Montgomery was born in 1907. He married the former wife of Michael Wilding, a man who subsequently wed Elizabeth Taylor. These Hollywood tangles are interesting!
It is thought that Montgomery’s career went downhill because the studio forced a name change on him and also loaned him out to other studios. It’s amazing the power the studios had back then. Montgomery actually had several screen names during his Hollywood tenure. You can imagine how devastating that could be to an actor’s brand. By the mid 1940s his acting career had severely curtailed. After serving in the Canadian army in WWII, he lived quietly until passing away in 1966.
Scenes from Little Women stick in my head, not the least of which is Douglass Montgomery as Laurie dancing animatedly with Katherine Hepburn’s Jo outside the ballroom. He went along with her desire not to let the world in on the fact that she had scorched the back of her dress. A true gentleman for sure!
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Haven’t seen this version. I only saw the 1949 version of the same film, screened after the book, where Liz Taylor is cast in the role of Amy. A while ago. I just vaguely recall some of the rest of the cast.
You are right, Douglass Montgomery looks a bit like Leslie Howard. I enjoyed tremendously Gone with the Wind with Gable and Vivian Leigh.
Such great movie stars!
Liz Taylor did great as Amy I thought. In the version I’m talking about with Douglass Montgomery as Laurie, Joan Bennett played Amy. Do you remember her? She went on to play Mrs. Stoddard in the paranormal tv series Dark Shadows in the 1960s.
I know the name Douglas Montgomery but I don’t think I ever saw him in any films. You are so right about Hollywood studios having the power over an actor’s path back then. I recall reading some stories on other stars who felt their contracts were too strict and not in line with their own goals. And how awful that they changed his screen name so many times! He certainly was a good looking man 😉
Yes, you hear negative things about the days when the studios had so much power– like the actor having so little control over his name and what movies he played in. Then you also hear good things such as how well the actors were coddled and taken care of. I guess there were two sides to the issue, as usual. Yes, he was a hunk!
I love Douglass Montgomery. Definitely one of my favorite actors. I also discovered him thanks to Little Women almost two decades ago and then watched his entire filmography. He had some amazing roles in average movies (Five and Ten), but he also had a few gems in his career (Waterloo Bridge, the wonderful and underseen Little Man What Now). I love his style, it was so fresh and natural for the time, almost like something that Clift or Dean would pull off 20 years later. Truly an actor ahead of his times. Too bad he’s so little known.
Ciro, I’m so happy to meet another Douglass Montgomery fan. I too wish he was better known. That’s why I like writing about some of my favorites that aren’t so well known–to give them a touch of what is due them for all the pleasurable moments they provide for us. I will have to look for the titles you listed, especially Little Man What Now. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know your thoughts.
Little Women, one of my books and movie. I haven’t seen the 1933 version. The one I’ve watched several times is the 1949 version with June Allyson as Jo; and with Peter Lawford. I believe Elizabeth Taylor played one of the younger sisters.
I like all the versions of Little Women except the most modern one where it was set in present day. June Allyson was one of my mother’s favorites, and I thought Peter Lawford and Elizabeth Taylor were good in that one too. Thanks for commenting, Loretta.
Oops, I must have written ‘favorite’ in my head because it didn’t come out in my post: one of my favorite books and movie.