Montgomery Clift
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A note about names. Montgomery's mother, always called "Sunny" by her relations, was adopted at birth. Her father was a Blair, her mother an Anderson, her adoptive family were Foggs. The curious circumstances of her birth (explained under her own entry below) explain the confusion in various sources regarding what to call her. Her nick-name "Sunny" is supposed to be for her disposition and voice. As for Montgomery's sister, Montgomery always called his twin "Sister". She is called Ethel in her father's obituary. Most mentions of her in biographies, probably following the lead of Patricia Bosworth call her Roberta. But Bosworth only uses this name at her birth, later calling her Ethel as she was apparently later known. In the Ships Lists extracted below, she is called Roberta, but in the Texas Birth Index for her children, she as mother, is called Ethel. Her name *might* have been Roberta Ethel or Ethel Roberta, I'm just not yet sure. Their brother was named William Brooks Montgomery, Jr but he is most often simply called Brooks. | A note about names. Montgomery's mother, always called "Sunny" by her relations, was adopted at birth. Her father was a Blair, her mother an Anderson, her adoptive family were Foggs. The curious circumstances of her birth (explained under her own entry below) explain the confusion in various sources regarding what to call her. Her nick-name "Sunny" is supposed to be for her disposition and voice. As for Montgomery's sister, Montgomery always called his twin "Sister". She is called Ethel in her father's obituary. Most mentions of her in biographies, probably following the lead of Patricia Bosworth call her Roberta. But Bosworth only uses this name at her birth, later calling her Ethel as she was apparently later known. In the Ships Lists extracted below, she is called Roberta, but in the Texas Birth Index for her children, she as mother, is called Ethel. Her name *might* have been Roberta Ethel or Ethel Roberta, I'm just not yet sure. Their brother was named William Brooks Montgomery, Jr but he is most often simply called Brooks. | ||
| − | Montgomery and his two siblings were educated at home by his mother and private tutors. Sunny, reportedly told, at the age of 18, that she had aristocratic bloodlines, decided to raise and educate her children in a peculiar fashion. They had private tutors and a live-in nurse. Sunny was reportedly told that her own mother, who never corresponded with her, had died in 1925, so she re-doubled her efforts to contact her family. She made contact with her aunt Sophie in 1926 who told her that she had to take her children to Europe to live for a while. They spent quite a lot of time in Europe as Sunny was told that this was the way "throughbred" children were raised, as she called them. She tried to instill the idea in her children that they were of-a-higher-class and must not mix with the common people. She would often tell Monty that a certain friend was common, not of his class, of no background. Several people having met Montgomery and the family during this period, came away with the impression that he was quite a snob, as was his mother. | + | Montgomery and his two siblings were educated at home by his mother and private tutors. Sunny, reportedly told, at the age of 18, that she had aristocratic bloodlines, decided to raise and educate her children in a peculiar fashion. They had private tutors and a live-in nurse. Sunny was reportedly told that her own mother, who never corresponded with her, had died in 1925, so at that time she re-doubled her efforts and enlisted the help of her husband to contact her natural family. She made contact with her aunt Sophie in 1926 who, according to Sunny, told her that she had to take her children to Europe to live for a while. They spent quite a lot of time in Europe as Sunny was told that this was the way "throughbred" children were raised, as she called them. She tried to instill the idea in her children that they were of-a-higher-class and must not mix with the common people. She would often tell Monty that a certain friend was common, not of his class, of no background. Several people having met Montgomery and the family during this period, came away with the impression that he was quite a snob, as was his mother. |
Brooks later told another biographer that this story, that Sophie told them to go to Europe, was just an excuse by his mother, so she could keep traveling, and that his father would do anything to please her. (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=ibv9mfwrMbIC&dq=lover+%22montgomery+clift%22&pg=PP1&ots=wQvITyjlfD&source=citation&sig=h5MJnqqmFP9gHMgdJEZgvY0Zm7A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=12&ct=result#PPA6,M1 ''Montgomery Clift: A Biography''], by Michelangelo Capua) Montgomery's father did not accompany them on these trips to Europe and possibly the impression might be raised that he was detached. But his letters as Patricia Bosworth points-out use phrases like "I miss you terribly when you're away, but mother knows best." | Brooks later told another biographer that this story, that Sophie told them to go to Europe, was just an excuse by his mother, so she could keep traveling, and that his father would do anything to please her. (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=ibv9mfwrMbIC&dq=lover+%22montgomery+clift%22&pg=PP1&ots=wQvITyjlfD&source=citation&sig=h5MJnqqmFP9gHMgdJEZgvY0Zm7A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=12&ct=result#PPA6,M1 ''Montgomery Clift: A Biography''], by Michelangelo Capua) Montgomery's father did not accompany them on these trips to Europe and possibly the impression might be raised that he was detached. But his letters as Patricia Bosworth points-out use phrases like "I miss you terribly when you're away, but mother knows best." | ||
