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