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.
Known for
ActingBirthday
August 29, 1916Deathday
December 12, 2000Gender
MaleKnown Movie Credits
95Place of birth
Brady, Montana, USAAlso known as
Douglas K. Stone, George Montgomery Letz, George Letz![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/zsk0F93jqPMCV6aIjTR8htp1Iga.jpg)
Cast credits
![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/eneuf3VaJaMaVlZaFpcfV46VNnm.jpg)
The Brasher Doubloon
Philip Marlowe![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/qOS18CqjlH1y8BAIV1jWxMQYlLA.jpg)
Satan's Harvest
Cutter Murdock![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/vNEw6H6St25991C0a8r6AQKTdqi.jpg)
Battle of the Bulge
Sgt. Duquesne![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/bpsFY09nAQvyFF1HIOaCkfaNX4r.jpg)
Orchestra Wives
Bill Abbot![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/uzmmeoEj72pm9VkHWg1RSJil8N4.jpg)
The Sword of Monte Cristo
Captain Renault![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/j6BbURDAMJlLotquhqaBrrDHCD4.jpg)
Springtime in the Rockies
Cowhand at Dance (uncredited)![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/4AnCF6htFM5DmUDbnEn9GDUpxod.jpg)
Coney Island
Eddie Johnson![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/xrx6YWtDkaGUOFPIVXX6y5o2rhI.jpg)
The Daredevil
Paul Tunney![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/5ObpWYvuHb6OAjqxR9ntpt0WKJo.jpg)
China Girl
Johnny Williams![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/sSLfB7bo6teNweBb2I1rtblC8rd.jpg)
Roxie Hart
Homer Howard![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/2XnNBWfhIcvo6Pe5FpSKUKYct8B.jpg)
Young People
Mike Shea![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/4L6ZMFcwYYQYBU0VwfgoFwdpRv9.jpg)
The Steel Claw
Capt. John Larsen![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/nOcBHvCzBioeiE1QoxGKoEaykkB.jpg)
Gun Belt
Billy Ringo![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/c3JKmZo33hC8TPgJtx8B0oYC32E.jpg)
Pawnee
Paul 'Pale Arrow' Fletcher![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/gN9M3GBrHGyxiYiyyojgrR39QKl.jpg)
Street of Sinners
John Dean![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/zMczuyjVzIAb3SFKoRYJXr3Aapw.jpg)
Watusi
Harry Quartermain![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/A4Cr3M8nkdJbeWdoRkkwMPMi7Vl.jpg)
The Girl from Manhattan
Rev. Tom Walker![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/vO6C2T3TWF2vjdIqmQlFe4y14I.jpg)
Gun Duel In Durango
Will Sabre![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/lIgvTiJUg5HSHW0xkpV92xSxu4D.jpg)
Seminole Uprising
Cam Elliott![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/r3qFZyUHn5Bz693AaPCQO0EHTZN.jpg)
Fort Ti
Capt. Jed Horn![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/uRbhn2FJ3QMy2vxHpJ6NWbcAN3d.jpg)
Jack McCall, Desperado
Jack McCallCrew credits
![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/qOS18CqjlH1y8BAIV1jWxMQYlLA.jpg)
Satan's Harvest
Director, Writer![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/4L6ZMFcwYYQYBU0VwfgoFwdpRv9.jpg)
The Steel Claw
Director![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/1KaCLHZA3YgkpF15lQMWPs5nUwM.jpg)
Hell of Borneo
Director, Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/vRCiTCTxD1Gct6MMB4EFS3PR7Zk.jpg)
Hawk of the Wilderness
Stunts![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/rmQG6ZhFaXLEpPzSXPjrgd2enDi.jpg)
Samar
Director, Writer![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/iSOvSuDc6J4GZ9exyNYoI5rIwHE.jpg)
The Purple Vigilantes
Stunts![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/74Lj91pYSOUDtFQat78kcNK90Bo.jpg)
The Singing Vagabond
Stunts![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/sWMrbUUqmS0v0yXexcjUnOUwWh7.jpg)
Hallucination Generation
Special Effects![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/k19PfrM2wU1sv3XnSTn4uecwMjK.jpg)
Guerillas in Pink Lace
Director, Producer![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/nx1IOfWdwwrdj7aTua27MKQAbzm.jpg)
Strange Affair
Set Decoration![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/xviyjqAzoHgiNdCxoatfmV4wA0M.jpg)
Claire
Actor's Assistant