Monty: A Biography of Montgomery Clift [Hardcover]

Robert Laguardia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1977

(Biography) 9.5 x 6.5", hardcover, original jacket, 304 pages. Biography of renowned mid-20th century actor, Montgomery Clift, most famous for the films 'Red River', 'From Here to Eternity' and 'The Misfits'. Light toning on book. Edge wear and tears on jacket. Very Good/Good.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Arbor House Pub Co; 4th Edition edition (June 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877951551
• ISBN-13: 978-0877951551
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars soap opera version of monty clift, January 23, 2000

By 

the r (gainesville florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monty: A Biography of Montgomery Clift (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A short, talented, and tormented life -- Montgomery Clift, July 4, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Monty: A Biography of Montgomery Clift (Hardcover)

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.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's almost if you were right there watching Monty!, October 17, 1998

By 

H. Dudley (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monty: A Biography of Montgomery Clift (Mass Market Paperback)

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.