As a child, Robert Montgomery enjoyed a privileged life, as his father was the president of the New York Rubber Co. When he died, the fortune was gone and Robert worked at a number of jobs. He later went to New York to be a writer, and on the advice of a friend tried acting. He worked with 'George Cukor' got her first acting job.
Had three children with his first wife Elizabeth Allen : daughter, Martha Bryan , who died of spinal meningitis at the age of 14 months; daughter, Elizabeth Montgomery ; and son, Robert Montgomery Jr..
Was widely considered to be one of the best dressed men in Hollywood and for years did not carry a wallet because it ruined the drape of his suits.
He died of cancer on September 27, 1981 at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, New York City. His body was cremated and the ashes were given to the family.
He was president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) from 1935-38 and 1946-47.
He was host of CBS Radios "Suspense" for six months in 1948 when the show went from a half hour to an hour.
Served on the board of directors of several major corporations in the 1960s, including R.H. Macy and Co. and the Milwaukee Telephone Company.
Pioneered the concept of the political "image consultant" in the early television era by advising President Dwight D. Eisenhower on how to most effectively present himself to television viewers. Following Richard Nixon s disastrous first televised debate with John F. Kennedy during the 1960 campaign, Eisenhower remarked that he was certain that if Nixon had only let Montgomery coordinate his appearance, Nixon would have looked much better, and would have probably won the debate--and the election.
In 1949 he accepted the Oscar for "Best Picture" on behalf of Laurence Olivier , who was not present at the awards ceremony.
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 571-573. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1998.
He was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6440 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television at 1631 Vine Street.
A staunch Republican, Montgomery was concerned about alleged Communist influence in the entertainment industry, he was a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947.
Before the US was drawn into World War II, Montgomery served in France as an ambulance driver for the American Field Services for six months. During the D-Day invasion he was one of the first to enter Cherbourg harbor and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service.
His SAG and other union activities caused a rift between Montgomery and MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer. However, through Montgomerys efforts the criminal activities of union official Willie Morris Bioff of the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in his efforts to help Chicago gangster Al Capone take over the union were exposed. Bioff and two other union officials ultimately served prison time. Bioff testified against his organized crime bosses and got a reduced sentence. In 1955 he was killed in Phoenix, AZ, when he turned on the ignition in his truck and it exploded--dynamite had been attached to the ignition and blew up when the key was turned.
Shortly after Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated in 1953, the new President asked Montgomery to become the White Houses television consultant. Montgomery agreed and insisted on taking no pay.
When MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer refused Montgomery a salary raise he deserved, the actor reportedly replied, "If you were a younger man, Mr. Mayer, Id give you a beating.".
Appeared with Rosalind Russell in five films: Forsaking All Others , Trouble for Two , Live, Love and Learn , Night Must Fall and Fast and Loose .
If you are lucky enough to be a success, by all means enjoy the applause,and the adulation of the public. But never, never believe it.
