# Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship - Hardcover

by **Charles Casillo** (Author)

**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.  

**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_**

### Author Biography

**Charles Casillo** is the author of the biographies _Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon_ and _Outlaw: The Lives and Careers of John Rechy_, as well as the novels _The Fame Game_ and _The Marilyn Diaries_, and the short story collection _Boys, Lost & Found_. His profiles, short stories, articles, and reviews have appeared in _The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Review of Books_, and many others. He has appeared in Monroe documentaries such as _Behind the Headlines: Marilyn and Her Men on Lifetime_ and _Scandalous: The Death of Marilyn Monroe_. His movies include _Let Me Die Quietly_ and _Fetish_. He divides his time between New York and Los Angeles. Find him online at CharlesCasillo on Facebook and Twitter or @charles\_casillo on Instagram.  

**Number of Pages:** 352

**Dimensions:** 1.6 x 9.1 x 6.3 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** May 25, 2021

## Details

- **Price:** 27.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 27.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship - Hardcover

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