Product Description
An intimate and compelling portrait of an enigmatic, haunted, and gifted American actor, told in an intimate and vivid way. From his disturbing childhood to his early days in Hollywood to his tragic and untimely death, Montgomery Clift's story represents one of the true film legends. Photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Best Celeb Bio...
This is one of the best biographies of a major star I've ever read! I think the reason it is soooo fantastic is the fact that friends of Monty, people who worked with Monty and his surviving family were all involved and supportive of this book and gave Bosworth great insight and extensive, exclusive interviews! Patricia Bosworth (who was also fortunate enough to meet Monty) does the man such justice and puts forth a wonderful portrait of a brilliant actor, tormented soul and loyal friend! Because of Bosworth, generations will be able to step inside the world of Montgomery Clift and be thankful and enlightened!! I LOVE THIS BOOK and read it about once a year!

The Dark Side Of Genius; "A Tragic Study In Self - Destruction" by Jerry Pezzella (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Unlike Tab Hunter Confidential, which was much ado about nothing, Montgomery Clift: A Biography, By Patricia Bosworth, centers its focus on a celebrated acting life that is, indeed, quite another story.

With deeply penetrative insights, Patricia Bosworth hauntingly re-creates the disturbingly sad portrait of Montgomery Clift's life. From October 17,1920, the date of his birth to Sunny and Bill Clift in Nebraska, Ms Bosworth leads us on an incredibly fascinating journey as she skillfully guides us through the formative years of a childhood that Montgomery Clift shared with older brother, Brooks, and twin sister, Roberta.

Expertly lighting the darkened pathway before us, Ms Bosworth then unflinchingly, yet with extreme sensitivity and thoughtful consideration, encourages us to envision the startling and sobering portrait of the troubled and tormented adult personal life that so heartbreakingly plagued this darkly brooding young man, and the amazing film career that so meteorically had arisen from out of the gut-wrenching depths of a lost and tortured soul.

As the portrait is further examined, what surprisingly begins to emerge is the striking resemblance between the real-life Montgomery Clift, and the rather off-beat, non-conformist, loner type of character that he so brilliantly captured on screen.

During his life, while he had cultivated many deep and lasting relationships with women-(mostly of a platonic nature)-it was only men who truly held sole-proprietorship of his intense love and desires. Even as a youth, though he had always been aware of his affinity for other boys - he had always regarded it as a rather normal occurrence. It was only as he got older that the stigma of guilt began to erode at his conscience, causing him considerable anguish and pain.

Being a man, we are told, who despised deception, and had always been scrupulously honest about himself, the thought of having to hide his feelings (since any notoriety of his true self would have put to an abrupt end the acting career that he so intensely loved) had forced him into living a life deeply hidden in shadows.

It was a time when gays were totally oppressed. Homosexuality was deemed as a repugnant atrophy; a repulsive state of being for which society had no tolerance. Overwhelming repudiation of such magnitude only served to internalize more deeply the guilt and shame that was beginning to fester deep inside.

While he had begun to court a relationship with the bottle during his earlier Broadway days, it was at this rather momentous time in his rapidly escalating movie career that the ever-constantpressure of leading a tortured double-life persuasively tempted him into becoming a more heavily indulgent user. An obsession which became even further complicated when he also acquired an addiction for sedative drugs that included barbituates and tranquilizers.

By all indications, the brilliant, androgynous star was traveling at breakneck speed on a dizzying downward spiral. Even if a screeching of brakes could have been frantically applied, it's highly doubtful that he would have been able to avoid the destructive impact of its life-altering collision.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened that fateful night, on May 12,1956, when he attended a party given in his honor by Elizabeth Taylor (perhaps the closest and dearest of all his female friends) to celebrate their working together once again in "Raintree County", a film they were then shooting.

Apparently the party was a dismal failure. After a short period of time, Monty reiterated his feelings of being very tired and wanting to go home and rest. It seemed, however, that he harbored a certain amount of trepidation about having to travel down the steep canyon road that led from the top of Ms Taylor's home, high up in the hills of Coldwater Canyon, down to Sunset Boulevard. Actor Kevin McCarthy, a close friend of his at the time, offered to follow him down in his car until he was safely back on the highway below.

Some twenty minutes later, an hysterical Kevin returns, pounding on Elizabeth's front door and yelling, "Monty's been in an accident! I think he's dead!"

As Ms Bosworth writes, and I quote:"Montgomery Clift survived that night and lived for ten more years, but his real death occurred as he lay bleeding and half-conscious in Elizabeth Taylor's arms. Nothing would ever be the same for him after that."

The intensity of the accident had left irreparable damage behind. The delicacy of his beauty had been completely altered. His mouth was twisted. A nerve had been severed in his left cheek, leaving the left side of his face practically immobile. His perfect nose was bent out of shape. And as Jack Larson, an actor friend, who upon seeing him for the first time after the accident, sadly relates: "The only feature that remained the same were his eyes - they were still brilliant and glittering and they stared right through you, but they were now brim full of pain."

The long list of drugs that he had been taking before the accident accelerated even more so - and he periodically gave himself shots of codeine to relieve the acute back pain that had been caused by the accident. Severe, unbearable pain that would remain constantly with him for the rest of his life.

The rebellious nature that had started him on this harrowing road to self-destruction really began when he was still a youngster. It seems he spent a life-time trying to break free from out of the imposing shadow that his mother, though a diminuitive woman, cast across her children's lives. The children were constantly placed on a guilt trip whenever they did the slightest thing wrong, or, in any way, reacted disobediently to her wishes.

While still a youth, Monty began to regard her as his adversary, openly showing his rebellion against her inflexible authority by spitefully doing things that she would find shockingly repulsive.

Yet, hard as he tried, he was never able to completely out-distance himself from out of the confining perimeters of her all-encompassing dominance, and remained enigmatically attached to her his entire life.

Still, he always reacted toward her in the most antagonistic way, and while she had always been completely aware of his attraction to other boys - she would rail against him, and bitterly reproach him about his sinfulness. In retaliation, he would openly flaunt his gay friends in front of her - and took perverse delight in her offense.

And so began a life of reckless abandonment that had precipitously de-escalated down to the lowest point where he then found himself. How unthinkable to imagine that Montgomery Clift, one of the few blessed individuals whose acting talent was as equally impressive as the great physical beauty that usually made a person, regardless of gender, literally gasp when meeting him for the very first time - had now resigned himself to a near-reclusive existence.

Where work had always been the veritable life-force that motivated his existence, he was now forced to retreat into a world of shadows, disillusionment, and pain.

Although he did work sporadically in films after the accident, studios no longer clamored for his services. He was considered a bad insurance risk, and, due to the unpredictability created by his excessive drinking and drug use, motion picture executives literally penciled him out.

Elizabeth Taylor, sensing his dire need for being productively useful, is quoted as having told one of her press agents, "If he doesn't work soon he'll die."

It was at this crucial period that Elizabeth convinced John Huston, who was to direct her new film, "Reflections In A Golden Eye," to hire Monty for the lead opposite her. But when the studio reminded her that he was uninsurable, she immediately counteracted by putting up the bond with her own money.

Lengthy postponements followed. Finally, the studio, and John Huston, agreed on an August shooting date. Monty was elated at the prospect of
once again being able to work. On the afternoon of July 22,1966, he and Lorenzo, his faithful caregiver, discussed the place that he was going to rent while shooting "Reflections" in Italy. They would be leaving for Rome at the end of July.

That afternoon, after eating a light lunch, he closed himself off in his bedroom. At six a.m., the following morning, Lorenzo went up to awaken him. But to no avail. Montgomery Clift was dead.

Sadly, years of constant substance abuse had resulted in the demise of an immensely gifted man who was probably the most definitive actor of his generation. A unique, creatively innovative actor whose talent was as deeply admired by other acting luminaries as it was by the general public itself.

In all the roles he had ever played, Montgomery Clift always possessed the required magic necessary for hypnotically drawing the observer into the very heart, soul, and deep under the skin of whatever character he was then playing. How ironic, therefore, that he wasn't as equally gifted in dealing with all the emotional complexities that so tragically shaded his own personal life as well.

Patricia Bosworth's amazingly intimate and insightful excursion into Montgomery Clift's life, literally places her narrative in a class by itself as a towering, biographical masterwork. Once a person starts reading it, they will be hard pressed to put it down. Needless to say, this book is a phenomenal read and comes with the very highest possible recommendation.

Insightful
This book provides one of the most thorough biographies I have read about any movie star. The author takes you into the most pivotal moments in Clift's life and leaves you feeling like he was someone you knew greatly.

What a Tortured Man
I always admired Mr. Clift's work and wanted to know more about him.He certainly had one of the most bizare upbringings I've ever read about and had a mother who was truly toxic.How anyone could drink and drug as much as he did and have any career at all is an amazing accomplishment.It is too bad he died young but not surprizing given his lifestyle.It is a some what depressing story but well researched since most of his close friends outlived him and are frequently quoted.

Monty Revealed
This reveals everything you want to know about Montgomery Clift...and then some.Could not put this book down.I had to run out and rent several of his films. ... Read more

Product Description
From his 1948 film debut in Red River through such classics as The Heiress, A Place in the Sun, and From Here to Eternity, Montgomery Clift exemplified a new masculinity and--leading the way for a generation of actors, including Marlon Brando and James Dean--epitomized the new naturalistic style of acting. Clift's impact was such that, both during his troubled life and after his untimely death, fans described the actor in religious terms, characterizing Clift as a vision, acolyte, and martyr. In The Passion of Montgomery Clift, Amy Lawrence challenges the myth of Clift as tragic victim by examining Clift's participation in the manipulation of his image, his collaborations with directors, his relationships with costars, and his interactions with writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Disappointing
I must admit I was disappointed in this look at the great Montgomery Clift.The title is misleading:the book's concern is not really with the passion of Clift, the man as much as it is a rambling, at times irritating look at his films, critiquing them and here and there marginally touching on the actual life of the actor.A book dealing with his films - as opposed to a strict biography - is a good idea...but not so as carried out here.The book is also unbalanced in its approach, with way too much attention paid to the film "I Confess" that reading it had me practically nodding off.Ms. Lawrence goes on and on about one Frederick Holland Day who posed as Jesus in several photographs taken at the end of the 19th century...even in a crucifixion pose completely nude!However, even though this book is illustrated, are we shown one of the pictures of Day as Christ - or any of the other many religious images she describes throughout her text?No. But curiosity is aroused a bit - and the road leads to a visual wasteland.Anyway, in short, the book is much, much more about the movies than the man.Biographical backstory on Clift is extremely paltry.

So, a more accurate title to the book would have been: The Passion of Montgomery Clift as Projected in the Characters He Played in His Films.Something like that.On the back cover it says "Amy Lawrence challenges the myth of Clift as tragic victim by examining Clift's participation in the manipulation of his image,, his collaborations with directors, his relationships with costars, and his interactions with writers."Sounds great, yes?Well, there isn't much of what's promised on the back of the book in the book itself.

While the book has some good moments and insights, it ultimately disappoints because it is not what it claims to be as writ on the back cover. ... Read more

Product Description

This haunting and compelling novel of a Filipino boy sent to America by his parents to escape the brutal Marcos regime is a story of hope set against a backdrop of abuse and alienation. Following the Filipino tradition of writing letters to the ghosts of ancestors, Bong Bong Luwad begins to write letters to the ghost of Montgomery Clift, at first asking to be reunited with his family, but as he undergoes the pains of adolescence, sexual discovery, and mental illness, the letters form a journal of self-discovery.

Noel Alumit is also the author of two one-man shows, The Rice Room which was voted one of the best solo shows of the year by The San Francisco Bay Guardian, and 2002’s Master of the (Miss) Universe, named by the Los Angeles Times as a Theater Best Bet. He lives in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews (21)

Haunting Letters to Montgomery Clift
"december 4, 1976

dear mr. montgomery clift,
i want one thing only. please bring my mama back to me. safe. with no more bruises.
i will wait one week. if nothing bad happens then i know it is ok to write you.
Sign
bong bong luwad"

With that one letter, author Noel Alumit sets a haunting tone that carries on throughout his remarkable novel. But not only does that letter mark the beginning of the story, it is also the start of an intimate relationship Bong Bong Luwad develops with Clift, the dead, sexually confused actor. But don't let this tone fool you. This is not a downer of a book.It is at its heart a story about love, about growing up and coming out, about enduring and overcoming, and, most of all, about going home.

Bong Bong's story starts before he ever comes to America.Born in the Philippines, he is witness to the thugs of the Marcos regime beating his democratic activist parents, and carting his father away.His mother manages to smuggle Bong Bong out of the Philippines, sending him to live in the United States and vowing she will join him soon.It is a promise Bong Bong holds onto dearly as the first people in his family begin to "disappear."

In Los Angeles, Bong Bong lives with his Auntie Yuna, an abusive, alcoholic, bitter woman. Though life with her is toxic, Bong Bong is still with family and he knows that his Mama and Papa will come for him.But when time passes, he begins to wonder just when his parents will fulfill their promise.

One night, Yuna tells her nephew how she prays. It's better, she says, to write them down, "otherwise the prayers just go from your head into thin air." It is even better to send the prayers to dead relatives because, "Dead relatives already know you and you know them. People will do things for people they know."

Not knowing any relatives, Bong Bong doesn't know to whom he should pray. One night, while watching "The Search" on television, he is struck by the soldier, played by Clift, who cares for a young boy until his mother returns. Bong Bong decides that if Clift helped that young boy, surely he would so the same for him. Clift becomes his patron saint, and Bong Bong begins writing prayers to him, a habit that will continue for years and become his only means of support.

Yuna is also a busy-body, keeping an eye on the attractive man next door and his girlfriend.While she wishes the man's attentions were being paid to her, Yuna tells Bong Bong the man is evil. Bong Bong becomes fascinated with the man, spying on him because he wants to see what evil looks like."Mr. Clift...evil is real good looking." Soon, Bong Bong and Mr. Evil become friends, and Bong Bong finds a support sorely lacking in his life.That is until Mr. Evil gets a job that transfers him away, and another person disappears from Bong Bong's life.When Yuna vanishes, on her way to a liquor store, Bong Bong is truly left alone.

Cut off from all family, absent parents whose love he doubts, Bong Bong is shuffled between bad foster homes.Ultimately, he lands with an affluent Filipino-American family and though the situation seems ideal, the hole in Bong Bong widens, and slowly his need for Clift becomes desperate, obsessive-compulsive.As he grows into adulthood, he becomes as self-destructive as Clift, and when he discovers skeletons in his new family's closet, his life and sanity start spiraling out of control.

Alumit packs much into this novel--the political climate of the Philippines, the cultural significance of religion, self-abuse, mental illness, teen pregnancy, sexuality--but it never feels overwrought.More importantly, it never gets in the way of Bong Bong's story.Each of these things is simply one of the multitude of events swirling about him.The focus remains solely on our protagonist.Part of this is due to Alumit's expert use of clean, simple language.Bong Bong's voice does indeed "change" as he gets older, but the author keeps the prose sharply focused, and the letters starting each chapter bring a cohesion as the character's narrative voice grows up.

Alumit also has an expert eye for dialog and the details of life. The setting and characters are full without feeling overworked.Our protagonist is someone you want to root for, someone you cheer. But this also extends to even the less immediately likable characters such as Yuna who the reader is never made to despise.In fact, you can even forgive her for her foibles.

When it comes to Bong Bong's parents, they become as strong a character as any other in the novel, their spirit omnipresent.It's remarkable that characters who appear so briefly seem to grow as the story does, and your feelings toward them shift as do Bong Bong's.

Perhaps the strongest relationship in the book is that between Bong Bong and Clift.For an illusory relationship, it is a strong and appealing one.Bong Bong finds in him a saint, a friend, a mentor, a lover, a father and a faulty role model.He becomes the boy's mirror, his sole source of support and comfort.And then he becomes a crutch Bong Bong simply can't let go of, because he cannot deal with someone else in his life disappearing.

Alumit dedicates his book "To those who have Disappeared." Loss is the driving theme of the novel, defines Bong Bong in his own mind.Despite this and to Alumit's immense credit, although the novel can be an emotional roller coaster, the loss is balanced with an optimism that almost crosses into faith.

By books' end, Alumit has taken us on an affecting journey of sorrow and loss; yet the resonant hope creates a remarkably uplifting story of love, growth, survival and new beginnings.

Originally reviewed for Uniquely Pleasurable.

Brutally honest and often heartbreaking
Alumit's first novel "Letters to Montgomery Clift" is a coming of age story unlike any other. I was afraid that the Montgomery Clift name in the title would serve as a hook that would be hard to pull off in a believable way. Quite the opposite. The persona of Clift flows through the story and deepens the struggle of this character to make sense of a miriad of issues. Despite the inclusion of so many charged issues - political protest, torture, foster care, abortion, growing up gay, mental illness - none of them is sensationalized or dealt with in a stereotypical manner.

The story is told from the point of view of Bong (Bob) from the age of 8 to his late twenties. The story ultimately delivers answers and provides some closure but never falls into predictable story formulas.

I highly recommend this book. It is not always an easy read, but it is always honest and beautifully written.

Moving and touching, humorous exploration of young gay life
This is a wonderful piece of early essay writing, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone (dare I say it!)

The Debut
What an impressive debut book. "Letters to Montgomery Clift" is moving, compelling, and a bit funny. Like others who have reviewed the book, I also was not able to put down the book once I started reading it. I was completely engulfed in the main character's world--feeling his challenges, hopes, anger and awakenings.

If you get a chance, see Noel Alumit performances--the one I saw was brilliant!

A good debut!
A friend of mine recently gave me this book.The story sounded interesting and I decided to crack it open and give it a try.I was pleasantly surprised by this debut novel written by author Noel Alumit.It begins with Bong Bong, a young Filipino boy who is sent away from his home by his mother during the vicious Marcos regime.She promises her son that one day she and his father will join him as he is sent away to live with his Aunt Yuna in California.Once there, life for the young man becomes worse, as we learn that Yuna is an alcoholic, who resents taking care of the young boy and begins verbally and physically abusing him.As a source of comfort, the young boy begins to write to handsome Hollywood 50's idol, Montgomery Clift.Clift becomes his guardian angel and a confidant.Over time, however, the letters lead way to mental illness as the young man tries to deal with his blossoming sexual orientation and the fact that he may never see his parents again.He begins a path of self abuse and hurting those that care for him.Although the ending is a little bit too convienent, the story is good overall and worth reading.I recommend it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Sensationalistbiased biography
After reading the Monty's great biography by Patricia Bosworth, I was curious about this book by Robert La Guardia. Unfortunately, I have found this piece of work full of stereotypes and hugely disappointing. Information is incomplete and biased: the author has forgotten about many of Montgomery Clift's closest friends and even about Monty's siblings (who are scarcely mentioned). When it comes to Monty's male lovers, La Guardia uses pseudonyms while subtly conveying the idea of these lovers being responsible for most of Clift's tragedy.
I would only recommend this book to people interested in completingcollectible material about this great actor.

soap opera version of monty clift
this book has a few redeeming qualities but overall it is a book written to fit robert laguardia's belief that monty was some sort of god cast outof heaven due to his own hysterical behavior.there is very little in depthknowledge regarding films or montys approach to acting, only vaguestereotypes meant to fit in laguardias angle.i highly suggest you readPatricia Bosworths bio. still in print. she actually knew him and ispartial in her writing. one more thing the only other book r.la guardiawrote was a book about the days of our lives soap opera.

It's almost if you were right there watching Monty!
An excellent book.I recommend it to anyone interested in Post-World WarII film history.Mr. Laguardia truly brings the life of this tragic actorinto your heart.It will make you want to run out and rent Monty's movies. Because you know what he went through to make it.Laguardia's biographymakes you want to truly be there to help Monty throught all his troubles. While I was reading the biography, I wanted to go back in time and bethere.I loved the book.This is my third time reading it.It's a bookyou don't want to put down.

A short, talented, and tormented life -- Montgomery Clift
Raised in an unconvential family, giving him nearly unlimited access to exceptional opportunities, Montgomery Clift reached a pinnacle of dramatic achievement.Due to unknown reasons, or perhaps due to a chronic back injury he sustained in a car accident, Clift became involved in heavy narcotic usage such that his credibility as an insurable actor was compromised.LaGuardia states that the film "Freud" was filmed in 'a state of chaos,' with severe frustration and criticism from director John Huston, due to Clift's 'inability to function.'Ironically, the night one of his finest films was shown on TV, Clift lay in his bed in the dark, unable or unwilling to join his houseman in watching it.The next morning he was found dead, apparently from a heart attack.

Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, who together accomplished and popularized the "extreme close-up" in films with their on-screen radiance in "A Place in the Sun," were close friends until his death. When Clift was considered "uninsurable" due to rumors of his narcotic addiction, Taylor put up an exorbitant bond to cover his appearance in "Raintree County."

LaGuardia demonstrates a wealth of detailed information throughout this chronicle of one of the most skilled actors of our time.It is worth the read for those interested in the actor or in film history.I have read other bios of Clift and there is no comparison to the detail LaGuardia offers.I was even able to walk past theapartment in which Clift died in NYC and imagine what the floorplan inside might look like.I recommend this book to Clift aficinados as the primary source of information on his short, talented, and tormented life. ... Read more

Product Description
At the peak of his career in the 1950s, Montgomery Clift was the symbol of a very talented yet rebellious generation of movie stars. His acting combined the personal and the professional, and his seventeen movies show his superb craft and extraordinary sensitivity. Yet there was much more to his life than his talents as an actor—more than most people knew.

This book is a biography of the extremely handsome, acutely intelligent, but tormented Montgomery Clift. His life has been described as "the longest suicide in the history of Hollywood," and this biography shows the accuracy of that description. It covers Clift’s sheltered childhood, his discovery at the age of 12, the early critical acclaim that brought attention from such noted directors as Elia Kazan and Antoinette Perry, his development as a professional actor and work with many of Hollywood’s greatest directors (including Kazan, Fred Zinneman, Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston), and the devastating car accident that disfigured his face and caused him to turn to drugs and alcohol. Throughout the book, attention is given to Clift’s self-destructive personality—which created problems that even close friends like Elizabeth Taylor could not help him solve—and his closet homosexuality, which contributed to his intense insecurity. Richly illustrated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

His information on "The Heiress" is false...he's got the facts wrong...
Any book on MONTGOMERY CLIFT that gives a brief rundown of the facts on THE HEIRESS and gets them all wrong has got to be a book I don't want to bother reading in full.

The author states that William Wyler was "pressured by Paramount" to take Olivia de Havilland as the star, when in truth it was Olivia de Havilland who saw the play in New York City and asked Wyler to see it, as it would make a film project they could both do at Paramount. Wyler went to see the play and immediately let Olivia know that he would be happy to direct it with Olivia in the starring role. There was no such thing as Paramount pressuring him to take Olivia.

As for her calling him a "bully", there were tensions during filming, especially when Wyler demanded too many retakes of scenes without telling the actors what he wanted differently--but this was true on all of Wyler's films. It's also well known that neither Wyler nor Olivia liked the fact that Clift was paying too much attention to his drama coach on the sidelines, until Wyler was able to convince him to rely more on the director than his coach.

To get wrong, something as simple as Olivia choosing the project for herself and Wyler, and state something completely opposite, makes the rest of the book a questionable matter indeed. On this basis alone, I doubt whether the book has any value as film history.

mr. clift
MONTGOMERY CLIFT WAS THE ACTOR THAT ALL ACTORS AFTER HIM OWE THE GREATEST DEBT TO. NOT BRANDO AS GOOD AS HE WAS. THIS MAN CLIFT TURNED DOWN ALL OF BRANDOS BEST AND HOLDENS BEST.WATCH THIS MAN ACT ITS A WONDER. EVEN WHEN HE WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN AND ALL DRUGGED UP HE WAS A WONDER. HE MADE MORE GREAT MOVIES THAN ANYONE. THIS BOOK IS A FAKE AND DRAWN FROM OTHER BOOKS. FORGET THIS BOOK. GET THE TWO WRITTEN IN THE EIGHTIES ONE BY BOSWORTH THE OTHER AUTHOR NAME I CANT RECALL. LETS HONOR THIS ACTOR .

Biography
This book is a translation of a biography which came out in Italy in 2000. It made a lot of sense in that country were no books were ever written or translated on Clift. In the States this can be considered just a summary of all the biographies available here. Mcfarland is an academic oriented publisher therefore their books are all over priced because sold mostly to libraries and institutions. This book is a good start for someone who wants to know all about Clift withouth reading too many pages. It contains also some wonderful unseen photographs completely different from the Italian edition. It's a book not to dismiss.

WAY too much money...
...for an brief, inaccurate, and at best an only average book which offers nothing new on the great but tragic actor, Montgomery Clift. Most of it is in fact a collection of annotations from well over 100 different sources - biographies, news clippings, etc.
At 150 pages (not including the footnote references or appendixes, which are at least informative), this book was overpriced and underwritten. ... Read more

Product Description
Montgomery Clift was one of the biggest film stars of his day, co-starring with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, and influencing Marlon Brando and James Dean. This book explores his life and career, looking at how he was forced to conceal his homosexuality to live up to his image of a sex symbol. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

vodka and orange
The first part of the book is a funny, bittersweet account of the author's affair with Clift in 1959.It's worth reading for that bit really. ... Read more

Product Description
Rare archival photographs and a powerful text reveal the tragically confused life story of an actor whose work has influenced generations of thespians, from James Dean to Robert De Niro. 12,500 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brilliant record of a unique star
Montgomery Clift was called, by Spencer Tracy, "the finest actor" of his generation.This is a truthful, candid, but respectful record of his life and times, from the constraints of his overprotectedchildhood, through his early theatrical and movie fame to his untimelydeath of heart failure at 45.It is illustrated with both movie stills andrare, previously unpublished candids, which show Monty's strengths andweaknesses as an actor and as a man.Barney Hoskyns has written anengaging, often amusing text.He does not try to provide any glib answersto Monty's decline and fall, but does share some wry insights.The book isbeautifully presented.While it is obviously for the fans, it is novacuous, "pop-star" style work, but a solid tribute to a greatstar. ... Read more

Product Description
Montgomery Clift was one of the foremost American actors after World War II. Clift worked almost exclusively with directors, playwrights, producers, and fellow actors of the highest caliber, and his work has been widely recognized for its excellence. This volume traces the story of Clift's career. A biography overviews his life, while the rest of the book provides detailed entries for all of his performances and an annotated bibliography of useful works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

RED RIVER MONTY CLIFT'S FIRST MOVIE
Red River
I loved Red River. I'm a huge Montgomery Clift's fan and I wanted to get this picture for long time ago. The movie is great, Clift performance was superb and John Wayne was great.I totally recomended. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: David Bowie, Greta Garbo, Laurence Olivier, Gore Vidal, Charles Laughton, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift, Nell Carter, Alan Bates, Anthony Perkins, Michael Redgrave, Cynthia Nixon, Laurence Harvey, Denholm Elliott, Julian Beck, Dennis Price, Angelina Jolie, Leslie Cheung, Megan Fox, Tallulah Bankhead, Tila Tequila, Josephine Baker, Alec Guinness, Gertrude Lawrence, Richard Cromwell, Farley Granger, Fergie, Alan Cumming, Andy Dick, Jack Wrangler, Jerome Robbins, Anne Heche, Miranda July, Kay Francis, Megan Mullally, Alla Nazimova, Jean-Claude Brialy, Pam St. Clement, Nina Hartley, Jack Cassidy, Duncan James, Eleonora Duse, Casey Johnson, Kristanna Loken, Joe Dallesandro, Beatrice Lillie, Anthony Rapp, Frédéric Mitterrand, Kathleen Bryson, Peggy Fears, Brenda Benet, James Rado, Kenneth Mackenna, Henry Ainley, Sook-Yin Lee, Raúl Esparza, Ada "Bricktop" Smith, Tim Kincaid, Helmut Berger, Peter Max Lawrence, Erin Brown, Mike White, Brock Pierce, Maria Schneider, Armen Ohanian, Sharon Mitchell, Thea Gill, Frances Faye, Coral Browne, Hurd Hatfield, Thane Bettany, Dack Rambo, Gene Raymond, Craig Parker, Anita Berber, Julie Goodyear, Alison Garrigan, Grover Dale, Ryan Idol, Iyari Limon, Eric Emerson, Gustaf Gründgens, Alec Powers, Stephanie Sellars, Amanda Barrie, Ione Skye, Karina Lombard, Jonah Falcon, Ona Munson, Ruby Dandridge, Ondine, Mimi Pollak, Bella Darvi, Dreya Weber, Cyril Nri, Inge Meysel, Kate Siegel, Marie Dorval, Jessica Graham, Jon Vincent, Mlle Raucourt, Cyril Collard, Blyth Daly, Gabriel Romero, Ada Dwyer Russell, Erica Gavin, Glesca Marshall, El Hedi Ben Salem, Ty Fox, Pablo Puyol, Christian Marquand, Albert Mol, Pierre Palmade. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 711. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Angelina Jolie (born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) i...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=5792809 ... Read more