Elizabeth Taylor used her clout to get Clift cast on "Suddenly, Last Summer" (1959) with mixed results. With his next two films, The Misfits (1961) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Clift pivoted to somewhat smaller supporting or cameo roles that required less overall screen time while still delivering demanding performances. [76][77] He told Clift "I could make you love me," at the end of their two-year affair. By 15, Clift made his Broadway debut in Cole Porters Jubilee. After leaving a party at Elizabeth Taylor's house, he wrapped his car around a telephone pole . After the car accident, Clift only took on a few more movie roles. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. The song "The Right Profile" by the English punk rock band The Clash, from their album London Calling, is about the later life of Clift. She left him when one of his beatings made. "[142] "Monty Got a Raw Deal" by rock band R.E.M. His heavy drinking had already been a problem before his crash and the addition of taking painkillers afterwards only accelerated his decline, according to Vanity Fair. Hollywood's Montgomery Clift, who was highly wanted for his diverse acting skill in the industry, kept the public entertained during his time. His parents were Quakers and met as students at Cornell University, marrying in 1914. Though Prince William and Princess Kate returned to the awards show for the first time since 2020, several other stars looked regal as they graced the red carpet too. After a break, Clift committed himself to three more films, all of which premiered during 1953: I Confess to be directed by Alfred Hitchcock; Vittorio De Sica's Terminal Station; and Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity which earned Clift his third Academy Award nomination (his second of two nominations for films directed by Zinnemann). 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. Lorenzo came into the picture when Monty was at his lowest. He was only 45. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Were not trying to give a definitive version of who Monty was, added Clift. The condition (among other things) lowers blood pressure; it could have caused Clift to appear drunk or drugged when he was sober. Edward Montgomery Clift (/mntmri/; October 17, 1920 July 23, 1966) was an American actor. He had terrific roles in "The Misfits," "Confess," and he was last seen on screen in "Freud," which earned him his highest fee ever. Clift did not serve during World War II, having been given 4-F status after suffering dysentery in 1942. The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Clift's body was taken to the city morgue about 2 miles (3.2km) away at 520 First Avenue, and autopsied. He and his co-star Olivia de Havilland made an appealing couple in this film adaptation of a Henry James novel. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. Marlena Brause Self Employed. A portrait of actor Montgomery Clift on 01 January, 1960 | Photo: Getty Images, Clift died at age 45 of a heart attack in his East Side townhouse. Clift also struggled with his . Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in the 1951 film "A Place in the Sun" on 01 January, 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. [60] According to Clift's brother, Clift was either gay or bisexual. When he resumed filming on "Raintree County," he was a different man, one left in chronic pain because of the accident. Clift countersued with the assertion that he struggled to keep up with an overwhelming volume of last-minute script revisions and that an accidental blow to both eyes on set gave him cataracts. He still drank, but not as heavily. Clift required intensive physical therapy as well. "[79] Robbins called Clift a "theatrical genius" early on in their affair.[80]. After leaving a party at Taylor's house high in the Hollywood Hills and drowsy from two "downers" he'd taken before he left to help him sleep when he got home, Clift crashed into a telephone. 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. As a consequence, he was unable to find film work for four years. [72] Clift and Robbins camouflaged their relationship by dating women. Clift received and declined offers for roles in the following films: In 1960, Clift was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6104 Hollywood Boulevard. 1467, Montgomery Clift: Beautiful Loser, Hoskyns, Barney, p. 96, Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them, by Langella, Frank, p. 336, Capote: A Biography, Clarke Gerald, p. 235, Montgomery Clift: Beautiful Loser, Hoskyns, Barney, p. 34, Lost Friendships: A Memoir of Truman Capote,Tennessee Williams, and Others, Windham, Donald, p. 64, Original Story By: A Memoir of Broadway and Hollywood, Laurents, Arthur, pp. The crew of Raintree Country even had code words about his state of intoxication. Directed by George Stevens. According to McCarthy, Clift told Taylor in a rather unregistered voice that his two front teeth were in his throat, suffocating him. However, in 1962, Cliff had to sign up to play Sigmund Feud in Huston's biopic "Freud: The Secret Passion." He worked extensively on his character, and was again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Angela (Elizabeth Taylor) is the rich, indolent young woman who. A monthly influx of fashion close-ups, as interpreted by artists and photographers across the globe. [66][67][68] Clift's longest relationships were with men. Clift was nominated for. A Place in the Sun was critically acclaimed; Charlie Chaplin called it "the greatest movie made about America". Fred Zinnemann's "The Search" preceded "Red River" as his first film in 1948 and first Academy Award nomination. Also in 1951, Clift was for the first time cast as Tom in the radio world premiere of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, with Helen Hayes (Amanda) and Karl Malden (the Gentleman Caller), for The Theatre Guild on the Air.[25]. 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. [4] A documentary titled Making Montgomery Clift was made by his nephew in 2018, to clarify many myths that were created about the actor.[5]. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. 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. Once dubbed the Queen of the Movies, the golden-haired Myrna Loy was one of the few stars who successfully transitioned out of the silent-film era into talkies. She went on to become one of the film industrys most adored and highest-paid leading ladies. Place in the Sun. SAG Awards 2023: The Red Carpet Goes Pink. He wanted to be a free agent, and he did it successfully. [23] In 1949, as part of the promotional campaign for the film The Heiress, he played Heathcliff in the one-hour version of Wuthering Heights for Ford Theatre. 108, 135, Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About American Masters, Season 23, Episode 1, Somewhere the life of Jerome Robbins by Vaill, Amanda, p. 240, Jerome Robbins: his life, his theater, his dance by Jowitt, Deborah, pp. Edward Montgomery "Monty" Clift (/ m n t m r i /; October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) was an American actor.A four-time Academy Award nominee, The New York Times said he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men". A seeming exception was one in his final years with a man named Lorenzo who had been hired to help him. His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (18861964), was the vice-president of Omaha National Trust Company. During the filming of Raintree County (1957), Clift suffered a near-fatal automobile accident on his way home from a party at the home of his friend and costar Taylor. To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives. [30] The film was awarded a screenwriting Academy Award for the credited writers. For the latter, Clift committed to building strength and endurance, jogging laps around Hollywood High School as well as learning how to imitate playing the bugle and reading sheet music from trumpeter Mannie Klein for the role of middleweight boxer and bugle-playing soldier Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt. They starred together as romantic leads in a total of three films throughout the 1950s: A Place in the Sun, where, in their romantic scenes, they received considerable acclaim for their naturalness and their appearance, Raintree County and Suddenly, Last Summer, and remained close until his death. Often, suicides are never fully understood. And Jack Larson suggests that Clift preferred his work after the accident. Despite the studio's concerns over profits, Clift correctly predicted the film would do well, if only because moviegoers would flock to see the difference in his facial appearance before and after the crash.[42]. In January 1963 Montgomery Clift made an uncharacteristic appearance on television to be interviewed on New York Herald Tribune columnist Hy Gardner's show. Six Hollywood Stars on the Good Life, With a Nod to a Classic Perfume. Montgomery Clift's Disastrous Car Wreck Changed His Career Forever. 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. The 2018 documentary Making Montgomery Clift, directed by Robert Clift (his nephew) and Hillary Demmon, offers a nuanced portrait of an actor at ease with his sexuality. He had a holistic view.. He was a mere seedling of 45. While his mother, Ethel Fogg 'Sunny' Clift was your typical American homemaker. Working with her was like going up and down on an escalator.. Clift later stated that he could never have finished the film without McDowall's moral support. In this exclusive excerpt from her forthcoming book, Anne. [91][92] He was also involved with Donald Windham and his partner Sandy Campbell. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. Why not have a musical about Romeo and Juliet but make it with gangs in New York?' Sadly Clift had personal problems and after surviving a terrible car accident those problems only got worse. Clift also had participated in radio broadcasts early in his career, though, according to one critic, he hated the medium. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. No evidence was found that suggested foul play or suicide. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. In one instant Montgomery Clift's life changed forever. Kim Morgan writes in her not-to-be-missed essay on Clift: Clift' s eyes held secrets, and not merely the secrets we know about after discovering his real life. Here, a primer on a little-understood ingredient, plus 15 products that address everything from wrinkles to dark spots. "Georgia" meant bad, "Florida" very bad, and "Zanzibar" unworkable. His 15 minute funeral was at attended by 150 mourners, including Lauren Bacall and Sinatra. does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. Clift was recovering from a car accident during the movie's shoot (the actor was "dying on his feet," according to one biography), but Hepburn treated him with great kindness. All rights reserved. Concerned and unable to break the door down, James ran down to the back garden and climbed up a ladder to enter through the second-floor bedroom window. Most critics, in fact . 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