Robert Montgomery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Montgomery (born Henry Montgomery Jr.; May 21, 1904 – September 27, 1981) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer. He was also the father of actress Elizabeth Montgomery. Montgomery settled in New York City to try his hand at writing and acting. He established a stage career, and became popular enough to turn down an offer to appear opposite Vilma Bánky in the film This Is Heaven (1929). Sharing a stage with George Cukor gave him an entry to Hollywood and a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he debuted in So This Is College (also 1929). Montgomery initially played exclusively in comedy roles, but portrayed a character in his first drama film in The Big House (1930). MGM was initially reluctant to assign him in such a role, until "his earnestness, and his convincing arguments, with demonstrations of how he would play the character" won him the assignment. From The Big House on, he was in constant demand. Appearing as Greta Garbo's romantic interest in Inspiration (1930) started him toward stardom with a rush. Norma Shearer chose him to star opposite her in The Divorcee (1930), Strangers May Kiss (1931), and Private Lives (1931), which led him to stardom. In another challenging role, Montgomery played a psychopath in the chiller Night Must Fall (1937), for which he received an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination. After World War II broke out in Europe in September, 1939, and while the United States was still officially neutral, Montgomery enlisted in London for American field service and drove ambulances in France until the Dunkirk evacuation. He then returned to Hollywood and addressed a massive rally on the MGM lot for the American Red Cross in July 1940. Montgomery returned to playing light comedy roles, such as Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) with Carole Lombard. He continued his search for dramatic roles. For his role as Joe Pendleton, a boxer and pilot in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Montgomery was nominated for an Oscar a second time. After the U.S. entered World War II in December 1941, he joined the United States Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander, and served on the USS Barton (DD-722) which was part of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. In 1945, Montgomery 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 for health reasons. Montgomery's first credited film as director and his final film for MGM was the film noir Lady in the Lake (1947), in which he also starred, which received mixed reviews. Adapted from Raymond Chandler's detective novel and sanitized for the censorship of the day, the film is unusual because it was filmed entirely from Marlowe's vantage point. Montgomery only appeared on camera a few times, three times in a mirror reflection. Active in Republican politics and concerned about communist influence in the entertainment industry, Montgomery was a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. Montgomery has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for movies at 6440 Hollywood Boulevard, and another for television at 1631 Vine Street.
Known For
Credits
- 2010 · Lusitanian Illusion as Self (archive footage)
- 2006 · 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage as Self (archive footage)
- 2005 · Jornal Português (1938-1951) as Self (archive footage)
- 2004 · Checking Out: Grand Hotel as Self (archive footage)
- 2003 · Complicated Women as Self (archive footage)
- 1996 · Ingrid Bergman Remembered as Self (archive footage)
- 1976 · That's Entertainment, Part II as (archive footage)
- 1974 · That's Entertainment! as (archive footage)
- 1972 · Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage)
- 1962 · The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- 1960 · The Gallant Hours as Narration (American scenes)
- 1950 · The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- 1950 · Your Witness as Adam Heyward
- 1950 · What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
- 1950 · Robert Montgomery Presents as Self - Host
- 1949 · Breakdowns of 1949 as Self
- 1949 · Once More, My Darling as Collier Laing
- 1948 · June Bride as Carey Jackson
- 1948 · The Secret Land as Narrator
- 1948 · The Saxon Charm as Matt Saxon
- 1947 · Ride the Pink Horse as Lucky Gagin
- 1946 · Lady in the Lake as Phillip Marlowe
- 1945 · They Were Expendable as Lt. John Brickley
- 1941 · Unfinished Business as Tommy Duncan
- 1941 · Here Comes Mr. Jordan as Joe Pendleton
- 1941 · Rage in Heaven as Philip Monrell
- 1941 · Mr. & Mrs. Smith as David
- 1940 · A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound as Self
- 1940 · Busman's Honeymoon as Lord Peter Wimsey
- 1940 · The Earl of Chicago as Robert Kilmount
- 1939 · From the Ends of the Earth as Self
- 1939 · Fast and Loose as Joel Sloane
- 1938 · Three Loves Has Nancy as Malcolm 'Mal' Niles
- 1938 · Hollywood Goes to Town as Self
- 1938 · Hollywood Handicap as Himself
- 1938 · Yellow Jack as John O'Hara
- 1938 · The First Hundred Years as David Conway
- 1937 · Live, Love and Learn as Bob Graham
- 1937 · The Romance of Celluloid as Self
- 1937 · Ever Since Eve as Freddy Matthews
- 1937 · Night Must Fall as Danny
- 1937 · The Last of Mrs. Cheyney as Lord Arthur Dilling
- 1936 · Piccadilly Jim as James Crocker, Jr.
- 1936 · Trouble for Two as Prince Florizel
- 1936 · Petticoat Fever as Dascom Dinsmore
- 1935 · Starlit Days at the Lido as Self
- 1935 · No More Ladies as Sheridan 'Sherry' Warren
- 1935 · Vanessa: Her Love Story as Benjamin Herries
- 1935 · Biography of a Bachelor Girl as Richard 'Dickie' Kurt
- 1934 · Forsaking All Others as Dillon 'Dill" Todd
- 1934 · Hide-Out as Jonathan 'Lucky' Wilson
- 1934 · Riptide as Tommie L. Trent
- 1934 · The Mystery of Mr. X as Revel
- 1934 · Fugitive Lovers as Paul Porter, aka Stephen Blaine
- 1933 · Going Hollywood as Himself - Premiere Clip (archive footage)
- 1933 · Night Flight as Auguste Pellerin
- 1933 · Another Language as Victor Hallam
- 1933 · When Ladies Meet as Jimmie
- 1933 · Hell Below as Lieut. Thomas Knowlton USN
- 1933 · Made on Broadway as Jeff
- 1932 · Faithless as William 'Bill' Wade
- 1932 · Blondie of the Follies as Larry Belmont
- 1932 · Letty Lynton as Hale Darrow
- 1932 · But the Flesh Is Weak as Max Clement
- 1932 · Lovers Courageous as Willie Smith
- 1931 · Private Lives as Elyot Chase
- 1931 · The Man in Possession as Raymond Dabney
- 1931 · Shipmates as John Paul Jones
- 1931 · Strangers May Kiss as Steve
- 1931 · The Easiest Way as Jack Madison
- 1931 · Inspiration as André Montell
- 1930 · War Nurse as Wally O'Brien
- 1930 · Love in the Rough as Kelly
- 1930 · The Voice of Hollywood as
- 1930 · Our Blushing Brides as Tony Jardine
- 1930 · Estrellados as Self (Guest Appearance at Premiere)
- 1930 · The Sins of the Children as Nick Higginson
- 1930 · The Big House as Kent Marlowe
- 1930 · The Divorcee as Don
- 1930 · Free and Easy as Larry
- 1929 · Their Own Desire as John 'Jack' Douglas Cheever
- 1929 · Untamed as Andy McAllister
- 1929 · So This Is College as Biff
- 1929 · Three Live Ghosts as William Foster
- 1929 · The Single Standard as Party Boy (uncredited)