who was montgomery clift wife
As his eyes drifted closed, Clift suddenly veered off the road and drove straight into a telephone pole. From here on out, however, he plunged even further into his addiction. He served in the Lincoln administration cabinet as Postmaster-General from 1861 to 1864, during the Civil War. He knew that people would flock to the cinema just to see his damaged face. From the start, Clift was framed as a rebel and an individual. 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. 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?. With his screenwriting suggestions, the film took home an Academy Award. The surgeries led to the use of strong painkillers. After all, his leading lady was none other than the beguiling Elizabeth Taylor, and together, these two stars were pure fire. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun. Soon, Montgomery Clift became almost impossible to work with. 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. Of course, when it came to his appearance, this gorgeous star really didnt give a hoot. Montgomery Blair. But even the troubled blonde bombshell recognized that her co-star was in dire straits. He could watch the real grit of humanity play out before himthe court a stage for some of the most sensational high-profile cases. Whatever the case may be, Montgomery Clifts life was unbelievably impressive and distressing. True or not, the resilience of the story is a testimony to what people wanted to believe about the bond between the two stars. However, his worry began to mount when the actor didnt respond to his insistent knocking. But for 12 years, he set Hollywood aflame. He was a great talent but the male counterpart to Monroe, lonely, sad, and pitiful. He insisted on maintaining his residence in New York, spending as little time in Hollywood as possible. Years before, Clift had battled dysentery, which introduced him to the sinister side effects of pain management. Moments after the accident, actor Kevin McCarthy, driving in front of Clift, ran back to check on him, seeing that his face was torn awaya bloody pulp. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 1h 3min. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift ( ne Anderson; 1888-1988). Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? An inside look at the actors secretive love life. ), William Brooks Clift, Jr. (19191986) (Aged 66 Or 67) (Who Had An Illegitimate Son With Actress Kim Stanley And Was Later Married To Political Reporter Eleanor Clift. The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer. But just as Clift dove into this exciting new chapter, an unforeseen tragedy changedeverything. In The Young Lions (1958), released just two years after the accident, the pain and resentment seem almost visible. Clift, however, lived a two-faceted life concerning his sexuality. Well, in 1955, he had a chance to reunite with his old friend and co-star, Elizabeth Taylor, in Raintree County. However, Clift's life was shrouded by a dark secret that became public after his passing, by actress Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor, at last free from her long-standing contract with MGM, next used her power as the biggest star in Hollywood to insist that Clift be cast in her new project, Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). 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. 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. Of course, Clift took one of his greatest secrets to his grave. 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." 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. 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. Jack Larson, famous for playing Jimmy Olsen in the hit 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman, recalled how Clift gave him a full mouth kiss the first time they casually met. . The accident changed his appearance, and many biographers assumed Clift felt ruined by it and, so, drank more. You see, the reason behind Montgomery Clifts barren dating life was rather simple: He was gay. He used them to numb his physical pain. . Okay, if were being totally honest, Montgomery Clifts reserved lifestyle didnt exactly excite the press; it actually kind of stumped them. Clift had a fraternal twin sister, Roberta, and a brother, William Brooks Clift Jr, who had an illegitimate son with actress Kim Stanley. Monroe and Taylor are shadowed by Montgomery. Montgomery Clift Born: 1920-10-17, Omaha, Nebraska, USA Education: NA Ethnicity: Caucasian Death Date:-0001-11-30 Addition Websites. 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. . Teach, I loved the way how he played in A Place in the Sun. Their claims were deemed reliable because one of the biographers was certified by one of Clift's confidants. 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. A portrait of Elizabeth Taylor And Montgomery Clift from the film "A Place In The Sun", 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. A still of Montgomery Clift. What happened next has since become the stuff of Hollywood legend. Making Montgomery Clift is a 2018 American documentary film by directors Robert Anderson Clift and Hillary Demmon chronicling the life of the actor Montgomery Clift till his death in 1966. 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. Clift was able to appear in more Hollywood movies after he recuperated from the accident, but he was deeply affected by the decline in his career. Montgomery Clift had an encounter with Marlon Brando. 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. It was a huge wager: since everyone knew how much booze and pills Clift was on, he was virtually uninsurable on set. At the time of the premiere, Monroe had been admitted to a psychiatric ward and required a day pass just to attend. Lorenzo came into the picture when Monty was at his lowest. Next came "The Nutty Professor" as Lewis' student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. And so he remains frozen in the popular imagination, circa From Here to Eternitythose high cheekbones, that set jaw, the firm stare: a magnificent, proud, tragically broken thing to behold. When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. Beautiful man. In Truman Capotes unpublished novel Answered Prayers, for example, the author imagines a dinner party between Clift, Dorothy Parker, and flamboyant stage actress Tallulah Bankhead: . Montgomery Clift was in relationships with Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Henry Willson, Jack Larson, William LeMassena, Libby Holman, Maurice Leonard and Arnold Saint Subber. Even if Clift himself was already spiraling out of control, playing a character that did the same only amplified the psychological toll. (The Clash famously referenced that awful scene, which changed the course of Clifts career and set him on a winding path of booze-and-painkiller-fueled decay, in the song The Right Profile from London Calling: I see a car smashed at night. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. According to two A-list biographers, the late star was gay. 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. His decline was never explicitly evoked, but with his visage in Raintree County, it was there for all to see. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. 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. 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. "Monty," as the performer was known to family and . To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Montgomery Clift, Nando Bruno. He also helped bring a more natural acting style to film. Before long, photographers began to descend on the gory scene. 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. The most beautiful young man Ive ever seen. [view couple] # 8 Carlo Fiore 12 28. This made him an A-list actor and a multi-award-winning star. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Above all, Clift was perpetually curious. The two met under the big tent where they performed together. 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. The entire experience had a cursed tinge to it, and before long, it left disaster in its wake. When he came to visit storied fan-magazine author Elsa Maxwell at her home, she had her maid darn the elbow in his jacket. Luckily, over time, they clawed their way back to financial security. Were always looking for your input! Fellow actor Kevin McCarthy was driving ahead of Clift when the horror show went down. (1936), Ghostwriting Gloria Swanson: The Strange, Sexually Charged Genesis of a Legendary Autobiography, A New Power Generation: Radhika Jones Introduces the 2023 Hollywood Issue, Salma Hayek Pinault Explains How She Got Hollywood to Stop Typecasting Her as Sexy. Unlike many of his handsome contemporaries, he never had a blonde bombshell hanging off his arm. is the hero of a long, oppressively powerful movie called A Place in the Sun. Directed by George Stevens for Paramount, it gives three young actors [Shelley Winters brilliantly played the poor girl] the chance to give the most natural performances of their careers. made. Clift simply wasnt cut out for school, and unlike his siblings, turned his back on higher education. Determined to make it better, he made some key changesand they made allthe difference. That, combined with his spiraling alcohol addiction, wrung the youth right out of the handsome actor. While filmingThe Search,he asked the director to reshoot a scene for one baffling reason: He called a boy dear. But that wasnt all. 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. In 1961, Montgomery Clift went on to star alongside some of Hollywoods greatest legendsMarilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. He died. According to this version of the story, when photographers arrived, Taylor announced that she knew each and every one of them personally-- and if they took pictures of Clift, who was still very much alive, shed make sure they never worked in Hollywood again. ), 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. And even then, he didnt live a glamorous movie star existence. . He also sunk into alcoholism, of which Taylor and some other friends tried to help him. American actor Montgomery Clift was spectacular on the big screen for his portrayal of sensitive male characters. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Of course, Clift didnt walk away unscathed either. Nope. We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! To Clift, however, he considered his humble home terrific.. ': What Happened to the Stars of the Iconic Series through the Years, Debbie Reynolds Called Elizabeth Taylor's Phone Yet Her Own Husband Eddie Fisher Picked Up, Rock Hudson & Jim Nabors Never Spoke Again after They Were Reportedly Seen Getting Married, Elizabeth Taylor Proposed to an Actor 20 Years Her Senior & Replaced Him with 25-Year Older Man. Firstly, he didnt even like Hollywood, preferring to stay in New York as much as he could. 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. The decline continued. While working in New York in the early 1940s, he met wealthy former Broadway star Libby Holman. The unspoken truth was that Clift was gay. 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. The true story of Montgomery Clift, as told by his youngest nephew Making Montgomery Clift explodes the myths surrounding the Hollywood star and queer icon. Still, his second venture was perhaps even more of an impressive feat. While driving, he fell asleep at the wheel and the consequences were utterly gruesome. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of A Place in the Sun. By the early 1950s he was exclusively homosexual, though he continued to hide his homosexuality and maintained a number of close friendships with theater women (heavily promoted by studio publicists).His film debut was Red River (1948) with John Wayne quickly followed by his early personal success The Search (1948) (Oscar nominations for this, A Place in the Sun (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)). He could barely remember his lines and often didnt show up to set. However, Clift's sexuality was not much of a secret within the movie industry. Clift appeared in The Misfits, a revisionist western best known as the final film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. This would not only show off his range but allow him to sidestep any dangers of typecasting. . TAYLOR ON CLIFT'S SEXUALITY AFTER HIS DEATH. He summoned a doctor, but it was already too late. More, it analyzes the new view of masculine beauty he helped introduce to the screen. There were even speculations that he was warned about being gay. Throughout filming, members of the crew came up with code words to alert everyone about the lead actors level of intoxication. Montgomery Clift 39 30. 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. The documentary was released at the Los Angeles Film Festival and . Liz Ronk edited this gallery for LIFE.com. . However, this was no quick fix. Although Clift and Montgomery were only good friends, their coupling inA Place in the Sunhelped drive its popularity. He pleaded with her to make changes to her book to correct the mischaracterizations. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. 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. He pointed out that she just let the director determine her every move. d-d-darling, I r-r-really wouldnt know. 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. She would wield considerable influence over the early part of his film career, advising him in decisions to decline lead roles in Sunset Blvd. I am not one of Americas Angry Young Men. She developed an intense decade-plus obsession over the young actor, even financing an experimental play, "Mexican Mural" for 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..