Montgomery Clift's Disastrous Car Wreck Changed His Career Forever

After the car accident, Clift only took on a few more movie roles. His heavy drinking had already been a problem before his crash and the addition of taking painkillers afterwards only accelerated his decline, according to Vanity Fair. It all took a toll on him physically and mentally, and movie studios became wary of hiring him. Elizabeth Taylor used her clout to get Clift cast on "Suddenly, Last Summer" (1959) with mixed results. He struggled to make through some of the longer scenes.

Clift gave a stronger performance in "The Misfits" (1961), a John Huston contemporary western that proved to be the last film for both his co-stars, Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. That same year, he had a small but powerful role in "Judgment at Nuremberg," playing Polish man who testified during the Nazi trials about being sterilized, per the Los Angeles Times. Clift did the film without pay because he just wanted to tackle this character. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his work, displaying some of his old acting chops. Clift, however, was so unsteady and unstable while filming "Freud" (1962) that his movie studio brought a lawsuit against him (via Vanity Fair).

In 1966, Clift finished filming his last project, "The Defector," and returned to his New York City apartment. The actor died there on July 23, 1966, of an apparent heart attack. His body was discovered by his assistant. Clift was only 45 years old when he died.

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