David Nezelek
Cibbuano
TyronneMontgomery Clift – The original Method Man
August 21st 2007 05:02
Montgomery Clift - An American Tragedy
"I don't want to be labeled as either a pansy or a heterosexual. Labeling is so self-limiting. We are what we do, not what we say we are." – Monty Clift
When people talk about the great acting revolutionaries of the silver screen the names Marlon Brando and James Dean are generally the ones that immediately come to mind. Ironically both The Wild One and the Rebel Without a Cause worshiped and imitated the complex Broadway star who found cinema success but was destined for tragedy.
“Failure and its accompanying misery is for the artist his most vital source of creative energy.” – Monty Clift
Montgomery Clift was groomed to take on a station in life by his superficial, elitist mother and from a young age was conflicted about his identity. Now common knowledge he was forced by the Hollywood machine to suppress his homosexuality and never overcame his personal demons.
“Look, I'm not odd. I'm just trying to be an actor; not a movie star, an actor.” – Monty Clift
Taking his craft deadly serious and always struggling to break through creatively, Monty immersed himself in characters often staying in the moment after cameras were finished rolling.
"Good dialogue simply isn't enough to explain all the infinite gradations of a character. It's behavior -- it's what's going on behind the lines." – Monty Clift
Brooding with a vulnerable sensitivity that was unfamiliar to the leading men of the time, he made only a limited number of films in his career as paranoia and a disfiguring accident left him forever doubting his own immense abilities. (He turned down Susnset Boulevard, East of Eden and High Noon amongst numerous others)
Appearing on stage at 10 years old and becoming a theatre sensation, it wasn’t until 1948 that he made his film debut opposite John Wayne in the classic western Red River. (Rumour is that on set Wayne was homophobic and supposedly made fun of his co stars acting technique)
Opposite confidant Liz Taylor and Directed by George Stevens, it was the role of a murderous, money hungry loner in A Place in the Sun (1951) that would define him.
Revered equally for his suitably tortured part in From Here to Eternity (1953), this was the last of Clift’s beautiful young man parts. Halfway through shooting his next film Raintree County the now notorious, near fatal car accident not only destroyed his face but also his psyche as a progressive slide into alcoholism and drug addiction began.
Appearing opposite rival Brando in The Young Lions (1958), both stars were so daunted by each other that most of their scenes were shot separately and edited together later.
The next year, with most producers unwilling to insure the now unpredictable Clift old friend Liz Taylor secured him the lead in Tennessee Williams Suddenly Last Summer. A film which addressed some familiar issues that no doubt the matinee idol related too.
Working for hard man Director John Huston proved a struggle from the start but The Misfits now stands as one of his last great performances alongside Stanley Kramer’s ensemble piece Judgment at Nuremberg.
Worthy of all the accolades he was denied, arguably the most influential actors actor of all time, Monty’s life was a sad reflection of the eras morality and the superficial mechanisms of an industry obsessed with packaging images.
"What do I have to do to prove I can act?" – Monty Clift
A rare Home video of Clift at play with Brando
A classic scene with Liz from A Place in the Sun
Monty in Colour
"I don't want to be labeled as either a pansy or a heterosexual. Labeling is so self-limiting. We are what we do, not what we say we are." – Monty Clift
When people talk about the great acting revolutionaries of the silver screen the names Marlon Brando and James Dean are generally the ones that immediately come to mind. Ironically both The Wild One and the Rebel Without a Cause worshiped and imitated the complex Broadway star who found cinema success but was destined for tragedy.
“Failure and its accompanying misery is for the artist his most vital source of creative energy.” – Monty Clift
Cool on the outside, turmoil inside
Montgomery Clift was groomed to take on a station in life by his superficial, elitist mother and from a young age was conflicted about his identity. Now common knowledge he was forced by the Hollywood machine to suppress his homosexuality and never overcame his personal demons.
“Look, I'm not odd. I'm just trying to be an actor; not a movie star, an actor.” – Monty Clift
Taking his craft deadly serious and always struggling to break through creatively, Monty immersed himself in characters often staying in the moment after cameras were finished rolling.
"Good dialogue simply isn't enough to explain all the infinite gradations of a character. It's behavior -- it's what's going on behind the lines." – Monty Clift
Brooding with a vulnerable sensitivity that was unfamiliar to the leading men of the time, he made only a limited number of films in his career as paranoia and a disfiguring accident left him forever doubting his own immense abilities. (He turned down Susnset Boulevard, East of Eden and High Noon amongst numerous others)
Discussing a scene with Edward Dymtryx
Appearing on stage at 10 years old and becoming a theatre sensation, it wasn’t until 1948 that he made his film debut opposite John Wayne in the classic western Red River. (Rumour is that on set Wayne was homophobic and supposedly made fun of his co stars acting technique)
The Duke was afraid of being shot from behind
Opposite confidant Liz Taylor and Directed by George Stevens, it was the role of a murderous, money hungry loner in A Place in the Sun (1951) that would define him.
A retroactive poster
Revered equally for his suitably tortured part in From Here to Eternity (1953), this was the last of Clift’s beautiful young man parts. Halfway through shooting his next film Raintree County the now notorious, near fatal car accident not only destroyed his face but also his psyche as a progressive slide into alcoholism and drug addiction began.
Monty and Pearl harbour are forever linked
Appearing opposite rival Brando in The Young Lions (1958), both stars were so daunted by each other that most of their scenes were shot separately and edited together later.
The Acting heavyweights Monty with Marlon
The next year, with most producers unwilling to insure the now unpredictable Clift old friend Liz Taylor secured him the lead in Tennessee Williams Suddenly Last Summer. A film which addressed some familiar issues that no doubt the matinee idol related too.
Suddenly Last Summer the accident changed everything
Working for hard man Director John Huston proved a struggle from the start but The Misfits now stands as one of his last great performances alongside Stanley Kramer’s ensemble piece Judgment at Nuremberg.
Monty as The Misfit
Worthy of all the accolades he was denied, arguably the most influential actors actor of all time, Monty’s life was a sad reflection of the eras morality and the superficial mechanisms of an industry obsessed with packaging images.
"What do I have to do to prove I can act?" – Monty Clift
A rare Home video of Clift at play with Brando
A classic scene with Liz from A Place in the Sun
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