Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship - On the Bedside Table

 

This is part of the 2021 Summer Reading Challenge hosted by Raquel Stecher over at her Out of the Past blog. This has been an annual event since 2013. One which I have never completed with success. Aiming for 2021 to be the year I read 6 books and actually blog about them. #classicfilmreading

I have changed up my reading for this challenge, switched entirely to kindle versions of books. Book 3 for the reading challenge was a very quick read, Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship by Charles Casillo. I have come away from reading this book with very mixed feelings about it. The story is, of course, compelling. The book is fairly well written, there is a habit of a point being made, and then that point being virtually repeated in the very next paragraph throughout the book. Example after example of this, nothing bad, just something I found annoying.

Liz and Monty publicity for A Place in the Sun

The book covers both biographies from their childhoods up to their deaths in parallel fashion. It is a dual bio, a Cliff Notes version.  Particularly when it comes to Clift's early years and his pre-Hollywood stage work. Naturally, if you want more detail there is Patricia Bosworth's biography. The focus on Clift's development is more geared to his sexual awakenings rather than his life and career arc. Taylor's early years are treated more gently.

The crux of the book is their meeting during filming of A Place in the Sun, which began their friendship. It was a friendship that was deep and also very private. As Clift later said it was like he had found his other half. What follows is a gossipy chronicle of Taylor's affairs and marriages along side Clift's affairs, the terrible car accident and aftermath, his quirks and descent into a life of pain and physical misery (with no stone unturned and every debauch gleefully related from gutter to gutter). Through all the ups and downs of their lives, their friendship remained a link they both clung to. As Taylor relates in the below TCM video tribute, she loved him dearly. This is very touching and since Taylor was, essentially, a very private person it is also very revealing. Grateful that she left this for posterity, her loyalty as a friend is legendary.

      

Clift has been quoted from friends about how he loved Taylor, his Bessie Mae. So there is plenty of evidence of their mutual feelings. Did I learn anything new about their friendship from what I'd previously read? I do not think so. Others might feel differently. Based on the author's introduction and the afterward, he loved his subjects. 

My problem with this book is in looking through the sketchy notes and the bibliography. The bibliography references Charles Higham and David Bret, which are big red flags. There are also several lengthy quoted conversations, word for word, that have no sourcing in the notes (unless the notes are truncated in the kindle edition). So where did this come from?  I do not know, but, dialogue conversations being quoted verbatim without any source is maddening.

Is this the only book you should read on either Elizabeth Taylor or Montgomery Clift? My answer is no. Is their legendary friendship a compelling story? Absolutely it is. Do they both deserve more research, I think so. I would recommend the documentary Making Montgomery Clift as a start because I found it fascinating. The trailer is here:

There is also a new biography of Clift in the hopper.  I honestly cannot tell you if there is any bio of Elizabeth Taylor in the works, I hope so because she was a fascinating lady.