Customer Reviews

Monty: A Biography of Montgomery Clift

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this book has a few redeeming qualities but overall it is a book written to fit robert laguardia's belief that monty was some sort of god cast out of heaven due to his own hysterical behavior.there is very little in depth knowledge regarding films or montys approach to acting, only vague stereotypes meant to fit in laguardias angle.i highly suggest you read Patricia Bosworths bio. still in print. she actually knew him and is partial in her writing. one more thing the only other book r.la guardia wrote was a book about the days of our lives soap opera.

Raised in an unconvential family, giving him nearly unlimited access to exceptional opportunities, Montgomery Clift reached a pinnacle of dramatic achievement. Due to unknown reasons, or perhaps due to a chronic back injury he sustained in a car accident, Clift became involved in heavy narcotic usage such that his credibility as an insurable actor was compromised. LaGuardia states that the film "Freud" was filmed in 'a state of chaos,' with severe frustration and criticism from director John Huston, due to Clift's 'inability to function.' Ironically, the night one of his finest films was shown on TV, Clift lay in his bed in the dark, unable or unwilling to join his houseman in watching it. The next morning he was found dead, apparently from a heart attack.

Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, who together accomplished and popularized the "extreme close-up" in films with their on-screen radiance in "A Place in the Sun," were close friends until his death. When Clift was considered "uninsurable" due to rumors of his narcotic addiction, Taylor put up an exorbitant bond to cover his appearance in "Raintree County."

LaGuardia demonstrates a wealth of detailed information throughout this chronicle of one of the most skilled actors of our time. It is worth the read for those interested in the actor or in film history. I have read other bios of Clift and there is no comparison to the detail LaGuardia offers. I was even able to walk past the apartment in which Clift died in NYC and imagine what the floorplan inside might look like. I recommend this book to Clift aficinados as the primary source of information on his short, talented, and tormented life.

An excellent book. I recommend it to anyone interested in Post-World War II film history. Mr. Laguardia truly brings the life of this tragic actor into your heart. It will make you want to run out and rent Monty's movies. Because you know what he went through to make it. Laguardia's biography makes you want to truly be there to help Monty throught all his troubles. While I was reading the biography, I wanted to go back in time and be there. I loved the book. This is my third time reading it. It's a book you don't want to put down.

After reading the Monty's great biography by Patricia Bosworth, I was curious about this book by Robert La Guardia. Unfortunately, I have found this piece of work full of stereotypes and hugely disappointing. Information is incomplete and biased: the author has forgotten about many of Montgomery Clift's closest friends and even about Monty's siblings (who are scarcely mentioned). When it comes to Monty's male lovers, La Guardia uses pseudonyms while subtly conveying the idea of these lovers being responsible for most of Clift's tragedy.
I would only recommend this book to people interested in completing collectible material about this great actor.