Montgomery Clift

Montgomery Clift remains one of the most enigmatic and influential actors in American cinema. Renowned for his brooding intensity, emotional vulnerability, and striking good looks, Clift helped usher in a new era of naturalistic film acting in the mid-20th century. His career, though tragically curtailed, left an indelible mark on Hollywood and helped redefine the image of the American leading man.

Early Life and Background

Edward Montgomery Clift was born on October 17, 1920, in Omaha, Nebraska, to William Brooks Clift and Ethel Anderson. Raised in an upper-middle-class family, Clift and his twin sister Roberta (along with older brother Brooks, who would later become a political writer) were educated privately and traveled extensively in Europe during the early years of their lives.

Clift's mother, an intellectually ambitious woman with pretensions to social grandeur, believed in cultivating a classical education for her children. Montgomery began acting at the age of 13 with a local theater group, and by 15 he was performing on Broadway. His early success in the theater set the stage for a highly respected career in the performing arts.

Broadway and Early Career

Between 1935 and 1945, Clift established himself as a formidable young actor on Broadway. He worked with prominent directors and playwrights, including Alfred Lunt and Robert Lewis. Despite many opportunities to enter the film industry, Clift turned down studio contracts, preferring to hone his craft on stage. His selective nature and refusal to be moulded by the studio system set him apart from other young actors of the era.

Clift’s stage success in plays such as There Shall Be No Night, The Skin of Our Teeth, and You Touched Me! showcased his range and depth. He was admired for his quiet intensity and commitment to realism—traits that would become his trademarks in Hollywood.

Hollywood Breakthrough

Clift finally made his film debut in 1948’s Red River, directed by Howard Hawks. Cast opposite John Wayne, Clift played the sensitive adopted son of a domineering cattle baron. His naturalistic acting style, boyish charm, and smoldering presence won acclaim and signaled a new type of male lead—one that emphasized emotion and vulnerability over rugged masculinity.

That same year, he starred in The Search (1948), directed by Fred Zinnemann. The film, a poignant tale of a GI helping a young war orphan in post-war Germany, earned Clift an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Critics and audiences took notice: a star was born, and Clift was hailed as a major new talent.

A Star of the Method Era

Though not formally a member of the Actors Studio, Clift is often grouped with fellow “method” actors Marlon Brando and James Dean. Like them, Clift brought an emotional depth and psychological complexity to his roles that departed from the more theatrical style of earlier Hollywood performances.

His performances in films like A Place in the Sun (1951), opposite Elizabeth Taylor, and From Here to Eternity (1953), opposite Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster, remain masterclasses in screen acting. In A Place in the Sun, his portrayal of George Eastman—a working-class man torn between love and ambition—was haunting and tragic. He received a second Academy Award nomination for the role.

In From Here to Eternity, Clift played Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, a soldier struggling with trauma and principles in pre–World War II Hawaii. The film was a massive critical and commercial success, winning the Oscar for Best Picture and solidifying Clift’s reputation as one of the finest actors of his generation.

The 1956 Car Crash and Its Aftermath

In 1956, Clift's life took a devastating turn. While filming Raintree County with Elizabeth Taylor, he crashed his car into a telephone pole after leaving her home. The accident shattered his face and required extensive reconstructive surgery. The incident left him physically and emotionally scarred.

The post-accident Clift—often referred to as “the longest suicide in Hollywood history”—struggled with chronic pain, addiction to alcohol and painkillers, and mental health issues. Despite this, he continued to deliver remarkable performances in films like Wild River (1960), The Misfits (1961), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and Freud (1962). His performance in Judgment at Nuremberg, as a mentally impaired Holocaust witness, earned him his fourth and final Oscar nomination.

Later Career and Decline

Though he remained a highly respected actor, Clift’s career never fully recovered after the accident. His health declined steadily throughout the 1960s, and he became increasingly reclusive and erratic. Hollywood found it difficult to cast him due to his unpredictable behavior and poor physical condition.

His final film, The Defector (1966), a Cold War thriller shot in Germany, was completed shortly before his death. Though the film was not a critical or commercial success, Clift’s performance was praised for its quiet intensity and melancholic realism.

Death and Legacy

Montgomery Clift died on July 23, 1966, of a heart attack at the age of 45. His premature death shocked the film community and his fans. Despite his relatively small body of work—just 17 films—his legacy endures.

Clift remains a seminal figure in the evolution of screen acting. He helped pave the way for a more introspective and emotionally truthful approach to film performance. His roles often depicted sensitive outsiders, men tormented by guilt, desire, and unspoken pain. These characters reflected not only the postwar American psyche but also Clift’s own internal struggles, including his closeted homosexuality and battles with self-doubt.

Personal Life and Sexuality

Montgomery Clift’s personal life was as complex as his screen characters. A deeply private man, he never publicly acknowledged his homosexuality, though it was an open secret in Hollywood. He maintained close relationships with several men and was romantically linked with actors and artists such as Roddy McDowall and composer Ned Rorem.

Clift also had an intense and lifelong friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, who defended and supported him through his darkest periods. Their bond, forged on the set of A Place in the Sun, was one of the most genuine and enduring friendships in Hollywood history.

Cultural Impact

Today, Clift is remembered not only as a gifted actor but also as a cultural icon. His troubled life and tragic demise have inspired documentaries, biographies, and scholarly studies. The 2018 documentary Making Montgomery Clift, directed by his nephew Robert Clift, challenged the narrative of Clift as a self-destructive figure and offered a more nuanced view of his life and sexuality.

Actors and directors continue to cite him as an influence. His ability to convey inner conflict and emotional complexity helped transform screen acting forever, laying the groundwork for future generations of actors.

Conclusion

Montgomery Clift's career may have been brief, but it was revolutionary. At a time when Hollywood prized stoicism and surface-level glamour, Clift offered something radically different: raw vulnerability, emotional honesty, and a deep sense of humanity. His work remains a powerful reminder that true artistry often comes at great personal cost—and that even in tragedy, beauty can endure.