Edward Montgomery "Monty" Clift ( ; October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) is an American actor. The news of his death New York Times notes his portrayal of "young man who is volatile". He is best remembered for roles in Red River (1948), The Heiress (1949), A Place in the Sun (1951), > I Confess (1952), From Here to Eternity (1953), The Young Lions (1958), Judgment in Nuremberg (1961), and The Misfits (1961). He received four Academy Award nominations during his career: three for Best Actor and one for Best Supporting Actor.
Together with Marlon Brando and James Dean, Clift is one of the original method actors in Hollywood; he was one of the first actors invited to study at Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan. He also performed a rare act by not signing a contract after arriving in Hollywood, only doing so after his first two successful films. It is described as "a power difference that will continue to build studio-studio relations over the next 40 years".
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Clift was born on October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (1886-1964), is vice president of Omaha National Trust Company. His mother is Ethel Fogg "Sunny" Clift ( nÃÆ' Â © e Anderson; 1888-1988). They married in 1914. Clift has a twin brother, Ethel, who survives 48 years, and a brother, William Brooks Clift, Jr. (1919-1986), who had an illegitimate child with actress Kim Stanley and later married political reporter Eleanor Clift. Clift has Dutch, English, and Scottish ancestors. Her mother was an adopted child who, at the age of 18, had been told that her biological parents were a member of a prominent Yankee family who were forced to part with the girl's tyrannical wishes. He spent the rest of his life trying to gain recognition of the relationship he was accused of.
Part of Clift's mother's efforts is her determination that her children should be raised in true aristocratic style. So, as long as Clift's father was able to pay him, he and his brothers were personally taught, traveled extensively in America and Europe, became fluent in German and French, and lived a protected life, protected from the plight and infectious diseases that became legions after World War First. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s crushed Clift's father financially. Unemployed and bankrupt, she was forced to move her family to New York, but Clift's mother still insisted on her plan, and when her husband's situation improved she could enroll Brooks at Harvard and Ethel at Bryn Mawr College. Clift, however, could not adjust to school, and never went to college. Instead, he appeared on stage, starting in the summer, which debuted on Broadway in 1935.
In the next ten years, Clift built a successful stage career, among others, Dame May Whitty, Alla Nazimova, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Fredric March, Tallulah Bankhead, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. He appeared in a drama written by Moss Hart, Robert Sherwood, Lillian Hellman, Tennessee Williams, and Thornton Wilder, creating a part of Henry in the original production of The Skin of Our Teeth. "In 1939, as a member of the 1939 Broadway producer of NoÃÆ'« Â »Coward's Hay Fever, Clift participated in one of the first television broadcasts in the United States.A perform by Hay Fever > aired during the New York World Fair as part of the television introduction.There can not be any recordings of that broadcast. "He lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, until he gets a break on Broadway. Clift first acted on Broadway at age 15, when he appeared as Prince Peter at the Cole Porter musicals Jubilee at the Imperial Theater. At the age of 20, he appeared in the Broadway production There Is Shall Be No Night, a work that won the 1941 Pulitzer Prize.
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Movie careers
At the age of 25, Clift moved to Hollywood. His first film role was against John Wayne at Red River, who was shot in 1946 and released in 1948. His second film is The Search . Clift is not satisfied with the quality of the manuscript, and edits it himself. The film was awarded the Academy of Screenwriting award for a credited author. The naturalistic performance of Clift led to director Fred Zinnemann being asked, "Where do you find a soldier who can act very well?", And he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Clift goes in for the next movie, 1949s The Heiress , to avoid being typecast. Clift is not satisfied with the script, and can not get along with most of the players. He criticized his opponent Olivia de Havilland, saying that he let the director form all his performances and told friends that he wanted to change de Havilland's line because "He did not give me enough to respond [to]". The studio marketed Clift as a sex symbol before it was released in 1949. Clift has many female followers, and Olivia de Havilland is flooded with angry fan letters because his character rejects the Clift character in the movie's final scene. Clift was ultimately unhappy with his performance, and left early during the movie premiere. Clift also starred in The Big Lift , which was shot at a location in Germany in 1949.
The performance of Clift in 1951 A Place in the Sun is regarded as one of his hand acting acting methods. She worked extensively on her character, and was once again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. For his character scenes in prison, Clift spends the night in a real state prison. He also refused to follow the suggestion of director George Stevens that he did "something extraordinary" on his character running into an electric chair. Instead, he walked towards his death with a natural, depressed expression. Her main acting rival (and fellow Omaha, Nebraska, native), Marlon Brando, was so touched by Clift's appearance that she chose Clift to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, and was sure she would win. That year, Clift chose Brando on A Streetcar Named Desire . A Place in the Sun is critically acclaimed; Charlie Chaplin called it "the greatest movie made about America". The film gained additional media attention due to rumors that Clift and colleague Elizabeth Taylor are dating in real life. They are billed as "the most beautiful couple in Hollywood". Many critics still call Clift and Taylor "the most beautiful Hollywood movie couple of all time". After nearly two years of rest, in the summer of 1952, Clift committed to three more films: I Confess , directed by Alfred Hitchcock; Vittorio De Sica's Terminal Station ; and Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity , which earned Clift his third Oscar nomination.
Clift is very picky with his projects. According to Taylor (as quoted by Patricia Bosworth's biography of Clift), "Monty could be the biggest star in the world if she did more movies." Clift reportedly rejected the lead role on East of Eden , as he did for Sunset Boulevard .
Car crash
On the night of May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift was involved in a serious car accident when he apparently fell asleep while driving and smashed his car into a telephone pole minutes after leaving a dinner party in Beverly Hills , the home of a close friend and fellow playmate, Elizabeth Taylor, and her second husband, Michael Wilding. Told by friend Kevin McCarthy, who witnessed the accident, Taylor ran to Clift's side, manually pulling his teeth off his tongue as he started to gag. He suffered broken jaws and noses, fractured sinuses, and some face lacerations that required plastic surgery. In an interview filmed several years later in 1963, he described in detail his injuries, including how his broken nose can snap back into place.
After a two-month recovery, Clift returns to the set to finish filming. Regardless of the studio's concern for profit, Clift correctly predicted the film would go well, if only because the cinema goers would flock to see the difference in facial appearance before and after the accident. Although Clift's plastic surgery results are remarkable for the moment, there are striking differences in his facial appearance, especially the left side of his face, which can barely move. The pain of an accident makes him dependent on alcohol and pills for relief, just as he did after the previous bout with dysentery left him with chronic intestinal problems. As a result, Clift's health and physical appearance worsened from that time until his death.
Post-accident career
Clift never physically or emotionally recovered from his car accident. His post-accident career has been described as "the longest suicide in Hollywood history" by acting as Robert Lewis teacher for abuse of painkillers and alcohol by Clift. He starts behaving irregularly in public, which embarrasses his friends. Nevertheless, Clift continues to work for the next ten years. The next three films are The Young Lions (1958), Lonelyhearts (1958), and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). Clift next starred Lee Remick in Elia Kazan Wild River in 1960. He served as a Tennessee Valley Authority agent sent to perform the impossible task of convincing Jo Van Fleet to leave his country, and finally marrying his widow. granddaughter, played by Lee Remick. In 1958, Clift rejected what was Dean Martin's role as a "Dude" in Rio Bravo, which would reunite him with his fellow stars from Red River, John Wayne and Walter Brennan , as well as with Howard Hawks, director of both films.
Clift then starred in John Huston's The Misfits (1961), which was the last film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. Monroe, who also experienced the problem of emotional and substance abuse at the time, famously described Clift in a 1961 interview as "the only person I know who is in worse condition than mine".
Clift's final nomination for the Academy Award was for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the Nuremberg Judgment (1961), a 12-minute support section. He plays a developmental disabled guy who was once the victim of the Nazi sterilization program that testifies in Nuremberg courts. Film director Stanley Kramer later wrote in his memoir that Clift - at this stage of the wreck - struggles to remember his dialogue even for this one scene:
- Finally, I said to her, "Forget the fucking words, Monty.Let's say you're in the stands of prosecution.A prosecutor says something to you, then the defense attorney bitterly attacks you, and you have to reach for a word in the script.No matter, please, and reach for it Whatever that word, it does not really matter enough Just turn [Spencer] Tracy on the bench whenever you feel the need, and ad something lib.It will be fine as it will conveying confusion in your character's mind. "He seems calm after this. He's not always close to his script, but whatever he says fits well, and he comes out performing as well as I expected.
When Clift makes John Huston Freud: The Secret Passion (1962), his self-destructive lifestyle and behavior affect his health. Universal sued him for his frequent absence which caused the film to exceed the budget. The case was then settled out of court, but the damage to Clift's reputation was unreliable and difficult to overcome. As a result, he could not find films for four years. The success of the film at the box office brings many awards for script writing and directing, but none for Clift himself. On January 13, 1963, a few weeks after the initial release of Freud, Clift appeared on the live TV discussion program The Hy Gardner Show, where he spoke at length about the release of his current movie , his film career, and care by the press. He also spoke publicly for the first time about his car accident in 1956, the injuries he received, and consequently on his appearance. During the interview, Gardner jokingly mentioned that it was "the first and last appearance on a television interview program for Montgomery Clift".
Banned from widescreen movies, Clift switches to voice work. Early in his career, Clift had participated in radio broadcasts, though, according to one critic, he hated the media. On May 24, 1944, he was part of the cast of Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! for The Theater Guild on the Air . In 1949, as part of a promotional campaign for the Heiress movie, he played Heathcliff in a one hour version of Wuthering Heights for the Ford Theater. In January 1951, he participated in the episode "The Metal in the Moon" for the Cavalcade of America series, sponsored by the DuPont Chemical Company. Also in 1951, Clift was for the first time playing Tom in Tennessee Williams' premiere radio world The Glass Menagerie, with Helen Hayes (Amanda) and Karl Malden (Gentleman Caller), for The Theater Guild on the Air . In 1964, he recorded for Caedmon Records The Glass Menagerie , with Jessica Tandy, Julie Harris, and David Wayne. In 1965, he voted for William Faulkner's writings in the William Faulkner's Mississippi TV documentary, aired in April 1965.
After four years of unsuccessful attempts to secure the film part, finally, in 1966, thanks to Elizabeth Taylor's efforts on her behalf, she signed to star in Reflection in the Golden Eyes. In preparation for the filming of this film, he received the role of James Bower in the French Cold War thriller The Defector, which was filmed in West Germany from February to April 1966. Unfortunately, Clift died on July 23, 1966 before production on Reflection in the Golden Eye begins.
Death
On July 22, 1966, Clift spent most of his summer day in his bedroom in a New York City townhouse, located at 217 East 61st Street. He and his personal nurse, Lorenzo James, did not talk much all day. Just before 1 AM, James went up to say good night to Clift, who was still awake and sitting on his bed. James asks Clift if he needs anything, and Clift politely refuses and then tells James that he'll stay for a while, whether to read a book or watch television. James later noted that The Misfits were on television that night aired as a late-night movie, and he asked Clift if he wanted to watch it with him. "Really not !", Is a firm answer. This is the last time Montgomery Clift speaks to anyone. James went to his room to sleep, without saying a word to Clift. At 6:30 am the following day, James gets up and goes to wake Clift, but finds the bedroom door closed and locked. James became even more concerned when Clift did not respond to his knocking on the door. Unable to break the door, James ran into the back garden and climbed the stairs to enter through the second-floor bedroom window. Inside, he finds Clift dead: He's not dressed, lying in the tub, with his glasses and both fists at his side. Clift was 45 when he died. James then uses the room phone to call the police and ambulance.
Clift's body was taken to a city morgue less than two miles away at 520 First Avenue, and autopsied. An autopsy report mentions the cause of death as a heart attack caused by "occlusive coronary artery disease". No evidence was found that suggested cheating or suicide. It is generally believed that drug addiction is responsible for many of Clift's health problems and deaths. In addition to the prolonged effects of dysentery and chronic colitis, the less active thyroid was later revealed during the autopsy. Conditions (among other things) lower blood pressure; it may cause Clift to appear drunk or anesthetized when he is conscious, and also raises cholesterol, which may have caused his heart disease.
After a 15 minute funeral at St. James, attended by 150 guests, including Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Walker, Clift are buried at the Friends' Cemetery [Quaker], Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. Elizabeth Taylor, who was in Rome, sent flowers, as did Roddy McDowall, Myrna Loy, and Lew Wasserman.
Relationships
Patricia Bosworth, who has access to the Clift family and many people who know and work with him, writes in his book:
Before the accident, Monty has turned to countless affairs with men and women. (...) After his car accident, and since drug addiction becomes more serious, he is often impotent, and sex becomes less important to him. Her deepest commitment is emotional, not sexual, however, and is reserved for old friends; he is very loyal to men like William LeMassena and women like Elizabeth Taylor, Libby Holman, and Ann Lincoln.
Elizabeth Taylor was an important figure in her life. She met him when he was supposed to be dating at the premiere for The Heiress. They appear together at A Place in the Sun, where, in their romantic scenes, they receive much praise for their naturalness and appearance. Clift and Taylor appear together again in Raintree County and Suddenly, Last Summer . Clift and Taylor remained good friends until his death.
Since Clift was deemed unenforceable in the mid-1960s, Taylor placed his paycheck for a movie on the phone as an insurance, to have Clift play a part of his playmate in Reflection in the Golden Eye. Even so, filming continues to be delayed, until Clift agrees to star in a mediocre The Defector to prove himself worthy of work. He insisted on doing his own stunts, including swimming in the Elbe river in March. The timetable for Reflection in the Golden Eyes was then set for August 1966, but Clift died before the film was set for filming. He was replaced by Marlon Brando.
Sexual orientation
Montgomery Clift is bisexual, although his relationship with men is not a common knowledge during his career. Her interest in men was later confirmed by her old friend Elizabeth Taylor during a speech at Media Glaad Award 2000, despite her speech calling Clift gay rather than bisexual.
Awards and honors
Clift has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6104 Hollywood Boulevard, and received four nominations for the Academy Awards:
- 1948: Best Actor in Main Role - Search
- 1951: Best Actor in Main Role - Place in the Sun
- 1953: Best Actor in Main Role - From Here to Eternity
- 1961: Best Actor in Supporting Role - Judgment in Nuremberg
The song "The Right Profile" by British punk rock band The Clash, from their album London Calling , is about Clift's life later. This song alludes to car accidents and drug abuse, as well as A Place in the Sun Red River Movies, From Here to Immortality , and The Misfits . "Monty Got a Raw Deal" by rock band R.E.M. also about him.
Clift has been described by Dave Franco in the movie Zeroville , which was shot in 2015, but in April 2017, has not been released yet.
Stage appearance
- As Husbands Go (1933)
- Fly Away Home (1935)
- Jubilee (1935)
- Yr. Dear Husband (1938)
- Eye On the Sparrow (1938)
- Wind and Rain (1938)
- Dame Nature (1938)
- The Mother (1939)
- There's No Night (1940)
- Exit Wok (1941)
- Mexican mural (1942)
- Our Teeth
- Our City (1944)
- Wind Search (1944)
- Foxhole in the Parlor (1945)
- You Touched Me (1945)
- Seagull (1954)
Moviesography
Radio appearance
Note
References
- Bosworth, Patricia (1978). Montgomery Clift: A Biography . Hal Leonard Corporation, 2007. N.B .: Also published in pbk mass market. ed. (New York: Bantam Books, 1978); originally published by Harcourt, 1978. ISBNÃ, 0-87910-135-0 (H. Leonard), ISBNÃ, 0-553-12455-2 (Bantam)
- Capua, Michelangelo (2002). Montgomery Clift: A Biography . McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-1432-1
- Girelli, Elisabetta (2013) "Montgomery Clift Queer Star", Wayne University Press. ISBN: 9780814335147
- Kramer, Stanley and Thomas M. Coffey (1997). Crazy World, Mad, Crazy, Mad: Life in Hollywood . ISBN: 0-15-154958-3
- LaGuardia, Robert (1977). Monty: A Biography of Montgomery Clift . New York, Avon Books. ISBNÃ, 0-380-01887-X (cover edition)
- Lawrence, Amy (2010) "The Passion of Montgomery Clift", Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press. ISBN: 9780520260474
- McCann, Graham (1991). Male Rebels: Clift, Brando and Dean . H. Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-241-12884-8
- Clash [Punk rock]: London Calling [album] - [track] "The Right Profile"
- Random Hold (British Band) Montgomery Clift song in '' Avalanche '' Album 1979
- REM song "Monty Got A Raw Deal" from the album "Automatic For The People"
External links
- Montgomery Clift on IMDb
- Montgomery Clift on the Internet Broadway Database
- Montgomery Clift on the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Montgomery Clift in the TCM Movie Database
- Montgomery Clift papers, 1933-1966, Billy Rose Theater Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Montgomery Clift papers, Additions, 1929-1969, Billy Rose Theater Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Legend: Montgomery Clift, The Guardian
- Montgomery Clift: Better than Brando, more tragic than Dean
- Montgomery Clift in Find the Mausoleum
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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