It was a somber day in July 1966 when fans gathered outside St. James’ Church on Madison Avenue to pay their respects to a Hollywood icon. They waited patiently for two long hours, their hearts heavy with grief. Inside the church, the simple service was a testament to the man who had touched so many lives. Montgomery Clift’s coffin was flanked by enormous bouquets of flowers, some sent by none other than Elizabeth Taylor. Among those in attendance were his family, close friends, and even celebrities like Lauren Bacall, all bowing their heads in prayer.
A Life Beyond the Tragedy
In the decades since his passing, Monty’s life has often been painted as a tragic tale, a Hollywood story gone wrong. His untimely death at the age of 45, a four-time Oscar nominee, left a void in the industry that seemed impossible to fill. But there’s so much more to his story than just the tragedy. It’s about the man who lived life on his own terms, someone who loved deeply and was loved in return.
The Real Monty
“The thing about Monty was, he wasn’t what people thought he was,” reminisced Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen on TV’s The Adventures of Superman. “He had this incredible sense of humor, loved to have fun, and was nothing like the serious persona people associated with him. In fact, as a person, he was closer to Jerry Lewis on screen than he was to the Montgomery Clift everyone saw in the movies.”
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Monty wasn’t the tormented soul his legend has often portrayed him to be. Charles Casillo, the author of Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship, revealed exclusively to Closer, “Most people think of him as a self-loathing homosexual who destroyed his life because of guilt over being gay. That's a huge misconception. The truth is, Monty hated having to hide parts of who he truly was. He wasn’t ashamed of who he was; he just had to keep it hidden to survive in an industry that wouldn’t have accepted him for who he was.”
Early Life: A World of Privilege
Edward Montgomery Clift’s early life was a world of privilege. His mother, Sunny, ensured her children were privately tutored, traveling with them across Europe. Monty became fluent in French and German at a very young age, devouring books with a passion, though he wasn’t particularly inspired as a student. It wasn’t until he was 13, when his family relocated to Florida after losing their fortune in the 1929 stock market crash, that he discovered his true gift—acting.
Monty made his Broadway debut at the tender age of 15, and by 17, Hollywood was already knocking on his door, offering him the starring role as Tom Sawyer. But Monty, ever the independent spirit, turned it down. Over the years, he would also reject offers to star in East of Eden, On the Waterfront, and Sunset Boulevard. “He didn’t want the studios to dictate the kinds of roles he would play,” explained his nephew Robert Clift, a co-director of the 2018 documentary Making Montgomery Clift. “The old Hollywood system was crumbling, and Monty was a major part of that change.”
A Career of Independence
Monty’s first films, 1948’s The Search and Red River, were made as a free agent, and both were massive successes. But it wasn’t just about the roles; Monty was also wary of signing contracts that might contain "morality clauses" that could get him fired for being gay. “It was a tremendous burden on him to be worshipped as a leading man while knowing that if his true nature were revealed, Hollywood and many of his fans would turn on him,” said Casillo.
Just because Monty didn’t discuss his private life didn’t mean he was ashamed of it. He was raised in an environment of acceptance. “Monty was aware of his sexuality very early,” his mother mentioned in the documentary, recalling, “I think it was around 12 or 13.”
Close Relationships and Hidden Loves
Elizabeth Taylor, his co-star in A Place in the Sun, was part of a tight-knit circle of friends who knew all his secrets. Others included choreographer Jerome Robbins, who had a pre-stardom relationship with Monty in New York, and actor Roddy McDowall, who became a lifelong friend after their romantic involvement. Monty also shared a fling with writer Truman Capote while on location in Italy.
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Close relationships with women like Elizabeth were also a big part of his life. “He did, in his way, fall deeply in love with her,” Casillo explained. “He truly loved women, but he was only interested in men romantically. This
