How Elizabeth Taylor saved the life of Montgomery Clift
Considered by many to be among the most iconic stars of Hollywood’s greatest era, Elizabeth Taylor will always be remembered as an inimitable talent. Ranging from brilliant performances in popular dramas like A Place in the Sun to her overwhelmingly powerful tour de force in the New Hollywood gem Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Taylor’s legacy is untouchable. In addition to her impressive acting credits, she also saved the life of Montgomery Clift.
Taylor had reached the zenith of the film industry during the 1950s on the back of several successful projects that had propelled her to the top. That’s why many expected Raintree County, her 1957 collaboration with Clift, to be another major hit that would further solidify her already stellar status in Hollywood. However, that wasn’t the case since the historical epic was widely panned and is largely forgotten now except for one particular reason.
It marked a significant turning point for Clift, who was struggling with some serious substance abuse issues at the time. In his autobiography, director Edward Dmytryk revealed that he found all kinds of prescription medicines, drugs and syringes, which explained Clift’s strange behaviour on set. All of this culminated in the infamous 1956 car crash that the actor was involved in after leaving a party hosted by Taylor and her husband.
Clift had crashed his vehicle into a telephone pole while trying to manoeuvre his way through a hairpin turn in the fog, resulting in a deadly wreck. After being alerted by a friend, Taylor immediately went to the site and found her co-star trapped under the dashboard while bleeding profusely. After climbing into the destroyed automobile, she prevented serious complications by removing the broken teeth that had collected in the back of his throat.
In William J. Mann’s biography of Taylor, the writer noted the initial reactions experienced by the star: “Monty’s car was demolished, an ‘accordion-pleated mess’, Elizabeth said. A 4,800 transformer, knocked off the pole by the impact, had narrowly missed hitting the car. McCarthy thought his friend was dead. ‘The doors were so jammed that we couldn’t get to him,’ he said.” When asked about it, she explained her quick thinking: “Adrenaline does something to you.”
When she was first confronted by the vision of Clift’s mangled body, she could only compare it to “pulp”. Although it’s almost impossible to imagine a complete recovery from something like that, the actor returned to complete the production after two months. Unfortunately, he would never be the same again, and the second half of his career pales in comparison to the achievements of his early years, further complicated by serious addiction problems.
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