est Belle, plus five new fragrances worthy of big-screen adaptations. From Making Montgomery Clift (2018) via YouTube screen-grab. [31] MGM distributed the film nationwide as magazines generated massive attention for Clift. For him, the freedom to be selective about his roles was more important than money or fame. He was filming "Raintree County," which also starred Taylor and Lee Marvin. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor lounging on the grass during the filming of Raintree County in Indiana, 1956. I wanted to figure out why there was such a difference., A deep trove of never-before-revealed evidence makes that disparity bracingly clear. Montgomery Clift died in the bathtub of his Manhattan townhouse of a heart attack brought on by occlusive coronary artery disease on 23 July 1966. Montgomery Clift was not a well man when he agreed to co-star in The Young Lions. [49][50] On a taped phone call, Clift said that he played the character in a way that "holds onto himself, in spite of himself" with dignity.[51]. [48] In nephew Robert Anderson Clift's 2018 documentary, superimposed pages of Clift's own heavily annotated original script show that the actor was actually deliberately and consciously performing with his own rewritten dialogue as opposed to confused improvisation. The film received added media attention due to the rumors that Clift and co-star Elizabeth Taylor were dating in real life. The red carpet played host to a number of looks; some classic, some curious, some daring, and some just begging to be turned into memes. On the evening of May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift was involved in a serious auto accident when he smashed his car into a telephone pole after leaving a dinner party at the Beverly Hills home of his Raintree County co-star and close friend Elizabeth Taylor and her second husband, Michael Wilding. Onscreen and off, he was what the kids these days [85][86] McDowall devoted himself to Clift entirely, and he moved from Los Angeles to New York to be closer to his idol. [73][74][75] In 1948, when Clift left Robbins to pursue a movie career in Hollywood, the announcement devastated Robbins. While his mother, Ethel Fogg 'Sunny' Clift was your typical American homemaker. kofender. George Eastman (Montgomery Clift), the nephew of a wealthy industrialist, arrives in California in the hopes of making his way up in his uncle's company. Another adaptation of the novel had been filmed once before, as An American Tragedy, in 1931. He would continue to act, but by the 1960's his career wasn't going well and he died prematurely at 45 suffering a heart attack most likely brought on by years of drug and alcohol abuse. He suffered a concussion, broken jaw, broken nose, fractured sinuses, fractured cheekbones, and several facial lacerations which required plastic surgery. McDowall starred with Clift in his final picture, The Defector. Ah, Monty in just about anything (even after his face-scarring accident). Why not have a musical about Romeo and Juliet but make it with gangs in New York?' It wasn't long before he found his way to the big screen. Early Years Hailed as one of Hollywood's first true Method actors,. That same year, he had a small but powerful role in "Judgment at Nuremberg," playing Polish man who testified during the Nazi trials about being sterilized, per the Los Angeles Times. Clift, Robert Anderson and Hillary Demmon (2018). For 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. Then again, nothing about Clifts life was expected. Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. [84] During the two and a half years that Clift stayed away from films, McDowall's career was nonexistent. news.AmoMama.com does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. Part of Clift's mother's effort was her determination that her children should be brought up in the style of true aristocrats. [55], During this time, Peter Bogdanovich was working at a cinema in New York City when Clift came to see a revival screening of one of his early films I Confess (1953) and decided to show him the guestbook where a cinema patron had written in a film request for "Anything with Montgomery Clift!"[56]. At his best, Montgomery Clift was a better actor than Marlon Brando. [88], While filming for Vittorio De Sica in Italy, Clift had a romance with Truman Capote. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift ( ne Anderson; 1888-1988). Like them, Clift was comfortable with the full contours, and consequences, of his beauty, playing the object in a way previously preserved for female stars. [72] Clift and Robbins camouflaged their relationship by dating women. Clifts undated images depict a more mature Loy, with whom he starred in the 1958 film Lonelyhearts. In 1957 however, he suffered from a terrible car accident and was pulled from the wreck by his friend Eizabeth Taylor. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. Clift, presumably an introvert, would have been super frustrated to know his physical look would be a topic for national speculation. While the press assumed that Balaban and Clift were an item, Clift secretly dated British actor Roddy McDowall. He spoke so quietly that at times he was practically inaudible. Actor Montgomery Clift is best remembered for his striking good looks and his compelling dramatic performances in such films as "A Place in the Sun" (1951) and "From Here to Eternity" (1953), per IMDb. And Jack Larson suggests that Clift preferred his work after the accident. In 1963, when the "Red River" star recalled the traumatic incident, he mentioned a long day's shoot as the reason he was asleep during the crash. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor star in A Place in the Sun. He apparently fell asleep at the wheel of his car while driving and smashed his car into a telephone pole. Clift asserts that the actors use of alcohol and prescription drugs stemmed, primarily, from a near-fatal car accident in 1956. In Making Montgomery Clift, the film-makers note that the actor made as many movies after the accident as before. Clift was only 45 years old when he died. A seeming exception was one in his final years with a man named Lorenzo who had been hired to help him. Clift's body was taken to the city morgue about 2 miles (3.2km) away at 520 First Avenue, and autopsied. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. BIPS // Getty Images Monty was also impressed with Elizabeth, at least physically. He used them to numb his physical pain. It was taken in 1936. Clift did the film without pay because he just wanted to tackle this character. Overall he ended up unhappy with his performance and left early during the film's premiere. Clift's career might have continued to go strong if it wasn't for a 1956 car accident. How Montgomery Clift Self-Destructed. Published: 20:36 EST . He worked extensively on his character, and was again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Clift's next role as the drifter George Eastman in A Place in the Sun (1951) is regarded as one of his signature method acting performances. McCarthy had been driving in front of Clift when the crash occurred, and he thought that Clift had been killed. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne. The New York World-Telegram noticed Clifts "amazing poise and dexterity" while producer Theo Bamberger commended him for what he called a "natural histrionic instinct. Clift and Taylor would star again in another 1950s film, the Civil War-era drama, Raintree County the movie they were making when Clift almost died in the car wreck outside Taylor's homeand would remain deeply attached to one another until Clift's death, at the too-young age of 45, in New York City in 1966. In the Spotlight Whether he was leaving from or arriving at Taylor's home, it is an undisputed fact that Clift drove his car into a telephone pole and suffered horrific injuries, including significant facial damage (via Vanity Fair). During the interview, Gardner jokingly mentioned that it is "the first and last appearance on a television interview program for Montgomery Clift". He was born Edward Montgomery Clift on October 17, 1920. He and actor Kevin McCarthy later wrote a screenplay for a film adaptation that was never made. Clift required intensive physical therapy as well. His next four films were The Young Lions (1958), which is the only film featuring both Clift and Marlon Brando, Lonelyhearts (1958), Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) and Elia Kazan's Wild River, released in 1960. When he resumed filming on "Raintree County," he was a different man, one left in chronic pain because of the accident. Wayne portrayed a hard and brutal father and boss while Clift played a gentler and more vulnerable son. 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. While director William Wyler notably had difficulty with his poor posture, co-star Olivia de Havilland expressed difficulty with his seriousness, saying that "Monty was painstaking and I liked that about him, but I had a sense that Monty was thinking almost entirely of himself and leaving me out of the scene."[34]. 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