Robert Montgomery
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 21, 1904
- Died
- September 27, 1981 (aged 77)
- Birthplace
- Fishkill Landing [now Beacon], New York, USA
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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Lusitanian Illusion
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Complicated Women
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Ingrid Bergman Remembered
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment, Part II
Movie · as (archive footage)
That's Entertainment!
Movie · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Merv Griffin Show
TV · as Self · 4 eps
The Gallant Hours
Movie · as Narration (American scenes)
Your Witness
Movie · as Adam Heyward
The Colgate Comedy Hour
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Robert Montgomery Presents
TV · as Self - Host · 318 eps
What's My Line?
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Once More, My Darling
Movie · as Collier Laing
Breakdowns of 1949
Movie · as Self
June Bride
Movie · as Carey Jackson
The Secret Land
Movie · as Narrator
The Saxon Charm
Movie · as Matt Saxon
Ride the Pink Horse
Movie · as Lucky Gagin
Lady in the Lake
Movie · as Phillip Marlowe
They Were Expendable
Movie · as Lt. John Brickley
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Movie · as David
Rage in Heaven
Movie · as Philip Monrell
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Movie · as Joe Pendleton
Unfinished Business
Movie · as Tommy Duncan
The Earl of Chicago
Movie · as Robert Kilmount
Busman's Honeymoon
Movie · as Lord Peter Wimsey
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
Movie · as Self
Fast and Loose
Movie · as Joel Sloane
From the Ends of the Earth
Movie · as Self
Three Loves Has Nancy
Movie · as Malcolm 'Mal' Niles
Hollywood Handicap
Movie · as Himself
Yellow Jack
Movie · as John O'Hara
The First Hundred Years
Movie · as David Conway
Hollywood Goes to Town
Movie · as Self
Ever Since Eve
Movie · as Freddy Matthews
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
Movie · as Lord Arthur Dilling
Night Must Fall
Movie · as Danny
Live, Love and Learn
Movie · as Bob Graham
The Romance of Celluloid
Movie · as Self
Petticoat Fever
Movie · as Dascom Dinsmore
Piccadilly Jim
Movie · as James Crocker, Jr.
Trouble for Two
Movie · as Prince Florizel
No More Ladies
Movie · as Sheridan 'Sherry' Warren
Biography of a Bachelor Girl
Movie · as Richard 'Dickie' Kurt
Vanessa: Her Love Story
Movie · as Benjamin Herries
Starlit Days at the Lido
Movie · as Self
Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 8
Movie
Hide-Out
Movie · as Jonathan 'Lucky' Wilson
Forsaking All Others
Movie · as Dillon 'Dill" Todd
The Mystery of Mr. X
Movie · as Nicholas Revel
Fugitive Lovers
Movie · as Paul Porter, aka Stephen Blaine
Riptide
Movie · as Tommie L. Trent
Another Language
Movie · as Victor Hallam
Night Flight
Movie · as Auguste Pellerin
Made on Broadway
Movie · as Jeff
When Ladies Meet
Movie · as Jimmie
Hell Below
Movie · as Lieut. Thomas Knowlton USN
Going Hollywood
Movie · as Himself - Premiere Clip (archive footage)
Blondie of the Follies
Movie · as Larry Belmont
Letty Lynton
Movie · as Hale Darrow
Lovers Courageous
Movie · as Willie Smith
Faithless
Movie · as William 'Bill' Wade
But the Flesh Is Weak
Movie · as Max Clement
Inspiration
Movie · as André Montell
The Man in Possession
Movie · as Raymond Dabney
Strangers May Kiss
Movie · as Steve
Private Lives
Movie · as Elyot Chase
The Easiest Way
Movie · as Jack Madison
Shipmates
Movie · as John Paul Jones
Estrellados
Movie · as Self (Guest Appearance at Premiere)
Free and Easy
Movie · as Larry
The Big House
Movie · as Kent Marlowe
The Divorcee
Movie · as Don
Our Blushing Brides
Movie · as Tony Jardine
War Nurse
Movie · as Wally O'Brien
Love in the Rough
Movie · as Kelly
The Sins of the Children
Movie · as Nick Higginson
The Voice of Hollywood
Movie
Their Own Desire
Movie · as John 'Jack' Douglas Cheever
Untamed
Movie · as Andy McAllister
So This Is College
Movie · as Biff
Three Live Ghosts
Movie · as William Foster
The Single Standard
Movie · as Party Boy (uncredited)