Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship
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- Author：Charles Casillo
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Summary
Violet-eyed siren Elizabeth Taylor and classically handsome Montgomery Clift were the most gorgeous screen couple of their time。 Over two decades of friendship they made， separately and together， some of the era’s defining movies—including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof， The Misfits， Suddenly， Last Summer， and Cleopatra。 Yet the relationship between these two figures—one a dazzling， larger-than-life star， the other hugely talented yet fatally troubled—has never truly been explored until now。
“Monty， Elizabeth likes me， but she loves you。” -Richard Burton
When Elizabeth Taylor was cast opposite Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun， he was already a movie idol， with a natural sensitivity that set him apart。 At seventeen， Elizabeth was known for her ravishing beauty rather than her talent。 Directors treated her like a glamorous prop。 But Monty took her seriously， inspiring and encouraging her。 In her words， “That’s when I began to act。”
To Monty， she was “Bessie Mae，” a name he coined for her earthy， private side。 The press clamored for a wedding， convinced this was more than friendship。 The truth was even more complex。 Monty was drawn to women but sexually attracted to men—a fact that， if made public， would destroy his career。 But he found acceptance and kinship with Elizabeth。 Her devotion was never clearer than after his devastating car crash near her Hollywood home， when she crawled into the wreckage and saved him from choking。
Monty’s accident shattered his face and left him in constant pain。 As he sank into alcoholism and addiction， Elizabeth used her power to keep him working。 In turn， through scandals and multiple marriages， he was her constant。 Their relationship endured until his death in 1966， right before he was to star with her in Reflections in a Golden Eye。 His influence continued in her outspoken support for the gay community， especially during the AIDS crisis。
Far more than the story of two icons， this is a unique and extraordinary love story that shines new light on both stars， revealing their triumphs， demons—and the loyalty that united them to the end。
“Monty， Elizabeth likes me， but she loves you。” -Richard Burton
When Elizabeth Taylor was cast opposite Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun， he was already a movie idol， with a natural sensitivity that set him apart。 At seventeen， Elizabeth was known for her ravishing beauty rather than her talent。 Directors treated her like a glamorous prop。 But Monty took her seriously， inspiring and encouraging her。 In her words， “That’s when I began to act。”
To Monty， she was “Bessie Mae，” a name he coined for her earthy， private side。 The press clamored for a wedding， convinced this was more than friendship。 The truth was even more complex。 Monty was drawn to women but sexually attracted to men—a fact that， if made public， would destroy his career。 But he found acceptance and kinship with Elizabeth。 Her devotion was never clearer than after his devastating car crash near her Hollywood home， when she crawled into the wreckage and saved him from choking。
Monty’s accident shattered his face and left him in constant pain。 As he sank into alcoholism and addiction， Elizabeth used her power to keep him working。 In turn， through scandals and multiple marriages， he was her constant。 Their relationship endured until his death in 1966， right before he was to star with her in Reflections in a Golden Eye。 His influence continued in her outspoken support for the gay community， especially during the AIDS crisis。
Far more than the story of two icons， this is a unique and extraordinary love story that shines new light on both stars， revealing their triumphs， demons—and the loyalty that united them to the end。
Reviews
Frances Thomas
，
I appreciate receiving a free ARC to review。 Judging by the endnotes， this was well researched， but the tabloid style writing is a turn off。 My conclusion is Liz and Monty were beautiful on the outside only。 Their characters and hygiene left much to be desired。
Dianne
，
I am adding to this review to mention that I did finally finish this book， it gets somewhat better in the middle。 I am going to keep it at 2 stars because this was just a gossip re-hash。 Nothing new here。 Salacious is the word for this book。 I learned more about the sex lives of these characters than I really ever wanted to know。 This is one of the reasons I stay away from biographies-I find that the author/s usually have their own agenda and I'm generally not going to embrace it。I am reading th I am adding to this review to mention that I did finally finish this book， it gets somewhat better in the middle。 I am going to keep it at 2 stars because this was just a gossip re-hash。 Nothing new here。 Salacious is the word for this book。 I learned more about the sex lives of these characters than I really ever wanted to know。 This is one of the reasons I stay away from biographies-I find that the author/s usually have their own agenda and I'm generally not going to embrace it。I am reading this as an ARC and wonder if the editing got any better with the books that the Goodreads winners have gotten？ I know I'm not supposed to be mentioning editing problems （because this is an ARC）， but at this late date， the book should have been somewhat readable。 I've even found inconsistent dates that are extremely important。 I genuinely hope that this book eventually finds a competent editor， or at least I hope the author invested in Grammarly to help out！！！ This book was one of the biggest disappointments in reading that I have ever come across。 Had I known that this would be only about Montgomery Clift and his many， many lovers， addictions， and all-around disgusting behavior， with so much less about Elizabeth Taylor， I would never have picked up this biography。 If you like sex in all of its down and dirty ways， if you like hearing the sordid gossip of old-time dead actors who are also drug addicts and mentally deficient， then this is the read you have been waiting for。 Now I know why I have always stayed away from gossip rags while I was younger （and still do） - I don't want to know who is screwing who and how。 I don't want to know about the stars' penis size or actually the lack of such。I have made it to the 30% mark， and I don't know how I will get any further。 I will rewrite my review if the book gets any better/clearer。 。。。more
Stanley McShane
，
Read the full review on Rosepoint Publishing。Classic Hollywood—the era of the huge stars—beautiful and tragic。 Guess that would describe both of these Hollywood legends。I have to give it to author Casillo for all the research that went into this biography。 Monty Clift was a successful Broadway actor when sixteen year old Elizabeth met him。 Two polar opposites drawn to each other initially by their common experience of having stage mothers。The chapters trade off alternately Taylor’s experiences Read the full review on Rosepoint Publishing。Classic Hollywood—the era of the huge stars—beautiful and tragic。 Guess that would describe both of these Hollywood legends。I have to give it to author Casillo for all the research that went into this biography。 Monty Clift was a successful Broadway actor when sixteen year old Elizabeth met him。 Two polar opposites drawn to each other initially by their common experience of having stage mothers。The chapters trade off alternately Taylor’s experiences and then Clift’s experiences。 There was a LOT of name dropping， most names easily recognizable， as well as some fascinating behind the scenes tidbits about films， particularly those in which both starred。There is a great deal of description which is then repeated， portions spun， rinsed and repeated。 With so many names involved in the narrative perhaps dropping a name more than once was appropriate。 However， I got the point the first time。We knew about Elizabeth’s penchant for men， the excitement， the thrill of the conquests （eight marriages）， the tragedies， the drinking， the pills。 We knew that Monty Clift was gay when it was dangerous to be so。 We didn’t know of his destructive nature， the booze， the drugs， the pills and his propensity to go off the deep end into unnaturally offensive behavior。 He was exhibiting self-destructive behavior， however， before a horrific accident changed forever his face。 3。5 starsFTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary uncorrected review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley。 These are my honest thoughts。 。。。more
Peggy Jaeger
，
I am a huge fan of when movies were actually fun to go to because the story and acting were so damn good。 Liz Taylor and Montgomery Clift were two of the biggest stars in the world during their time and I was excited to read this tale of their lifelong friendship。Unfortunately， the book is so poorly edited and written that all I felt after reading is tired and bored。Salacious gossip does not a good biography make。 The author never gets to the true heart of why Montgomery Clift lived the life he I am a huge fan of when movies were actually fun to go to because the story and acting were so damn good。 Liz Taylor and Montgomery Clift were two of the biggest stars in the world during their time and I was excited to read this tale of their lifelong friendship。Unfortunately， the book is so poorly edited and written that all I felt after reading is tired and bored。Salacious gossip does not a good biography make。 The author never gets to the true heart of why Montgomery Clift lived the life he did， preferring instead to quote old rumors and repeat stories more than once in the book。Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if hadn't been for the page after page of editing issues。 So many times words were left out of sentences， or the opposite- words repeated。 I understand the need to give out arcs for review prior to publication， but wouldn't it be better to have them at least be mostly error free？This book was a disappointment and I'm sorry I wasted almost a week reading it。 。。。more
Michaela
，
I´m a fan of old Hollywood， so this book seemed to be right。 It´s is a double biography of Montgomery "Monty" Clift and Elizabeth Taylor。 It doesn´t only describe their films together， but also their personal life， his lovers， her husbands， their alcoholism and drug abuse and all the people around them。 They both were child stars， pushed by their respective mothers。 Monty helped his "Bessie Mae" to act more than "beautiful"， and Elizabeth helped him in his sad life and to find roles when his sta I´m a fan of old Hollywood， so this book seemed to be right。 It´s is a double biography of Montgomery "Monty" Clift and Elizabeth Taylor。 It doesn´t only describe their films together， but also their personal life， his lovers， her husbands， their alcoholism and drug abuse and all the people around them。 They both were child stars， pushed by their respective mothers。 Monty helped his "Bessie Mae" to act more than "beautiful"， and Elizabeth helped him in his sad life and to find roles when his star already sank。This book was easy to read in the beginning， but dragged in the middle， the language very simple and superficial。 I´m not sure how much of it is believable， as the sources are mostly interviews by famous （or less famous） people around Hollywood。 It reads more like an endless gossip， and it could have been more critical regarding the sources and life in Hollywood。I read the kindle edition， so the book might contain photos which would help。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mary Hess
，
This dual biography， an enthusiastic and affectionate portrait of both stars， focuses on their lifelong bond， formed as young performers in the waning years of Hollywood’s Golden Age on the set of George Stevens’ A Place in the Sun （ 1951）。 The author rightly focuses on the development of each as an artist， and as a former actor brings special insight to the narrative。 Taylor was described by critic Richard Schickel as “The Last Star” and her place in cinema history is assured。 Clift is more neg This dual biography， an enthusiastic and affectionate portrait of both stars， focuses on their lifelong bond， formed as young performers in the waning years of Hollywood’s Golden Age on the set of George Stevens’ A Place in the Sun （ 1951）。 The author rightly focuses on the development of each as an artist， and as a former actor brings special insight to the narrative。 Taylor was described by critic Richard Schickel as “The Last Star” and her place in cinema history is assured。 Clift is more neglected today， and this book attempts to fairly assess his career and do justice to his talent。。 Leaning too hard， however， on the trope of Clift’s ruined beauty in a tragic accident， recounted in graphic detail in the first chapter， detracts from that composite portrait， as Taylor’s own well-documented struggles with body image were cruelly explicit in the world’s press for decades and receives scant attention here。 Elizabeth Taylor’s resilience， her ability to survive addiction and fraught relationships is striking compared to the neediness and fragility of Clift， who was first to reach stardom and was dedicated to his art， yet fatally undone by illness and an unforgiving social climate。 Any gay actor had to negotiate a Hollywood that forced them to live dishonestly， in constant fear of snooping gossip columnists。 Hedda Hopper receives a well-earned drubbing here for her nastiness and cruelty: Clift contemptuously called her “the old gobbler。” Many colorful figures move in and out of the narrative， and some， who might have added needed context to this story of these passionate friends， are scarcely visible （e。g。 Rock Hudson， Richard Burton）。 The writing is lively， entertaining， and has many well reported accounts of life on and off camera。 There is unsparing detail of Clift’s decline: his multiple addictions to painkillers and alcohol， his tumultuous personal life， Taylor’s unselfish loyalty to her friends， but particularly to Monty， is the connecting thread， that and the love that sustained them both。 Clift said she was his “other half” - their parallel lives are weighed and analyzed in this sensitive treatment of a unique friendship。 。。。more
A
，
I don't remember how it happened， or when， but once upon a time， I saw Monty Clift and was just fascinated。 I watched all his movies （there aren't that many， sadly） and read pretty much every biography I could get my hands on。 Pretty soon I realized that there was not just something special about him but also about his friendship with Elizabeth Taylor。 I wanted to know all about it。 So imagine how happy I was when I discovered this book！ I couldn't wait to start reading and find out more。 As som I don't remember how it happened， or when， but once upon a time， I saw Monty Clift and was just fascinated。 I watched all his movies （there aren't that many， sadly） and read pretty much every biography I could get my hands on。 Pretty soon I realized that there was not just something special about him but also about his friendship with Elizabeth Taylor。 I wanted to know all about it。 So imagine how happy I was when I discovered this book！ I couldn't wait to start reading and find out more。 As someone who's been interested in both of them， I could have done with less of the individual biographies; having read several about them， I knew almost all of what I was reading already。 I realize that it gives much needed background for everyone who hasn't read about them before。 However， my favorite parts， the ones where the book shines most， is when it's really about them and their strong bond。 Their friendship was something quite unique and who hasn't wondered how things might have turned for Monty had he lived longer。All in all， I really enjoyed reading it。 The book seems extremely well researched which gives it a very intimate feeling。 I enjoyed that。 Sometimes there were repetitions in the text that made me stumble。 As in there would be a statement and the same statement， just in different words， would be repeated a few lines further down。 That's why I'm giving the book only four stars instead of five。Other than that: a recommended read for everyone who is fascinated by the classic age of Hollywood！ Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan Snodgrass
，
I loved the old movies。 In my opinion， they were so much better than the current ones。 I loved old movie stars， too。 But this book really bothered me in several ways。 I had no idea of Montgomery Clift's secret life。 I knew he did some good acting， but this other part was disturbing。 And there was some pretty nasty language here， too。 I would have preferred to remain ignorant of this。 As far as a good biography goes， this works well。 I was not impressed with the content。 My thanks to the publishe I loved the old movies。 In my opinion， they were so much better than the current ones。 I loved old movie stars， too。 But this book really bothered me in several ways。 I had no idea of Montgomery Clift's secret life。 I knew he did some good acting， but this other part was disturbing。 And there was some pretty nasty language here， too。 I would have preferred to remain ignorant of this。 As far as a good biography goes， this works well。 I was not impressed with the content。 My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book。 I was not required to leave a positive review。 。。。more
Poppy Marlowe
，
as someone who rarely likes a movie made past 1967， this book was right up my alley。 Elizabeth and Monty would have made some beautiful children， had it been in the stars for them - Suddenly Last Summer may be my all-time favourite movie！ The biography was well researched， well presented and I am going to have my book club read it for one of their books this coming summer。 Imagine how different life would have been for him had it been "okay" for him to be gay like it is today。。。that is a prime t as someone who rarely likes a movie made past 1967， this book was right up my alley。 Elizabeth and Monty would have made some beautiful children， had it been in the stars for them - Suddenly Last Summer may be my all-time favourite movie！ The biography was well researched， well presented and I am going to have my book club read it for one of their books this coming summer。 Imagine how different life would have been for him had it been "okay" for him to be gay like it is today。。。that is a prime talking point for any one person and a book club to ponder。5/5 stars！ 。。。more
Dieter Moitzi
，
Loved this double-bio… Longer review coming very soon。
Alena
，
Some lives are more dramatics that movies， like the case of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift。Wonderful biography is well documented， easy to read and focuses more than on drama and scandal， Casillo’s show us the vulnerable side of the two icons。Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift were child stars， both harassed by their mothers， when they meet， they click it off instantly， is the begin of a friendship that will last even after death。Life is not as glamorous as it seems。 They were the most Some lives are more dramatics that movies， like the case of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift。Wonderful biography is well documented， easy to read and focuses more than on drama and scandal， Casillo’s show us the vulnerable side of the two icons。Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift were child stars， both harassed by their mothers， when they meet， they click it off instantly， is the begin of a friendship that will last even after death。Life is not as glamorous as it seems。 They were the most beautiful people in the world， very talented and loved by the public。 But they have problems， serious problems with alcohol， medication and mental health。 This is a （platonic） love story between two humans。 We see the behind the scenes of their legend。 They were real persons， not only actors， they have feelings， feel depressed and happy， want to be accepted and loved， like everyone else。Thanks NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC in exchange for a sincere review。 。。。more
Janet
，
。。。fabulous book。。。。will write more on Goodreads and my blogs as I am banned from screen time for a while due to a concussion and wanted people to know that this is a 5-star book。UPDATE: Poppy here ---I am typing it for her -）Date reviewed/posted: May 5， 2021Publication date: May 25， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspee 。。。fabulous book。。。。will write more on Goodreads and my blogs as I am banned from screen time for a while due to a concussion and wanted people to know that this is a 5-star book。UPDATE: Poppy here ---I am typing it for her -）Date reviewed/posted: May 5， 2021Publication date: May 25， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review。 From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。Violet-eyed siren Elizabeth Taylor and classically handsome Montgomery Clift were the most gorgeous screen couple of their time。 Over two decades of friendship they made， separately and together， some of the era's defining movies--including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof， The Misfits， Suddenly， Last Summer， and Cleopatra。 Yet the relationship between these two figures--one a dazzling， larger-than-life star， the other hugely talented yet fatally troubled--has never truly been explored until now。"Monty， Elizabeth likes me， but she loves you。" --Richard BurtonWhen Elizabeth Taylor was cast opposite Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun， he was already a movie idol， with a natural sensitivity that set him apart。 At seventeen， Elizabeth was known for her ravishing beauty rather than her talent。 Directors treated her like a glamorous prop。 But Monty took her seriously， inspiring and encouraging her。 In her words， "That's when I began to act。"To Monty， she was "Bessie Mae，" a name he coined for her earthy， private side。 The press clamoured for a wedding， convinced this was more than friendship。 The truth was even more complex。 Monty was drawn to women but sexually attracted to men--a fact that， if made public， would destroy his career。 But he found acceptance and kinship with Elizabeth。 Her devotion was never clearer than after his devastating car crash near her Hollywood home when she crawled into the wreckage and saved him from choking。Monty's accident shattered his face and left him in constant pain。 As he sank into alcoholism and addiction， Elizabeth used her power to keep him working。 In turn， through scandals and multiple marriages， he was her constant。 Their relationship endured until his death in 1966， right before he was to star with her in Reflections in a Golden Eye。 His influence continued in her outspoken support for the gay community， especially during the AIDS crisis。Far more than the story of two icons， this is a unique and extraordinary love story that shines new light on both stars， revealing their triumphs， demons--and the loyalty that united them to the end。Oh， what an amazing book -- two screen legends that had an amazing relationship， friendship and mutual adoration。 The book is well written and even newbies to these actors （I am often gobsmacked when today's people， especially millennials， have no idea who they are！） will lap it up。 It is a story that could be a novel but it is true and it is a great biography at that。 I will highly recommend this book to family， friends， patrons and book clubs。 Take this book to the beach （or your back yard， porch or balcony） and enjoy it - just wear a tonne of SPF110 as you will lose track of time as you read this。 - If we are in the 5th or 6th wave/mutation of COVID19 by then， stay inside: no tan is worth dying for。 As always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️ps。 best author biography EVER 。。。more
Sally
，
Interesting， if quite gossipy， account of the careers， personalities and backgrounds of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift and how their childhoods and families could have contributed to their deep friendship and subsequent tragedies。 Both are favorite actors of mine so I enjoyed this book。
Chantal Côté
，
I am always interested in any topic about classic Hollywood so ai was attracted to this friendship story。 Elizabeth Taylor led a fascinated life but Montgomery‘so was quite sad。 I learned more about him because Taylor’s life is already known and talked about in media outlets。I did find a genuine friendship。 And it helped understand how Elizabeth came to be an AIDS spokesperson in her later life。This biography was easy to read， but very light in content。 There were some questionable choices such I am always interested in any topic about classic Hollywood so ai was attracted to this friendship story。 Elizabeth Taylor led a fascinated life but Montgomery‘so was quite sad。 I learned more about him because Taylor’s life is already known and talked about in media outlets。I did find a genuine friendship。 And it helped understand how Elizabeth came to be an AIDS spokesperson in her later life。This biography was easy to read， but very light in content。 There were some questionable choices such as discussing sizes of penis。 That was totally irrelevant and not needed。 It made me doubt the seriousness of this biography。 。。。more
Lori
，
I received a kindle copy of this book from the goodreads giveaway。 As the title of the book says Charles Casillo writes about the close friendship between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift。 They met when Elizabeth was a teenager and Monty was about twelve years older than her。 They had a fiercely close friendship。 this book focuses on the years up to when Monty died at 45 years old。 It did not hide the problems Montgomery had with alcohol and his insecurities in the business。 it also address I received a kindle copy of this book from the goodreads giveaway。 As the title of the book says Charles Casillo writes about the close friendship between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift。 They met when Elizabeth was a teenager and Monty was about twelve years older than her。 They had a fiercely close friendship。 this book focuses on the years up to when Monty died at 45 years old。 It did not hide the problems Montgomery had with alcohol and his insecurities in the business。 it also addresses the horrible accident he was in and Elizabeth saved his life。 They were always devoted friends and Elizabeth Taylor was always protective and devoted to him when others wanted to turn their backs on him。 A good book I found interesting to read about the friendship of these two stars。 。。。more
Cierra
，
Prior to reading this， I only knew the surface level/basic recollection of who Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor were。 I've always been interested in the lives of Old Hollywood stars so I was happy to win this in a giveaway。 Casillo also wrote 'Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon' which I very much enjoyed and devoured quickly。 What I loved about the author's book on Marilyn is what I felt was lacking in 'Elizabeth and Monty。' The chapters go back and forth with what's happenin Prior to reading this， I only knew the surface level/basic recollection of who Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor were。 I've always been interested in the lives of Old Hollywood stars so I was happy to win this in a giveaway。 Casillo also wrote 'Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon' which I very much enjoyed and devoured quickly。 What I loved about the author's book on Marilyn is what I felt was lacking in 'Elizabeth and Monty。' The chapters go back and forth with what's happening in Monty's life and Elizabeth's life， however， I felt that the story was a bit Elizabeth heavy and then a short chapter on Monty would be given afterwards。 Yeah， I understand that Monty only lived to be 45 and Liz lived for decades following his passing， though since the book is about their friendship， I feel that the chapters on the subjects should've been better balanced。 As far as writing style， I did find it to be a bit over simplistic and elementary。 It was only during the middle of reading did I realize Casillo was the same author of the Marilyn biography I enjoyed and I was surprised。 Reading the two， it felt like two different authors had written them。On a positive， the author does a good job of backstory with both subjects and describing their lifelong friendship and loyalty to one another。 "Elizabeth & Monty" is a good place to start if you're wanting to learn more about the popular players in Old Hollywood and gain a closer look at one of the era's most memorable emotional bonds。 。。。more
Read Ng
，
This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a Kindle ebook。I do love old Hollywood movies。 There is a lot of name dropping in this book， but that is just a reflection of how everyone in the industry knows each other or has to know each other to further their lifestyles。 I am not a big gossip fan and much of this reads like a gossip story， but it was all true。 I am just outside of the age group growing up with these stars and largely ignored their headlines。 The only references I recall from those days This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a Kindle ebook。I do love old Hollywood movies。 There is a lot of name dropping in this book， but that is just a reflection of how everyone in the industry knows each other or has to know each other to further their lifestyles。 I am not a big gossip fan and much of this reads like a gossip story， but it was all true。 I am just outside of the age group growing up with these stars and largely ignored their headlines。 The only references I recall from those days was the numerous marriages of Taylor and the feeling that some stars do dictate the industry。 There is so much of the people behind the movie characters that I never knew。 I really liked this well researched telling。 I loved discovering their undying friendship。This was a GoodReads。 。。。more
Charlotte Pawson
，
Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift met when she was 16 and he was at the height of his career。 Both had the looks that the camera loved。 Monty was so generous with his acting talent and helped many at the start of their career including Elizabeth。 Both formed a lifelong friendship the best friend we all search for。 Unfortunately life on screen did not imitate real life。 An accident at the peek of Monty’s career affected his future acting career which was everything to him。 Elizabeth was const Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift met when she was 16 and he was at the height of his career。 Both had the looks that the camera loved。 Monty was so generous with his acting talent and helped many at the start of their career including Elizabeth。 Both formed a lifelong friendship the best friend we all search for。 Unfortunately life on screen did not imitate real life。 An accident at the peek of Monty’s career affected his future acting career which was everything to him。 Elizabeth was constantly looking for love but was very loyal to her friends。 This book very much delves into the offscreen lives which will still provide a few surprises。 Two icons who lead extraordinary lives which might have been very different if it wasn’t for fate。 A very emotional book to read but it is well worth it。I was given an arc by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Translator Monkey
，
Four and a half stars。Well-researched and in-depth story of an incredible relationship between， ultimately， two personalities - simultaneously similar and worlds apart。 A frank look Clift's self-loathing and self-destructive nature and Taylor's early fawning over the actor， eventually settling into a platonic "romance。"Casillo draws on hundreds upon hundreds of sources， interweaving the Taylor and Clift chapters， devoting each as the lead role in their own sections， with the other as supporting Four and a half stars。Well-researched and in-depth story of an incredible relationship between， ultimately， two personalities - simultaneously similar and worlds apart。 A frank look Clift's self-loathing and self-destructive nature and Taylor's early fawning over the actor， eventually settling into a platonic "romance。"Casillo draws on hundreds upon hundreds of sources， interweaving the Taylor and Clift chapters， devoting each as the lead role in their own sections， with the other as supporting actors; the remaining cast of characters is filled with hundreds of names immediately recognizable to any aficionado of films from that era。 I found the behind-the-scenes elements for each of the movies particularly fascinating， many tidbits I'd never heard before。 So what is the payoff， ultimately？ We see two actors， hailed more for their beauty early on than for their art， each controlled - one by an overbearing mother， the other by his dependencies， from emotional to alcoholic to pharmaceutical， each trying to live vicariously to find happiness but more and more， as youth gives way to the Septembers of their lives， realizing they've orchestrated themselves （in one instance， fatally） in the wrong direction with very little time for course corrections。 Even with Taylor's comparatively long life， although surrounded by friends and family， you can't escape the feeling that she was - like Monty before her - unbearably lonely。 A great read。 I took half a star off for gratuitous details of Clift's anatomy and his proclivities in his final year。 There were more than a few grammatical and typographical errors， but as this was an uncorrected proof， that's no surprise。 They did not get in the way of a wonderful book。Finally， I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to the author， his publisher Kensington Books， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC。 。。。more
Regina Mastrogiacomo
，
An outstanding biography about two very famous stars。 I found the book a thorough telling of stars life。 Just like us， Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift were human with both their strength and their weakness and the book describes how their upbringing and the influence of fame effected their lives。 It was heart wrenching to read about Montgomery Clift life and how sad it was， and yet at the same time Elizabeth Taylor lived her life to the fullest even while searching for love from others and An outstanding biography about two very famous stars。 I found the book a thorough telling of stars life。 Just like us， Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift were human with both their strength and their weakness and the book describes how their upbringing and the influence of fame effected their lives。 It was heart wrenching to read about Montgomery Clift life and how sad it was， and yet at the same time Elizabeth Taylor lived her life to the fullest even while searching for love from others and getting it most of the time。 Excellent bookI want to thank Kensington Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this insightful book 。。。more
Mary
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E-galley courtesy of Kensington and NetGalleyElizabeth and Monty is about two major luminaries of a bygone era。 What they portrayed on film entertained millions while making millions for the industry。 As you might imagine， their personal lives were quite different。 Charles Casillo presents that side to the story。 Fans of old Hollywood will love reading about them and I'm sure will be inspired to watch a film or two。 E-galley courtesy of Kensington and NetGalleyElizabeth and Monty is about two major luminaries of a bygone era。 What they portrayed on film entertained millions while making millions for the industry。 As you might imagine， their personal lives were quite different。 Charles Casillo presents that side to the story。 Fans of old Hollywood will love reading about them and I'm sure will be inspired to watch a film or two。 。。。more
Ang Marie
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I really enjoyed getting to know Elizabeth and Monty however i felt the book was very slow paced and more times than not I would find myself bored。I did like and enjoy the way the chapters and the book was set out。 One chapter being about Elizabeth and the next about Monty。 It was a nice change and it flowed nicely。I did enjoy getting to know this classic megastars and the history of there fabulous career。
Valerity （Val）
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A wonderful biography of Old Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift。 I’ve read several books on Taylor， but Clift is more elusive to know。 So I was glad to read this and learn more about him and their strong friendship。 They were so close， were they just friends？ It was a time in the industry where it was forbidden to openly be gay， if you wanted a career anyway。 Clift had an affinity for women， he loved being in their company， and was very close to several， which really kept peop A wonderful biography of Old Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift。 I’ve read several books on Taylor， but Clift is more elusive to know。 So I was glad to read this and learn more about him and their strong friendship。 They were so close， were they just friends？ It was a time in the industry where it was forbidden to openly be gay， if you wanted a career anyway。 Clift had an affinity for women， he loved being in their company， and was very close to several， which really kept people guessing。 When Clift met the actress Elizabeth Taylor， she was still a minor。 Yet when they began acting together， they really bonded and found they liked being around one another。 The older， more experienced actor from the stage in New York， Clift even began coaching Taylor， helping her with her acting。 They had similar mothers who were stage mothers in the worst sense。 This cemented their friendship for the remainder of Clift’s life。 I got a lot from this book and enjoyed it as well。 Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley， author Charles Castillo， and the publisher。 。。。more
Jean-Luc
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A beautiful and heartbreaking biography of a Hollywood "Friendship" and/or （the reader will decide） of a love story that remained sadly & tragically unfulfilled。。。Elegantly written without too much of a gossipy slant， it will （without any doubt） highly satisfy people interested in the Hollywood Golden Era and be also a worthy addition to any collection on 20th century American film studies overhere in Europe & in North America。Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to dis A beautiful and heartbreaking biography of a Hollywood "Friendship" and/or （the reader will decide） of a love story that remained sadly & tragically unfulfilled。。。Elegantly written without too much of a gossipy slant， it will （without any doubt） highly satisfy people interested in the Hollywood Golden Era and be also a worthy addition to any collection on 20th century American film studies overhere in Europe & in North America。Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to discover this great title before its scheduled publication date。 。。。more
Federica
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I love old Hollywood stars and I love biographies， so this was for me the perfect match。 A deep look into these two legends'friendship and the story of lifetime loyalty。Beautiful book！ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I love old Hollywood stars and I love biographies， so this was for me the perfect match。 A deep look into these two legends'friendship and the story of lifetime loyalty。Beautiful book！ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cindy
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Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift， how can anyone resist them on-screen？ The magic they showed in their films didn't always find its way into their off-screen lives。 One magical thing that did was their friendship。 It started when they worked together in the fabulous film A Place in the Sun， and only ended in the early death of Monty at the age of 45。 They were both complicated， and at times， difficult people to know， yet they found a solace in one another。 One thing that never changed for t Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift， how can anyone resist them on-screen？ The magic they showed in their films didn't always find its way into their off-screen lives。 One magical thing that did was their friendship。 It started when they worked together in the fabulous film A Place in the Sun， and only ended in the early death of Monty at the age of 45。 They were both complicated， and at times， difficult people to know， yet they found a solace in one another。 One thing that never changed for them was their friendship。 Casillo explores their lives， both together and separately， in this wonderful read。 。。。more
Cindy
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A WONDERFUL LOOK AT OLD HOLLYWOOD， THE STUDIO SYSTEM， SND 2 BEAUTIFUL PEOPLR。 RECOMMEND FOR ANYONE EHO ENJOYS THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD。
Lisa
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My thanks to Kensington books， Charles Casillo and Netgalley。I love old Hollywood。 I prefer them to be dead awhile though， before I read anything about them。I still haven't read anything about Johnny Carson！ "Love his late show， but I'm not ready to read about him being a complete jerkface yet！" However， I've seen quite a few Montgomery "Monty" Clift movies。 I always thought he was fantastic。 I suppose I thought he was a good looking man， but he never hit that googah status。 For me anyways。 I j My thanks to Kensington books， Charles Casillo and Netgalley。I love old Hollywood。 I prefer them to be dead awhile though， before I read anything about them。I still haven't read anything about Johnny Carson！ "Love his late show， but I'm not ready to read about him being a complete jerkface yet！" However， I've seen quite a few Montgomery "Monty" Clift movies。 I always thought he was fantastic。 I suppose I thought he was a good looking man， but he never hit that googah status。 For me anyways。 I just liked his acting。 I've seen most of his movies， and I was never appalled or really even noticed his facial or body difference。 That's probably because he died before I was born。 Maybe I would have noticed the changes。 I'm trying to think of an actor I love。 One I may have seen changes in， but。。I don't give a poop about any！ I loved Gene Kelly， Dean Martin and Clift。 But， because I loved these actors， I've never read about them。 Until now。 Monty and his story made me heartsick。 He was a fantastic actor， and his last year's must have been hell。 A hell of his own making， but still。Elizabeth Taylor。 That's somebody I never thought I'd read about！ I'm not an Elizabeth Taylor fan。 But， that movie "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof？" That's some good stuff！ I watched for Paul Newman。 I stayed for Taylor！ Truth is I always thought Liz wore too much make-up。 I can't hate her because of the jewelry。 That would make me a hypocrite！ I adore jewelry。 I've quite a bit myself！ I never quite understood how someone could marry so many times！ I guess that made her seem a bit shallow to me。 After reading this though， I've changed my mind。 Yes， I still believe she was shallow。 But， she also had great depths。 She loved being in love。 I agree！ I'm the same。 I love the new。 Tingles， chills and all！ I just never married everyone I felt that with。 "Thank my lucky stars！" But， I get how Liz was like that。 Her childhood and upbringing in Hollywood tells a million tales！ I especially liked her heart。 She seems to have had a lot of it。 "Except for that whole Michael Jackson thing。" Still， what do I know？ I ended up loving this book。 I'm happy to have read it。 I will probably end up watching more Taylor movies。 Of course Clift is always watchable！ 。。。more
Karen
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