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Montgomery Clift: A biography

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If ever anyone fit the idea of a beautiful but tragic star, it was Montgomery Clift. Talented yet insecure, generous yet selfish, caring yet self-centered, secretive yet outgoing, Clift was a bundle of contradictions. His private agony over his apparent bisexuality is depicted so well, one can feel his pain. Conflicted all his life, he yearned to marry and have a family, yet when given the chance to do so, he was never able to bring himself to commit to anyone. He seems to have loved women and adored their company, yet even when having intimate affairs with them, he was still compelled to seek out men for sex. It was a secret that ate at him all his life. While his childhood was far from ideal, it still doesn't explain all the torture and pain. And while he had many friends and relationships, all of them were compartmentalized in his mind and often his life, so that no one ever really knew him fully. If ever there was a story to illustrate the point that fame and fortune do not equal happiness, it is the story of Clift. The author did very thorough research, interviewing both family and friends of Clift. One wonders what might have been had he been given the proper phsychiatric care. Illuminating but ultimatly sad, this biography will probably give fans of Monty the best glimpses into his tortured soul and life they are ever likely to find.

Montgomery Clift was certainly a troubled darling of the later 1940's and early 1950s,an actor who starred in "A Place in the Sun," "From Here to Eternity," "Suddenly Last Summer,"and "Raintree County." He played gentle and sensitive, empathetic, suffering, almost androgynous. He was extremely handsome before the serious automobile accident that nearly killed him; he got to play with Hollywood's best (and its worst), and he surely followed the adage "live fast, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse."

This biography, by the former actress, and experienced, well-connected journalist Patricia Bosworth is more than fair. She has done a great deal of research: Clift was secretive about his life and kept his friends in compartments. She found a lot of people, and got them talking. Furthermore, she tackles his life with understanding and sympathy.

Clift was born to an overpowering, suffocating woman who was a demented snob: she allowed her clouded descent from two of the South's finer families to ruin her own, and her children's lives. His weak father was bankrupted by the Depression of the 1930s, giving Monty, the beautiful teenager, the chance to escape Mom and head for the New York stage. He was an immediate hit, taken up by such esteemed actors as Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, and taking up,, in turn, with the older torch singer Libby Holman, and many others, male and female: he seems to have been a true bisexual. He went to Hollywood, and was again an immediate hit, worldwide. But he continued to live around the corner from, and have to fight his mother for, breathing room. He did not handle either his fame, or his family problems well, and drifted into drink, drugs, and unpleasant perversions. In the late 50's, he left Elizabeth Taylor's California house stoned, and had the car accident that devastated his face, and his nerves. Despite the interventions of Taylor and other devoted friends, he was broke and considered unemployable when he died young, but not particularly prematurely, if you consider his life. He is buried, oddly enough, in Brooklyn, New York, in the famous Green-wood Cemetery.

Bosworth is quite deft in describing the interiors of Clift's life, and his inner circles. One man reminisces about his first meeting with Clift,"' ....he stared at me with those strange unblinking eyes of his. It was as if he was stripping me bare psychologically.'"

She quotes a friend about Clift's relationship with his mother,"'He may have said he hated her, but Sunny remained the most important person in his life, and he was maddened by this. They still had a very close, almost conspiratorial relationship. Early on she had confided in him all of her secrets--now they were two-faced with each other. Sunny was always tender and affectionate when they were together; when speaking about him to other people she was often unduly harsh.'"

And another friend,"' It didn't matter what sex you were. If Monty really liked you -- man or woman you ultimately went to bed with him. If he liked you, he couldn't keep his hands off you-- touching --caressing-- hugging-- he was very physical, and very, very affectionate. And of course he was always passing out with you and then you were undressing him and putting him to bed and finally you were ending up in bed with him too.'"

Montgomery Clift was always compelling in his performances. So is his life, as recounted here by Bosworth, though you are watching him go over the cliff.

To contemporary cinema-goers, Montgomery Clift is a name they would find hard to place but in the 1950s he was one of THE top stars. Bosworth, in her classic biography, tells the compelling story of how he became an icon - before descending into a pain-ridden recluse and addict. She covers admirably his unusual upbringing at the hands of a mother who treated her children as though they were from one of the finest American families. It was a childhood in which he was cut off from people of his own age - and his father - as he was pushed from one hotel to another in America and Europe. From there he discovered the stage, taking Broadway by storm before being lured to Hollywood. Determined to stamp his authority on his career, he rejected the studio system and hundreds of banal scripts. In doing so, he set a new standard. His natural style of acting scorned the macho images, the Hollywood stereotypes, and opened the way for a new wave of male performers not afraid to ! ! reveal their vulnerability. But it was not all roses. As Bosworth graphically relates, Monty was haunted not just by his unusual childhood but also his homosexuality and as fame beckoned and the fear of exposure increased, he turned to drink - and later pills - to deaden his darkest feelings. A car crash in 1956, in which he was seriously injured, only increased his addictions and his career began a terminal decline, only ended with his early death. Bosworth's biography is both affectionate and revealing, painting a compelling and often moving picture of one of the most beautiful - but troubled - stars ever to grace the post-war movie screen. Among the often mediocre cannon of Hollywood biographies, this is a class act.

This is the best biography of Clift so far, but that isn't a large statement; and it's not as superior to LaGuardia's book as some have said. Considering the glowing reviews this one has received, it should really have more substantial documentation. There are no notes, no bibliography, no detailed acknowledgments in my edition. The rather biased testimony of some of Clift's contemporaries is taken at face value, and the psychological interpretations are very dated. There are also some factual inconsistencies. I don't say this isn't a good book and worth reading, but there is plenty of room for improvement if anyone out there is so inclined.

I am generally not a fan of biographies about famous people. This one, however, really grabbed me. I thought I knew a lot about Montgomery Clift, but after reading this book, I realized I really didn't know that much. The author has a way of pulling the reader in, like you're right there watching everything happening. Once I started, I didn't want to put it down. If you're a Montgomery Clift fan, I would HIGHLY recommend this book.

Montgomery Clift. It evokes such powerful images and connotations. The name itself sounds like royalty. The man it belonged to in many ways lived up to such regal ideals. Part of a midwestern family like so many famous actors, his childhood was quite exotic; traveling abroad and learning the ways of the world. The rest of his life only got more exciting. Up to the very minute of his death, Monty was a source of intrigue and respect. Paving the way bravely for Brando and Dean, Clift came first with an honesty that riveted onlookers of all kinds. His strength and helplessness, rebelious yet ingratiating, awoke the world around him to a new kind of man, and a new way of life. Patricia Bosworth does a splendid job in making every moment of Clift's life easily accesible to the reader. The book begins with a hearty(but pleasant) family history going back two generations. For those who've found other star bios uneventful and boring during the "growing up" chapters (namely because the actor was an ordinary kid), here you will find the opposite. Almost from birth Monty's days were unpredictable and full of travel and minor adventure. His acting ability was recognized early and a career followed quickly. The book itself is large indeed-some might find it excessive. But considering this will be most readers first look into Monty's life (their first bio on him), it comes across moreso as just very thorough. Ms. Bosworth's literary craft is quite exquisite, thus making the already fascinating story a joy to read. Following his every triumph and failure with equal attention, one gets a sense of who the man was-not just the celebrity. In fact his personal life makes up 85-90% of the book; as it should! Of course there is more than enough time devoted to the events during his Plays and Films-but it's not simply a shooting schedule pasted into the book. The process of Monty's growth personally and professionaly-and the connection between both-is painted beautifully in the words. One sees also the source and always present fuel of his trademark "turmoil"-that wounded sense that drew audiences and still does. There are no cliche`s to find-no tabloid generated fallacies in the telling of this life. Only a full circle understanding of not only the subject's life, but how to tell it rightly. There are always those readers wanting little more than a brief overview of someone-'was he gay, was he strait, how much money, who'd he know,when'd he die'. But even those readers should surrender some time for this book and let it engulf you. Naturally all those highlighted points are covered-but in a surprisingly respectful and yet also brutally honest portrayal. This book is a quinessential addition to any personal library-especially one containing biographies-and is a masterful collection of one man's life's events. Truly a great book.

I'm not at all attracted to biographies of Hollywood stars although I must have read at least one of the many bios of Marilyn Monroe. Ms Patricia Bosworth's biography of Montgomery Clift got such universal praise I decided to give it a go. Having read the book I now understand why she was heaped with praise. It is, quite simply, one of the most compelling bigraphies I have ever read, a story of beauty, privilege and talent gone seriously wrong. Ms Bosworth unfolds the story of Clift's life at a wonderful pace in clear, strong language that gave me the sense of being in Monty's presence not being removed at a distance observing him. She takes us through all of the triumphs and tragedies of his life supported by an interesting cast of mid-20th century characters ( both famous and unknown) with an even hand and a fine eye for detail. I couldn't help liking Clift although by the conclusion of his life he was so screwed up that there wasn't much of a person left. Bosworth completely engaged me from beginning to end with this tragic life story and by the time I was finished I wept saying out loud "I'm so sorry", "I'm so sorry". Highly recommended!

Bosworth has written a comprehensive and highly readable biography of this immensely talented and troubled actor. A compelling page turner with plenty of interesting photographs, too, this juicy read presents a balanced, objective look at one of the 20th Century's most intriguing artists.

Whether you have an extensive or only passing knowledge of Montgomery Clift, you will find his story worth reading...along with one of the most colorful supporting casts in modern history!

A note to the editor: there are several typos in this edition! How the heck does that happen???

Donald Spoto, a great and prolific biographer himself, informed me that Bosworth's 'Clift' biography was one of the greatest he has ever read and highly recommended it. Not a particular lover of Clift onscreen I was reluctant at first and decided to simply peruse the first few pages. Well, I ripped through it and found myself referencing it in conversation daily. An expression, "Getting Monty" has evolved in my household whenever the type of excessive behavior begins that Bosworth puts into words so beautifully. Great sources, personal and respectful and not overly reverant this book is riveting whether you love Monty or not. A great insight into how acting and persona bleed together to create presence. I can still give or take the actor...but not the man.

Unlike Tab Hunter Confidential, which was much ado about nothing, Montgomery Clift: A Biography, By Patricia Bosworth, centers its focus on a celebrated acting life that is, indeed, quite another story.

With deeply penetrative insights, Patricia Bosworth hauntingly re-creates the disturbingly sad portrait of Montgomery Clift's life. From October 17,1920, the date of his birth to Sunny and Bill Clift in Nebraska, Ms Bosworth leads us on an incredibly fascinating journey as she skillfully guides us through the formative years of a childhood that Montgomery Clift shared with older brother, Brooks, and twin sister, Roberta.

Expertly lighting the darkened pathway before us, Ms Bosworth then unflinchingly, yet with extreme sensitivity and thoughtful consideration, encourages us to envision the startling and sobering portrait of the troubled and tormented adult personal life that so heartbreakingly plagued this darkly brooding young man, and the amazing film career that so meteorically had arisen from out of the gut-wrenching depths of a lost and tortured soul.

As the portrait is further examined, what surprisingly begins to emerge is the striking resemblance between the real-life Montgomery Clift, and the rather off-beat, non-conformist, loner type of character that he so brilliantly captured on screen.

During his life, while he had cultivated many deep and lasting relationships with women-(mostly of a platonic nature)-it was only men who truly held sole-proprietorship of his intense love and desires. Even as a youth, though he had always been aware of his affinity for other boys - he had always regarded it as a rather normal occurrence. It was only as he got older that the stigma of guilt began to erode at his conscience, causing him considerable anguish and pain.

Being a man, we are told, who despised deception, and had always been scrupulously honest about himself, the thought of having to hide his feelings (since any notoriety of his true self would have put to an abrupt end the acting career that he so intensely loved) had forced him into living a life deeply hidden in shadows.

It was a time when gays were totally oppressed. Homosexuality was deemed as a repugnant atrophy; a repulsive state of being for which society had no tolerance. Overwhelming repudiation of such magnitude only served to internalize more deeply the guilt and shame that was beginning to fester deep inside.

While he had begun to court a relationship with the bottle during his earlier Broadway days, it was at this rather momentous time in his rapidly escalating movie career that the ever-constant pressure of leading a tortured double-life persuasively tempted him into becoming a more heavily indulgent user. An obsession which became even further complicated when he also acquired an addiction for sedative drugs that included barbituates and tranquilizers.

By all indications, the brilliant, androgynous star was traveling at breakneck speed on a dizzying downward spiral. Even if a screeching of brakes could have been frantically applied, it's highly doubtful that he would have been able to avoid the destructive impact of its life-altering collision.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened that fateful night, on May 12,1956, when he attended a party given in his honor by Elizabeth Taylor (perhaps the closest and dearest of all his female friends) to celebrate their working together once again in "Raintree County", a film they were then shooting.

Apparently the party was a dismal failure. After a short period of time, Monty reiterated his feelings of being very tired and wanting to go home and rest. It seemed, however, that he harbored a certain amount of trepidation about having to travel down the steep canyon road that led from the top of Ms Taylor's home, high up in the hills of Coldwater Canyon, down to Sunset Boulevard. Actor Kevin McCarthy, a close friend of his at the time, offered to follow him down in his car until he was safely back on the highway below.

Some twenty minutes later, an hysterical Kevin returns, pounding on Elizabeth's front door and yelling, "Monty's been in an accident! I think he's dead!"

As Ms Bosworth writes, and I quote:"Montgomery Clift survived that night and lived for ten more years, but his real death occurred as he lay bleeding and half-conscious in Elizabeth Taylor's arms. Nothing would ever be the same for him after that."

The intensity of the accident had left irreparable damage behind. The delicacy of his beauty had been completely altered. His mouth was twisted. A nerve had been severed in his left cheek, leaving the left side of his face practically immobile. His perfect nose was bent out of shape. And as Jack Larson, an actor friend, who upon seeing him for the first time after the accident, sadly relates: "The only feature that remained the same were his eyes - they were still brilliant and glittering and they stared right through you, but they were now brim full of pain."

The long list of drugs that he had been taking before the accident accelerated even more so - and he periodically gave himself shots of codeine to relieve the acute back pain that had been caused by the accident. Severe, unbearable pain that would remain constantly with him for the rest of his life.

The rebellious nature that had started him on this harrowing road to self-destruction really began when he was still a youngster. It seems he spent a life-time trying to break free from out of the imposing shadow that his mother, though a diminuitive woman, cast across her children's lives. The children were constantly placed on a guilt trip whenever they did the slightest thing wrong, or, in any way, reacted disobediently to her wishes.

While still a youth, Monty began to regard her as his adversary, openly showing his rebellion against her inflexible authority by spitefully doing things that she would find shockingly repulsive.

Yet, hard as he tried, he was never able to completely out-distance himself from out of the confining perimeters of her all-encompassing dominance, and remained enigmatically attached to her his entire life.

Still, he always reacted toward her in the most antagonistic way, and while she had always been completely aware of his attraction to other boys - she would rail against him, and bitterly reproach him about his sinfulness. In retaliation, he would openly flaunt his gay friends in front of her - and took perverse delight in her offense.

And so began a life of reckless abandonment that had precipitously de-escalated down to the lowest point where he then found himself. How unthinkable to imagine that Montgomery Clift, one of the few blessed individuals whose acting talent was as equally impressive as the great physical beauty that usually made a person, regardless of gender, literally gasp when meeting him for the very first time - had now resigned himself to a near-reclusive existence.

Where work had always been the veritable life-force that motivated his existence, he was now forced to retreat into a world of shadows, disillusionment, and pain.

Although he did work sporadically in films after the accident, studios no longer clamored for his services. He was considered a bad insurance risk, and, due to the unpredictability created by his excessive drinking and drug use, motion picture executives literally penciled him out.

Elizabeth Taylor, sensing his dire need for being productively useful, is quoted as having told one of her press agents, "If he doesn't work soon he'll die."

It was at this crucial period that Elizabeth convinced John Huston, who was to direct her new film, "Reflections In A Golden Eye," to hire Monty for the lead opposite her. But when the studio reminded her that he was uninsurable, she immediately counteracted by putting up the bond with her own money.

Lengthy postponements followed. Finally, the studio, and John Huston, agreed on an August shooting date. Monty was elated at the prospect of
once again being able to work. On the afternoon of July 22,1966, he and Lorenzo, his faithful caregiver, discussed the place that he was going to rent while shooting "Reflections" in Italy. They would be leaving for Rome at the end of July.

That afternoon, after eating a light lunch, he closed himself off in his bedroom. At six a.m., the following morning, Lorenzo went up to awaken him. But to no avail. Montgomery Clift was dead.

Sadly, years of constant substance abuse had resulted in the demise of an immensely gifted man who was probably the most definitive actor of his generation. A unique, creatively innovative actor whose talent was as deeply admired by other acting luminaries as it was by the general public itself.

In all the roles he had ever played, Montgomery Clift always possessed the required magic necessary for hypnotically drawing the observer into the very heart, soul, and deep under the skin of whatever character he was then playing. How ironic, therefore, that he wasn't as equally gifted in dealing with all the emotional complexities that so tragically shaded his own personal life as well.

Patricia Bosworth's amazingly intimate and insightful excursion into Montgomery Clift's life, literally places her narrative in a class by itself as a towering, biographical masterwork. Once a person starts reading it, they will be hard pressed to put it down. Needless to say, this book is a phenomenal read and comes with the very highest possible recommendation.