Robert Montgomery (actor)
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Robert Montgomery, U.S.N.R. Commander (May 21, 1904 – September 27, 1981) was an American actor and director.
Born Henry Montgomery Jr. in Beacon, New York, his early childhood was one of privilege, since his father was President of the New York Rubber Company. When his father died, the family's fortune was gone, and young Robert went to New York City to try his hand at writing and acting. Sharing a stage with George Cukor gave him an in to Hollywood, where, in 1929, he debuted in So This is College. Norma Shearer chose him to star opposite her in Private Lives in 1931, and he became a star.
In 1935, Montgomery became President of the Screen Actors Guild, and was elected again in 1946. In 1937 he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor as a psychopath in the chiller Night Must Fall, and again in 1942 for Here Comes Mr. Jordan. During World War II, he joined the Navy, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
In 1945 he 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 because of health reasons. His first credited film as director was Lady in the Lake (1947), in which he also starred, and which brought him mixed reviews. He was a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. The next year, Montgomery hosted the Academy Awards. He hosted a popular television series, Robert Montgomery Presents, in the 1950s.
He died of cancer at the age of 77 in New York City. His daughter was actress Elizabeth Montgomery, who also died from cancer in 1995 at the age of 62, and his son, Robert Montgomery, Jr. (better known as Skip) died from cancer in 2000.
Montgomery has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for movies at 6440 Hollywood Blvd., and one for television at 1631 Vine Street. He was a longtime summer resident of North Haven, Maine.
