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. Clift was there, as were actors Kevin McCarthy and Rock Hudson, and Hudson's wife, Phyllis Gates, per Vanity Fair. Of course, as unusual as his lifestyle seemed, healso had a number of interesting routines. A fellow actor asserts that Clift was equally confident in his sexuality. But 1961 audiences were too close to the day-to-day deterioration of its stars to see the meditative genius of The Misfits. He read books about Montgomery Clift and James Dean, and credited seeing "Taxi Driver" at age 13 with fueling his desire to be in movies. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. A successful man in the business world, Bill nevertheless deferred to this strong-willed, opinionated woman at home. While she sounds apologetic, the changes were never made. Thanks for your help! Montgomery Clift girlfriend, wife list. Lancaster's . Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. 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 perpetual question to himself, as he once scribbled in his journal, was, How to remain thin-skinned, vulnerable, and still alive? For Clift, the task proved impossible. When he wasnt reading or preparing for his next role, he took pleasure in visiting the local night court. Making Montgomery Clift, which was co-directed by Clift's nephew Robert Clift (and Robert's wife Hillary. . 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. However, Clift's sexuality was not much of a secret within the movie industry. 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. He also won a nomination for Best Actor. There were no wild outings for this reserved homebody. I am not one of Americas Angry Young Men. During her appearance at the GLAAD Media Awards, Taylor openly spoke about her late friends sexuality while she addressed the rights of gay people. Actor Montgomery Clift, 45, three times nominated for Academy Awards, died early Saturday of a heart attack in his plush East Side townhouse. He is most remembered for A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953).. His zodiac sign is Libra. Instead, Clift enjoyed reading, filling his spare moments with Chekov and Aristotlediving into history, or learning about economics. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Soon, the washed-up actor was completely out of work. With Clift on board, Suddenly, Last Summer morphed into a verifiable mess. By 15, Clift made his Broadway debut in Cole Porters Jubilee. Hollywood repeatedly came courting, but he put off offers for nearly a decade, even turning down roles in classic films like East of Eden and the co-lead in Sunset Boulevard. However, Clift's life was shrouded by a dark secret that became public after his passing, by actress Elizabeth Taylor. He was one of Hollywoods most desirable leading men, but mystery shrouded his entire private life. Some of the greatest celebrities of the day came out to mourn Clift at his funeral, including Lauren Bacall and Frank Sinatra. I Confess - Hitchcock - His Life in Pictures Magazine Pictorial [United Kingdom] (June 2022), Montgomery Clift - Retro Magazine Pictorial [Poland] (May 2022), Montgomery Clift - Pani domu Magazine Pictorial [Poland] (August 2011). What happened next is somewhat fuzzy: one version has Hudson pulling Clift from the car and Taylor cradling him in her arms, at which point Clift started choking and motioning to his throat, where, it soon became clear, two of his teeth had lodged themselves after coming loose during the accident. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.2 stars out of 10. In fact, his doctors considered it amazing that the actor had even pulled through. But the press will always be the press, and no amount of Montgomery Clifts ire could change that. When the duo finally met in Stevens' office, it was pretty magical for Taylor. Adopted at the age of one, his mother was told by a well-intentioned doctor years later that she was the offspring of Southern aristocrats, so she chose to raise her own children accordingly. Thats not what people would expect from a mother in that period.. Monty brought a different masculinity to the screen, said Demmon. Will she ride the term to Oscar gold? What a pity hes a 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. But the drama didnt end there. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. Throughout filming, members of the crew came up with code words to alert everyone about the lead actors level of intoxication. The entire experience had a cursed tinge to it, and before long, it left disaster in its wake. Whether he liked it or not, they were out for a storyAnd the one they wanted above all? Over the next decade, the burgeoning actor dug his heels in and made a name for himself on the stage. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. 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. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun. Although hed only been away from Hollywood for four and a half years, the handsome Montgomery Clift looked incrediblyoldand the reason was downright heartbreaking. 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. And thus began what Robert Lewis, Clifts teacher at the Actors Studio, called the longest suicide in Hollywood history. Even before Raintree, the decline had been visible. at the best online prices at eBay! And even more shocking? He also helped bring a more natural acting style to film. He could barely remember his lines and often didnt show up to set. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hitchcock's I CONFESS (DVD, 1953); M CLIFT, A BAXTER. But even Monroe reported that Clift was the only person I know who is in even worse shape than I am. The pictures from the set are as poignant as they are heartbreaking: its as if all three were meditating on their respective declines, and theres a sad, peaceful resignation at the difference between what their bodies could do and how people wanted to remember them. . 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. Of course, Clift took one of his greatest secrets to his grave. Clift detested Waynes antiquated male constraints. I mean, he is a On the set of 1958sLonelyhearts,Clift had a message for those that tried to fit him into a box. (38) and his wife, Meghan Markle (41), officially . Thats why his work doesnt feel dated, Demmon said. 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. Contemporaries like James Dean and Marlon Brando also did. In all honesty, his face wasnt horribly changed at all, but there was one shocking difference. (The director himself never met his famous uncle, having been born eight years after his death). "Indiscretion of an American Wife" is currently available to stream on Fubo TV. You see, Clift wasnt just a pretty face, he also had a bunch of quirks that made him incredibly singular in comparison to other leading men. 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. He had a close friendship with a woman named Myra Letts, whom the gossip columnists tried arduously to frame as a love interest. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Were always looking for your input! Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. 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. It was reported that Taylor even tried to help him find a partner. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. Courtesy Everett Collection Elizabeth was more visible than the publicity-shy Monty. 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 . Hollywood began to see him as hostile and messy and frugal, and Clift wasnt having it. She noted that they needed to live a life of equality while being able to get married and adopt kids. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. He served in the Lincoln administration cabinet as Postmaster-General from 1861 to 1864, during the Civil War. In 1951, Clift embarked upon one of his most famous roles as George Eastman inA Place in the Sun. He naturally gravitated to the theater. There are a few versions that detail the aftermath of Clifts accident, but one has all the drama of a motion picture itself. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. Because of the accident, the studio worried about the success of Raintree County. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. 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. The accident changed his appearance, and many biographers assumed Clift felt ruined by it and, so, drank more. Okay, if were being totally honest, Montgomery Clifts reserved lifestyle didnt exactly excite the press; it actually kind of stumped them. Many Hollywood stars have committed versions of the long suicide. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. Just look at the fan magazine titles: Making Love the Clift Way, Two Loves Has Monty, Montgomery Clifts Tragic Love Story, Is It True What They Say About Monty? Who Is Monty Kidding? Hes Travelin Light, The Lurid Love Life of Montgomery Clift, and, perhaps most flagrantly, Monty Clift: Woman Hater or Free Soul?. 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. Montgomery Clifts sexuality finally emerged with the help of two biographers, and before long, the public turned him into a gay icon. Luckily, over time, they clawed their way back to financial security. 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. He hated the criticism and the labels, and eventually, he just couldnt take it anymore. You see, the reason behind Montgomery Clifts barren dating life was rather simple: He was gay. 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. Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. made. Elizabeth Taylor stuck by her friends, and Montgomery Clift undoubtedly claimed a special spot in her heart. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. If you have a story that tracks along that line, that will feel true to people. Montgomery Clift is a member of the following lists: American film actors, Actors Studio alumni and Bisexual actors. 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. Montgomery Blair. Picture 1 of 12 . While filming a 15-minute supporting role as a mentally handicapped victim of the Holocaust in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), he had to ad-lib all of his lines. Sensitive, mysterious, brooding, and suspiciously single. Marlon Brando girlfriend, wife list. 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. 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. But when he climbed into the room, he discovered something absolutely gut-wrenching. 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.
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