Montgomery Clift

American actor

Born: October 17, 1920 · Died: July 23, 1966

Famous Persons

Who was Montgomery Clift?

Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. Clift's decision to sign a contract only after his first two films were a success created "a power differential that would go on to structure the star–studio relationship for the next 40 years". Edward Montgomery Clift was born in Omaha, Nebraska, into a wealthy family. His father, William Brooks "Bill" Clift (1886–1964), was the vice-president of Omaha National Trust Company.

Clift and Lois Hall in the Broadway production of Patricia Collinge's Dame Nature (1938)

Historical significance

A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to The New York Times. He is best remembered for his roles in Howard Hawks's Red River (1948), George Stevens's A Place in the Sun (1951), Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity (1953), Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and John Huston's The Misfits (1961). Along with Marlon Brando and James Dean, Clift was considered one of the original method actors in Hollywood (though Clift distanced himself from the term); he was one of the first actors to be invited to study in the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan.

Clift in the trailer for The Young Lions (1958)

Sources and further reading

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Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Montgomery Clift.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/montgomery-clift/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

APA

Montgomery Clift. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/montgomery-clift/

Chicago

“Montgomery Clift.” thisDay. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/montgomery-clift/.

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