That Movie Clip Wednesday Mistress of the Wishy Washy, Boxer is changing her already posted theme to honor the passing of a Hollywood starlet in this week's Movie Clip Wednesday. This MCW Meme has everyone picking a clip from their favorite movies based on a weekly theme while trying to keep the clip or clips to around 3 minutes long. This week's theme is Favorite Elizabeth Taylor Movie. I had the party theme about half way done - DAMN YOU FICKLE WOMEN! I feel better now.
That said, I'm not much of a Liz Taylor aficionado. I mean, there's Cleopatra which is an epic, grandiose spectacle - but a little boring to me. And there's the one I'm choosing because for some reason, I've seen it several times on TV and liked the hometown feel to it. Even though it's a chick movie for the most part. And that movie would be Raintree County (1957).
It's like a scaled down Gone with the Wind. Liz, Montgomery Clift and Eva Marie Saint (who is really hot in this) give outstanding performances. Here's the trailer clip: Interesting fact from IMDB: On May 12, 1956, during the shooting of this film, Montgomery Clift was involved in a serious car accident on his way back home from a party at the house of Elizabeth Taylor. His friend Kevin McCarthy witnessed the accident from his car, drove back and informed Taylor and her then husband Michael Wilding, who immediately drove to the location together with Rock Hudson. Taylor entered the car through the back door, crawled to the front seat and removed the two front teeth from Clift's throat that threatened to choke him. Hudson finally managed to pull him out of the wreck and together they protected him from being photographed until the ambulance arrived. This was necessary because soon after the emergency call had come in to the local police station, reporters were already on their way and arrived at the scene when Clift was still in the car. The accident was well publicized. After nine weeks of recovery and with plastic surgery, Clift returned to the movie set and finished the film, but with considerable difficulties. His dashing looks, though, were gone forever. If you notice in some scenes, his nose and chin look different, and the left side of his face is more or less immobile.Liz made 3 movies with Clift, this, A Place in the Sun and Suddenly Last Summer. They were scheduled to make a fourth movie (Liz put her salary for the film on the line as insurance), Reflections in a Golden Eye but he died before shooting. So Liz had a very compassionate side to her that didn't come across in her films or show up in the media (as far as I'm concerned).
So if you're not doing anything, head on over to Boxer's for some more Liz inspired devotion.
7 comments:
Monty Cliff's life was a tragedy all the way around, but Liz Taylor was a true blue friend to him (platonic, because he was gay). By the way, a similar thing happened with Patricia Neal after she suffered her stroke. Those "looks" were gone forever.
Heyyyyyyyy, even though you get all cranky about the switch you managed to write a really good write up and pick an equally good movie. I knew some of the story about Montgomery Clift, but not everything. Tragic. Interesting it was Rock Hudson that was also there.
Anyway, I had picked PARTY because it's my birthday, so that will next week, so save your post.
Happy MCW! :-)
Good morning Buzz Kill,
Interesting, this sent me off to read Montgomery Cliff's Bio. One of the lines in it reads "the longest suicide in history". The story does show one other thing about Taylor, for all her faults she appears to have been a very loyal for friend.
Enjoy your clip day.
Moi
Yeah, I knew he was a little light in the loafers. Although I didn't know that until years later. That was some good acting he did in this movie. And I just wonder what kind of party Liz was throwing that had Rock Hudson there too? Bwahahaha
Boxer
I came real close to auto-publishing the party theme. Bwahahaha The way I live my life, I'm use to schedule changes all the time.
The whole Rock Hudson thing is intriguing and creepy at the same time.
Karl
Yeah, I saw that line in reference to Monty too. It's actually kind of cool. It gives him that James Dean mystique. I now look at some of his movies in a whole different light. And you're right. Liz tried to save his career by jepordizing hers (if that 4th film didn't turn out) but she was a little too late.
My mom, who was a total Liz fan, always felt that Montgomery Clift was Liz's true love, but that he was gay, so it was never to be. Another movie where she is at her most gorgeous, but the story you tell shows the real woman she was. Good choice for MCW.
I liked learnin' this about ET--
have missed the MCW fun. But ya done a good job here.
Pam
It's like a an old time Greek or Shakespearean tragedy. And Montgomery Clift always reminded me of James Dean for some reason.
Aunty
I watched this movie from a whole different perspective once I knew the backstory. Who'''d of thought you could do that with a 50 year old movie?
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