Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship

by Charles Casillo Narrated by Paul Heitsch

Overview

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 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, 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. 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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Elizabeth and Monty

“Casillo weaves an engrossing story about the intertwined lives of his subjects—the parallel worlds of privilege that they came from, the personal misfortunes that each suffered and the seemingly inextricable path that led to that fateful night. The author approaches them both with sympathy and comes away with a melodrama as good as any that they ever starred in.” —The New
York Times
  
“In a riveting new book that brings Hollywood's golden age to life with colorful, well-researched details and interviews with stars who knew Taylor and Clift, Casillo explores the intense bond the two shared.” —People Magazine
  
“A new dual biography details a relationship that became a Hollywood legend.” —Town & Country
  
“Their on-screen magic translated outside of the spotlight, and the duo enjoyed a long-lasting friendship that's explored in the new book Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship by Charles Casillo...Classic movie buffs get a glimpse into their unique bond.” —Southern Living
  
“As Casillo reveals in Elizabeth And Monty: The Untold Story Of Their Intimate Friendship, they had an intense, even romantic, relationship which, while never consummated, would weigh heavily on Taylor’s life, propelling her into a string of misguided marriages. ”—Daily Mail UK
  
“So jammed packed with sex, pill-popping, alcoholism, affairs, breakdowns, suicide attempts and multiple brushes with death that most readers will want to read it in one greedy, high-caloric gulp. Readers may come for the nonstop scandals but what will keep them reading is Casillo's deeply empathetic and nuanced portrait of two Hollywood stars who forged a loving and loyal friendship.” —Shelf Awareness
  
“Has the feel of a novel. A well-researched work that will appeal to readers who like their celebrity biographies juicy.”—Library Journal
  
“In this dual biography, their intertwined lives and careers are recounted with new and vivid detail, and their #FriendshipGoals are considered from all angles by Casillo, the author of Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon and Outlaw: The Lives and Careers of John Rechy. The book is incisive on the politics and personalities of bygone Hollywood, an understanding Casillo credits to friends like the late screenwriter and film historian Gavin Lambert (Inside Daisy Clover, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone).” —Everything Zoomer

Library Journal

04/02/2021

Casillo (The Fame Game) explores the seemingly unlikely friendship between stars Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, often called "the most beautiful couple in cinema history." When they met, Taylor was 17, a product of the studio star system since she was a little girl, and though she was a talented performer, she was known more for her beauty than her acting. Clift was 31 and a serious Broadway stage actor. When they starred in A Place in the Sun, they found they had much in common, most notably their overbearing mothers. Not realizing that Clift was gay, Taylor fell in love with him but eventually settled for a long and enduring friendship until Clift's death at 45, caused by his alcohol addiction and exacerbated by a car accident that shattered his face. Casillo covers both stars' careers, but it's their personal lives that take precedence here. Celebrity-watchers might already know some of these facts about Taylor's and Clift's lives, and readers might wish that Casillo had been clearer about the line between reality and the invented dialogue and dramatized events that he drew from interviews. Nevertheless, they'll still be absorbed by this book, which has the feel of a novel. VERDICT A well-researched work that will appeal to readers who like their celebrity biographies juicy.—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176459173
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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