To help build their case, the film-makers had rare access to the actors archives, as well as to the familys story, courtesy of a special connection: the doc was co-directed by the stars nephew, Robert Clift, and his wife, Hillary Demmon. The iconic actor gave only a small number of onscreen performances before his untimely death in 1966 at the age of 45. The Misfits ran on television that night. Clift reunited with Taylor for "Raintree County," a Civil war era romantic drama. 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. In addition to lingering effects of dysentery and chronic colitis, an underactive thyroid was later revealed during the autopsy. [44] Marilyn Monroe (in what was to be her last filmed role) was also having emotional and substance abuse problems at the time; she described Clift in a 1961 interview as "the only person I know who is in even worse shape than I am". [43] He began to behave erratically in public, which embarrassed his friends. The crew of Raintree Country even had code words about his state of intoxication. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift ( ne Anderson; 1888-1988). According to Balaban, she was nave about Clift's homosexuality and romantic involvement with the young English actor, who would occasionally accompany them on public outings. [60] According to Clift's brother, Clift was either gay or bisexual. On January 13, 1963, a few weeks after the initial release of Freud, Clift appeared on the live television discussion program The Hy Gardner Show, where he spoke at length about the release of his current film, his film career, and treatment by the press. that benefits the victims. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor lounging on the grass during the filming of Raintree County in Indiana, 1956. Often, suicides are never fully understood. [57] In preparation for the shooting of this film, Clift accepted the role of James Bower in the French Cold War thriller The Defector, which was filmed in West Germany from February to April 1966. Paramount Pictures ended up offering him the best of any incoming studio offer (which he accepted): a three-film deal (down from the typical seven-year contract) that came with the freedom to turn down any script and any director, as well as the ability for either himself or the studio to terminate the agreement at any time. Clift also had participated in radio broadcasts early in his career, though, according to one critic, he hated the medium. Marlon Brando was cast as his replacement. Clift, who lived in Room 928 for three months while filming "From Here to Eternity" in 1952, was one of Hollywood's most appealing leading men, a slender Tom Cruise with edgy good looks. All content, including text, and images contained on. It took Clift months to recover from his injuries. Monty's post-accident career has been called "the longest suicide in Hollywood history." In 1966, ten years after his car accident, Montgomery Clift died alone in his New York apartment while watching "The Misfits" on TV. His post-accident career has been referred to as the "longest suicide in Hollywood history" by acting teacher Robert Lewis because of Clift's subsequent abuse of painkillers and alcohol. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in the 1951 film "A Place in the Sun" on 01 January, 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. [91][92] He was also involved with Donald Windham and his partner Sandy Campbell. 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. Paramount Pictures Montgomery Clift was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and was a contemporary of Marlon Brando (also born in Omaha) and James Dean. In 1965, he gave voice to William Faulkner's writings in the television documentary William Faulkner's Mississippi, which aired in April 1965. After the car accident, Clift only took on a few more movie roles. [citation needed], Following a 15-minute funeral at St. James' Church on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, which was attended by 150 guests, including Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Walker, Clift was buried in the Friends Quaker Cemetery, Prospect Park, Brooklyn. He is best remembered for his role as Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt in the 1953 film From Here to Eternity. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. In neon and stretch knits, dance straight on till morn. Posted on October 17, 2012 by sheila. I think he was 12 or 13., Its obviously a non-issue for her, co-director Demmon said. Edward Montgomery Clift (/mntmri/; October 17, 1920 July 23, 1966) was an American actor. While he never excelled at school, his extraordinary abilities as an actor showed early. He is best remembered for his roles in Howard Hawks's Red River (1948), George Stevens's A Place in the Sun (1951), Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity (1953), Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and John Huston's The Misfits (1961). He was only 15 years old, but this wasn't just a fun pastimeit was serious business. That year, Clift voted for Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. Marlena Brause Self Employed. 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. or over 30 years, scripts have floated around Hollywood promising to tell the story of Montgomery Clift, one of the most innovative and handsome actors in history. Clift's early foray into acting led him to a Broadway debut in 1935. 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. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, just after his twin sister Roberta,. During the interview, Gardner jokingly mentioned that it is "the first and last appearance on a television interview program for Montgomery Clift". In 1957 however, he suffered from a terrible car accident and was pulled from the wreck by his friend Eizabeth Taylor. More, it analyzes the new view of masculine beauty he helped introduce to the screen. Alerted by friend Kevin McCarthy, who witnessed the collision, Taylor found Clift conscious yet bleeding and swelling rapidly under the shattered dashboard. Another confidant said his personal life didnt bother him. On July 22, 1966, Clift was in his New York City townhouse, located at 217 East 61st Street. [37] Clift had veered off one of the twisting hairpin turns and smashed into a telephone pole and the surrounding cliffside. ", Montgomery Clift at London Airport from New York to make the new film "Suddenly, Last Summer" on 13 May, 1959 | Photo: Getty Images. He wanted to be a free agent, and he did it successfully. Clift had traveled extensively with his family while growing up, and it was while he and the family were in Florida that he landed his first part, per Britannica. In fact, the attitudes he and his family held towards his relationships with men were strikingly modern. Clift's "Raintree Country" co-star Taylor remained with him at the accident scene and cradled his badly injured head till an ambulance arrived. How Montgomery Clift Self-Destructed. Part of honoring someone is being open to that person not being just one, reductive thing., Making Montgomery Clift is showing at NewFest with a release date yet to be announced, Tab Hunter: how Hollywood's boy next door became a gay icon, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. But, in general, his relationships with men had more to do with sex than with a deep emotional connection. The accident changed. Whether he was leaving from or arriving at Taylor's home, it is an undisputed fact that Clift drove his car into a telephone pole and suffered horrific injuries, including significant facial damage (via Vanity Fair). Clift never fully physically or emotionally recovered from his car accident. Clift, along with actor Kevin McCarthy, had been attending a party at Elizabeth Taylor's house in Beverly Hills. Clift did the film without pay because he just wanted to tackle this character. Before shooting began on A Place in the Sun, Paramount Pictures arranged for Elizabeth to be Clift's date at the premiere of his film, The Heiress. Some sources have the crash occurring when Clift was leaving the event, while others state he was on his way there. All content, including text, and images contained on news.AmoMama.com, or available through news.AmoMama.com is for general information purposes only. [78], Robbins is said to have conceived the basic plot of West Side Story after Clift shared the idea with him, according to actor Russ Tamblyn. Judy Balaban, his daughter, has stated that she had an immediate connection with Clift and the two were "joined at the hip," dating for many months following. 7 Books We Cant Stop Thinking About This Month, Great speculative fiction, a novel about bad mothers, and more favorite reads from the staff of, Peptides, Explained: How a Skin Care Supercharger Became Beautys Big Buzzword. It is commonly believed that drug addiction was responsible for Clift's many health problems and his death. The condition (among other things) lowers blood pressure; it could have caused Clift to appear drunk or drugged when he was sober. Fred Zinnemann's "The Search" preceded "Red River" as his first film in 1948 and first Academy Award nomination. He earned his first Academy Award nomination for best actor for "The Search," and yet "Red River" seems to be better remembered these days. It also stresses Clifts crucial role in changing the power balance between actors and studio chiefs in Hollywood, as well as the advancements he brought to film acting. [12] At age 7, aboard a European ship, a boy forced Clifts head underwater in the swimming pool for so long that a gland in his neck burst from his struggle to breathe; he had a long scar from the resulting infection and operation. Clift asserts that the actor's use of alcohol and prescription drugs stemmed, primarily, from a near-fatal car accident in 1956. It wasn't long before he found his way to the big screen. [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]. From Making Montgomery Clift (2018) via YouTube screen-grab. "His life has. Happy Birthday, Montgomery Clift. But. He had terrific roles in "The Misfits," "Confess," and he was last seen on screen in "Freud," which earned him his highest fee ever. 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. In 1939, as a member of the cast of the 1939 Broadway production of Nol Coward's Hay Fever, Clift participated in one of the first television broadcasts in the United States: the Hay Fever performance was broadcast by NBC's New York television station W2XBS (the forerunner of WNBC) and was aired during the 1939 New York World's Fair. [87] It is said that McDowall took the breakup with Clift hard. 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. Montgomery Clift Hid His Sexuality for Years but Elizabeth Taylor Knew His Secret & Revealed It after His Death. Edward Montgomery Clift was born on October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. Six Hollywood Stars on the Good Life, With a Nod to a Classic Perfume. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. [52][53][54] The case was later settled out of court, with evidence in Clift's favor, but the damage to Clift's reputation as unreliable and troublesome endured. A portrait of Montgomery Clift leaning on a fence with an intent expression before his accident on 01 January, 1950 | Photo: Getty Images. Meeting veteran stage and screen actor Kevin McCarthy in a Hollywood restaurant was a thrilling experience. In a new documentary, myths and assumptions about the Oscar-nominated heartthrob who struggled with his sexuality are replaced with the little-known truth. He shifted his moods erratically, from a brooding pose to a bursting smile. Clift first met Elizabeth Taylor in 1949, and she felt an immediate attraction to him, according to People magazine. If you have a story that tracks along that line, that will feel true to people. 2023 Cond Nast. Onscreen and off, he was what the kids these days It was taken in 1936. The schedule for Reflections in a Golden Eye was then set for August 1966, but Clift died in July 1966. But the troubled star. 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. 11:50 AM. Clift, presumably an introvert, would have been super frustrated to know his physical look would be a topic for national speculation. In one of the most evocative treasures in the Clift papers at the N.Y.P.L., this black-page scrapbook, titled My Trip West, details Clifts Depression-era visit to the American West. George (Montgomery Clift) is an upwardly scrambling young man, embarrassed by his origins, dipping a toe in wealth's pool. The N.Y.P.L.s Montgomery Clift papers also contain several undated images of his Suddenly, Last Summer co-star Katharine Hepburn looking characteristically redoubtable and Waspy. He owed his life to his close friend Taylor, who immediately went to help him when she learned of the incident. [24] In January 1951, he participated in the episode "The Metal in the Moon" for the series Cavalcade of America, sponsored by the chemical company DuPont Company. The story of Clift's devastating car crash varies somewhat from one account to the next. 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 and Taylor definitely had chemistry while making "A Place in the Sun" (1951), and their connection was so compelling that their co-star Shelley Winters was convinced that they were involved. does not support or promote any kind of violence, self-harm, or abusive behavior. [20] Clift proved to be a successful young stage actor working with, among others, Dame May Whitty, Alla Nazimova, Mary Boland, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Fredric March, Tallulah Bankhead, Alfred Lunt, and Lynn Fontanne. Clift is buried in the Quaker Cemetery in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Thats why his work doesnt feel dated, Demmon said. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, Titled Refueling at Albuquerque, New Mexico, in Clifts handwriting. Clift and Taylor would star again in another 1950s film, the Civil War-era drama, Raintree County the movie they were making when Clift almost died in the car wreck outside Taylor's homeand would remain deeply attached to one another until Clift's death, at the too-young age of 45, in New York City in 1966. On the evening of May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift was involved in a serious auto accident when he smashed his car into a telephone pole after leaving a dinner party at the Beverly Hills home of his Raintree County co-star and close friend Elizabeth Taylor and her second husband, Michael Wilding. Published: 20:36 EST . LeMassena remained a close friend to Clift until his death. Every major Hollywood studio wanted to make a deal with Clift and was collectively shocked that a young actor could command such leverage after the release of a single film: "the death knell of the producers and the moguls, and the birth of Actor Power. 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