Montgomery Clift.

Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966), first film was opposite John Wayne in the film, Red River(1948).

Clift's second movie was, The Search. Clift, rewrote most of the script himself and the movie was nominated for a screenwriting Academy Award, but the original writers were credited. Clift's performance gave him the nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Clift's next movie was, The Heiress(1949). He wanted to perform in the movie to avoid being typecast. The studio marketed Clift as a sex symbol prior to the movie's release. Clift had a large female following, and Olivia De Havilland was flooded with angry fan letters because of the final scene in the movie.

In the 1950s Clift was the most popular leading man in Hollywood. His next movie, A Place in the Sun (1951), is one of his best known roles. The studio paired up two of the biggest young stars in Hollywood at the time, Clift and Elizabeth Taylor.

Clift's performance in the movie is known as one of the best Method acting performances, and he was again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

For his character's scenes in jail, Clift spent a night in a real state prison. He also refused to go along with the directors suggestion that he do "something amazing" on his walk to the electric chair. Instead, he walked to his death with a natural, facial expression.

Marlon Brando, was so moved by Clift's performance, that he voted for Clift to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, and was sure that he would win (Clift voted for Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire that same year).

The movie was critically acclaimed and Charlie Chaplin called it "the greatest movie made about America".

Clift and Taylor, were called "the most beautiful couple in Hollywood".

Clift's next movie was Alfred Hitchcock's, I Confess. Clift, temporarily lived in a Catholic church and studied priests. The movie was a box office failure due to the controversy over Clift's character (a Catholic priest) being romantically involved with a woman.

Some believe Clift's peak came with the 1953 classic, From Here to Eternity. Clift, worked very hard on the character of Robert E. Lee Prewitt. He even learned to play the bugle even though he knew that he would be dubbed by a professional bugler.



He acted his character's death scene so realistically, that many members of the cast and crew cried. Once again Clift received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Clift lost out to William Holden (who won for Stalag 17). Clift was devastated over his loss, and was sent an honorary small golden bugle award by the movie's producers which he treasured for the rest of his life.

On the evening of May 12, 1956, while filming Raintree County, Clift got into a serious auto accident when he smashed his car into a telephone pole after leaving a dinner party at Elizabeth Taylor and her then-husband Michael Wilding's home. After a two-month recovery, he returned to the set to finish the film.

Clift continued to work over the next ten years. His next three films were Lonelyhearts (1958), The Young Lions (1958) and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). Clift starred with Lee Remick in Elia Kazan's Wild River in 1960. He then costarred in, The Misfits (1961), which was both Marilyn Monroe's and Clark Gable's last film.



Clift, next film was, The Secret Passion (1962) his destructive lifestyle was affecting his health.

Personal Quote:

"Good dialogue simply isn't enough to explain all the infinite gradations of a character. It's behavior -- it's what's going on behind the lines".

Great Dramas: I Confess(1953).

I Confess(1953). A Drama directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, and Karl Malden . This was the only film Hitchcock made with these three actors. Biographers say he had trouble with "Method" actors such as Clift and Paul Newman, who worked with Hitchcock in, Torn Curtain (1966).

Father Michael Logan, is a priest in a church in Quebec City. He hires a caretaker, Otto Keller and a housekeeper, Otto's wife Alma. Otto Keller, also works part-time as a gardener.

Keller asks if Father Logan, will hear his confession. He confesses that he accidentally killed a rich lawyer Villette. Because of the binding secrecy of the confessional, Father Logan cannot tell the police anything he now knows about this crime.

At the time of the murder, two young girls saw someone leaving the house of the murdered man wearing a cassock. Evidence all points to Father Logan, who can not provide a alibi for the time of the murder.

Logan, in his early life before he became a priest, was in love with Ruth.

In flashbacks: After Logan returns home from fighting in the war, Ruth and Logan ended up stranded over night on an island during a storm.

In the morning, Villette finds them there and an argument breaks out and Logan learns that Ruth is married to a politician. Heartbroken, Logan leaves and does not see her for years. After which, Ruth is blackmailed by Villette. She meets with Logan on the night of the murder to ask for help.

Ruth tells the police about her meeting with Father Logan to provide him an alibi. Police believes that Father Logan killed the blackmailer Villette to protect Ruth and himself. Otto Keller, takes advantage of the situation and lies to the police in order to keep suspicion from himself. Will Father Logan be convicted for the murder?

 "I Confess" is a very interesting film with great actors and should be viewed by Hitchcock fans.

What does Rita Hayworth, Montgomery Clift and Spring Byington have in Common?

Well... it is their Birthday! :)

Rita Hayworth (October 17, 1918 – May 14, 1987), Film actress and dancer who became famous in the 1940s not only as one of the era's top stars, but also as a great sex symbol. Rita, is best known for her performance in the film, Gilda (1946).

List of Rita Hayworth films that I have seen:

Only Angles Have Wings
Blood and Sand (1941)
You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
Cover Girl (1944)
Tonight and Every Night (1945)
Gilda (1946)
Down to Earth (1947)
The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
The Loves of Carmen (1948)
Fire Down Below (1957)
Pal Joey (1957)

Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966), first film performance was in, Red River(1946). Next Clift went on to perform in the film, The Search. Clift was unhappy with the script, and rewrote most of it himself. The movie was nominated for a screenwriting Academy Award, but the original writers were credited instead. Clift's performance got him nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Clift's next movie was, The Heiress. He signed on for the movie in order to avoid being typecast. Clift's next movie was The Big Lift. Although Clift gave an amazing performance, the movie ended up being a box office bust. Clift was set to appear in Sunset Boulevard (which was written specifically for him) but he dropped out at the last minute, as he felt that his character was too close to him in real life.



List of Montgomery Clift movies I have seen:
1961 The Misfits
1959 Suddenly, Last Summer
1957 Raintree County
1953 From Here to Eternity
1951 A Place in the Sun
1949 The Heiress
1948 Red River

Spring Byington (October 17, 1886 – September 7, 1971), first film was a short film titled, Papa's Slay Ride(1931) and her second, and most famous performance was in, Little Women (1933) as "Marmee" with Katharine Hepburn as her daughter "Jo". She worked as a character actress in Hollywood for many years. In 1938, Byington was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for, You Can't Take it With You, which was won by Fay Bainter for Jezebel (in which Byington also had a role, as antebellum society matron Mrs. Kendrick). One of my favorite Spring Byington performances was as Larry Hagman's mother on, I Dream of Jeannie(1967).



List of Spring Byington films I have seen:

Little Women (1933)
Werewolf of London
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
The Buccaneer (1938)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)
Meet John Doe (1941)
When Ladies Meet (1941)
Rings on Her Fingers (1942)
Heaven Can Wait (1943)
The Heavenly Body (1944)
The Enchanted Cottage (1945)
Thrill of a Romance (1945)
Dragonwyck (1946)
In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
Angels in the Outfield (1951)
Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960)