Montgomery Clift

Actor. He is best remembered for his role as Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt in the 1953 film "From Here to Eternity." He represented the new wave of post-World War II actors who were handsome, intelligent, soft-spoken, introspective, and acted with intensity. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, just after his twin sister Roberta, to a banking family. His mother, Ethel, had been born out of wedlock, and she was determined that the children would grow up knowing their true southern aristocratic heritage. At age 13, Montgomery appeared on Broadway in "Fly Away Home," which gave him the passion for acting. He stayed in New York theater for the next ten years, before going on to Hollywood. He debuted in "Red River" in 1948 with John Wayne. During World War II, he was rejected for military service due to allergies and colitis. He earned a total of four Oscar nominations for his roles in such films as "A Place in the Sun" in 1951, "From Here to Eternity" in 1953, and "Judgment at Nuremberg" in 1961. He was depressed about his homosexuality, which society did not accept in that era. He became an alcoholic, and was also addicted to pills. In 1957, while filming "Raintree County," he ran his car into a tree, severely smashing his face. While his face was rebuilt, he reconciled with his estranged father, but was still struggling with his addictions to pills and alcohol. Recovering well, he put on a feted performance opposite Marlon Brando in "The Young Lions" in 1958, and with Elizabeth Taylor in "Suddenly Last Summer" in 1959. While working on "Reflections in a Golden Eye" in 1967, he was found dead in his bed by his companion, Lorenzo James. The autopsy revealed that he had died of "occlusive coronary artery disease."