
Robert Montgomery
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1904-05-21
Day of Death
1981-09-27 (77 years old)
Place of Birth
Fishkill Landing [now Beacon], New York, USA
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.
Known For
Acting
(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)
(1960)
The Gallant Hours
as Narration (American scenes)
(1950)
Your Witness
as Adam Heyward
(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)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
as David
(1941)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
as Joe Pendleton
(1941)
Rage in Heaven
as Philip Monrell
(1941)
Unfinished Business
as Tommy Duncan
(1940)
Busman's Honeymoon
as Lord Peter Wimsey
(1940)
(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)
Hollywood Goes to Town
as Self
(1938)
Three Loves Has Nancy
as Malcolm 'Mal' Niles
(1938)
Hollywood Handicap
as Himself
(1938)
The First Hundred Years
as David Conway
(1938)
Yellow Jack
as John O'Hara
(1937)
Night Must Fall
as Danny
(1937)
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
as Lord Arthur Dilling
(1937)
Live, Love and Learn
as Bob Graham
(1937)
Ever Since Eve
as Freddy Matthews
(1937)
The Romance of Celluloid
as Self
(1936)
Piccadilly Jim
as James Crocker, Jr.
(1936)
Petticoat Fever
as Dascom Dinsmore
(1936)
Trouble for Two
as Prince Florizel
(1935)
No More Ladies
as Sheridan 'Sherry' Warren
(1935)
Starlit Days at the Lido
as Self
(1935)
Vanessa: Her Love Story
as Benjamin Herries
(1935)
(1935)
Biography of a Bachelor Girl
as Richard 'Dickie' Kurt
(1934)
Riptide
as Tommie L. Trent
(1934)
Fugitive Lovers
as Paul Porter, aka Stephen Blaine
(1934)
Hide-Out
as Jonathan 'Lucky' Wilson
(1934)
Forsaking All Others
as Dillon 'Dill" Todd
(1934)
The Mystery of Mr. X
as Revel
(1933)
Night Flight
as Auguste Pellerin
(1933)
Made on Broadway
as Jeff
(1933)
Hell Below
as Lieut. Thomas Knowlton USN
(1933)
Another Language
as Victor Hallam
(1933)
When Ladies Meet
as Jimmie
(1933)
Going Hollywood
as Himself - Premiere Clip (archive footage)
(1932)
Letty Lynton
as Hale Darrow
(1932)
But the Flesh Is Weak
as Max Clement
(1932)
Faithless
as William 'Bill' Wade
(1932)
Lovers Courageous
as Willie Smith
(1932)
Blondie of the Follies
as Larry Belmont
(1931)
Inspiration
as André Montell
(1931)
The Easiest Way
as Jack Madison
(1931)
Private Lives
as Elyot Chase
(1931)
Strangers May Kiss
as Steve
(1931)
The Man in Possession
as Raymond Dabney
(1931)
Shipmates
as John Paul Jones
(1930)
The Big House
as Kent Marlowe
(1930)
Free and Easy
as Larry
(1930)
Love in the Rough
as Kelly
(1930)
The Divorcee
as Don
(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)
War Nurse
as Wally O'Brien
(1930)
(1929)
The Single Standard
as Party Boy (uncredited)
(1929)
Untamed
as Andy McAllister
(1929)
Their Own Desire
as John 'Jack' Douglas Cheever
(1929)
Three Live Ghosts
as William Foster
(1929)
So This Is College
as Biff
Crew
(1960)
The Gallant Hours
Producer, Director
(1950)
Your Witness
Director
(1949)
Once More, My Darling
Director
(1947)
Ride the Pink Horse
Director
(1946)
Lady in the Lake
Director