George Montgomery
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- August 29, 1916
- Died
- December 12, 2000 (aged 84)
- Birthplace
- Brady, Montana, USA
Biography
George Montgomery was boxing champion at the University of Montana, where he majored in architecture and interior design. Dropping out a year later, he decided to take up boxing more seriously, and moved to California, where he was coached by ex-heavyweight world champion James J. Jeffries. While in Hollywood, he came to the attention of the studios (not least, because he was an expert rider) and was hired as a stuntman in 1935. After doing this for four years, George was offered a contract at 20th Century Fox in 1939, but found himself largely confined to leads in B-westerns. He did not secure a part in anything even remotely like a prestige picture, until his co-starring role in Roxie Hart (1942), opposite Ginger Rogers. Next, in Orchestra Wives (1942), he played the perfunctory love interest for Ann Rutherford -- though both, inevitably, ended up playing second trombone to Glenn Miller and His Orchestra. In 1947, George got his first serious break, being cast as Raymond Chandler's private eye Philip Marlowe, in The Brasher Doubloon (1947). Reviewers, however, compared his performance unfavourably with that of Humphrey Bogart and found the film 'pallid' overall. So it was back to the saddle for George. Unable to shake his image as a cowboy actor, he starred in scores of films with titles like Belle Starr's Daughter (1948), Dakota Lil (1950), Jack McCall Desperado (1953) and Masterson of Kansas (1954) at Columbia, and for producer Edward Small at United Artists. When not cleaning up the Wild West with his six-shooter, he branched out into adventure films set in exotic locales (notably as Harry Quartermain in Watusi (1959)). During the 60's, he also wrote, directed and starred in several long-forgotten, low-budget wartime potboilers made in the Philippines. At the height of his popularity, George attracted as much publicity for his acting, as for his liaisons with glamorous stars, like Ginger Rogers, Hedy Lamarr (to whom he was briefly engaged) and singer Dinah Shore (whom he married in 1943). After his retirement from the film business, he devoted himself to his love of painting, furniture-making and sculpting bronze busts, including one of his close friend Ronald Reagan.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Ransom
Movie · as Inspector Marks
Wild Wind
Movie · as Major Nestorovic
Children's Island
TV · as The President · 1 ep
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Movie · as Self
The Six Million Dollar Man
TV · as Christopher Bell / Garth · 1 ep
Dinah!
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Daredevil
Movie · as Paul Tunney
Alias Smith and Jones
TV · 1 ep
Satan's Harvest
Movie · as Cutter Murdock
Ride the Tiger
Movie
The Odd Couple
TV · as Griff · 1 ep
Strangers at Sunrise
Movie · as Grant Merrick
Warkill
Movie · as Col. John Hannegan
Hostile Guns
Movie · as Gid McCool
Bomb at 10:10
Movie · as Steve Corbett / Stiv Korbet
Hallucination Generation
Movie · as Eric
Battle of the Bulge
Movie · as Sgt. Duquesne
Django the Condemned
Movie · as Pat O'Brien
Hell of Borneo
Movie · as John Dirkson
Guerillas in Pink Lace
Movie · as Murphy
Samar
Movie · as Dr. John David Saunders
The Steel Claw
Movie · as Capt. John Larsen
The Mike Douglas Show
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Watusi
Movie · as Harry Quartermain
King of the Wild Stallions
Movie · as Randy Burke
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
Movie · as Capt. Matt Sloane
Man from God's Country
Movie · as Dan Beattie
Badman's Country
Movie · as Pat Garrett
Cimarron City
TV · as Mayor Matt Rockford · 26 eps
Pawnee
Movie · as Paul 'Pale Arrow' Fletcher
Street of Sinners
Movie · as John Dean
Gun Duel in Durango
Movie · as Will Sabre
Last of the Badmen
Movie · as Dan Barton
Black Patch
Movie · as Clay Morgan
Canyon River
Movie · as Steve Patrick
Huk!
Movie · as Greg Dickson
Claire
Movie · as Dr. Stanley Wayne
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
TV · as Self · 5 eps
The Steve Allen Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Seminole Uprising
Movie · as Cam Elliott
Robbers' Roost
Movie · as Jim 'Tex' Wall
The Lone Gun
Movie · as Cruze
Masterson of Kansas
Movie · as Bat Masterson
Battle of Rogue River
Movie · as Maj. Frank Archer
Gun Belt
Movie · as Billy Ringo
Fort Ti
Movie · as Capt. Jed Horn
Jack McCall, Desperado
Movie · as Jack McCall
General Electric Theater
TV · as Jim Corbett, Buchanan Smith · 1 ep
Cripple Creek
Movie · as Bret Ivers / Iverson
The Pathfinder
Movie · as Pathfinder
Indian Uprising
Movie · as Capt. Chase McCloud
This Is Your Life
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Sword of Monte Cristo
Movie · as Captain Renault
The Texas Rangers
Movie · as Johnny Carver
Davy Crockett, Indian Scout
Movie · as Davy Crockett
Dakota Lil
Movie · as Tom Horn / Steve Garrett
The Iroquois Trail
Movie · as Nat Cutler / Hawkeye
What's My Line?
TV · as Self - Mystery Guest · 1 ep
The Girl from Manhattan
Movie · as Rev. Tom Walker
Belle Starr's Daughter
Movie · as Marshal Tom Jackson
Lulu Belle
Movie · as George Davis
Studio One
TV · as Bakeland · 1 ep
The Brasher Doubloon
Movie · as Philip Marlowe
Three Little Girls in Blue
Movie · as Van Damm Smith
Take It or Leave It
Movie · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Troop Carrier Airplanes: Cockpit Procedure
Movie · as Lt. Warren
Coney Island
Movie · as Eddie Johnson
Bomber's Moon
Movie · as Capt. Jeffrey Dakin
Orchestra Wives
Movie · as Bill Abbot
China Girl
Movie · as Johnny Williams
Roxie Hart
Movie · as Homer Howard
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Movie · as Joe Dawson
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
Movie · as Self
Accent on Love
Movie · as John Worth Hyndman
The Cowboy and the Blonde
Movie · as Lank Garrett
Last of the Duanes
Movie · as Buck Duane
Riders of the Purple Sage
Movie · as Lassiter
Cadet Girl
Movie · as Tex Mallory
Young People
Movie · as Mike Shea
Star Dust
Movie · as Ronnie
Charter Pilot
Movie · as Charlie Crane
Hi-Yo Silver
Movie · as Jim Clark
Jennie
Movie · as Franz Schermer
The Cisco Kid and the Lady
Movie · as Tommy Bates
Saga of Death Valley
Movie · as Henchman
Wall Street Cowboy
Movie · as Cowhand
The Mysterious Miss X
Movie · as Policeman
Rough Riders' Round-up
Movie · as Patrolman Joe
Southward Ho!
Movie
The Night Riders
Movie · as Mob Member
Frontier Pony Express
Movie · as Lieutenant Harris
In Old Caliente
Movie · as Henchman
The Arizona Kid
Movie · as Soldier
South of the Border
Movie · as Bandit
In Old Monterey
Movie · as Soldier
S.O.S Tidal Wave
Movie
The Lone Ranger
Movie · as Jim Clark
Army Girl
Movie · as Soldier
Springtime in the Rockies
Movie · as Cowhand at Dance (uncredited)