Montgomery Clift
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Monty drank substantially, several times mentioned as "falling down drunk", but while he was working on a film or play he was very focused on the material and not drunk. In addition he took a quantity of drugs, mostly uppers and tranquilizers. There doesn't seem to be any evidence that he used cocaine, marijuana or heroin. Evidently preferring his drugs in pill-form. | Monty drank substantially, several times mentioned as "falling down drunk", but while he was working on a film or play he was very focused on the material and not drunk. In addition he took a quantity of drugs, mostly uppers and tranquilizers. There doesn't seem to be any evidence that he used cocaine, marijuana or heroin. Evidently preferring his drugs in pill-form. | ||
| − | Montgomery Clift certainly had sexual relationships with both men and women. He has been described as having a very tortured life. Being gay or bisexual in the 1940's and 50's was almost universally viewed by psychiatrists as a mental abnormality. There is scant evidence that he had a sexual relationship with [[Elizabeth Taylor]], but they were very close friends. C. David Heymann in his biography of Elizabeth states that Monty's personal secretary at least a few times found them in bed like "sleepy siamese kittens". However Monty told another friend that when he and Liz tried to have sex he "couldn't rise to the occasion". Elizabeth is supposed to have asked Monty to marry her before her abrupt marriage to Nicky Hilton in 1951, and just before her second marriage, which was in 1952 to Michael Wilding, she phoned him, and again asked him to marry her. | + | Montgomery Clift certainly had sexual relationships with both men and women. He has been described as having a very tortured life. Being gay or bisexual in the 1940's and 50's was almost universally viewed by psychiatrists as a mental abnormality. There is scant evidence that he had a sexual relationship with [[Elizabeth Taylor]], but they were very close friends. C. David Heymann in his biography of Elizabeth states that Monty's personal secretary at least a few times found them in bed like "sleepy siamese kittens". However Monty told another friend that when he and Liz tried to have sex he "couldn't rise to the occasion". Elizabeth is supposed to have asked Monty to marry her before her abrupt marriage to Nicky Hilton in 1951, and just before her second marriage, which was in 1952 to Michael Wilding, she phoned him, and again asked him to marry her. He and Elizabeth remained close friends from their first film, right up until his death. Of course their closeness waxed and waned and was strongest when she wasn't married. His nickname for her was "Bessie Mae". At the end of his career, when he wasn't insurable, she put up her own money for the insurance bond, for the last movie they were to do together, but he died before shooting began. |
| − | Similarly it is very unlikely that he had a sexual relationship with [[James Dean]] who he called "weird". Montgomery however was one of James Dean's idols and Jimmy sometimes called Monty "just to hear his voice". The situation with [[Roddy McDowell]] is ambiguous. They were close friends, but other than that I'm not sure. Patricia often mentions Monty and Roddy, and others getting together to do this or that event. | + | Similarly it is very unlikely that he had a sexual relationship with [[James Dean]] who he called "weird". Montgomery however was one of James Dean's idols and Jimmy sometimes called Monty "just to hear his voice". The situation with [[Roddy McDowell]] is ambiguous. They were close friends, but other than that I'm not sure. Patricia often mentions Monty and Roddy, and others getting together to do this or that event. Similarly Roddy remained a friend right up until his death, but like most of his friends, at the end they were thin on the ground. |
| − | About his relationship with [[Libby Holman]], an older mother-figure, Patricia Bosworth believes it was sexual. Monty certainly stated that it was, during his life. Patricia mentions several male lovers, including some who lived-in, | + | About his relationship with [[Libby Holman]], an older mother-figure, Patricia Bosworth believes it was sexual. Monty certainly stated that it was, during his life. Monty and Libby drifted apart after his accident. |
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| + | Patricia Bosworth mentions several male lovers, including some who lived-in, and including some who were apparently somewhat famous as she declines to name them, referring to them only in oblique ways like "this famous actor" or "a certain well-known...". She however alludes to details which it may be possible to track to find out today who they were. His last live-in lover is called "Gillie" in the book. They were together for some time and then split-up toward the end. It was at this time that a live-in nurse was hired in the form of Lorenzo James. There is no evidence that they were sleeping together. Lorenzo was his doorman, nurse, and secretary up until Monty's death, and it was Lorenzo who found Monty dead in his own bed. | ||
Monty is quoted as saying "I love men in bed, but I really love women!" His closest relationships were either to couples like the Greenes and the McCarthys, or to married women seperately such as Elizabeth Taylor, Nancy Walker and Myrna Loy. One female friend said that these were safe relationships. He knew the women were married and so off-limits, so they could be close friends without complications. | Monty is quoted as saying "I love men in bed, but I really love women!" His closest relationships were either to couples like the Greenes and the McCarthys, or to married women seperately such as Elizabeth Taylor, Nancy Walker and Myrna Loy. One female friend said that these were safe relationships. He knew the women were married and so off-limits, so they could be close friends without complications. | ||
