Talk:Robert Montgomery (actor)

Biography assessment rating comment

WikiProject Biography Assessment

Upgraded to Start

The article may be improved by following the WikiProject Biography 11 easy steps to producing at least a B article. -- Yamara 19:04, 20 May 2007 (UTC)

Politician?

Could Robert Montgomery (actor) be classified as a politician? His name figures on List of actor-politicians but not much in the article suggests that he is a politician. Any pointers? --Gurubrahma 14:00, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

I don't think he could be classed as a politician as such. I would even stop short of calling him a political activist, but he was certainly very politically aware. He was a long term President of the Screen Actors Guild, and was credited with cleaning up the industry to a large degree from the influence of organised crime, and certainly this required political acumen especially when dealing with the unions. He worked for Eisenhower during his administration, as an advisor, with his chief function being to groom the President for public speaking, something that did not come naturally to Eisenhower. Once again, that's not direct political involvement though he was a member of the President's staff, and from what I've read, also a staunch supporter of him. At the end of the Eisenhower administration Montgomery turned to business - once again not a political move. Aside from the situations I've mentioned, any political statements he may have made during his lifetime, were as a private citizen. Personally, I don't think he should be on the List of actor-politicians. Hope this helps. Rossrs 14:14, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

There really should be two distinct sections about his activity... something like "Performing Arts Career", and... what to call it?... Activisim? Politics? "Other"?

This aspect of his work seems like a significant thing that more should be said about in the article. Re: Eddie Muller's book, "Dark City" https://www.npr.org/2022/07/01/1108929824/noir-alley-host-celebrates-cinemas-double-crosses-and-doomed-characters

"...when Hollywood was in its earliest days, you know, the Chicago mob saw great potential there for moving in on the craft unions to basically control labor in Hollywood [...] it was actually Robert Montgomery, the actor, who played a huge role in spending his own money on private investigators who ended up kind of cracking the combination on this and sending these guys to jail." DKEdwards (talk) 20:10, 1 July 2022 (UTC)

daughter's age at her death

R.M. page sez Elizabeth M. died at age 62. Her page sez 57. Math using birth/death years on her page sez 57 is right.

--She was born in 1930, according to the Hall of Records.Chandler75 (talk) 21:04, 2 February 2015 (UTC)

Oscar Host?

This article indicates that Robert Montgomery hosted the Oscars for 1948. But the Wikipedia article on the 21st Academy Awards lists George Montgomery as the host. Is it possible that someone has confused the two Montgomeries? 76.90.37.112 (talk) 23:40, 29 March 2008 (UTC) F. Smith

Robert Montgomery is correct. George was never a big enough star to be the host. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:56, 16 September 2018 (UTC)

Trendsetter

Montgomery's eyebrows arched to an acute point. Many subsequent actors and actresses followed this trend but Michael Keaton came closest to duplicating the Montgomery look.Lestrade (talk) 22:51, 21 May 2009 (UTC)Lestrade

Spelling of Marlowe's name in "Lady in the Lake"

Based on this explanation, I think we should make sure to keep the spelling as "Phillip" Marlowe in Montgomery's credits on this page. KConWiki (talk) 04:44, 10 January 2012 (UTC)

Overview

Can we say that he appeared in over 60 films in his 50 year career for an opener?

Sure, go ahead. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:57, 16 September 2018 (UTC)

Removed 'miracle' cure of disfigurement at religious ceremony - WP:RS

Removed paragraph alleging Montgomery was cured, at age 5, of a facial disfigurement he received at age 2 1/2. This is said to have occurred at a religious revival meeting. The source cited is a website of the religious organization associated with the religious revival meeting. Can we say that instantaneous "miracle cures" require a somewhat more reliable source? --Petzl (talk) 03:00, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

WWII military service

The following uncited content regarding Montgomery's military career during WWII - which reads as if it is from an official military source - has been relocated here.

STAFF COMDES SQUADRON 5 & 60 CO, PT-107 USS COLUMBIA CL-56 ASST NAVAL ATTACHE, U.S. EMBASSY, LONDON XO, MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT 5.

The above list of naval activities attributed to Montgomery lacks dates, and appears to have a chaotic order that does not reflect the chronology of World War II.

A best effort was made to translate its content into plain English, with wikilinks to related WP articles as appropriate, this date. At the least the excised text appears to say:

Staff, COMDES Squadrons 5 & 60; Commanding Officer PT-107; [unspecified service aboard] USS Columbia (CL-56); Assistant Naval Attache, U.S. Embassy, London; and Executive Officer, Motor Torpedo Boat 5 (which most likely refers to "Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 5", in which Montgomery evidently served early in his US Navy career during WWII).

NB: Service on any "Motor Torpedo Boat 5" is quite opaque. No craft by that specific name - which is used in the original text above, in contrast to the more familiar designation of another vessel Montgomery allegedly served on, PT-107 - can be readily located. The term "Motor Torpedo Boat" is more commonly a British designation, that nation being a pioneer in the development of such inexpensive, high-speed, effectively disposable, craft, which characterization was adopted by the US Navy as its overarching term for US versions of the type. These, however, were further designated by the US as "Patrol Torpedo" boats, abbreviated as "PT", followed by their identifying hull number.

Officially, such craft were assembled in "Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons", not "PT-boat Squadrons". This appears key to deciphering the relationship between Montgomery and any craft or service unit with the terminology "Motor Torpedo Boat 5" in its name.

Starting from the top:

Destroyer Squadron 5 (DESRON 5) served entirely in the Pacific Theatre during the war. Destroyer Squadron 60 (DESRON 60) served in both the European and Pacific Theatres. It was assigned to Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, followed by shore bombardment of Cherbourg (that may have lasted the balance of that month). It was thereafter redeployed to the Pacific for the balance of the war, with its first conspicuous action there being part of an escort screen in support of landings at Leyte in the Philippines in October of 1944. Its last combat action was at Okinawa in the summer of 1945. (Content on DESRON 60 per the linked Wikipedia article.)

There is no indication of what role and at what rank Montgomery would have participated in either destroyer squadron.

The next entry, PT-107, describes an 80' Elco boat laid down 16 February 1942 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ; launched 13 June 1942; and completed 3 July 1942, placed in service and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Five (MTBRon 5). It served in defense of the Panama Canal from September 1942 until the spring of 1943, when it was shipped to the Solomon Islands. It saw front line patrol duty there from July 1943 through its redeployment westward beyond them, being destroyed in an accidental gasoline fire in New Guinea in June 1944.

According to navsource.org, Montgomery was the commanding officer of PT-107 from July 1942 (some time at or immediately after it was put into service on the U.S. east coast) through November 1942 (two months or so into its reassignment to Panama).

Next is service on the USS Columbia (CL-56), a light cruiser laid down in August 1940 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, New Jersey; launched December 1941; and commissioned July 1942. She arrived in the New Hebrides in December of 1942, and served entirely in the Pacific Theatre during the war.

It is unclear when Montgomery would have been aboard, in what capacity, at what rank.

Next is service as an assistant naval attache at the US Embassy in London.

No dates or rank are given.

Last listed is serving as the Executive Officer of Motor Torpedo Boat 5. No indication of where or when this might have been.

Per the above mention, there is no obvious information on any British built (laid down, launched) "Motor Torpedo Boat 5". Which does not mean there was none, only that there is no ready online record available for any that might have been so designated. Likewise, there is no ready explanation how Montgomery would have served aboard such a Royal Navy craft.

There is no specific "Motor Torpedo Boat 5" in US Navy records, either - nor should there be, as that is not how such craft were identified by it. However, a PT-5 (the designation for "Patrol Torpedo", a "motor torpedo boat") did serve briefly in the US Navy during WWII. It was an 81' Higgins "Experimental Motor Torpedo Boat" laid down 1 August 1939 as PT-5 by Higgins Industries, New Orleans, LA, launched 4 November 1940, and completed 1 March 1941. Funds for its construction were provided in the Navy's expenditure records for 1940 under a class of similar craft designated "Motor Torpedo Boats".

It was placed in service 17 March 1941 and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One (MTBRon 1), the first squadron commissioned, originally made up of experimental boats. It was transferred to the Royal Navy and reclassified HM MTB-269 (not designated any "Motor Torpedo Boat 5"), 19 April 1941. The transfer was cancelled, and instead the boat was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force, named RCAF Abadik (M 407) and used as a High Speed Rescue Launch at Eastern Air Command, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It was subsequently reclassified B-117, before being returned to U.S. custody in 1945, and transferred to the War Shipping Administration in February 1946.

It is unclear that Montgomery, who only joined the US Navy in December 1941, could ever have served on this vessel when it was designated PT-5 during its brief US Navy service between 17 March 1941 and some time seemingly shortly thereafter when it was transferred first to the British Royal Navy (whom may not ever have taken possession) and the Royal Canadian Air Force seemingly shortly afterwards, the only time it was so identified.

The only PT-boat service that could possibly be positively associated with Montgomery would be aboard PT-107, which served only in the Pacific Theatre, thereby calling into grave question any claim - often repeated - that Montgomery skippered a PT boat providing aid to the D-Day invasion, June 6, 1944. If anything, it appears he would have been serving in some capacity with Destroyer Squadron 60 at that time.

A possible connection to the Normandy invasion is via the ex-commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, a Philippine-based detachment of six motor torpedo boats, then evidently lieutenant John Bulkeley, a PT boat squadron commander who became famous for - among other things - the evacuation of General Douglas MacArthur portrayed in They Were Expendible, a film co-starring Montgomery which captures a vignette of MTBRON3's service at the fateful early onset of World War II in that region.

One frequently sees seemingly errant claims Montgomery was Bulkeley's executive officer (characteristically at Normandy), while it was lieutenant Paul Kelly while Bulkeley commanded MTBRON3 in the Philippines. It appears Kelly stayed in that region and assumed command of MTBRON9 while Bulkeley went on to command torpedo boats and minesweepers clearing the lanes to Utah Beach at Normandy. It is possible that whatever command Bulkeley had was under Destroyer Squadron 60 (and may not have had the same structure as PT boat commands in the Pacific Theatre, or even elsewhere in the Atlantic Theatre (given the exigencies of the D-Day invasion)); and further possible Montgomery served some role at that time under Bulkeley involving PT-boat duty. All that is suggested by the original information is that Montgomery was there as part of Destroyer Squadron 60.

Wikiuser100 (talk) 22:15, 10 December 2021 (UTC)

References

Extending lede?

Your tag is asking us to extend the lede. The current length is 17% of the word-count of the main article - at least twice the suitable proportion. Since the tag dates from 2017, someone probably added new material without deleting the tag. Someone may now want to post a new tag asking for a shorter lede. Valetude (talk) 12:35, 22 February 2022 (UTC)

Mob

What about RM's role in exposing the mob's power in Hollywood? This is mentioned by Eddie Muller on "Fresh Air," an NPR program. Kdammers (talk) 03:50, 2 July 2022 (UTC)