Introduction:

 

Robert Montgomery became an overnight sensation with moviegoers in 1929 and 1930. Rarely has a star risen to such fame so quickly, but he lucked out considerably. At his home studio of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, leading men John Gilbert and Ramon Novarro were fading fast. Clark Gable wouldn’t be under contract for another year. So, to cope with the loss of a romantic lead, MGM groomed Montgomery into one of Hollywood’s best dressed, and most sophisticated leading man. Before Cary Grant rose to stardom, it was Robert Montgomery who was Hollywood’s personification of class and elegance.

But he was much more than MGM’s glossy, insincere playboy. He was a capable actor, trapped in the Hollywood Studio system, limiting him of what he could have achieved. At his height in popularity, Montgomery was most known as Joan Crawford’s leading man, his characters not to unique, requiring Montgomery to serve as a prop for leading ladies like Crawford, in glossy MGM fashion shows while wearing some smart suits. It was a waste of time for both leads. But, look into his life before the MGM makeover of Montgomery, and the person underneath, and you’ll discover an intelligent man who took nonsense from no one.

It would be ridiculous to dismiss the career of a legend like Cary Grant, but I’ve always found Montgomery so much more interesting, so much more three dimensional. George Hurrell described Montgomery as the “most intelligent man” he had ever met, and Robert was more than just book smart. When his father died while Robert was still a teenager, he was thrown out of his private schools in Europe, and practically lived on the streets while working for a mechanic. Montgomery would rise to stardom with notable acting talent and handsome looks. This page is dedicated to him, and a lack of presence in “Essential” Classic Hollywood.