#jerome robbins

West Side Story (2021, Steven Spielberg)

Montgomery Clift helped redefine masculinity in the movies of the 1950s. Rather than portray macho men like John Wayne, Clift showed that men can also be sensitive and caring.

He was a success on stage and Broadway, and waited until he was 26 years old before agreeing to make a movie— Red River (shot in 1946 but released in 1948). And he refused to sign a long-term contract because he didn’t want the studio to dictate which roles he could play.

You can learn the details about Clift’s career online— his four Oscar nominations, his friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, a horrible car accident that disfigured him, and his declining health that led to an early death at the age of 46.

Montgomery Clift hated the press intruding into his personal life.

"I learned that most writers don't need interviews to write about me. They seem to have their stories all written out beforehand."

So much of his life story wasn’t known until the late 1970s with a pair of biographies about the actor. Both revealed he was a homosexual, and emphasized that Clift’s brooding nature and early death were the result of being repressed all of his life.

In 2018, Robert Clift wrote and produced a documentary— “Making Montgomery Clift” (2018). Its aim was to present a more accurate picture of his uncle’s life. Contrary to the homophobic myths perpetuated in the bios, Robert conducted interviews with two of Monty’s former lovers who don’t remember him as morose, ashamed, or guilt-ridden. Jack Larson was interviewed on screen, sharing stories about his 4-year relationship with Clift. He recalls a funny, robust man— nothing like the suicidal man described in the book.

Clift’s own family knew Montgomery wasn’t heterosexual. His mother said she knew he was a homosexual at the age of 12. Monty’s brother (Brooks, Richard’s father) knew Monty wasn’t heterosexual but bisexual. And he didn’t feel guilty about it.

Richard even includes a comparison of one of the author’s original notes, alongside the print text. It shows the author had changed a report of Clift being arrested with “a young man” - but scratched out and changed to “a boy” - and even worse, in the published book it states Clift was a “pederast”. The author was clearly infusing her homophobia into the narrative.

Montgomery Clift had relationships with both men and women.

William LeMassena - a stage actor, he and Clift had a 3-year relationship in the mid-40s before Clift left for Hollywood. "Our affair was for me the most beautiful experience in my life."

Phyllis Thaxter - Clift met Phyllis in the early 1940s when they both worked on Broadway. Most of their friends had assumed they would eventually get married.

Jerome Robbins - Monty met dancer and choreographer Jerome Robbins in the early 1940s when they both worked on Broadway. They became lovers but broke it off when Clift left for Hollywood in 1946.

Jack Larson - They met at the Warner lot in 1949 and had a 4-year relationship. Larson fondly recalled the day he and Monty had gone on an errand. The moment they were alone, Clift grabbed him and gave him a deep kiss.

Judy Balaban - Judy’s father (then president of Paramount Pictures) introduced her to Monty in 1951. They dated for several months. She said she was unaware Monty was bisexual until after they broke up.

Elizabeth Taylor - She costarred with Montgomery Clift in three films. They were rumored to be lovers as well. In 2000, while accepting an award for her efforts on behalf of the Gay community, she emphatically stated that Clift was gay and called him her closest friend and confidant.

Roddy McDowall - Elizabeth Taylor introduced Monty to Roddy in 1951 while they were filming A Place in the Sun. They had a relationship during the mid-1950s (concurrent with Monty’s relationship with Judy Balaban).

Truman Capote - They met in Italy in 1953 while Clift was filming “Indiscretion of an American Wife”. Capote was an uncredited screenwriter. They had a brief affair.

Libby Holman - A stage actress 16 years his senior. They met in the early 1950s and had a 10-year on-again, off-again relationship.

Lorenzo James - In Richard Clift’s documentary, Lorenzo was both Monty’s liver and caregiver during the final years of his life. (He declined to appear on camera.)

Jerome Robbins, October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998.

Synchronized zing and sparkle.

From Dances at a Gathering