The Passion of Montgomery Clift

From his 1948 film debut inRed River, through such classics asThe Heiress, A Place in the Sun, andFrom Here to Eternity, Montgomery Clift exemplified a new masculinity and-leading the way for a generation of actors, including Marlon Brando and James Dean-epitomized the new naturalistic style of acting. Clift's impact was such that, both during his troubled life and after his untimely death, fans describe the actor in religious terms, characterizing Clift as a vision, acolyte, and martyr. InThe Passion of Montgomery Clift, Amy Lawrence challenges the myth of Clift as tragic victim by examining Clift's participation in the manipulation of his image, his collaborations with directors-Hitchcock, Kazan, and Huston-his relationships with costars-Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe-and his interactions with writers-Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. Combining theories of stardom and fandom with biography and film history, Lawrence explores the way Clift's extraordinary looks, controversial sexuality, and the accident that allegedly changed the course of his career continue to feed the religious intensity of fan discourse.