But the drama didnt end there. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. Elizabeth Taylor (all of 17 years old) and Montgomery Clift posed together at Paramount Studios during a break in filming A Place in the Sun. Nothing could have prepared him for what he discovered. ", However, it became more eminent that his single status bordered on his sexuality as time went on. While filmingThe Search,he asked the director to reshoot a scene for one baffling reason: He called a boy dear. But that wasnt all. 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. Biographies of Clift posit that he drank because he couldnt be his true self, because homosexuality was the shame he had to shelter within. It hardly helped lend nuance to that reading that Clift was a well-known and long-time abuser of pain killers and alcohol, actions which likely sped his death from a heart attack at 45 in 1966. These are just among the many words which have been used to describe Montgomery Clift, the enigmatic heartthrob of the 1950s. Between 1963 and 1966, he faded from public view, emerging only to film a final performance in the French spy thriller The Defector (1966). Thats why his work doesnt feel dated, Demmon said. He advanced a collaborative approach with his directors, working over scripts and making suggestions for edits. For somewhat mysterious reasons, Robert Clifts father Brooks taped endless conversations with his famous brother, as well as with their mother and other figures relevant to the story. Clift, however, lived a two-faceted life concerning his sexuality. In fact, his doctors considered it amazing that the actor had even pulled through. This was entertainment at its finest. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. Were not trying to give a definitive version of who Monty was, added Clift. 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However, Clift soon realized that you cant always have your cake and eat it too. Clift gained actual scars from some filming mishaps. 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. 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. Nobody wanted to deal with him anymore, and for four years, he couldnt land a single role. Luckily, although the public was out for blood, there was one woman on his side. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Okay, if were being totally honest, Montgomery Clifts reserved lifestyle didnt exactly excite the press; it actually kind of stumped them. Whisked away to the morgue, Clifts body underwent an autopsy that shed some light on his sudden demise. The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. There was a nonchalance to Clifts attitude in regards to women. Charles Castillo, author of "Elizabeth & Monty: The Untold Story," shared that the actress tried to seduce Clift. 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. [view couple] # 8 Carlo Fiore 12 28. A year and a half away from her own tragic end, Marilyn Monroe described Clift as the only person I know who is in even worse shape than I am. Together, this cast truly reflected a band of withering misfits. Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 July 23, 1966) was an American actor. It turned into John Cassavetes' "Too Late Blues," with Bobby Darrin. There were questions about the woman in his life and why he was single. The duo eventually got to know each other better, and according to Taylor, they liked each other. Have I said something wrong? RIP GEORGOUS MONTY. Eyebrows were raised when the actor shared in an article he authored that he liked it "lonely. Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. When the duo finally met in Stevens' office, it was pretty magical for Taylor. The view then about queer people was that they would be inherently conflicted or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. He also didnt want to sign a contract with a studio, then the only viable way into the business. 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. July 22, 1966, was a sweltering day in New York City, and Montgomery Clift had been languishing in his townhouse on 61st Street. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Directors Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Writers Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Stars Of course, Clift took one of his greatest secrets to his grave. He wanted to be a free agent, and he did it successfully. Still, unlike other notable gay actors, any affairs Montgomery Clift had were secured behind a lock and key. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand.. . to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Montgomery Blair. Firstly, he didnt even like Hollywood, preferring to stay in New York as much as he could. It shows a different side to Clift, portraying him as a man who enjoyed life and love, and was comfortable enough with him being a gay man. 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. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. About Picture Information. (The director himself never met his famous uncle, having been born eight years after his death). After all, his leading lady was none other than the beguiling Elizabeth Taylor, and together, these two stars were pure fire. This made him an A-list actor and a multi-award-winning star. Although Clift and Montgomery were only good friends, their coupling inA Place in the Sunhelped drive its popularity. Lancaster's first wife, June Ernst, was, like her mother before her, a renowned acrobat. He had a close friendship with a woman named Myra Letts, whom the gossip columnists tried arduously to frame as a love interest. Clift was there, as were actors Kevin McCarthy and Rock Hudson, and Hudson's wife, Phyllis Gates, per Vanity Fair. However, Clift's sexuality was not much of a secret within the movie industry. 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. 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. The truth didnt come out until the 70s. / Is he alive? While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor. It was a huge wager: since everyone knew how much booze and pills Clift was on, he was virtually uninsurable on set. Taylor, caught up in filming with Richard Burton in Paris, sent flowers to the funeral. Montgomery Clift as Noah Ackerman Dean Martin as Michael Whiteacre Hope Lange as Hope Plowman Barbara Rush as Margaret Freemantle May Britt as Gretchen Hardenberg Maximilian Schell as Captain Hardenberg Dora Doll as Simone Lee Van Cleef as First Sergeant Rickett Liliane Montevecchi as Franoise Parley Baer as Sergeant Brandt Even his diet was rather spartan: orange juice, steak, and eggs. A bulls horn scarred his nose and his attempt to tame a horse gave him intense rope burnnot to mention all the other scrapes he earned along the way. The old Hollywood system was breaking apart and he was a major part of that., The first role Clift took, opposite John Wayne in Red River in 1948, offered a stark contrast in masculine presentations. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? I thought he was dead. He immediately returned to Taylors house to notify the party of the bloody disaster. . 5 talking about this. 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. MONTY YOU WERE THE BEST!!! But for Clift, there was just no escape, and it was only going to get worse. Montgomery Clift as the confused, likable, rather stupid social climber; Shelley Winters as the dowdy working girl; Elizabeth Taylor as the dazzling rich girl. While she sounds apologetic, the changes were never made. But that wasnt all. On the set of 1958sLonelyhearts,Clift had a message for those that tried to fit him into a box. They went to London to see Laurence Olivier together, ate together, sat in front of the fire together, Clift said. He also detested the man. By the time they shared the screen together for the first time, in the classic murder-romance-melodrama, A Place in the Sun (1951), both were bona fide box-office draws: Taylor had been onscreen since she was 10, and Clift a soulful, introverted Method actor who influenced countless others who came after him had already garnered the first of his four career Oscar nominations.