MONTGOMERY CLIFT, American actor, died on this date (b. 1920) Appearing on Broadway at the age of thirteen, Clift achieved success on the stage and starred there for 10 years before moving to Hollywood, debuting in 1948’s Red River opposite John Wayne. Both Wayne and Walter Brennan were offended by Clift’s homosexuality, and stayed away from him while filming Red River. 

For his part, Clift was offended by the pro-USA political beliefs of those two older actors. Clift and Marlon Brando, who was coincidentally born in the same city, Omaha, Nebraska, were popularly known in Hollywood as the “Golddust Twins” because of their rapid rise to stardom. Clift reportedly turned down the starring roles in Sunset Boulevard and East of Eden. He is interred in the Quaker Cemetery, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY.