Robert Montgomery

Robert Montgomery

Biography: 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.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: May 21, 1904

Deathday: September 27, 1981

Popularity:

8.63

Known For

Lady in the Lake
Lady in the Lake

1946-12-19

Estrellados
Estrellados

1930-07-07

Blondie of the Follies
Blondie of the Follies

1932-09-01

Ingrid Bergman Remembered
Ingrid Bergman Remembered

1996-04-06

Inspiration
Inspiration

1931-01-31

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith

1941-01-31

Ever Since Eve
Ever Since Eve

1937-07-15

Rage in Heaven
Rage in Heaven

1941-03-07

Free and Easy
Free and Easy

1930-03-22

Hide-Out
Hide-Out

1934-08-24

Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Here Comes Mr. Jordan

1941-08-07

The Big House
The Big House

1930-06-14

They Were Expendable
They Were Expendable

1945-12-07

Ride the Pink Horse
Ride the Pink Horse

1947-10-08

Three Loves Has Nancy
Three Loves Has Nancy

1938-09-02

The Divorcee
The Divorcee

1930-04-19

Hollywood Handicap
Hollywood Handicap

1938-05-28

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney

1937-02-19

Your Witness
Your Witness

1950-03-06

Another Language
Another Language

1933-07-28

Night Must Fall
Night Must Fall

1937-04-30

Night Flight
Night Flight

1933-10-06

Unfinished Business
Unfinished Business

1941-08-27

The Man in Possession
The Man in Possession

1931-07-04

Strangers May Kiss
Strangers May Kiss

1931-04-04

Private Lives
Private Lives

1931-12-12

Their Own Desire
Their Own Desire

1929-12-27

Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Hollywood: The Dream Factory

1972-01-10

June Bride
June Bride

1948-10-29

Forsaking All Others
Forsaking All Others

1934-12-23

No More Ladies
No More Ladies

1935-06-14

Petticoat Fever
Petticoat Fever

1936-03-20

The Secret Land
The Secret Land

1948-10-22

The Earl of Chicago
The Earl of Chicago

1940-01-05

Our Blushing Brides
Our Blushing Brides

1930-07-19

The Easiest Way
The Easiest Way

1931-02-07

Busman's Honeymoon
Busman's Honeymoon

1940-07-22

The Saxon Charm
The Saxon Charm

1948-09-28

Letty Lynton
Letty Lynton

1932-04-30

The Mystery of Mr. X
The Mystery of Mr. X

1934-02-23

Piccadilly Jim
Piccadilly Jim

1936-08-14

Yellow Jack
Yellow Jack

1938-05-19

War Nurse
War Nurse

1930-11-22

Biography of a Bachelor Girl
Biography of a Bachelor Girl

1935-01-04

Love in the Rough
Love in the Rough

1930-09-05

The Sins of the Children
The Sins of the Children

1930-06-27

Untamed
Untamed

1929-11-23

Shipmates
Shipmates

1931-04-25

Faithless
Faithless

1932-10-15

Lovers Courageous
Lovers Courageous

1932-01-23

But the Flesh Is Weak
But the Flesh Is Weak

1932-04-09

Made on Broadway
Made on Broadway

1933-05-19

Live, Love and Learn
Live, Love and Learn

1937-10-29

Vanessa: Her Love Story
Vanessa: Her Love Story

1935-03-01

Trouble for Two
Trouble for Two

1936-05-29

When Ladies Meet
When Ladies Meet

1933-06-23

So This Is College
So This Is College

1929-11-08

Fugitive Lovers
Fugitive Lovers

1934-01-05

Riptide
Riptide

1934-03-29

Fast and Loose
Fast and Loose

1939-02-17

Hell Below
Hell Below

1933-06-08

Once More, My Darling
Once More, My Darling

1949-09-10

Three Live Ghosts
Three Live Ghosts

1929-09-15

The First Hundred Years
The First Hundred Years

1938-03-12

Checking Out: Grand Hotel
Checking Out: Grand Hotel

2004-02-03

42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage

2006-03-21

The Single Standard
The Single Standard

1929-07-27

Going Hollywood
Going Hollywood

1933-12-22

That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment!

1974-06-21

The Gallant Hours
The Gallant Hours

1960-06-13

The Voice of Hollywood
The Voice of Hollywood

1930-08-30

The Romance of Celluloid
The Romance of Celluloid

1937-08-27

Breakdowns of 1949
Breakdowns of 1949

1949-12-31

Complicated Women
Complicated Women

2003-05-06

That's Entertainment, Part II
That's Entertainment, Part II

1976-05-16

From the Ends of the Earth
From the Ends of the Earth

1939-05-28

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

1940-10-24

Hollywood Goes to Town
Hollywood Goes to Town

1938-07-07

Jornal Português (1938-1951)
Jornal Português (1938-1951)

2005-12-12

Starlit Days at the Lido
Starlit Days at the Lido

1935-09-28

Lusitanian Illusion
Lusitanian Illusion

2010-04-22