Edward Montgomery "Monty" Clift was an American actor.
By age 25, clift had become an accomplished stage actor in New York, and moved to Hollywood. His first movie role was in Red River (1948) alongside John Wayne. He is known for a number of roles in mid-20th century films such as The Search (1948), From Here to Eternity (1953), A Place in the Sun (1951), and Judgement at Nuremberg (1961).
Clift was nominated for four Academy Awards and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
In 1956, while filming Raintree County (1957), Clift was involved in a serious accident when he apparently fell asleep while driving and smashed his car into a telephone pole. After a two-month recovery, Clift returned to the set to finish the film.
Journalist and biographer Patricia Bosworth, who had access to Clift's family and many who knew and worked with him, wrote in her book:
Before the accident, Monty had drifted into countless affairs with men and women.... He was unflinchingly loyal to men like William LeMassena and women like Elizabeth Taylor, Libby Holman, and Ann Lincoln.[1]
Many critics and viewers still consider him one of the brightest stars of Hollywood's Golden Era.