He pointed out that she just let the director determine her every move. (The director himself never met his famous uncle, having been born eight years after his death). 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. Clift had a fraternal twin sister, Roberta, and a brother, William Brooks Clift Jr, who had an illegitimate son with actress Kim Stanley. What finally brought him back to the screen? INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE 1953 DVD PUBLIC DOMAIN FILM MONTGOMERY CLIFT. He was such a mess on the set of Freud (1962) that Universal sued him. He naturally gravitated to the theater. He was, at least in the press, something approaching asexualthe title of a Motion Picture article, authored by Clift, declared simply, I Like It Lonely!. Of course, as unusual as his lifestyle seemed, healso had a number of interesting routines. The script wasnt necessarily that special, but it would give him a chance to re-unite with Elizabeth Taylor, and that, it seemed, was enough to pull him out of semi-retirement. He surely wasnt a suave Prince Charming, and yet, on-screen, he was a downright masterpiece. Clift earned best-actor Oscar nominations for 1951s A Place in the Sun and 1953s From Here to Eternity; both times he lost to older actors (Humphrey Bogart and William Holden, respectively), and established his reputation, alongside Marlon Brando and James Dean, as a young outsider whose talent intimidated Hollywood. Curtis's relationship to the term nepo baby has evolved over the last few months. Montgomery Clift girlfriend, wife list. Clift was so protective of Holman that when offered the plum role of the male lead in Sunset Boulevard, he turned it downreportedly to avoid any suggestion that Libby Holman was his own delusional Norma Desmond, using a handsome young man to pursue her lost stardom. But this wasnt the actors first time at the rodeo. Contact sheets from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpole's shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. 3.80. Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), Columbia Pictures, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Larger Than Life Facts About Milton Berle, The King Of TV, Vulgar Facts About Lenny Bruce, Stand-Up Comedys Virtuous Villain, Daring Facts About Gina Lollobrigida, Golden Hollywoods Last Survivor, Stunning Facts About Yvonne De Carlo, The Technicolor Queen. During the filming of Raintree County, Clift and Taylor seemed to have rekindled their is-it-or-isnt-it relationship; according to one of Clifts biographers, Some days he would threaten to stop seeing Elizabeth Taylorthen, the thought would make him burst into tears. Other apocryphal legend has Taylor sending Clift piles of love letters, which he then read aloud to his male companion at the time. But before the film could be released, Clift passed away, wholly without fanfare, at the age of 45, succumbing to years of drug and alcohol abuse. While on his way back, he had an accident. But if you look at his own words, his testimonies about what acting did to him, youll see the culprit. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. After all, his leading lady was none other than the beguiling Elizabeth Taylor, and together, these two stars were pure fire. He wasnt the only one who challenged such norms at the time. 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. He told everyone that hed marry when he met the right girl, but that in the meantime, he was simply playing the field. Once, when questioned about his pastimes, he quipped, Yes, women. But where were they? We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! Clift was unperturbed by his apparent lack of a love life: he told the press that he would get married when he met a girl he wanted to marry; in the meantime, he was playing the field. When another columnist asked him if he had any hobbies, he replied, Yes, women. But as the years passed, it became more and more clear that Clift wasnt just picky. Over the next decade, the burgeoning actor dug his heels in and made a name for himself on the stage. The revelation of his sexuality did not emerge until the 70s, when two high-profile biographers, one endorsed by his close confidants, revealed as much, rendering him a gay icon within the span of two years. But the drama didnt end there. In remembering Clift, McCarthy said, his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. It was unheard of, especially for a young star, but it was a sellers market. The director, Joseph Mankiewicz, was appalled by this wavering professionalismbut when he tried to fire Clift, two angels intervened. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand.. He was lonely, yet with the help of his refusal to live in Los Angeles or participate in caf society, he was able to keep his private life private. 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.. Hailed as one of Hollywood's first true Method actors, Edward Montgomery Clift was born October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. The long suicide was complete. Unlike many other actors, he didnt jump straight into a contract. 2023 Cond Nast. With alarm bells screaming in his head, James raced outside to fetch a ladder, climbing up toward Clifts bedroom window. Jennifer Jones (Actor), Montgomery Clift (Actor), Vittorio De Sica (Director) Format: DVD 127 ratings IMDb 6.2/10.0 $797 Prime Video $0.99 $2.99 Blu-ray $14.99 DVD $7.97 VHS Tape $4.73 See More Frequently bought together + + Total price: $27.95 Add all three to Cart Some of these items ship sooner than the others. And the cherry on top? 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. But that wasnt the wildest part of the story. 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?. 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. A seeming exception was one in his final years with a man named Lorenzo who had been hired to help him. He had a close friendship with a woman named Myra Letts, whom the gossip columnists tried arduously to frame as a love interest. However, he became more comfortable with her and eventually found it easy to open up about his sexuality. The view then about queer people was that they would be inherently conflicted or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon. A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter. 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 But when his nephew dives into the family archives, a much more complicated picture emerges. I thought he was dead. McCarthy ran to fetch Taylor, Wilding, and Rock Hudson and Hudsons wife, Phyllis Gates, who all raced to the site of the accident. 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. Free Postage. Whatever the case may be, Montgomery Clifts life was unbelievably impressive and distressing. Its impossible for us to know what happenedor if the two even had a relationship that went beyond the platonicbut it was returning from a party at Taylors house, mid-filming for Raintree County, that he smashed his car into a telephone pole. Picture Information. Clift gained actual scars from some filming mishaps. He used them to numb his physical pain. A documented conversation between two stars, Tallulah Bankhead and Dorothy Parker, during a dinner party also showed that there was knowledge among stars that Clift was gay. ), Elizabeth Taylor, Roddy McDowell, Dean Martin, Kevin McCarthy, Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Jones, Libby Holman, Thornton Wilder, Salka Viertel, Stewart Granger, Jack Larson, Oscar Levant, Pilar Levi, Giuseppe Perrone, Fred Zinnemann, Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Abigail Tommye Adams. With unprecedented control over the projects he starred in, Clift agreed to do the romantic drama, The Heiress. Luckily, over time, they clawed their way back to financial security. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hitchcock's I CONFESS (DVD, 1953); M CLIFT, A BAXTER. "Indiscretion of an American Wife" is currently available to stream on Fubo TV. When it came to the lengthier scenes, the actor just couldnt deliver; they had to be divided into smaller cuts just so he could see them through. So finely In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. 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. His . He is most remembered for A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953).. His zodiac sign is Libra. His body was found by his live-in personal secretary/companion Lorenzo James, who found Clift lying nude on top of his bed, dead from what the autopsy called "occlusive coronary artery disease." Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Montgomery Clift didnt need much to keep himself happy and entertained. He wasnt solely an actor, she said. A car crash in the prime of his career left him in constant pain, and he drank himself to an early death, creating an aesthetic of suffering that has guided the way we think about him today. The accident changed his appearance, and many biographers assumed Clift felt ruined by it and, so, drank more. The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now, Titled Refueling at Albuquerque, New Mexico, in Clifts handwriting. The truth didnt come out until the 70s. Will she ride the term to Oscar gold? You couldn't help but come. Whether he liked it or not, they were out for a storyAnd the one they wanted above all? Hes never sucked my cock.. He died. There was a nonchalance to Clifts attitude in regards to women. 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. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. "Monty," as his family called him, was the son of William Clift, a. But this was only the beginning. 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. 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. Soon, the washed-up actor was completely out of work. After filming wrapped, she tracked him down and spat directly in his face. Taylor talked about the need for staunch support for gay people and their rights. A portrait of Elizabeth Taylor And Montgomery Clift from the film "A Place In The Sun", 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. He hated the criticism and the labels, and eventually, he just couldnt take it anymore. It also stresses Clifts crucial role in changing the power balance between actors and studio chiefs in Hollywood, as well as the advancements he brought to film acting. However, Clift's sexuality was not much of a secret within the movie industry. When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. This year the young man . Free shipping for many products! An inside look at the actors secretive love life. But the tragedies didnt end there. Clift's childhood was unconventional. Teach, I loved the way how he played in A Place in the Sun. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. Clift was nominated for awards . It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. He served in the Lincoln administration cabinet as Postmaster-General from 1861 to 1864, during the Civil War. Montgomery Clift's full name is Edward Montgomery Clift and his nickname is Montgomery Clift. . Montgomery Clift was an undeniably attractive man, and before long, he'd cultivated a rather passionate female fan base. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. Clifts early foray into acting led him to a Broadway debut in 1935. And yet, the mystery persists. (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.). 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. Dazzling Facts About Elizabeth Taylor, The Queen Of Hollywood, Stabbed In The Back: These Real-Life Betrayals Are Straight Up Brutal, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Plot Twist: These Surprise Endings Made Our Jaws Hit The Floor, These Ultra-Spoiled Brats Made Our Eyes Roll Into Our Heads. 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. For us, it seemed there was this big difference between what people thought about Monty in the public sphere and what people that knew him would say, said Clift. (1950), (originally written specifically for him; the story perhaps hitting a little too close to home) and High Noon (1952).His long apprenticeship on stage made him a thoroughly accomplished actor, notable for the intensity with which he researched and approached his roles. ", A portrait of Montgomery Clift against a wooden backdrop on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty mages. 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. He still drank, but not as heavily. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. They took a risk on the troubled actorand it endedbadly. You see, when Clift sat down to read through the script for The Search,he was less than enthused with the writing. Indiscretion of an American Wife 1953, 1h 3min - Romance , Drama Jennifer Jones is the American housewife on vacation in Italy who must choose between returning home to her husband and family in Philadelphia or her romance with an Italian academic played by Montgomery Clift. He was the son of Ethel "Sunny" Anderson (Fogg; 1888-1988) and William Brooks Clift (1886-1964). In his eyes, he wasnt a rebel, he was simply an actor who wanted to portray a slice of life. Tired of being boxed in, he stated, I am notrepeat nota member of the Beat Generation. 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. Between 1963 and 1966, he faded from public view, emerging only to film a final performance in the French spy thriller The Defector (1966). Elizabeth Taylor stuck by her friends, and Montgomery Clift undoubtedly claimed a special spot in her heart. Although hed only been away from Hollywood for four and a half years, the handsome Montgomery Clift looked incrediblyoldand the reason was downright heartbreaking. However, one salient fact remains: Clifts ruined face never made it to the papersIn fact, not one photograph of that night exists. Taped interviews with his brother reveal that the actor felt those roles werent quite right for him and he didnt want to make the wrong first impression. That was really frightening to see., Penn Badgley Loves His Wife Too Much to Do Sex Scenes in, I askedSera Gamble, the creator, Can I just do no more intimacy scenes? the former, Oscar-winning producer Dede Gardner looks back at her many groundbreaking awards darlings, from the triumph of. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. Clift, of course, knew better. He also didnt want to sign a contract with a studio, then the only viable way into the business. 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! When the duo finally met in Stevens' office, it was pretty magical for Taylor. Taylor and Clift: Photos From the Set of A Place in the Sun. Monty brought a different masculinity to the screen, said Demmon. By 1950, he was troubled with allergies and colitis (the U.S. Army had rejected him for military service in World War II for chronic diarrhea) and, along with pill problems, he was alcoholic. The movie, which plays at the LGBTQ movie festival NewFest in New York, refutes scores of oft-repeated assumptions about Clifts life, from his motivations as an actor, to his relationship with his mother to the characterization of his later years. 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. His first two films were smashing successesand for veryimpressive reasons. True or not, the resilience of the story is a testimony to what people wanted to believe about the bond between the two stars. 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. 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. Thats not what people would expect from a mother in that period.. Montgomery Clift was certainly one of a kind, and when he landed in Hollywood, it became extremely clear that he was going to do things his own way. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor. Still, unlike other notable gay actors, any affairs Montgomery Clift had were secured behind a lock and key. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. His mother was born out of wedlock and spent much of her life and the family fortune finding her illustrious southern lineage and raising her children as aristocrats.At age 13, Monty appeared on Broadway ("Fly Away Home"), and chose to remain in the New York theater for over ten years before finally succumbing to Hollywood. July 24, 1966 12 AM PT. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? And when it came to riotous parties, well, he avoided nightlife like the plague. A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". Clift and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor first became acquainted when they played counterparts on George Stevens's "A Place in the Sun." . There were questions about the woman in his life and why he was single. 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. Biographies of Clift posit that he drank because he couldnt be his true self, because homosexuality was the shame he had to shelter within. Taylor opened his mouth, put her hand down his throat, and pulled out the teeth. The subject matter, which involved him assisting in the cover-up of a dead mans apparent homosexuality, must have sparked mixed emotions. But, in general, his relationships with men had more to do with sex than with a deep emotional connection. He also detested the man. 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. You see, the reason behind Montgomery Clifts barren dating life was rather simple: He was gay. 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. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. While filming his next picture, Lonelyhearts (1958), Clift lashed out, proclaiming, I am notrepeat nota member of the Beat Generation. cocksucker. Then, sweetly, wide-eyed with little girl navet, she My mom never told me how her best friend died. They went to London to see Laurence Olivier together, ate together, sat in front of the fire together, Clift said. What does he inspire anyone to do drink, die young? While his brother claimed that Clift was bisexual, writer Truman Capotes unpublished work alludes to Clifts gayness quite explicitly. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Their. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. When Clift became a household name in the movie industry, his romantic life became a widely-discussed subject by the press. Eyebrows were raised when the actor shared in an article he authored that he liked it "lonely. It was ironic his relationship with the bisexual middle-aged Holman would be the principal (and likely the last) heterosexual relationship of his life and only cause him further anguish over his sexuality. That secret, depending on your source, was that Clift was gay or bisexual. 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. Contemporaries like James Dean and Marlon Brando also did. Montgomery Clift Born: 1920-10-17, Omaha, Nebraska, USA Education: NA Ethnicity: Caucasian Death Date:-0001-11-30 Addition Websites. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. 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. Apparently, one of Clifts tooths had pierced his tongue, causing him to choke. Carlo Fiore and Marlon Brando were in . Thats why his work doesnt feel dated, Demmon said. Even his diet was rather spartan: orange juice, steak, and eggs. He played the desperate, the drunken, and the deceived, and the trajectory of his life was as tragic as that in any of his films. Nearly all his good looks are gone, Isherwood wrote. Have I said something wrong? 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. For Clift, The Heiress was a mess from top to bottom, and he even walked out on the films premiere, disgusted with his own performance. He also sunk into alcoholism, of which Taylor and some other friends tried to help him. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives, as well as to the familys story, courtesy of a special connection: the doc was co-directed by the stars nephew, Robert Clift, and his wife, Hillary Demmon. Fed up with the script, Clift desperately wanted to change her lines, saying, She isnt giving me enough to respond [to]. Of course, poor de Havilland soon had more than just her prickly love interest to contend with.