He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. 6. 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. Midway through filming, Clift was in a near-fatal car accident. Thus, as long as Clift's father was able to pay for it, he and his siblings were privately tutored, travelled extensively in America and Europe, became fluent in German and French, and led a protected life, sheltered from the destitution and communicable diseases which became legion following the First World War. "Red River," which has become a classic western, featured Clift starring opposite John Wayne. | This is what happened that night. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 18197. 90.2k. (1948) Speaking of Pictures , Life 6 December: 224. His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (18861964), was the vice-president of Omaha National Trust Company. He had a small non-paying role. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 5368. During filming, Montgomery Clift was injured and nearly killed in a serious automobile accident. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. After the success of 1953sFrom Here to Eternity, Montgomery Clift suddenly stopped making films. The film received added media attention due to the rumors that Clift and co-star Elizabeth Taylor were dating in real life. Robert Clift is the son of Montgomery's older brother, Brooks, making him the youngest nephew of the Hollywood icon. Clifts papers include several undated, intimate, tender images of a young Elizabeth Taylor with one of her sons. Montgomery Clift didnt need much to keep himself happy and entertained. The cause of death was listed as a heart attack, but a major contributing factor was the cumulative effect of pain killers and liquor. The Searchturned out to be a huge hit for Clift. After midnight, shortly before 1:00a.m., James went to his own bedroom to sleep, without saying another word to Clift. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. James found his patient sitting up in bed and watching his film, The Misfits, but Clift clearly didnt want to be disturbed. 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. When they left, they got into their . But when hedid get a hankering for a fun excursion, Clift knew exactly where he wanted to be. It was taken in 1936. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. The entire experience had a cursed tinge to it, and before long, it left disaster in its wake. Hollywood Icons. 3 (Fall): 89111. [62] In a taped telephone conversation with his brother, Clift's mother stated she had known Clift was homosexual early on. External Reviews After a two-month recovery period, Clift returned to the set to finish the film. As the faded rodeo rider Perce Howland in The Misfits, his first, introductory scene performed inside of a phone booth only took two hours of the scheduled two shooting days which impressed cast and crew. With unprecedented control over the projects he starred in, Clift agreed to do the romantic drama, The Heiress. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. Of course, as unusual as his lifestyle seemed, healso had a number of interesting routines. Montgomery Clift was a great actor. He was only 15 years old, but this wasnt just a fun pastimeit was serious business. | His parents were Quakers and met as students at Cornell University, marrying in 1914. The condition (among other things) lowers blood pressure; it could have caused Clift to appear drunk or drugged when he was sober. 52, No. Making Montgomery Clift also challenges many of the assumptions around Clift's decline. The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. The entire scene was extremely unsettling as Clift still wore his eyeglasses, and had his hands rigidly clenched. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand.. [38] She pulled a hanging tooth that was cutting into his tongue, before accompanying him into the ambulance.[39]. Soon, the washed-up actor was completely out of work. He even appeared in the original production of Tennessee Williams' play "You Touched Me" (1945) (per Playbill). Judy Balaban, his daughter, has stated that she had an immediate connection with Clift and the two were "joined at the hip," dating for many months following. 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]. And even then, he didnt live a glamorous movie star existence. Years before, Clift had battled dysentery, which introduced him to the sinister side effects of pain management. Were always looking for your input! That, combined with his spiraling alcohol addiction, wrung the youth right out of the handsome actor. The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Firstly, he didnt even like Hollywood, preferring to stay in New York as much as he could. Look magazine gave him its Achievement Award and called him "the most promising star on the Hollywood horizon. [16] Close to a year later, around the time the family moved again, settling in New York City, Clift debuted on Broadway at 14 years old as Harmer Masters in the comedy Fly Away Home which ran from January to July 1935 at the 48th Street Theatre. He struggled to make through some of the longer scenes. The crash caused severe damage to his face, and McCarthy noted in a 2018 interview that he thought Clift was dead when he saw the scene. He had to undergo plastic surgery and increased his intake of alcohol and pain . Unable to display preview. McCann, Graham (1991) Rebel Males: Clift, Brando and Dean. [44] Marilyn Monroe (in what was to be her last filmed role) was also having emotional and substance abuse problems at the time; she described Clift in a 1961 interview as "the only person I know who is in even worse shape than I am". Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press. At the end of the day, Clifts private nurse Lorenzo James checked in on him just after midnight. She was so incensed by director Joseph Mankiewiczs poor treatment of Clift that she is said to have spat at him. A portrait of Montgomery Clift after his accident on 01 January, 1958 | Photo: Getty Images, After Clift's terrible car accident, the star faced some challenging moments in the movie industry. For him, the freedom to be selective about his roles was more important than money or fame. Clift had shown an interest in acting and theatrics as a child living in Switzerland and France but did not take the initiative to go out for a part in a local production until age 13, when his family was forced to downsize and relocate from Chicago to Sarasota, Florida. This image is titled Cheval et Marnie, in Clifts handwriting. Reply. But that wasnt the wildest part of the story. His interests lay elsewhere. PubMedGoogle Scholar, McNally, K. (2013). 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. Of course, Clift didnt walk away unscathed either. Strikingly beautiful and exceptionally talented, Montgomery Clift was at the peak of his fame in 1956 when a devastating car crash nearly destroyed his face. In 1961, Montgomery Clift went on to star alongside some of Hollywoods greatest legendsMarilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. In 1956 American Film actor Montgomery Clift fell asleep at the wheel. [89][90] One of Clift's first intimate relationships was with composer Lehman Engel. Clift, along with actor Kevin McCarthy, had been attending a party at Elizabeth Taylor's house in Beverly Hills. 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. He and his private nurse, Lorenzo James, had not spoken much all day. "Monty," as the performer was known to family and . One sign of how much Hollywood has changed: Clift's close friend Elizabeth Taylor matter-of-factly identified him as gay while accepting a . Edward Montgomery Clift was born on October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. This biography of Montgomery Clift provides detailed information about his childhood, life, acting career, achievements and timeline. Hollywood began to see him as hostile and messy and frugal, and Clift wasnt having it. Bosworth, Patricia (1978) Montgomery Clift: A Biography. In Clifts eyes, de Havilland imparted nothing of herself into the role. [73][74][75] In 1948, when Clift left Robbins to pursue a movie career in Hollywood, the announcement devastated Robbins. She was so. Continued pain from his injuries led him to rely on alcohol and pills for relief as he had done after an earlier bout with dysentery left him with chronic intestinal problems. Violet-eyed siren Elizabeth Taylor and classically handsome Montgomery Clift were the most gorgeous screen couple of their time. Above is a photo of American actor Montgomery Clift's automobile after it skidded off a dark road and smashed into a telephone pole. Damaged Beauty: Montgomery Clift, Tragedy and the Redefinition of a Star Image. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Clift did not serve during World War II, having been given 4-F status after suffering dysentery in 1942. However, in 1962, Cliff had to sign up to play Sigmund Feud in Huston's biopic "Freud: The Secret Passion." In 1964, he recorded for Caedmon Records The Glass Menagerie, with Jessica Tandy, Julie Harris, and David Wayne. He represented the new wave of post-World War II actors who were handsome, intelligent, soft-spoken, introspective, and acted with intensity. He could watch the real grit of humanity play out before himthe court a stage for some of the most sensational high-profile cases. Montgomery Clift had the most earnest of faces: big, pleading eyes, a set jaw, and a side part that reminds you of old pictures of your granddad. Taylor actually extracted his teeth that had lodged into his throat so he could breath. "[142] "Monty Got a Raw Deal" by rock band R.E.M. For the next nine years, Clift made nearly as many films after his traumatic car accident as he had previously. 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. The schedule for Reflections in a Golden Eye was then set for August 1966, but Clift died in July 1966. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. He also talked publicly for the first time about his 1956 car accident, the injuries he received, and its aftereffects on his appearance. He is best remembered for his roles in Howard Hawks's Red River (1948), George Stevens's A Place in the Sun (1951), Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity (1953), Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and John Huston's The Misfits (1961). Marilyn Monroe, . This was described as "a power differential that would go on to structure the starstudio relationship for the next 40 years". Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. [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. To make it fair to James Dean, we would have to judge it on their first 3 roles each. They starred together as romantic leads in a total of three films throughout the 1950s: A Place in the Sun, where, in their romantic scenes, they received considerable acclaim for their naturalness and their appearance, Raintree County and Suddenly, Last Summer, and remained close until his death. 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. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Barthes, Roland (1999) The Face of Garbo [1957], in Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen (eds), Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings. But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. Over two decades of friendship they made, separately and together, some of the era's defining movies-including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Misfits, Suddenly, Last Summer, and Cleopatra. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. But while Clift certainly seemed like a budding Hollywood heartthrob on the outside, in reality, he wasfar from it. But just as Clift dove into this exciting new chapter, an unforeseen tragedy changedeverything. Before the terrible incident, the star made a significant impact in the entertainment industry. A studio portrait of Montgomery Clift before his accident on 01 January, 1940 | Photo: Getty Images. In 1929, the Wall Street Crash hit Clifts father like a ton of bricks, and his mothers dreams disappeared in an instant. With alarm bells screaming in his head, James raced outside to fetch a ladder, climbing up toward Clifts bedroom window. that benefits the victims. 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. advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. Wayne portrayed a hard and brutal father and boss while Clift played a gentler and more vulnerable son. With Clift on board, Suddenly, Last Summer morphed into a verifiable mess. A biographer is speaking out this week to talk about the strong bond between the Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. At the time, Clift was encouraged to hide his sexuality because it would destroy his career as a leading man in Hollywood. Fearful for her friends image, she threatened the press: If they even dared to take one photo of her friend, she would personally ensure the end of their careers. Something was seriously wrong. 'Happy Days's' Anson Williams Divorced the Same Woman Twice after Almost Losing His Life in the Early 2000s, Marlo Thomas Spouse Was a Virgin before Marriage to Mom of His 5 Kids & a Lousy Lover Afterward, Why Is Chris Pratt Receiving Backlash? One should acknowledge that Clift already looked and acted differently from what people expected in the pre-accident scenes. Realizing that Clift was in mortal danger, McCarthy raced to the scene of the accident. A critical and commercial success, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards.[29]. He spent months in the hospital and had major plastic surgeries. Inside, he found Clift dead: he was undressed, lying in his bed still wearing his eyeglasses and with both fists clenched by his side. He was only 45. Clift was also a Hollywood maverick of sorts, choosing to remain independent at a time when most actors were under contract to the movie studios, per Vanity Fair. This would not only show off his range but allow him to sidestep any dangers of typecasting. . He suffered a near fatal car accident that disfigured his beautiful face. "[32] Clift was on the cover of Life magazine by December 1948. London: Hamish Hamilton. Allegedly, Rock Hudson was there to pull Clift from the wreckage and it was Taylor who held the stricken actor in her arms. During the interview, Gardner jokingly mentioned that it is "the first and last appearance on a television interview program for Montgomery Clift". In his first film, Red River, Clift had the chance to play opposite the western superstar John Wayne.
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