Robert Montgomery (actor)
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| Robert Montgomery | |
|---|---|
| Image:Robert Montgomery in Night Must Fall trailer.jpg from the trailer for the film Night Must Fall (1937) | |
| Birth name | Henry Montgomery Jr. |
| Born | May 21 1904 Beacon, New York |
| Died | September 27 1981 (aged 77), age 77 New York City, New York |
Robert Montgomery, U.S.N.R. Commander (May 21, 1904 – September 27, 1981) was an American actor and director.
Born Henry Montgomery Jr. in Beacon, New York, his early childhood was one of privilege, since his father was President of the New York Rubber Company. When his father died, the family's fortune was gone, and young Robert went to New York City to try his hand at writing and acting. Sharing a stage with George Cukor gave him an in to Hollywood, where, in 1929, he debuted in So This is College. Norma Shearer chose him to star opposite her in Private Lives in 1931, and he became a star. During this time, Montgomery appeared in the first, filmed version of When Ladies Meet (1933). In 1937, he starred opposite Marion Davies in Ever Since Eve from a screenplay by the "hot" playwright of the day, Lawrence Riley, et al.
In 1935, Montgomery became President of the Screen Actors Guild, and was elected again in 1946. In 1937 he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor as a psychopath in the chiller Night Must Fall, and again in 1942 for Here Comes Mr. Jordan. During World War II, he joined the Navy, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
In 1945 he returned to Hollywood, making his uncredited directing debut with They Were Expendable, where he directed some of the PT Boat scenes when director John Ford was unable to work because of health reasons. His first credited film as director was Lady in the Lake (1947), in which he also starred, and which brought him mixed reviews. He was a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. The next year, Montgomery hosted the Academy Awards. He hosted a popular television series, Robert Montgomery Presents, in the 1950s.
He died of cancer at the age of 77 in New York City. His daughter, actress Elizabeth Montgomery, also succumbed to cancer in 1995 at the age of 62, and his son, Robert Montgomery, Jr. (better known as Skip), fell victim to it in 2000.
Montgomery has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for movies at 6440 Hollywood Blvd., and one for television at 1631 Vine Street. He was a longtime summer resident of North Haven, Maine.
[edit] Partial filmography
- Untamed (1929)
- Their Own Desire (1929)
- The Divorcee (1930)
- The Big House (1930)
- The Sins of the Children (1930)
- Our Blushing Brides (1930)
- The Easiest Way (1931)
- Hell Below (1933)
- When Ladies Meet (1933)
- Forsaking All Others (1934)
- Hide-Out (1934)
- No More Ladies (1935)
- Night Must Fall (1937)
- Yellow Jack (1938)
- Three Loves Has Nancy (1938)
- Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)
- Rage in Heaven (1941)
- Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
- They Were Expendable (1945)
- Lady in the Lake (1947) (also directed)
- Ride the Pink Horse (1947) (also directed)
- June Bride (1948)
- The Saxon Charm (1948)
- Ivanhoe (1952)
[edit] External links
- Robert Montgomery at the Internet Movie Database
- Robert Montgomery at the TCM Movie Database
- Photographs of Robert Montgomery
| Preceded by Eddie Cantor | President of Screen Actors Guild 1935 – 1938 | Succeeded by Ralph Morgan |
| Preceded by George Murphy | President of Screen Actors Guild 1946 – 1947 | Succeeded by Ronald Reagan |
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