Hes never sucked my cock.. Can he still feel?). He summoned a doctor, but it was already too late. Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. It left him with chronic health issues for the rest of his life. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Or, as Bosley Crowther, taking the populist slant in The New York Times, explained, the characters were amusing, but they were also shallow and inconsequential, and that is the dang-busted trouble with this film.. said: Oh. ", A portrait of Montgomery Clift against a wooden backdrop on 01 January, 1948 | Photo: Getty mages. Firstly, he didnt even like Hollywood, preferring to stay in New York as much as he could. "Indiscretion of an American Wife" is currently available to stream on Fubo TV. Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. "Monty," as his family called him, was the son of William Clift, a. Author Christopher Isherwood tracked Clifts decline in his journals, and by August 1955, he was drinking himself out of a career; on the set of Raintree, the crew had designated words to communicate how drunk Clift was: bad was Georgia, very bad was Florida, and worst of all was Zanzibar. Montgomery Clift - IMDb Charles Castillo, author of "Elizabeth & Monty: The Untold Story," shared that the actress tried to seduce Clift. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. Sal Mineo and Montgomery Clift were in a rela Montgomery Clift and Paul Newman were rumored Henry Willson and Montgomery Clift were in a Jack Larson and Montgomery Clift were in a re William LeMassena and Montgomery Clift were i Montgomery Clift and Libby Holman were in a r Maurice Leonard and Montgomery Clift are sepa Arnold Saint Subber and Montgomery Clift were Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando were in a Heart attack (brought on by "occlusive coronary artery disease"), Friends Quaker Cemetery, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York City, New York, USA. . His parents were Quakers and met as students at Cornell University, marrying in 1914. I mean, he is a There are a few versions that detail the aftermath of Clifts accident, but one has all the drama of a motion picture itself. Making Montgomery Clift: truth behind gay self-loathing myth Contact sheets from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. Universal Studios actuallysued him for the losses they incurred because of his troublesome behavior. All rights reserved. What happened next has since become the stuff of Hollywood legend. While driving, he fell asleep at the wheel and the consequences were utterly gruesome. . She wouldnt die for another year and a half, but Misfits would be her last completed film. His apartment, which he rented for 10 dollars a month, was described by friends as beat up and by him as terrific. He survived on two meals a day, mostly combinations of steak, eggs, and orange juice, and he eschewed nightclubs, instead spending his spare time reading Chekov, classic works of history and economics, and Aristotle, whom he praised for his belief in happiness, or the gentle art of the soul. When he wasnt reading or exhausting himself in preparation for a part, he liked to go to the local night court and attend high-profile court cases just to watch the humanity on display. He wanted to be a free agent, and he did it successfully. He was not worried [about being gay], Larson asserts in the film. 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. Clift once said, The closer we come to the negative, to death, the more we blossom. He took himself to that precipice, but he fell straight in. 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. I think he was 12 or 13., Its obviously a non-issue for her, co-director Demmon said. 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. Clift and Taylor would star again in another 1950s film, the Civil War-era drama, Raintree Countythe movie they were making when Clift almost died in the car wreck outside Taylors homeand would remain deeply attached to one another until Clifts death, at the too-young age of 45, in New York City in 1966. 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. Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 July 23, 1966) was an American actor. The decline continued. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Montgomery Clift: the untold story of Hollywood's misunderstood star Production resumed on Raintree County, which the studio feared would fail following Clifts accident. 42 Dark Facts About Montgomery Clift, The Original - Factinate Montgomery Clift, Nando Bruno. The 'Red River star was then tagged a gay icon. A wild exclusive excerpt from the new book, Oscars 2023: Yes, Some Awards Movies Flopped, but Art Matters, How in the F--k Does Anyone Live Here?: Bret Easton Ellis on Life, Art, and What the Hell Happened to Manhattan, Todd Field on 2 Decades of Oscar Campaigns, From, I didnt realize the deadly minefield of a campaign season, the Oscar nominee says in a career-spanning interview. d-d-darling, I r-r-really wouldnt know. Free delivery for many products! The most beautiful young man Ive ever seen. Montgomery Clifts sexuality finally emerged with the help of two biographers, and before long, the public turned him into a gay icon. Over the next 10 years, he earned prominent roles in plays by Tennessee Williams and Thornton Wilder, opposite stars like Fredrick March and Tallulah Bankhead. Thanks for your time! Of course, Clift didnt walk away unscathed either. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. After his accident, Clift had an arduous road to recovery. Tom Sizemore's acting dreams and troubled journey began in Detroit Allegedly, hed been forewarned that the truth would destroy his career, and as a result, the actor became increasingly wary of appearing feminine in any way. Because of the accident, the studio worried about the success of Raintree County. A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. 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? Moreover? . INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE 1953 DVD PUBLIC DOMAIN FILM MONTGOMERY CLIFT. But he was handsome and beguiling on-screen, creating an appetite for confirmation of that same Clift off the screen. . 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." Clift's childhood was unconventional. Perkins, who once fended off the advances of Brigitte Bardot, later went to a shrink who maintained that homosexuality could be "cured," and in 1973 he married photographer Berry Berenson. But the producer, Sam Spiegel, decided to go forward, no matter the risk. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. 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. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. 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. 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. There were even speculations that he was warned about being gay. 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. 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. As he lay wounded in the arms of his dear friend, Clift began choking and pointing to his throat. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Montgomery Clift | 20 Gay Hollywood Legends | Purple Clover Some sources have the crash occurring when Clift was leaving the event, while others state he was on his way there. His own mother, in a voice recording played in Making Montgomery Clift, said, "Monty was a . According to two A-list biographers, the late star was gay. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. 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. His . He still drank, but not as heavily. 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. The unhinged character he played in the film hit too close to home and psychologically drained him. However, he became more comfortable with her and eventually found it easy to open up about his sexuality. The duo eventually got to know each other better, and according to Taylor, they liked each other. On the morning of July 23, 1966, Montgomery Clift's housemate couldn't wake the actor. If you have a story that tracks along that line, that will feel true to people. Monty brought a different masculinity to the screen, said Demmon. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Montgomery Clift 39 30. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Help us build our profile of Marlon Brando! 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. However, Clift's life was shrouded by a dark secret that became public after his passing, by actress Elizabeth Taylor. Lessons from the Lives of Celebrities: Actor, Montgomery (Monty) Clift Actor Montgomery Clift, 45, three times nominated for Academy Awards, died early Saturday of a heart attack in his plush East Side townhouse. The true story of Montgomery Clift, as told by his youngest nephew 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. These are just among the many words which have been used to describe Montgomery Clift, the enigmatic heartthrob of the 1950s. However, this was no quick fix. When James offered to join him, the belligerent shot him down immediately, crying, Absolutely not.Sadly, this was Montgomery Clifts final interaction. He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. Unlike Rock Hudson, whose affairs were very nearly exposed to the entire nation by Confidential, Clift never made the pages of the scandal rags. Montgomery Clift was in 8 on-screen matchups, including Anne Baxter in I Confess (1953), Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun (1951), Dolores Hart in Lonelyhearts (1958), Donna Reed in From Here to Eternity (1953) and Jennifer Jones in Indiscretion of an American Wife (1953). Of course, Clifts words had always been futile in the face of Hollywood. In Montgomery Clift: A Biography, author Patricia Bosworth describes Monty's father Bill as passive, good-natured, and very dependent on his charismatic wife, Sunny. 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. 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. However, Clift soon realized that you cant always have your cake and eat it too. But, in general, his relationships with men had more to do with sex than with a deep emotional connection. He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. He pleaded with her to make changes to her book to correct the mischaracterizations. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Merv was a sexual predator who once tried to sexually assault Danny Terrio, then threatened to ruin his career if he talked. yo tambien hubiera tenido algo con el claro que si, Monty, I love you. Elizabeth Taylor Tried to Seduce Montgomery Clift Then Stood By Him After He Came Out to Her Despite his deep attraction to Taylor, at first Clift couldn't bring himself to tell her he was. He worked on a summer production where his talents blossomed and it opened an auspicious doorone that would seal his fate forever. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. He was such a mess on the set of Freud (1962) that Universal sued him. Then again, nothing about Clifts life was expected. Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. Clift had a fraternal twin sister, Roberta, and a brother, William Brooks Clift Jr, who had an illegitimate son with actress Kim Stanley. With his screenwriting suggestions, the film took home an Academy Award. Lancaster's first wife, June Ernst, was, like her mother before her, a renowned acrobat. Unlike many of his handsome contemporaries, he never had a blonde bombshell hanging off his arm. 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. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Curtis's relationship to the term nepo baby has evolved over the last few months. 'The longest suicide in Hollywood history': who was the real Montgomery But for 12 years, he set Hollywood aflame. Taylor had married British actor Michael Wilding in 1952, but by 1956, their marriage was in decline. This was entertainment at its finest. and his wife, the former Ethel Fogg. 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. In its May 28, 1951, issue, meanwhile, LIFE magazine wrote of A Place in the Sun: It is easy for an ambitious young man to get himself involved simultaneously with a simple-hearted girl who lives in a cheap boarding house and an extravagant rich girl who gives gay parties. "Indiscretion of an American Wife" romance and drama movie produced in Italy and USA and released in 1953. Observers also point out that Clift had sexual relationships with women. Although hed only been away from Hollywood for four and a half years, the handsome Montgomery Clift looked incrediblyoldand the reason was downright heartbreaking. At the time of the premiere, Monroe had been admitted to a psychiatric ward and required a day pass just to attend. In The Young Lions (1958), released just two years after the accident, the pain and resentment seem almost visible. In the bathroom, James found Clift in his bathtub, undressed and obviously deceased. Lancaster's . Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. For example, in 1956 Taylor likely saved Clifts life when, after he crashed his car leaving a party at her home, she raced to the wreck and literally pulled from his mouth broken teeth on which he had begun to choke. He gained excellent theatrical notices and soon piqued the interests of numerous lovelorn actresses; their advances met with awkward conflict. But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. Unlike many other actors, he didnt jump straight into a contract. Fellow actor Kevin McCarthy was driving ahead of Clift when the horror show went down. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand.. Montgomery Blair - Wikipedia Montgomery Clift, in full Edward Montgomery Clift, (born October 17, 1920, Omaha, Neb., U.S.died July 23, 1966, New York, N.Y.), American motion-picture actor noted for the emotional depth and sense of vulnerability he brought to his roles. 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. Clift and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor first became acquainted when they played counterparts on George Stevens's "A Place in the Sun." The subject matter, which involved him assisting in the cover-up of a dead mans apparent homosexuality, must have sparked mixed emotions. Now were at a historical point in mainstream queer discourse where that story seems less viable., Though the film aims to update, and to fairly contextualize, the actors story, the directors stress that they dont want to simply swap one image of Montgomery Clift for another. As such, Taylors intervention only enhances the very real love story that existed between her and Clift. The truth didnt come out until the 70s. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.2 stars out of 10. Nearly all his good looks are gone, Isherwood wrote. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Instead, he bided his time, and thankfully, luck was on his side. 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. Next came "The Nutty Professor" as Lewis' student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. He hated the criticism and the labels, and eventually, he just couldnt take it anymore. More, it analyzes the new view of masculine beauty he helped introduce to the screen. What a pity hes a Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. About a month afterThe Misfitswrapped, Gable suffered a heart attack and passed. Yet, according to a new documentary, titled Making Montgomery Clift, the stars substance abuse had nothing at all to do with his sexuality. 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. Montgomery Clift Hid His Sexuality for Years but Elizabeth - AmoMama A seeming exception was one in his final years with a man named Lorenzo who had been hired to help him. Clift detested Waynes antiquated male constraints. Looking back, the film had a legacy of darkness surrounding it: Gable died of a heart attack less than a month after filming; Monroe was only able to attend the films premiere with a pass from her stay at a psychiatric ward. After filming wrapped, she tracked him down and spat directly in his face. Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) is one of the most tragic figures in Hollywood history. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. Taylor opened his mouth, put her hand down his throat, and pulled out the teeth. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. Something was seriously wrong. Still, his second venture was perhaps even more of an impressive feat. It was reported that Taylor even tried to help him find a partner. The story of Clift's devastating car crash varies somewhat from one account to the next. It was a flimsy speculation built on shaky evidence, but with no sign of any real lovemaking in Clifts life, it was all the fan magazines had. 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. Prior to leaving by train for Paris, a married American woman tries to break off her affair with a young Italian in Rome's Stazione Termini. Sumner Redstone in Love: The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire, The elderly media titan flexed his MTV ownership, rang his grandson at 3 a.m. for hookups with new women, and rewarded companions with stock options and TV shows. . 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. A way into the 70s, there was more clarification to his sexuality. Making Montgomery Clift (2018) - IMDb 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. 5 talking about this. Of course, Clift took one of his greatest secrets to his grave. Nope. Whatever the case may be, Montgomery Clifts life was unbelievably impressive and distressing. Peace. Indiscretion of an American Wife (1954) - Turner Classic Movies But just as Clift dove into this exciting new chapter, an unforeseen tragedy changedeverything. But Clift knew the film would be a smash, if only because audiences would want to compare his long unseen face from before and after the accident. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. 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. Clift was nominated for awards . Eyebrows were raised when the actor shared in an article he authored that he liked it "lonely. 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. Clift couldnt get through longer scenes, having to split them up into two or three chunks. 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. Over the next decade, the burgeoning actor dug his heels in and made a name for himself on the stage. But that didnt mean that the gossip press didnt hint at something different, something queer, in the broadest sense of the word, about him. 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.. Montgomery Clift had passed due to a heart attack, but many assumed that his addictions and various health problems contributed to his early death. Montgomery Clift's full name is Edward Montgomery Clift and his nickname is Montgomery Clift. It was also a dark, melancholy film: as a review in Variety pointed out, the complex mass of introspective conflicts, symbolic parallels, and motivational contradictions was so nuanced as to seriously confound general audiences, who were likely unable to cope with the philosophical undercurrents of the Arthur Miller script. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. He used them to numb his physical pain. Montgomery Clift later resided in . Montgomery Clift was an undeniably attractive man, and before long, he'd cultivated a rather passionate female fan base. Clift, however, lived a two-faceted life concerning his sexuality. Elizabeth Taylor & Montgomery Clift Relationship, Friendship, Films In one tape made by his father in the 1960s, we hear the stars mother tell him, with untroubled candor, that Monty was a homosexual early. But 1961 audiences were too close to the day-to-day deterioration of its stars to see the meditative genius of The Misfits. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest celebrity news, but don't worry we have you covered. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Montgomery Clift: The Untold Story of Hollywood's Misunderstood Star