Edward Montgomery Clift was born on October 17th, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska. Although his father was a successful banker, he struggled during the Depression, and young Monty turned to acting to escape financial problems. He made his Broadway debut at age 13, and stayed there for more than 10 years, until he made his silver screen debut. His first movie was 1948's "Red River", which also starred John Wayne. His next movie was one of my favorites: "The Heiress". This great filmed based on the Henry James novel "Washington Square" also starred Olivia De Havilland, Ralph Richardson, and Miriam Hopkins. Clift played Morris Townsend, the handsome gigolo who charms plain but very wealthy Catherine Sloper (De Havilland). The film was a success, and it won Olivia a Best Actress Oscar.
Montgomery Clift and Olivia De Havilland in "The Heiress"
In 1951, Montgomery made the George Stevens classic, "A Place in the Sun", which also stars Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters, Raymond Burr, and Anne Revere. Clift is brilliant as George Eastman, the man torn between the girl he got pregnant and the girl he really loves. To rid himself of this problem, he takes drastic measures. Clift won an Academy Award nomination for this movie, but 1951 was a very challenging year. Humphrey Bogart won for "The African Queen", but also nominated was the man who would go on to become Monty's competiton: Marlon Brando. Both were up and coming sex symbols, and incredible actors.
1953 would become Montgomery's busiest year. First of all, he starred with Jennifer Jones in "Indiscretion of an American Wife". Then he played Father Michael Logan in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller, "I Confess", which also starred Anne Baxter and Karl Malden. Then he starred in a movie that would go on to become one of the best and most famous WWII movies in history:
Clift played Robert E. Lee Prewitt (aka Prew) in "From Here to Eternity". This classic also stars Burt Lancaster, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr, Ernest Borgnine, and Frank Sinatra. The film was nominated for 13 Academy Awards including a Best Actor nomination for Montgomery. His co-star, Burt Lancaster, was up for the same award. However, neither guy won, because William Holden won for his excellent performance in "Stalag 17". Monty's competiton, Marlon Brando, was also nominated. I think the public wanted a conflict!! "From Here to Eternity" won 8 Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor (Sinatra), Best Supporting Actress (Reed), and Best Picture.
In 1956, while filming "Raintree County" with Elizabeth Taylor, Clift got into a serious car crash. It was Taylor who saved him from choking, when she pulled out the two teeth that were lodged in his throat. Clift's face had to be totally reconstructed, and although the surgery was considered successful, his face never looked the same. He completed "Raintree", and even though it was considered a box-office disappointment, it was nominated for four Oscars.
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