Lost Archives Cafe: Montgomery Clift

Monty

“Failure and its accompanying misery is for the artist his most vital source of creative energy.” Montgomery Clift

Montgomery Clift in New York City, 1948. Photograph by (c) Karl Bissinger. fotofolio.com postcard.

Photo by Ida Wyman

   How much deconstruction can one man stand? I don't know. Let's find out. Mid century heart throb? Gay icon? Beautiful loser? Call him what you will. Monty put himself out there. He was nothing, if not conflicted about his sexuality. At a time when people were being black balled and black mailed due to their sexuality, he exuded a nonchalance about the whole thing. Maybe he was gay, maybe he was bisexual, maybe he was straight. Perhaps, (gasp) he didn't care.
   Yet at the end of the day, he had to go to bed with himself and he did care. His self flagellation with pills, alcohol and psychoanalysis proved that he did. I mean, what gay man wouldn't have given his right nut to have Elizabeth Taylor (Bessie Mae) as his enabler?
   Today, it's difficult for some people to understand the self loathing and contempt that gay men felt for themselves 'back in the day'. Now we have Gay Pride, and Broadway shows like Angels In America, and The Boys In The Band to tell our story.
   Back then, Monty had nothing. As a result his death has been deemed 'The slowest suicide in Hollywood'. That's the saddest thing of all.

Matt (Montgomery Clift) - You're going to wind up branding every rump in Texas except mine.

Thomas (John Wayne) - Hand me that iron.

Publicity photo from 'A Place In The Sun'

“Then, there on the screen I saw Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. An American Tragedy, a film I'd seen at least twice, not that it was all that great, but still it was very good" - Truman Capote