From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Montgomery (born Henry Montgomery Jr.; May 21, 1904 – September 27, 1981) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer. He was also the father of actress Elizabeth Montgomery. Montgomery settled in New York City to try his hand at writing and acting. He established a stage career, and became popular enough to turn down an offer to appear opposite Vilma Bánky in the film This Is Heaven (1929). Sharing a stage with George Cukor gave him an entry to Hollywood and a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he debuted in So This Is College (also 1929). Montgomery initially played exclusively in comedy roles, but portrayed a character in his first drama film in The Big House (1930). MGM was initially reluctant to assign him in such a role, until "his earnestness, and his convincing arguments, with demonstrations of how he would play the character" won him the assignment. From The Big House on, he was in constant demand. Appearing as Greta Garbo's romantic interest in Inspiration (1930) started him toward stardom with a rush. Norma Shearer chose him to star opposite her in The Divorcee (1930), Strangers May Kiss (1931), and Private Lives (1931), which led him to stardom. In another challenging role, Montgomery played a psychopath in the chiller Night Must Fall (1937), for which he received an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination. After World War II broke out in Europe in September, 1939, and while the United States was still officially neutral, Montgomery enlisted in London for American field service and drove ambulances in France until the Dunkirk evacuation. He then returned to Hollywood and addressed a massive rally on the MGM lot for the American Red Cross in July 1940. Montgomery returned to playing light comedy roles, such as Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) with Carole Lombard. He continued his search for dramatic roles. For his role as Joe Pendleton, a boxer and pilot in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Montgomery was nominated for an Oscar a second time. After the U.S. entered World War II in December 1941, he joined the United States Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander, and served on the USS Barton (DD-722) which was part of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. In 1945, Montgomery returned to Hollywood, making his uncredited directing debut with They Were Expendable, where he directed some of the PT boat scenes when director John Ford was unable to work for health reasons. Montgomery's first credited film as director and his final film for MGM was the film noir Lady in the Lake (1947), in which he also starred, which received mixed reviews. Adapted from Raymond Chandler's detective novel and sanitized for the censorship of the day, the film is unusual because it was filmed entirely from Marlowe's vantage point. Montgomery only appeared on camera a few times, three times in a mirror reflection. Active in Republican politics and concerned about communist influence in the entertainment industry, Montgomery was a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. Montgomery has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for movies at 6440 Hollywood Boulevard, and another for television at 1631 Vine Street.

Filmography

• 1976That's Entertainment, Part II — (archive footage)
• 1974That's Entertainment! — (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 1960The Gallant Hours — Narration (American scenes), Producer, Director
• Robert Montgomery Presents — Self - Host, Producer
• 1950Your Witness — Adam Heyward, Director
• 1949Once More, My Darling — Collier Laing, Director
• 1948June Bride — Carey Jackson
• 1948The Saxon Charm — Matt Saxon
• 1948The Secret Land — Narrator
• 1947Ride the Pink Horse — Lucky Gagin, Director
• 1946Lady in the Lake — Phillip Marlowe, Director
• 1945They Were Expendable — Lt. John Brickley
• 1941Here Comes Mr. Jordan — Joe Pendleton
• 1941Mr. & Mrs. Smith — David
• 1941Rage in Heaven — Philip Monrell
• 1941Unfinished Business — Tommy Duncan
• 1940Busman's Honeymoon — Lord Peter Wimsey
• 1940The Earl of Chicago — Robert Kilmount
• 1939Fast and Loose — Joel Sloane
• 1938The First Hundred Years — David Conway
• 1938Three Loves Has Nancy — Malcolm 'Mal' Niles
• 1938Yellow Jack — John O'Hara
• 1937Ever Since Eve — Freddy Matthews
• 1937Live, Love and Learn — Bob Graham
• 1937Night Must Fall — Danny
• 1937The Last of Mrs. Cheyney — Lord Arthur Dilling
• 1936Petticoat Fever — Dascom Dinsmore
• 1936Piccadilly Jim — James Crocker, Jr.
• 1936Trouble for Two — Prince Florizel
• 1935Biography of a Bachelor Girl — Richard 'Dickie' Kurt
• 1935No More Ladies — Sheridan 'Sherry' Warren
• 1935Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 8
• 1935Vanessa: Her Love Story — Benjamin Herries
• 1934Forsaking All Others — Dillon 'Dill" Todd
• 1934Fugitive Lovers — Paul Porter, aka Stephen Blaine
• 1934Hide-Out — Jonathan 'Lucky' Wilson
• 1934Riptide — Tommie L. Trent
• 1934The Mystery of Mr. X — Nicholas Revel
• 1933Another Language — Victor Hallam
• 1933Hell Below — Lieut. Thomas Knowlton USN
• 1933Made on Broadway — Jeff
• 1933Night Flight — Auguste Pellerin
• 1933When Ladies Meet — Jimmie
• 1932Blondie of the Follies — Larry Belmont
• 1932But the Flesh Is Weak — Max Clement
• 1932Faithless — William 'Bill' Wade
• 1932Letty Lynton — Hale Darrow
• 1932Lovers Courageous — Willie Smith
• 1931Inspiration — André Montell
• 1931Private Lives — Elyot Chase
• 1931Shipmates — John Paul Jones
• 1931Strangers May Kiss — Steve
• 1931The Easiest Way — Jack Madison
• 1931The Man in Possession — Raymond Dabney
• 1930Free and Easy — Larry
• 1930Love in the Rough — Kelly
• 1930Our Blushing Brides — Tony Jardine
• 1930The Big House — Kent Marlowe
• 1930The Divorcee — Don
• 1930The Sins of the Children — Nick Higginson
• 1930The Voice of Hollywood
• 1930War Nurse — Wally O'Brien
• 1929So This Is College — Biff
• 1929The Single Standard — Party Boy (uncredited)
• 1929Their Own Desire — John 'Jack' Douglas Cheever
• 1929Three Live Ghosts — William Foster
• 1929Untamed — Andy McAllister

Appearances as themselves (19)

• 2015Jornal Português (1938-1951) — Self (archive footage)
• 2010Lusitanian Illusion — Self (archive footage)
• 200642nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage — Self (archive footage)
• 2004Checking Out: Grand Hotel — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Complicated Women — Self (archive footage)
• 1996Ingrid Bergman Remembered — Self (archive footage)
• 1972Hollywood: The Dream Factory — Self (archive footage)
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Colgate Comedy Hour — Self
• What's My Line? — Self
• 1949Breakdowns of 1949 — Self
• 1940A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound — Self
• 1939From the Ends of the Earth — Self
• 1938Hollywood Goes to Town — Self
• 1938Hollywood Handicap — Himself
• 1937The Romance of Celluloid — Self
• 1935Starlit Days at the Lido — Self
• 1933Going Hollywood — Himself - Premiere Clip (archive footage)
• 1930Estrellados — Self (Guest Appearance at Premiere)