Hey, a Clash song was written about him!
I truly cannot get over my obsession with Monty Clift! This was the man Elizabeth Taylor was desperately in love with but could not marry because he was gay. So if even Liz was infatuated, how do I stand a chance right? I find myself reading about him almost every night and this is long after I'd stayed up until 3am every night to finish the excellent biography on him by Patricia Bosworth. I couldn't sleep because I was so deeply depressed and fascinated. I know, I am a serious dork! But gosh, what a beautiful, talented, and tortured life. I recommend any fan of films and film history to watch him in "A Place in the Sun" with Elizabeth Taylor, one of the best romances I've seen, and "From Here to Eternity" with Burt Lancaster and Frank Sinatra. He was one of the first "method" actors and inspired both Brando and Dean who came after him. Brando considered him his only worthy rival in the 1950s (and most roles were offered to Monty first which he inexplicably turned down) and begged Monty to stop drinking because he felt lost and unmotivated without his true competitor. Dean used to call him up just to hear his voice when he was starting out. I feel deeply sad that Clift's name is barely recognizable these days compared to the other two and that his acting legacy is so overshadowed by his horrendous life problems. I think he deeply fascinates me not only because of his incredible beauty and talent, but also because he was such a troubled personality and I am a Psych major and I love that stuff. Anyway, I can't wait to get my hands on all his other films and watch them!
