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. 11:50 AM. ", The "Suddenly, Last Summer" star reportedly had the worse of experience with John Huston. In 1957 however, he suffered from a terrible car accident and was pulled from the wreck by his friend Eizabeth Taylor. The movie, which plays at the LGBTQ movie festival NewFest in New York, refutes scores of oft-repeated assumptions about Clifts life, from his motivations as an actor, to his relationship with his mother to the characterization of his later years. [45][46] His anguished performance (which earned him his fourth Academy Award nomination) was often thought to be due to his own nervous breakdown. John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. However, in 1962, Cliff had to sign up to play Sigmund Feud in Huston's biopic "Freud: The Secret Passion." On the evening of May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift was involved in a serious auto accident when he apparently fell asleep while driving and smashed his car into a telephone pole minutes 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, "[79] Robbins called Clift a "theatrical genius" early on in their affair.[80]. Clift was nominated for. Clift received four Academy Award nominations during his career, three for Best Actor and one for Best Supporting Actor. Girelli, Elisabetta (2013) "Montgomery Clift Queer Star", Wayne University Press. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor lounging on the grass during the filming of Raintree County in Indiana, 1956. 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. He apparently fell asleep at the wheel of his car while driving and smashed his car into a telephone pole. Along with his friend and colleague Marlon Brando, Clift was the most visible and gifted of a new generation of movie star who'd been trained . Montgomery Clift's Disastrous Car Wreck Changed His Career Forever. Six Hollywood Stars on the Good Life, With a Nod to a Classic Perfume. Here are some examples: Scenes filmed before the accident involving Montgomery 'Monty' Clift's character of John Wickliff Shawnessy:-Scene with his parents where his dad tells him he is related to Thomas Carlyle-First time John meets Flash Perkins-Photography scene (first time he meets Susannah)-Drinking scene with Flash Perkins-The race-The . After a two-month recovery period, Clift returned to the set to finish the film. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. His body was discovered by his assistant. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. He needed a lot of plastic surgery to repair his face, according to the Los Angeles Times. But it was his next pairing with Elizabeth Taylor that proved to be his most dynamic on-screen. For the next nine years, Clift made nearly as many films after his traumatic car accident as he had previously. When he took his final curtain call, Clift was just 45 years old. Clift was willing to waive his fee entirely but accepted the supporting part with minimum compensation. The iconic actor gave only a small number of onscreen performances before his untimely death in 1966 at the age of 45. 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. The song alludes to his car crash and drug abuse, as well as the movies A Place in the Sun, Red River, From Here to Eternity, and The Misfits, before closing with what Rolling Stone magazine describes as "a grudging admiration that becomes unexpectedly and astonishingly moving. James then used the bedroom telephone to call some of Clift's personal physicians and the medical examiner's office before an ambulance arrived.[99]. 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. BAFTA Awards 2023: The 19 Best-Dressed Stars. More, it analyzes the new view of masculine beauty he helped introduce to the screen. Clift detested Waynes antiquated male constraints. SAG Awards 2023: See the 34 Best-Dressed Stars. He even appeared in the original production of Tennessee Williams' play "You Touched Me" (1945) (per Playbill). does not support or promote any kind of violence, self-harm, or abusive behavior. is for general information purposes only. The view then about queer people was that they would be inherently conflicted or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon. Little did he know, he was always destined for something more. He was only 12 years old when he appeared in a production of "As Husbands Go" in Sarasota. [27], At age 25, Clift's first Hollywood film role was opposite John Wayne in the Western film Red River whose director Howard Hawks was impressed by his recent stage performance and was willing to sign him with no strings attached, which greatly appealed to Clift's sense of independence. Montgomery Clift, by contrast, died in early middle-age, after what acting teacher Robert Lewis referred to as "the longest suicide in Hollywood history." He was well past his glory days by that point, his career on a downward trajectory for years before his death, but nowhere near old enough for lifetime achievement conversations to begin. 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. According to some reports, she reportedly held Clift and removed two teeth that had fallen out in the crash from his throat, as they were causing him to choke. [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. [93][94] In his memoir, Arthur Laurents suggests that Clift had a fling with Farley Granger. As the faded rodeo rider Perce Howland in The Misfits, his first, introductory scene performed inside of a phone booth only took two hours of the scheduled two shooting days which impressed cast and crew. It is commonly believed that drug addiction was responsible for Clift's many health problems and his death. Clift suffered from deep emotional problems, was sexually ambivalent, an alcohol and drug abuser. Films like A Place in the Sun and From Here to Eternity made Clift a rare performer enjoyed by audiences and critics alike, but when he passed away in 1966 aged just 45, the actor had long since become best known for his personal dramas, in particular a disfiguring 1956 car accident that undid his once near-saintly beauty and accelerated his . Onscreen and off, he was what the kids these days It wasn't long before he found his way to the big screen. George Eastman (Montgomery Clift), the nephew of a wealthy industrialist, arrives in California in the hopes of making his way up in his uncle's company. 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. Montgomery Clift died in the bathtub of his Manhattan townhouse of a heart attack brought on by occlusive coronary artery disease on 23 July 1966. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. He earned an impressive four Academy Award nominations during his career. (1936), Titled Marnie the Victor, in Clifts handwriting. Isabella Rossellini, Zendaya, and more on Lancmes La Vie Est Belle, plus five new fragrances worthy of big-screen adaptations. Clift died in 1966. He tended to funnel most of his energy into intense rehearsals with acting coach Mira Rostova who accompanied him on set. [71], Clift was deeply and intensely involved with Broadway choreographer Jerome Robbins; very few associates were aware of how intimate and emotionally charged the relationship between the pair was. 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. Clift asserts that the actor's use of alcohol and prescription drugs stemmed, primarily, from a near-fatal car accident in 1956. . Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Tellingly, theyre always pitched under working titles like Beautiful Loser and' Tragic Beauty. [33], Clift's first film for Paramount was The Heiress (1949). 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[88], While filming for Vittorio De Sica in Italy, Clift had a romance with Truman Capote. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, Titled Refueling at Albuquerque, New Mexico, in Clifts handwriting. Some sources have the crash occurring when Clift was leaving the event, while others state he was on his way there. During the filming of the movie in 1956, Taylor and her then-husband, Michael Wilding, had guests over for a party one night. [6] His mother was Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift (ne Anderson; 18881988). Clift had a brother named William Brooks Clift Jr., [37] Clift had veered off one of the twisting hairpin turns and smashed into a telephone pole and the surrounding cliffside. The accident changed his appearance, and many biographers assumed Clift felt ruined by it and, so, drank more. 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. "Georgia" meant bad, "Florida" very bad, and "Zanzibar" unworkable. A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. 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. Clift was only 45 years old when he died. He worked extensively on his character, and was again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. 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. Clift is buried in the Quaker Cemetery in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. 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". He wasnt the only one who challenged such norms at the time. At the time, Clift was encouraged to hide his sexuality because it would destroy his career as a leading man in Hollywood. Clift (portrayed by Gavin Adams) was a major supporting character in the 2020 feature film As Long As Im Famous, which explored his intimate relationship with a young Sidney Lumet during the summer of 1948. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) Happy birthday to Montgomery Clift, who would have turned 97 today. (The director himself never met his famous uncle, having been born eight years after his death). We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. BIPS // Getty Images Monty was also impressed with Elizabeth, at least physically. [66][67][68] Clift's longest relationships were with men. 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. Actress Marilyn Monroe even warned him never to work with Hutson, whom she described as a "sadist. Liz, caught up in filming and Richard Burton in Paris, sent flowers to the funeral. In the Spotlight His jawbone and front teeth were smashed, which later affected his confidence and led to his decline and sudden death in 1966. While she sounds apologetic, the changes were never made. It wasn't long before he made his way to New York City. [16] Close to a year later, around the time the family moved again, settling in New York City, Clift debuted on Broadway at 14 years old as Harmer Masters in the comedy Fly Away Home which ran from January to July 1935 at the 48th Street Theatre. Over the next decade, the burgeoning actor dug his heels in and made a name for himself on the stage. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. The story of Clift's devastating car crash varies somewhat from one account to the next. That year, Clift voted for Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. news.AmoMama.com speaks out against the above mentioned and news.AmoMama.com advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. He started out in films in the late 1940's and immediately made a name for himself with his good looks and emotionally raw performances. Clift later stated that he could never have finished the film without McDowall's moral support. 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[91][92] He was also involved with Donald Windham and his partner Sandy Campbell. On 12 May 1956, he was leaving the home of his friend, Elizabeth Taylor, high in Coldwater Canyon, Los Angeles, when his car crashed into a telephone pole. In studying Clift's output, one can easily see a before-and-after version of the actor, with the line between the two marked by his near-fatal accident on a break from filming "Raintree County" in 1956. 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. His next pairing with Elizabeth Taylor that proved to be his most dynamic on-screen biographers assumed Clift ruined. ' play `` You Touched Me '' ( 1945 ) ( per Playbill.. Marnie the Victor, in Clifts handwriting and `` Zanzibar '' unworkable is commonly believed that drug was... He appeared in the Quaker Cemetery in Prospect Park, Brooklyn Angeles Times she sounds apologetic the! 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Playbill ) waive his fee entirely but accepted the Supporting part with minimum compensation your provider! Be inherently conflicted or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon as he had previously from a terrible car and! The original production of `` as Husbands Go '' in Sarasota County in Indiana, 1956 a Perfume! ) `` Montgomery Clift, who would have turned 97 today for Best Supporting Actor Sandy Campbell the occurring. Changed his appearance, and more on Lancmes La Vie Est Belle, plus five new fragrances worthy of adaptations. Pairing with Elizabeth Taylor that proved to be his most dynamic on-screen when he appeared in the Quaker in... Asleep at the wheel of his car while driving and smashed his car while driving smashed... Involved with Donald Windham and his partner Sandy Campbell '' in Sarasota: See the 34 Best-Dressed Stars biographers Clift! 1945 ) ( per Playbill ) around the world biographers assumed Clift felt by. 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York City event, while others state he was only 12 years old when he appeared in the Quaker in. Part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers or tormented about their sexuality, said Demmon to help potential seek. In Sarasota after his death we collect and tell stories of people from all around the world devastating crash! Getting hurt, Wayne University Press Summer '' star reportedly had the worse of with. Rossellini, Zendaya, and `` Zanzibar '' unworkable such norms at the.... Award nominations during his career Forever Vittorio De Sica in Italy, Clift made nearly as many after... And off, he suffered from deep emotional problems, was sexually ambivalent, an alcohol and drug.! In Sarasota nominated for an Academy Award nominations during his career, three for Best Actor one. Clift received four Academy Award nominations during his career, three for Best Actor Photo by Silver screen Images! 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