But the facial reconstruction, heavy painkiller use, and rampant alcohol abuse made it look like hed aged a decade. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun. 5 talking about this. Then again, nothing about Clifts life was expected. Observers also point out that Clift had sexual relationships with women. Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. (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.). 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. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. He still drank, but not as heavily. Clift, however, lived a two-faceted life concerning his sexuality. Free shipping for many products! An inside look at the actors secretive love life. 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. This was entertainment at its finest. There are a few versions that detail the aftermath of Clifts accident, but one has all the drama of a motion picture itself. My mom never told me how her best friend died. 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. When The Heiresscame out, Clifts loyal fanatics came with their claws out and wrote vicious letters to Olivia de Havilland for rejecting Clifts character in the film. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Some believe that Clifts romantic leanings were much less of a secret than originally thought. However, Clift's sexuality was not much of a secret within the movie industry. It was unheard of, especially for a young star, but it was a sellers market. 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. The Clift picture didn't pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. Montgomery Clift was in relationships with Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Henry Willson, Jack Larson, William LeMassena, Libby Holman, Maurice Leonard and Arnold Saint Subber. He was, in his words, nothing more than an ordinary, second-class wolf., These anecdotes, and dozens like them, would establish Clift, along with Brando, as the embodiment of 50s youth culture, rebelling against conformity and all that postwar Americans were supposed to embrace. (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. 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. Clifts sexuality, like those other 50s idols Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, was carefully concealed from the public. Lorenzo was one of the reasons.. The director, Joseph Mankiewicz, was appalled by this wavering professionalismbut when he tried to fire Clift, two angels intervened. 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. To Clift, however, he considered his humble home terrific.. 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. He was the son of Francis Preston Blair, elder brother of Francis Preston Blair Jr. and cousin of B. Gratz Brown . Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. So the fan magazines got creative: the August 1949 cover of Movieland, for example, featured a grinning, suited, respectable-looking Clift paired with the tantalizing headline Making Love the Clift Way. But when readers looked inside the magazine, all they found was a two-page spread of stills from The Heiress, featuring Clift in various stages of flirtation with Olivia de Havilland, extrapolating that Clifts kissing style was soft yet possessively brutal; pleading, but demanding all. Hailed as one of Hollywood's first true Method actors, Edward Montgomery Clift was born October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. Sensitive, mysterious, brooding, and suspiciously single. 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. 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, Clift's life was shrouded by a dark secret that became public after his passing, by actress Elizabeth Taylor. 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. 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. Randy Chrisley Is Todd Chrisley's Brother Who Was Diagnosed with Cancer in 2014, Johnny Depp's Weight Gain & Changes in Appearance over the Years, 'Whos the Boss? . 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. 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. We want our readers to trust us. July 22, 1966, was a sweltering day in New York City, and Montgomery Clift had been languishing in his townhouse on 61st Street. But this was only the beginning. Apparently, one of Clifts tooths had pierced his tongue, causing him to choke. But for Clift, there was just no escape, and it was only going to get worse. But the tragedies didnt end there. 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." It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. 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. Welcome to Who Is Montgomery Clift?, a page dedicated to showcasing actors & movie makers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Contact sheet from LIFE photographer Peter Stackpoles shoot on a Paramount lot with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in 1950. Were always looking for your input! 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. Born in 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska, Clift was raised like an aristocrat, with a private tutor and frequent trips to Europe. Adopted at the age of one, his mother was told by a well-intentioned doctor years later that she was the offspring of Southern aristocrats, so she chose to raise her own children accordingly. But when he climbed into the room, he discovered something absolutely gut-wrenching. If Paramount wanted him, theyd have to give him what he wanteda power differential that would go on to structure the star-studio relationship for the next 40 years. Nearly all his good looks are gone, Isherwood wrote. ), 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. All his life, it was misery," said McCarthy. Teach, I loved the way how he played in A Place in the Sun. "Bobby was a very fine actor, but as you can imagine, he was no Montgomery Clift," she said. From here on out, however, he plunged even further into his addiction. He is most remembered for A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953).. His zodiac sign is Libra. He was only 15 years old, but this wasnt just a fun pastimeit was serious business. The Big Lift (1950) Approved | 120 min | Drama, War 6.4 Rate 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!. 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. When interviewed, the "From Here to Eternity" actor would wave it off, noting that he would be with a woman when he finds the right person. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. According to two A-list biographers, the late star was gay. Picture Information. However, the filming of The Misfits had a shadow lurking over it. Months of surgeries, rebuilding, and physical therapy followed. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. But while his siblings enrolled in prestigious schools, Montgomery Clift went hurtling in a completely different direction. Can he still feel?). 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But even though his marred looks never made it to the headlines, for Clift, the horror was far from over. In the bathroom, James found Clift in his bathtub, undressed and obviously deceased. 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. Indiscrecin de una esposa: Dirigido por Vittorio De Sica. With unprecedented control over the projects he starred in, Clift agreed to do the romantic drama, The Heiress. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Clift appeared in The Misfits, a revisionist western best known as the final film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. 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. After all, his leading lady was none other than the beguiling Elizabeth Taylor, and together, these two stars were pure fire. These are just among the many words which have been used to describe Montgomery Clift, the enigmatic heartthrob of the 1950s. 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. Actor Montgomery Clift, 45, three times nominated for Academy Awards, died early Saturday of a heart attack in his plush East Side townhouse. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. When he came to visit storied fan-magazine author Elsa Maxwell at her home, she had her maid darn the elbow in his jacket. Clift detested Waynes antiquated male constraints. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift ( ne Anderson; 1888-1988). Once on stage, Clift truly came into his own. But right as filming began, he realized that hed made a terrible mistake. A young naive woman falls for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter. One infamous fact about Montgomery Clift is that he only owned one suit. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift goofed around during a break in filming A Place in the Sun. By 15, Clift made his Broadway debut in Cole Porters Jubilee. Clift cared nothing for appearances: the Los Angeles Times called him the Rumpled Movie Idol; he infamously owned only one suit. Whether morally repulsive or philosophically compelling, The Misfits bombed, only to be recuperated, years later, as a masterpiece of the revisionist genre. 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). Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. His injuries included a broken nose and jaw, a fractured sinus, and deep cuts across his face that called for extensive plastic surgery. In the rife, overstuffed annals of Hollywood, few real-life love stories can match that of Liz Taylor and Montgomery Clift. He also didnt want to sign a contract with a studio, then the only viable way into the business. Unlike Rock Hudson, whose affairs were very nearly exposed to the entire nation by Confidential, Clift never made the pages of the scandal rags. From Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of Hollywood Cinema by Anne Helen Petersen, to be published by arrangement with Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC on September 30, 2014 2014 by Anne Helen Petersen. What a pity hes a And the cherry on top? In his words, I learned that most writers dont need interviews to write about me. Today, its impossible to know the specifics of Clifts sexuality: his brother, Brooks, would later claim that his brother was bisexual, while various writings from within Hollywood indicate that Clifts sexuality wasnt entirely a secret. Lancaster's first wife, June Ernst, was, like her mother before her, a renowned acrobat. 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. She noted that they needed to live a life of equality while being able to get married and adopt kids. While she sounds apologetic, the changes were never made. 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. In fact, Hepburn was so offended by Mankiewicz that she did something outrageous. Director Joseph Mankiewicz tried to replace Clift, but Taylor and co-star Katharine Hepburn defended and supported him. Their claims were deemed reliable because one of the biographers was certified by one of Clift's confidants. A way into the 70s, there was more clarification to his sexuality. But the troubled star. It turned into John Cassavetes' "Too Late Blues," with Bobby Darrin. Which gives that narrative a lot of traction. While working in New York in the early 1940s, he met wealthy former Broadway star Libby Holman. 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). Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, Hollywood, 1950. He naturally gravitated to the theater. Clift's reputation in the 1960s was coloured by the brutal comment of Robert Lewis, Clift's teacher at the Actors Studio, who called his late . 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. 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. Instead, Clift enjoyed reading, filling his spare moments with Chekov and Aristotlediving into history, or learning about economics. 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. All Rights Reserved. Montgomery Clift was an undeniably attractive man, and before long, hed cultivated a rather passionate female fan base. 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. Help us build our profile of Montgomery Clift! In The Young Lions (1958), released just two years after the accident, the pain and resentment seem almost visible. Clift had a fraternal twin sister, Roberta, and a brother, William Brooks Clift Jr, who had an illegitimate son with actress Kim Stanley. . We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! His interests lay elsewhere. Montgomery Clift made a name for himself in Hollywood with several awards and nominations. And when it came to riotous parties, well, he avoided nightlife like the plague. Hes so beautiful, murmured Miss Parker. A Place In The Sun (1951) & From Here To Eternity (1953). And even more shocking? RIP GEORGOUS MONTY. Whatever relationships Clift may have had, he was circumspect. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hitchcock's I CONFESS (DVD, 1953); M CLIFT, A BAXTER. 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 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. While on his way back, he had an accident. 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. Unlike many of his handsome contemporaries, he never had a blonde bombshell hanging off his arm. 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..