He also sunk into alcoholism, of which Taylor and some other friends tried to help him. It left him with chronic health issues for the rest of his life. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Show more . Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. 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. (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. She would wield considerable influence over the early part of his film career, advising him in decisions to decline lead roles in Sunset Blvd. 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. As to why Bosworth drew on the gay-self-hate narrative, and why that view took hold, the directors blame the homophobia of the time the book was written, in the 1970s. He may have been lonely but the distance he put between his public life and his work life helped keep his mysterious bachelorhood in check. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? Born on October 17, 1920, Edward Montgomery Clift was born into a family with lofty ideals. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. 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. Eyebrows were raised when the actor shared in an article he authored that he liked it "lonely. More, it analyzes the new view of masculine beauty he helped introduce to the screen. Clift and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor first became acquainted when they played counterparts on George Stevens's "A Place in the Sun." 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. 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 With unprecedented control over the projects he starred in, Clift agreed to do the romantic drama, The Heiress. A seeming exception was one in his final years with a man named Lorenzo who had been hired to help him. What a pity hes a When Clift became a household name in the movie industry, his romantic life became a widely-discussed subject by the press. 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. Montgomery Clift's nephew, co-directing 'Making Montgomery Clift,' an eye-opening documentary about the great movie actor, excavates a treasure trove of family archives. At the age of 25, Clift made the leap to Hollywoodbut he was a rebel right from the get-go. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. She had always been there for him, and once said, Monty couldve been the biggest star in the world if he did more movies. But Taylors dedication to her friend went above and beyond. Travel back in time with treasured photos and stories, sent right to your inbox. I do not count myself as a member of the ripped-sweatshirt fraternity.. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. He got him going again. An interviewer once asked him what his hobbies were, Clift replied, "women. But the facial reconstruction, heavy painkiller use, and rampant alcohol abuse made it look like hed aged a decade. A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953). His own mother, in a voice recording played in Making Montgomery Clift, said, "Monty was a . . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Regardless of the veracity of this story, one thing remains true: theres not a single picture of Clifts broken face. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. But just as Clift dove into this exciting new chapter, an unforeseen tragedy changedeverything. 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. In truth, his face wasnt truly disfigured. Show details There were even speculations that he was warned about being gay. Whether platonic or not, these two actors shared an undeniable bond that was undeniably strengthened by this one unfortunate event. 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. Their claims were deemed reliable because one of the biographers was certified by one of Clift's confidants. 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. But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. 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. Next came "The Nutty Professor" as Lewis' student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. He could watch the real grit of humanity play out before himthe court a stage for some of the most sensational high-profile cases. 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. While she sounds apologetic, the changes were never made. Help us build our profile of Marlon Brando! He pointed out that she just let the director determine her every move. On the set of 1958sLonelyhearts,Clift had a message for those that tried to fit him into a box. 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. Marlon Brando: Portraits of a Charismatic Young Star, 1952, Marilyn, Arthur Miller and More: A Star Producers Spectacular Orbit. He used them to numb his physical pain. (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. Benign to most but, in hindsight, highly suggestive. A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) is one of the most tragic figures in Hollywood history. 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. Lorenzo came into the picture when Monty was at his lowest. 5 talking about this. Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. 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. Thats why his work doesnt feel dated, Demmon said. They were even called the most beautiful couple in Hollywood. As hard as the press tried, they couldnt seem to breathe life into this nonexistent romance. 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. A bout five years ago, filmmaking duo Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon Clift decided to make a documentary about Robert's long-dead uncle. Universal Studios actuallysued him for the losses they incurred because of his troublesome behavior. Montgomery Clift 39 30. Whatever the case may be, Montgomery Clifts life was unbelievably impressive and distressing. 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. 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. 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.. 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. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. The duo eventually got to know each other better, and according to Taylor, they liked each other. "Indiscretion of an American Wife" romance and drama movie produced in Italy and USA and released in 1953. 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. Where were these so-called women? Well, at the very heart of it all, Montgomery Clift hid a dangerous secretone that wouldnt emerge untilyears later. There were no wild outings for this reserved homebody. The Life and Sad Ending of Montgomery Clift The Life and Sad Ending 182K subscribers Subscribe 2.2K Share 106K views 2 years ago Mini bio of the life of actor Montgomery Clift who is. Of course, Clifts words had always been futile in the face of Hollywood. Director: William Wyler | Stars: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins Votes: 16,212 4. The next year, Taylor used her status to wrangle an acting part for Clift; she demanded that he be a part ofSuddenly, Last Summer.