You can also search for this author in He was only 45. After completing John Huston's Freud: The Secret Passion (1962), Universal Studios sued him for his frequent absences that caused the film to go over budget. Clifts before was a remarkable portrait of movie star beauty that established his image as a screen idol. User Ratings Before the terrible incident, the star made a significant impact in the entertainment industry. Soon, the washed-up actor was completely out of work. When he read the story that criticized his bare-bones wardrobe, the scandalized actor lashed out with a biting response. As a consequence, he was unable to find film work for four 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. In January 1963 Montgomery Clift made an uncharacteristic appearance on television to be interviewed on New York Herald Tribune columnist Hy Gardners show. "[32] Clift was on the cover of Life magazine by December 1948. Years before, Clift had battled dysentery, which introduced him to the sinister side effects of pain management. Clifts teacher, Robert Lewis, called his gradual decline the longest suicide in Hollywood history. Although he had problems before filmingRaintree County, Clifts drinking was more pronounced than ever. He insisted on performing his stunts himself, including swimming in the river Elbe in March. Malden and Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. (1) Mann, William J. [9] Clift had English and Scottish ancestry on his father's side, wealthy relatives who hailed from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Determined to keep his gayness under wraps, Clift made sure that his masculine facade shone onscreen. 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. [33], Clift's first film for Paramount was The Heiress (1949). Anon. Some sources have the crash occurring when Clift was leaving the event, while others state he was on his way there. . To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, Titled Refueling at Albuquerque, New Mexico, in Clifts handwriting. I am not one of Americas Angry Young Men. Montgomery Clift was certainly one of a kind, and when he landed in Hollywood, it became extremely clear that he was going to do things his own way. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. He was one of Hollywoods most desirable leading men, but mystery shrouded his entire private life. Clift's body was taken to the city morgue about 2 miles (3.2km) away at 520 First Avenue, and autopsied. He surely wasnt a suave Prince Charming, and yet, on-screen, he was a downright masterpiece. Robert Clift is the son of Montgomery's older brother, Brooks, making him the youngest nephew of the Hollywood icon. "[142] "Monty Got a Raw Deal" by rock band R.E.M. Although Clift and Montgomery were only good friends, their coupling inA Place in the Sunhelped drive its popularity. Alerted by friend Kevin McCarthy, who witnessed the collision, Taylor found Clift conscious yet bleeding and swelling rapidly under the shattered dashboard. But that wasnt the wildest part of the story. This is what happened that night. 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. Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota Press. A bulls horn scarred his nose and his attempt to tame a horse gave him intense rope burnnot to mention all the other scrapes he earned along the way. How? 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.. Clift was also a Hollywood maverick of sorts, choosing to remain independent at a time when most actors were under contract to the movie studios, per Vanity Fair. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. With the facial reconstruction, heavy painkiller use, and rampant alcohol abuse that took place . My mom never told me how her best friend died. Nope. When James offered to join him, the belligerent shot him down immediately, crying, Absolutely not.Sadly, this was Montgomery Clifts final interaction. [21] At age 20, he appeared in the Broadway production of There Shall Be No Night, a work which won the 1941 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Lawrence, Amy (2010) "The Passion of Montgomery Clift", Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press. Clift simply wasnt cut out for school, and unlike his siblings, turned his back on higher education. Her romantic interest in him evolved into an intense friendship after he revealed her that he was gay (some sources say he was bisexual). More posts from the OldSchoolCool community. His interests lay elsewhere. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. And yet, the mystery persists. 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. Robert's World. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves. And when it came to riotous parties, well, he avoided nightlife like the plague. Gardner recalled the rumours of Clifts disfigurement following the car accident that occurred in May 1956 in the midst of filming for Raintree County (1957) as Clift drove away from a dinner party hosted by co-star Elizabeth Taylor. is also about him. Above is a photo of American actor Montgomery Clift's automobile after it skidded off a dark road and smashed into a telephone pole. Clift was nominated for awards for his roles in. While his brother claimed that Clift was bisexual, writer Truman Capotes unpublished work alludes to Clifts gayness quite explicitly. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137291776_11, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137291776_11, Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London, eBook Packages: Palgrave Media & Culture CollectionLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0). Determined to make it better, he made some key changesand they made allthe difference. In the decades since Monty's death in 1966, his life has been . 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. One sign of how much Hollywood has changed: Clift's close friend Elizabeth Taylor matter-of-factly identified him as gay while accepting a . But the press will always be the press, and no amount of Montgomery Clifts ire could change that. In the bathroom, James found Clift in his bathtub, undressed and obviously deceased. The Kafka photograph showed a shy, contemplative face with large dark eyes beautiful in a way; Clift's face, too, had been beautiful, until a nearfatal car accident changed it. Berkeley: University of California Press. Cohan, Steven (1997) Masked Men: Masculinity and the Movies in the Fifties. "Red River," which has become a classic western, featured Clift starring opposite John Wayne. Montgomery Clift had the most earnest of faces: big, pleading eyes, a set jaw, and a side part that reminds you of old pictures of your granddad. Nevertheless, he showed no bitterness and remained one of Clift's loyal friends. In 1951, Clift embarked upon one of his most famous roles as George Eastman inA Place in the Sun. 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. And the cherry on top? Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. But while his siblings enrolled in prestigious schools, Montgomery Clift went hurtling in a completely different direction. Clift later stated that he could never have finished the film without McDowall's moral support. It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. Pretty, Please: Mindful Skin Care, an Artist Reconsidered, and Bright Eyes for Spring. [26] By this time, Clift had developed what would come to be regarded as his signature acting style and biggest impact on the future of modern film acting, as told by biographer Robert LaGuardia: He managed to convince the audience that he was unmitigated male sexuality without making a vulgar display of himself, as most other actors of his age and type would have. - 134.209.105.160. The autopsy report cited the cause of death as a heart attack brought on by "occlusive coronary artery disease". Mathijs, Ernest and Jamie Sexton (2011) Cult Cinema: An Introduction. In his one 12-minute cameo scene in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Clift played a developmentally disabled German baker who had been a victim of the Nazi sterilisation programme testifying at the Nuremberg trials. Palgrave Macmillan, London. In: Egan, K., Thomas, S. (eds) Cult Film Stardom. The cause of death was listed as a heart attack, but a major contributing factor was the cumulative effect of pain killers and liquor. [10][11] She spent the rest of her life trying to gain the recognition of her alleged relations. Continued pain from his injuries led him to rely on alcohol and pills for relief as he had done after an earlier bout with dysentery left him with chronic intestinal problems. New Edition. He is best remembered for his role as Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt in the 1953 film From Here to Eternity. He naturally gravitated to the theater. Sadly Clift had personal problems and after surviving a terrible car accident those problems only got worse. He lived in a pampered bubbleuntil one day, it all came crashing down. Many biographers have had fun writing up one of the most glamorous accident scenes in Hollywood history . 4 (April): 589 and 847. Even his diet was rather spartan: orange juice, steak, and eggs. [91][92] He was also involved with Donald Windham and his partner Sandy Campbell. [100] Underactive thyroids also raise cholesterol, which might have contributed to his heart disease. His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (18861964), was the vice-president of Omaha National Trust Company. Bettmann . The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. [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. With his screenwriting suggestions, the film took home an Academy Award. This biography of Montgomery Clift provides detailed information about his childhood, life, acting career, achievements and timeline. George (Montgomery Clift) is an upwardly scrambling young man, embarrassed by his origins, dipping a toe in wealth's pool. 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. User Reviews A Place in the Sun was critically acclaimed; Charlie Chaplin called it "the greatest movie made about America". The pieces of the puzzle dont quite fit. Still, his second venture was perhaps even more of an impressive feat. 'Happy Days's' Anson Williams Divorced the Same Woman Twice after Almost Losing His Life in the Early 2000s, Marlo Thomas Spouse Was a Virgin before Marriage to Mom of His 5 Kids & a Lousy Lover Afterward, Why Is Chris Pratt Receiving Backlash? Excerpt from Patricia Bosworth's Montgomery Clift: A Biography.Kevin McCarthy describes the tragic car accident that almost killed Montgomery Clift and ruined his face. Life once described them as soul mates, and added: That Clift was gay made little difference in the intensity and duration of the two stars adoration of one another. The pair first starred together in the 1951 film A Place in the Sun; Clifts early nickname for the actress was Bessie Mae. They also appeared together in Raintree County (1957) and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). . The star attempted to put the record straight, suggesting that, despite the immediate impact of the crash, he could now proclaim confidently: Im exactly the same as I was before. The evidence on screen, however, indicated otherwise. After leaving a party organized by co-star Elizabeth Taylor in May 1956, Clift raced along a steep road before crashing. But while Clift certainly seemed like a budding Hollywood heartthrob on the outside, in reality, he wasfar from it. As his eyes drifted closed, Clift suddenly veered off the road and drove straight into a telephone pole. With Clift on board, Suddenly, Last Summer morphed into a verifiable mess. [36], On the evening of May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift was involved in a serious car crash after leaving a dinner party hosted by Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, Michael Wilding. A short while later, Taylor and some of the others rushed to the scene of the accident. I do not count myself as a member of the ripped-sweatshirt fraternity.. In 1963, when the "Red River" star recalled the traumatic incident, he mentioned a long day's shoot as the reason he was asleep during the crash. In Clifts eyes, de Havilland imparted nothing of herself into the role. Luckily, over time, they clawed their way back to financial security. Although the results of Clift's plastic surgeries were remarkable for the time, there were noticeable differences in his facial appearance, particularly the left side of his face, which was nearly immobile. He and his private nurse, Lorenzo James, had not spoken much all day. Clift reunited with Taylor for "Raintree County," a Civil war era romantic drama. Clift was the subject of fascination by the character Vikar (James Franco) in the film Zeroville, which was shot in 2015 and released on September 20, 2019, in limited theaters, to largely negative reviews. 18. speaks out against the above mentioned and. In the early 1950s, Barney Balaban (president of Paramount Pictures) invited Clift on one of the Balaban family vacations to Nassau, Bahamas. Skolsky, Sidney (1957) The New Look in Hollywood Men, Photoplay, Vol. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Sadly the star got involved in a car crash that ruined his face and impacted his life and career. Following his fateful car accident, Montgomery Clift didn't just look different, his broken handsomeness now lending him an everyman quality; with the left side of his face left 'frozen' due to nerve damage, Clift compensated by becoming a performer reliant on gesture and expression through the eyes.

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