George Montgomery
Born
August 29, 1916
Died
December 12, 2000 (84 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Brady, 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
Ransom
Inspector Marks
1988
Children's Island
The President · (1 episode)
1985
Wild Wind
Major Nestorovic
1985
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
1979
Dinah!
Self · (1 episode)
1974
The Six Million Dollar Man
Christopher Bell / Garth · (1 episode)
1974
The Daredevil
Paul Tunney
1972
Alias Smith and Jones
(1 episode)
1971
The Odd Couple
Griff · (1 episode)
1970
Satan's Harvest
Cutter Murdock
1970
Ride the Tiger
1970
Strangers at Sunrise
Grant Merrick
1969
Warkill
Col. John Hannegan
1968
Bomb at 10:10
Steve Corbett / Stiv Korbet
1967
Hostile Guns
Gid McCool
1967
Hallucination Generation
Eric
1966
Battle of the Bulge
Sgt. Duquesne
1965
Django the Condemned
Pat O'Brien
1965
Hell of Borneo
John Dirkson
1964
Guerillas in Pink Lace
Murphy
1964
Samar
Dr. John David Saunders
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1961
The Steel Claw
Capt. John Larsen
1961
King of the Wild Stallions
Randy Burke
1959
Watusi
Harry Quartermain
1959
Cimarron City
Mayor Matt Rockford · (26 episodes)
1958
Badman's Country
Pat Garrett
1958
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
Capt. Matt Sloane
1958
Man from God's Country
Dan Beattie
1958
Black Patch
Clay Morgan
1957
Pawnee
Paul 'Pale Arrow' Fletcher
1957
Street of Sinners
John Dean
1957
Gun Duel In Durango
Will Sabre
1957
Last of the Badmen
Dan Barton
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self · (5 episodes)
1956
Huk!
Greg Dickson
1956
Canyon River
Steve Patrick
1956
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Cimarron City · (1 episode)
1956
Claire
Dr. Stanley Wayne
1956
Robbers' Roost
Jim 'Tex' Wall
1955
Seminole Uprising
Cam Elliott
1955
Masterson of Kansas
Bat Masterson
1954
Battle of Rogue River
Maj. Frank Archer
1954
The Lone Gun
Cruze
1954
Gun Belt
Billy Ringo
1953
Fort Ti
Capt. Jed Horn
1953
Jack McCall, Desperado
Jack McCall
1953
General Electric Theater
Jim Corbett · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Buchanan Smith · (1 episode)
1953
The Pathfinder
Pathfinder
1952
This Is Your Life
Self · (1 episode)
1952
Cripple Creek
Bret Ivers / Iverson
1952
Indian Uprising
Capt. Chase McCloud
1952
The Texas Rangers
Johnny Carver
1951
The Sword of Monte Cristo
Captain Renault
1951
The Iroquois Trail
Nat Cutler / Hawkeye
1950
Dakota Lil
Tom Horn / Steve Garrett
1950
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (1 episode)
1950
Davy Crockett, Indian Scout
Davy Crockett
1950
Belle Starr's Daughter
Marshal Tom Jackson
1948
Studio One
Bakeland · (1 episode)
1948
The Girl from Manhattan
Rev. Tom Walker
1948
Lulu Belle
George Davis
1948
The Brasher Doubloon
Philip Marlowe
1947
Three Little Girls in Blue
Van Damm Smith
1946
Take It or Leave It
(archive footage) (uncredited)
1944
Troop Carrier Airplanes: Cockpit Procedure
Lt. Warren
1944
Bomber's Moon
Capt. Jeffrey Dakin
1943
Coney Island
Eddie Johnson
1943
China Girl
Johnny Williams
1942
Orchestra Wives
Bill Abbot
1942
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Joe Dawson
1942
Roxie Hart
Homer Howard
1942
Cadet Girl
Tex Mallory
1941
Riders of the Purple Sage
Lassiter
1941
Last of the Duanes
Buck Duane
1941
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
Self
1941
Accent on Love
John Worth Hyndman
1941
The Cowboy and the Blonde
Lank Garrett
1941
Charter Pilot
Charlie Crane
1940
Young People
Mike Shea
1940
Hi-Yo Silver
Jim Clark
1940
Star Dust
Ronnie
1940
The Cisco Kid and the Lady
Tommy Bates
1939
South of the Border
Bandit
1939
Saga of Death Valley
Henchman
1939
The Arizona Kid
Soldier
1939
In Old Monterey
Soldier
1939
Wall Street Cowboy
Cowhand
1939
In Old Caliente
Henchman
1939
S.O.S Tidal Wave
1939
The Night Riders
Mob Member
1939
Frontier Pony Express
Lieutenant Harris
1939
Southward Ho!
1939
Rough Riders' Round-up
Patrolman Joe
1939
The Mysterious Miss X
Policeman
1939
Army Girl
Soldier
1938
The Lone Ranger
Jim Clark
1938
Springtime in the Rockies
Cowhand at Dance (uncredited)
1937