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George Montgomery

George Montgomery

Acting

Born: August 29, 1916Brady, Montana, USA

George Montgomery was boxing champion at the University of Montana, where he majored in architecture and interior design. Dropping out a year later, he decided to take up boxing more seriously, and moved to California, where he was coached by ex-heavyweight world champion James J. Jeffries. While in Hollywood, he came to the attention of the studios (not least, because he was an expert rider) and was hired as a stuntman in 1935. After doing this for four years, George was offered a contract at 20th Century Fox in 1939, but found himself largely confined to leads in B-westerns. He did not secure a part in anything even remotely like a prestige picture, until his co-starring role in Roxie Hart (1942), opposite Ginger Rogers. Next, in Orchestra Wives (1942), he played the perfunctory love interest for Ann Rutherford -- though both, inevitably, ended up playing second trombone to Glenn Miller and His Orchestra. In 1947, George got his first serious break, being cast as Raymond Chandler's private eye Philip Marlowe, in The Brasher Doubloon (1947). Reviewers, however, compared his performance unfavourably with that of Humphrey Bogart and found the film 'pallid' overall. So it was back to the saddle for George. Unable to shake his image as a cowboy actor, he starred in scores of films with titles like Belle Starr's Daughter (1948), Dakota Lil (1950), Jack McCall Desperado (1953) and Masterson of Kansas (1954) at Columbia, and for producer Edward Small at United Artists. When not cleaning up the Wild West with his six-shooter, he branched out into adventure films set in exotic locales (notably as Harry Quartermain in Watusi (1959)). During the 60's, he also wrote, directed and starred in several long-forgotten, low-budget wartime potboilers made in the Philippines. At the height of his popularity, George attracted as much publicity for his acting, as for his liaisons with glamorous stars, like Ginger Rogers, Hedy Lamarr (to whom he was briefly engaged) and singer Dinah Shore (whom he married in 1943). After his retirement from the film business, he devoted himself to his love of painting, furniture-making and sculpting bronze busts, including one of his close friend Ronald Reagan.

Known For
Filmography
Ransom

Ransom

Inspector Marks

1988
Wild Wind

Wild Wind

Major Nestorovic

1985
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

Self

1979
The Daredevil

The Daredevil

Paul Tunney

1972
Satan's Harvest

Satan's Harvest

Cutter Murdock

1970
Ride the Tiger

Ride the Tiger

1970
Strangers at Sunrise

Strangers at Sunrise

Grant Merrick

1969
Warkill

Warkill

Col. John Hannegan

1968
Bomb at 10:10

Bomb at 10:10

Steve Corbett / Stiv Korbet

1967
Hostile Guns

Hostile Guns

Gid McCool

1967
Hallucination Generation

Hallucination Generation

Eric

1966
Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

Sgt. Duquesne

1965
Django the Condemned

Django the Condemned

Pat O'Brien

1965
Guerillas in Pink Lace

Guerillas in Pink Lace

Murphy

1964
Hell of Borneo

Hell of Borneo

John Dirkson

1964
Samar

Samar

Dr. John David Saunders

1962
The Steel Claw

The Steel Claw

Capt. John Larsen

1961
King of the Wild Stallions

King of the Wild Stallions

Randy Burke

1959
Watusi

Watusi

Harry Quartermain

1959
Badman's Country

Badman's Country

Pat Garrett

1958
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone

The Toughest Gun in Tombstone

Capt. Matt Sloane

1958
Man from God's Country

Man from God's Country

Dan Beattie

1958
Black Patch

Black Patch

Clay Morgan

1957
Pawnee

Pawnee

Paul 'Pale Arrow' Fletcher

1957
Street of Sinners

Street of Sinners

John Dean

1957
Gun Duel in Durango

Gun Duel in Durango

Will Sabre

1957
Last of the Badmen

Last of the Badmen

Dan Barton

1957
Huk!

Huk!

Greg Dickson

1956
Canyon River

Canyon River

Steve Patrick

1956
Claire

Claire

Dr. Stanley Wayne

1956
Robbers' Roost

Robbers' Roost

Jim 'Tex' Wall

1955
Seminole Uprising

Seminole Uprising

Cam Elliott

1955
Masterson of Kansas

Masterson of Kansas

Bat Masterson

1954
Battle of Rogue River

Battle of Rogue River

Maj. Frank Archer

1954
The Lone Gun

The Lone Gun

Cruze

1954
Gun Belt

Gun Belt

Billy Ringo

1953
Fort Ti

Fort Ti

Capt. Jed Horn

1953
Jack McCall, Desperado

Jack McCall, Desperado

Jack McCall

1953
The Pathfinder

The Pathfinder

Pathfinder

1952
Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek

Bret Ivers / Iverson

1952
Indian Uprising

Indian Uprising

Capt. Chase McCloud

1952
The Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers

Johnny Carver

1951
The Sword of Monte Cristo

The Sword of Monte Cristo

Captain Renault

1951
The Iroquois Trail

The Iroquois Trail

Nat Cutler / Hawkeye

1950
Dakota Lil

Dakota Lil

Tom Horn / Steve Garrett

1950
Davy Crockett, Indian Scout

Davy Crockett, Indian Scout

Davy Crockett

1950
Belle Starr's Daughter

Belle Starr's Daughter

Marshal Tom Jackson

1948
The Girl from Manhattan

The Girl from Manhattan

Rev. Tom Walker

1948
Lulu Belle

Lulu Belle

George Davis

1948
The Brasher Doubloon

The Brasher Doubloon

Philip Marlowe

1947
Three Little Girls in Blue

Three Little Girls in Blue

Van Damm Smith

1946
Take It or Leave It

Take It or Leave It

(archive footage) (uncredited)

1944

Troop Carrier Airplanes: Cockpit Procedure

Lt. Warren

1944
Bomber's Moon

Bomber's Moon

Capt. Jeffrey Dakin

1943
Coney Island

Coney Island

Eddie Johnson

1943
China Girl

China Girl

Johnny Williams

1942
Orchestra Wives

Orchestra Wives

Bill Abbot

1942
Ten Gentlemen from West Point

Ten Gentlemen from West Point

Joe Dawson

1942
Roxie Hart

Roxie Hart

Homer Howard

1942
Cadet Girl

Cadet Girl

Tex Mallory

1941
Riders of the Purple Sage

Riders of the Purple Sage

Lassiter

1941
Last of the Duanes

Last of the Duanes

Buck Duane

1941
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

Self

1941
Accent on Love

Accent on Love

John Worth Hyndman

1941
The Cowboy and the Blonde

The Cowboy and the Blonde

Lank Garrett

1941
Jennie

Jennie

Franz Schermer

1940
Charter Pilot

Charter Pilot

Charlie Crane

1940
Young People

Young People

Mike Shea

1940
Hi-Yo Silver

Hi-Yo Silver

Jim Clark

1940
Star Dust

Star Dust

Ronnie

1940
The Cisco Kid and the Lady

The Cisco Kid and the Lady

Tommy Bates

1939
South of the Border

South of the Border

Bandit

1939
Saga of Death Valley

Saga of Death Valley

Henchman

1939
The Arizona Kid

The Arizona Kid

Soldier

1939
In Old Monterey

In Old Monterey

Soldier

1939
Wall Street Cowboy

Wall Street Cowboy

Cowhand

1939
In Old Caliente

In Old Caliente

Henchman

1939
S.O.S Tidal Wave

S.O.S Tidal Wave

1939
The Night Riders

The Night Riders

Mob Member

1939
Frontier Pony Express

Frontier Pony Express

Lieutenant Harris

1939
Southward Ho!

Southward Ho!

1939
Rough Riders' Round-up

Rough Riders' Round-up

Patrolman Joe

1939
The Mysterious Miss X

The Mysterious Miss X

Policeman

1939
Army Girl

Army Girl

Soldier

1938
The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

Jim Clark

1938
Springtime in the Rockies

Springtime in the Rockies

Cowhand at Dance (uncredited)

1937