Clift had a rather negative notion about Taylor even before meeting her. More, it analyzes the new view of masculine beauty he helped introduce to the screen. Lorenzo came into the picture when Monty was at his lowest. A successful man in the business world, Bill nevertheless deferred to this strong-willed, opinionated woman at home. 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. But something of the old talent remainedor at least enough to earn Clift a nomination for best-supporting actor, playing, in the words of film critic David Thomson, a victim irretrievably damaged by suffering. Plans for Clift to play the lead in the film adaptation of Carson McCullerss The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter fell through, in large part due to his uninsurability on set, and promises of a fourth collaboration with Taylor, this time with producer Ray Stark, never came to pass. You see, Clift wasnt just a pretty face, he also had a bunch of quirks that made him incredibly singular in comparison to other leading men. He hated the criticism and the labels, and eventually, he just couldnt take it anymore. While filming his next picture, Lonelyhearts (1958), Clift lashed out, proclaiming, I am notrepeat nota member of the Beat Generation. Every actor was in the midst of fighting their own demons. At the end of the day, Clifts private nurse Lorenzo James checked in on him just after midnight. He was the son of Francis Preston Blair, elder brother of Francis Preston Blair Jr. and cousin of B. Gratz Brown . Peace. TAYLOR ON CLIFT'S SEXUALITY AFTER HIS DEATH. After his accident, Clift had an arduous road to recovery. (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. As to why Bosworth drew on the gay-self-hate narrative, and why that view took hold, the directors blame the homophobia of the time the book was written, in the 1970s. And the cherry on top? He didnt want the studios to dictate the kinds of roles he would play, his nephew said. 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. All Rights Reserved. Montgomery Clift's nephew, co-directing 'Making Montgomery Clift,' an eye-opening documentary about the great movie actor, excavates a treasure trove of family archives. The duo eventually got to know each other better, and according to Taylor, they liked each other. Nearly all his good looks are gone, Isherwood wrote. He was sick of being a symbol, a symptom, a testament to something. Well, in 1955, he had a chance to reunite with his old friend and co-star, Elizabeth Taylor, in Raintree County. 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. He told everyone that hed marry when he met the right girl, but that in the meantime, he was simply playing the field. Once, when questioned about his pastimes, he quipped, Yes, women. But where were they? 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 wasnt the only one who challenged such norms at the time. About a month afterThe Misfitswrapped, Gable suffered a heart attack and passed. "Monty," as his family called him, was the son of William Clift, a. Taylor immediately stuck her delicate, little hand down his throat and removed the obstruction. Just look at the fan magazine titles: Making Love the Clift Way, Two Loves Has Monty, Montgomery Clifts Tragic Love Story, Is It True What They Say About Monty? Who Is Monty Kidding? Hes Travelin Light, The Lurid Love Life of Montgomery Clift, and, perhaps most flagrantly, Monty Clift: Woman Hater or Free Soul?. Still, his second venture was perhaps even more of an impressive feat. . It wasnt until years after his tragic passing that Clifts darkest secret finally came out. And so he remains frozen in the popular imagination, circa From Here to Eternitythose high cheekbones, that set jaw, the firm stare: a magnificent, proud, tragically broken thing to behold. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. 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. As such, Taylors intervention only enhances the very real love story that existed between her and Clift. This showed in his consciousness of being seen as feminine in any way. 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. He has a ghastly, shattered expression. And it wasnt just in private record: in October 1956, Louella Parsons reported on Clifts very bad health and Holmans attempts to clean him up. However, even with all the negative hubbub surrounding this shoot, it was nothing compared to the darkness of one of Clifts next projects. In The Young Lions (1958), released just two years after the accident, the pain and resentment seem almost visible. You couldn't help but come. Con Jennifer Jones, Montgomery Clift, Gino Cervi, Richard Beymer. And yet, the mystery persists. Unlike many of his handsome contemporaries, he never had a blonde bombshell hanging off his arm. yo tambien hubiera tenido algo con el claro que si, Monty, I love you. d-d-darling, I r-r-really wouldnt know. Observers also point out that Clift had sexual relationships with women. While driving, he fell asleep at the wheel and the consequences were utterly gruesome. A documented conversation between two stars, Tallulah Bankhead and Dorothy Parker, during a dinner party also showed that there was knowledge among stars that Clift was gay. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of A Place in the Sun. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. . But while his siblings enrolled in prestigious schools, Montgomery Clift went hurtling in a completely different direction. 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. Whether platonic or not, these two actors shared an undeniable bond that was undeniably strengthened by this one unfortunate event. The next morning, James returned to Clifts room to rouse him but found the door locked. . Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk. A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Montgomery Clift was a bright young talent, a tabloid fixture, and a posthumous gay icon. 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. But Clift knew the film would be a smash, if only because audiences would want to compare his long unseen face from before and after the accident. Of course, as unusual as his lifestyle seemed, healso had a number of interesting routines. I thought he was dead. He immediately returned to Taylors house to notify the party of the bloody disaster. Indiscrecin de una esposa: Dirigido por Vittorio De Sica. True or not, the resilience of the story is a testimony to what people wanted to believe about the bond between the two stars. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun. If you have a story that tracks along that line, that will feel true to people. Whisked away to the morgue, Clifts body underwent an autopsy that shed some light on his sudden demise. Throughout filming, members of the crew came up with code words to alert everyone about the lead actors level of intoxication. Login Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Dazzling Facts About Elizabeth Taylor, The Queen Of Hollywood, Stabbed In The Back: These Real-Life Betrayals Are Straight Up Brutal, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Plot Twist: These Surprise Endings Made Our Jaws Hit The Floor, These Ultra-Spoiled Brats Made Our Eyes Roll Into Our Heads. Of course, by this time, Clifts drinking problems werent much of a secret, making him a liability to the studio. 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. Thanks for your time! John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in Red River. It was a huge wager: since everyone knew how much booze and pills Clift was on, he was virtually uninsurable on set. He called it as he saw it, describing himself as an ordinary, second-class wolf.. 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. She wouldnt die for another year and a half, but Misfits would be her last completed film. I do not count myself as a member of the ripped-sweatshirt fraternity. He wasnt a young rebel, an old rebel, a tired rebel, or a rebellious rebelall he cared about was re-creating a slice of life on the screen. Ex-lover Larson said in the film that Clift actually preferred his work after the accident to his performances before. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest celebrity news, but don't worry we have you covered. A portrait of Elizabeth Taylor And Montgomery Clift from the film "A Place In The Sun", 1951 | Photo: Getty Images. Oh dear. In his first film, Red River, Clift had the chance to play opposite the western superstar John Wayne. The film-makers interviewed Bosworth extensively for the movie, but they contrast her words with old taped conversations she had with the actors brother. In the bathroom, James found Clift in his bathtub, undressed and obviously deceased. Directors Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Writers Robert Anderson Clift Hillary Demmon Stars Clift detested Waynes antiquated male constraints. Sensitive. We bring you all the headlines and gossip in one place! In 1925 Theodore Dreiser [told such a tale in his] long, oppressively powerful novel, An American Tragedy, which in turn made only a fair movie in 1931. Because of the accident, the studio worried about the success of Raintree County. By the early 1950s he was exclusively homosexual, though he continued to hide his homosexuality and maintained a number of close friendships with theater women (heavily promoted by studio publicists).His film debut was Red River (1948) with John Wayne quickly followed by his early personal success The Search (1948) (Oscar nominations for this, A Place in the Sun (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)). He was set to play in Taylor's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), when he died in the early morning hours of July 23, 1966, at his home at age 45. (1950), (originally written specifically for him; the story perhaps hitting a little too close to home) and High Noon (1952).His long apprenticeship on stage made him a thoroughly accomplished actor, notable for the intensity with which he researched and approached his roles.
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