Acting
George Montgomery
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.
Filmography
Ransom
Film · 1988
Wild Wind
Film · 1985
Children's Island
Series · 1985
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Film · 1979
The Six Million Dollar Man
Series · 1974
Dinah!
Series · 1974
The Daredevil
Film · 1972
Alias Smith and Jones
Series · 1971
Satan's Harvest
Film · 1970
Ride the Tiger
Film · 1970
The Odd Couple
Series · 1970
Strangers at Sunrise
Film · 1969
Warkill
Film · 1968
Hostile Guns
Film · 1967
Bomb at 10:10
Film · 1967
Hallucination Generation
Film · 1966
Battle of the Bulge
Film · 1965
Django the Condemned
Film · 1965
Hell of Borneo
Film · 1964
Guerillas in Pink Lace
Film · 1964
Samar
Film · 1962
The Steel Claw
Film · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Series · 1961
Watusi
Film · 1959
King of the Wild Stallions
Film · 1959
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
Film · 1958
Man from God's Country
Film · 1958
Badman's Country
Film · 1958
Cimarron City
Series · 1958
Pawnee
Film · 1957
Street of Sinners
Film · 1957
Gun Duel in Durango
Film · 1957
Last of the Badmen
Film · 1957
Black Patch
Film · 1957
Canyon River
Film · 1956
Huk!
Film · 1956
Claire
Film · 1956
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Series · 1956
The Steve Allen Show
Series · 1956
Seminole Uprising
Film · 1955
Robbers' Roost
Film · 1955
The Lone Gun
Film · 1954
Masterson of Kansas
Film · 1954
Battle of Rogue River
Film · 1954
Gun Belt
Film · 1953
Fort Ti
Film · 1953
Jack McCall, Desperado
Film · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
Cripple Creek
Film · 1952
The Pathfinder
Film · 1952
Indian Uprising
Film · 1952
This Is Your Life
Series · 1952
The Sword of Monte Cristo
Film · 1951
The Texas Rangers
Film · 1951
Davy Crockett, Indian Scout
Film · 1950
Dakota Lil
Film · 1950
The Iroquois Trail
Film · 1950
What's My Line?
Series · 1950
The Girl from Manhattan
Film · 1948
Belle Starr's Daughter
Film · 1948
Lulu Belle
Film · 1948
Studio One
Series · 1948
The Brasher Doubloon
Film · 1947
Three Little Girls in Blue
Film · 1946
Take It or Leave It
Film · 1944
Troop Carrier Airplanes: Cockpit Procedure
Film · 1944
Coney Island
Film · 1943
Bomber's Moon
Film · 1943
Orchestra Wives
Film · 1942
China Girl
Film · 1942
Roxie Hart
Film · 1942
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Film · 1942
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
Film · 1941
Accent on Love
Film · 1941
The Cowboy and the Blonde
Film · 1941
Last of the Duanes
Film · 1941
Riders of the Purple Sage
Film · 1941
Cadet Girl
Film · 1941
Young People
Film · 1940
Star Dust
Film · 1940
Charter Pilot
Film · 1940
Hi-Yo Silver
Film · 1940
Jennie
Film · 1940
The Cisco Kid and the Lady
Film · 1939
Saga of Death Valley
Film · 1939
Wall Street Cowboy
Film · 1939
The Mysterious Miss X
Film · 1939
Rough Riders' Round-up
Film · 1939
Southward Ho!
Film · 1939
Frontier Pony Express
Film · 1939
The Night Riders
Film · 1939
In Old Caliente
Film · 1939
The Arizona Kid
Film · 1939
South of the Border
Film · 1939
In Old Monterey
Film · 1939
S.O.S Tidal Wave
Film · 1939
The Lone Ranger
Film · 1938
Army Girl
Film · 1938
Springtime in the Rockies
Film · 1937