Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: The recent Montgomery Clift documentary can be watched for free on Tubi. | |
| Posted by: kieran 09:39 pm EDT 08/26/21 | |
| In reply to: re: The recent Montgomery Clift documentary can be watched for free on Tubi. - VEG 08:42 pm EDT 08/26/21 | |
|
|
|
| As you’ll see from the film, his family was not happy with Bosworth’s biography or with the one that preceded it. | |
| reply to this message |
| That was an understatement! | |
| Posted by: VEG 11:48 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: re: The recent Montgomery Clift documentary can be watched for free on Tubi. - kieran 09:39 pm EDT 08/26/21 | |
|
|
|
| His family was upset for good reason, Patti Bosworth was a liar and libeled Monty and his family. She also appears to have been quite the homophobe and racist, which are emphasized in the clips in which she appears in the labor of love that Robert Clift made of this film about his uncle. I always knew John Huston was a jerk but I didn't realize what a homophobe he was and how he helped destroy Montgomery Clift's career. Now I completely understand why Jackie Onassis would never speak to the press and would cut off any family or friend who spoke to the press about her. Seems a lot of authors have an agenda and smearing legends sells books. This is not news, of course, but setting the record straight is a gargantuan effort and I am glad Robert Clift did so with his wife and co-director, co-writer, co-producer and editor of the film, Hillary Demmon. Here is an interview they did at the Hampton's Film Festival in 2018. | |
| Link | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sDSATXNe2k |
| reply to this message | |
| When Montgomery Clift had 'Hay Fever' | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 12:21 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 12:14 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: re: The recent Montgomery Clift documentary can be watched for free on Tubi. - kieran 09:39 pm EDT 08/26/21 | |
|
|
|
| Turner Classic Movies credits Clift with a 1939 TV movie of Noel Coward's ''Hay Fever.'' Has anyone seen it on TCM, and how was it? I couldn't find any clips of it at YouTube, but YouTube does have TWO recordings of Clift doing ''The Glass Menagerie.'' There's the 1951 world radio premiere he did with Helen Hayes and Karl Malden. And he did a 1964 version for Caedmon Records with Jessica Tandy and Julie Harris. In 2012, Omar Prince starred in ''Monty Clift, the Rarest of Birds,'' an Off-Off-Broadway one-man show about him, but it was short-lived. Meantime, I'm still waiting for the HBO biopic with Matt Bomer, who certainly has the good looks, but sadly, there's been no news of late. |
|
| Link | Vanity Fair: Matt Bomer to Play Montgomery Clift in HBO Biopic (2015) |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 07:29 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: When Montgomery Clift had 'Hay Fever' - WaymanWong 12:14 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
|
|
|
| Bomer does indeed have the looks, but Clift was stunningly handsome and boyishly appealing until he was 35. Then came that car crash and its terrible repercussions: the altered features, the no longer mobile face, the deeper voice, the slurred speech; the sudden slide from promise to defeat. I don't know if any actor can capture all of that. There are several stories inherent in his. The gay man who had a career as a heterosexual romantic heartthrob, the star no one quite knew what to do with once he'd freakishly lost his Adonis-like looks, the increasing reliance on alcohol and painkillers, which he himself was in such denial of...I don't know if anyone can pull all of that off, or what would be gained in trying to do so. He was just one of a kind. This documentary and his own film legacy are the closest we are likely to get to him. I can not think of a more elusive celebrity, and its this elusive quality that we most remember him for. I doubt anyone can get to the root of it. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 09:24 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. - TheOtherOne 07:29 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
|
|
|
| Unfortunately I'm afraid you may be right. His films are the best legacy of his talent. They speak for themselves. Elizabeth Taylor and Jack Larson seem to be the only celebrities who really knew him. Other closeted (or semi-closeted) actors like Van Johnson, Tab Hunter, Farley Granger, George Chakiris, and even Rock Hudson had (or continue to have like Chakiris) much longer careers and more fruitful lives, but they apparently were open to a small circle of friends and weren't so self-destructive and self-loathing. Clift was certainly a great actor, but too enigmatic and tragic. He had such a sad and short life. I don't know if any type of in-depth bio-pic will have much entertainment value for a large audience. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 02:56 pm EDT 08/27/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 02:47 pm EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: re: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. - BroadwayTonyJ 09:24 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
|
|
|
| Obviously, no biopic can capture the absolute essence of a legendary performer. And yes, their original and special artistry speaks for itself. But that doesn't mean biopics don't have any value or validity. They can feed our fascination with the famous and can enlighten us about their often turbulent times. I'd love to see a Montgomery Clift biopic if only to celebrate his work and introduce him to new generations of movie lovers, as well as aspiring actors he could inspire. Plus, a well-rounded biopic in 2021 could deal more candidly about Clift's personal life, including his sexuality. Meantime, there have been biopics about other entertainers of that era, including James Dean, Clift's contemporary, and Elvis Presley (and Baz Luhrmann recently announced a new one for 2022). What's more, showbiz bios continue to be catnip for Oscar voters: Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland (''Judy''), Andra Day as Billie Holiday (''The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday''), Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury (''Bohemian Rhapsody''), etc. And this year alone, there are TWO biopics about Aretha Franklin: one with Cynthia Erivo and the other with Jennifer Hudson. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. | |
| Posted by: PaulGrin 10:08 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: re: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. - BroadwayTonyJ 09:24 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
|
|
|
| Clift was close friends with Kevin McCarthy (brother of Mary McCarthy) and his wife Augusta Dabney. According to Wikipedia they collaborated on a screenplay for a film adaptation of the Tennessee Williams & Donald Windham play "You Touched Me!" but the project never came to fruition. It was based on a short story by D.H. Lawrence. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. | |
| Posted by: larry13 04:58 pm EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: re: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. - PaulGrin 10:08 am EDT 08/27/21 | |
|
|
|
| YOU TOUCHED ME was also the last of the 13(!)Broadway shows Clift did, in the decade 1935-45.(They included Cole Porter's JUBILEE, when still a teenager.)He then went to Hollywood. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Monty's musical moments | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 06:43 pm EDT 08/27/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 06:34 pm EDT 08/27/21 | |
| In reply to: re: I honestly don't believe that his story is cut out for a film biography. - larry13 04:58 pm EDT 08/27/21 | |
|
|
|
| Clift was 15 when he played Prince Peter in ''Jubilee.'' That show featured two of Cole Porter's biggest hits: ''Begin the Beguine'' and ''Just One of Those Things.'' Looking at the songlist, it doesn't look like Clift had any solos, but I imagine he joined in on the tunes for the whole company. A search of YouTube for any footage of Clift singing turned up two examples. In the first one, Clift sings a snippet of the French song ''Plaisir d'Amour'' to Olivia deHavilland in ''The Heiress'' (1948). The second clip comes from ''The Big Lift'' (1950), a Cold War drama. It's a rare and delightful sight to see him playing comedy as he tries to pass himself off as a member of a German vocal group singing ''Chattanooga Choo Choo.'' |
|
| Link | 'The Big Lift' (1950): Montgomery Clift - 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| Monty in JUBILEE | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 10:14 pm EDT 08/28/21 | |
| In reply to: Monty's musical moments - WaymanWong 06:34 pm EDT 08/27/21 | |
|
|
|
| I have done a ton of research on JUBILEE, a delightful show with a weird history. Young Montgomery Clift was performing in a comedy, FLY AWAY HOME, when cast for the role of Prince Peter. He turned fifteen the week JUBILEE opened. Prince Peter was the younger brother of Prince James, the show’s romantic male part, played by Charles Walters. Monty’s mother, Sunny, thought Charles was everything Monty should be, and told her son to emulate him in every way. That is, until—as Walters described it—she felt they were getting too attached! Prince Peter was the “good prince.” There was another princely cousin, Prince Rudolph (Jackie Kelk), and it was his prank that set the whole plot in motion. (Oooh, spoilers for a show that opened in 1935!) JUBILEE’s tryouts were scheduled for Boston. As the rail cars were being loaded, librettist Moss Hart, songwriter Cole Porter, producers Max Gordon and Sam Harris, and star Mary Boland all got letters warning them they were in danger if they went to Boston. Sunny Clift said she got a phone call at Grand Central Station. An unknown woman said if Monty played Prince Peter, “he’d have worse than a head cold.” The caller threatened to kidnap Monty…and Moss Hart, too. This phone call is reported in Patricia Bosworth’s biography of Monty (she’s interviewed in that documentary; I’ve seen half of it so far). Bosworth goes on to say a policeman was hired to stand guard at the Shubert, that Monty and Hart got bodyguards, that there was a newspaper account of the ominous phone call that was circulated among the cast, and that the FBI investigated, and determined the caller was an angry stage mother whose son lost the role to Monty. Bosworth says Monty himself told this story for years, as an example of how far a stage mom could go. Biographer George Eels also supports the “disgruntled stage mother” story. Fellow Chatterati, aside from Clift family anecdotes, there’s no evidence for this. Nor does Bosworth mention the letters or the arson fires. “What arson fires?” the collective voices of ATC cry. So glad you asked! Okay, there were those letters. There may have been that phone call. The JUBILEE family rolled into Boston. The producers hired detectives; this may be where Sunny’s memory of bodyguards and a policeman came from. But they didn’t hire very good detectives. One day, during rehearsals, a fire broke out backstage. Monty Woolley, who was co-director with Hassard Short (until he got the axe, but that’s another story), had just screamed at actor Michael Pearson and banished him. Pearson returned on stage minutes later. “Didn’t I tell you to get off the stage?” Woolley roared. “Yes,” Pearson answered, “but the theatre’s on fire.” And that wasn’t all. There were three backstage fires at the Imperial, and one performance had to be canceled. Add into the mix the death of one of the musicians in the orchestra, and the deaths of the mothers of three cast members, and some, including June Knight (Walters’ love interest in the show) felt JUBILEE was cursed. Biographer Stephen Bach has suggested the bizarre theory that Moss Hart’s Aunt Kate Solomon, who had mental health problems and was known to write weird letters was behind the whole thing. Letters are one thing. But he thinks an old lady is scurrying around two theatres in two different cities, setting backstage fires? I write fiction, but I wouldn’t try to pass this malarkey onto any readers. And yes, while Clift had no solo songs, he did sing with the ensemble. Laura, who also has documented Moss and Cole’s entire around the world itinerary on the Franconia, during which they wrote over 90% of the show |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Monty in JUBILEE | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 01:37 am EDT 08/29/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 01:32 am EDT 08/29/21 | |
| In reply to: Monty in JUBILEE - showtunetrivia 10:14 pm EDT 08/28/21 | |
|
|
|
| ''Patricia Bosworth’s biography of Monty (she’s interviewed in that ['Making Montgomery Clift'] documentary; I’ve seen half of it so far).'' I wonder what you'll think of Bosworth after you've seen the whole documentary. Maybe you'll agree with VEG's posting above. ;) (By the way, I believe there's a clip of Clift in that documentary singing Dietz & Schwartz's ''Dancing in the Dark.'' ) Laura, your knowledge, and that of AlanScott & so many others on this board, never fails to entertain and inform. It makes All That Chat so special! |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Monty in JUBILEE | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 10:07 am EDT 08/29/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Monty in JUBILEE - WaymanWong 01:32 am EDT 08/29/21 | |
|
|
|
| Thank you, Wayman! That totally made my morning! I love your posts, too, especially your incredible talent for puns in the header. For my research, I didn’t read more of Bosworth’s book beyond the JUBILEE section, but, as above, you can see I had suspicions about its credibility. I need to make a note to remind myself to watch the rest of that documentary. It’s been crazy busy here. Laura |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.041836 seconds.