![\"montgomery-clift-on-the-set-of-red-river-1948\"](\"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/montgomery-clift-on-the-set-of-red-river-1948.jpg\")
<\/a>\nMontgomery Clift on the set of “Red River” (1948)<\/i><\/p>\n
He was right.<\/p>\n
It’s his birthday today. Such a superb actor. Such an influential career … with such a tragic ending. But still. He inspired a generation. <\/p>\n
Here’s a link to an enormous archive of quotes<\/a> about him and by him that I put together. (Unfortunately, in my WordPress upgrade I lost so many photos – and I am in total denial about it.) So much good stuff there though – about his acting, his friendships, his early years, his tormented sad later years. The anecdote about what Elizabeth Taylor did when she reached the accident scene where Clift had crashed his car is one of the most moving things I’ve ever heard. Not surprising though: She was true blue. <\/p>\n Frank Taylor, producer of The Misfits<\/i> said:<\/p>\n Monty and Marilyn were psychic twins. They were on the same wavelength. They recognized disaster in each other\u2019s faces and giggled about it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Happy birthday to the luminous otherworldly gorgeous brilliant actor, the one who inspired the next generation of actors, who made James Dean possible, the one whom Marlon Brando came to see PERSONALLY after the horrifying car accident and pep-talked him along the lines of: “If you give up acting, who will I compete with now? Cut this SHIT, Monty.” And Monty did cut the shit, and went back to work. <\/p>\n One of the most important (if not the most) actors of his generation. Still an inspiration.<\/p>\n \n \n <\/a>
\nMontgomery Clift and Marilyn Monroe in “The Misfits”<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
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\nThank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account<\/a>. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0<\/a>, if you’d like to subscribe.<\/em> <\/small><\/p>\n