George Montgomery (actor)
George Montgomery (August 29, 1916 – December 12, 2000) was an American painter, sculptor, furniture craftsman, and stuntman who is best known as an actor in western style film and television.
Background
Montgomery was born George Montgomery Letz, the youngest of fifteen children of Ukrainian immigrant parents, in Brady, in Pondera County, northern Montana. He was reared on a large ranch where as a part of daily life he learned to ride horses and work cattle. Letz studied at the University of Montana in Missoula for a year.
Acting career
Montgomery was more interested in a career in film than in a college education. Therefore, he left Montana for Hollywood. Two days after his arrival there, he was working as a stunt man on a Greta Garbo film at MGM. At Republic Pictures, his cowboy skills got him stunt work and a small acting part at the age of eighteen in a 1935 film, The Singing Vagabond.
He followed this with bit parts and additional stunt work as George Letz in mostly low-budget films. He was frequently cast in western films starring their number one box office draw, the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. Elevated to more important secondary roles, in 1938 he appeared as one of the six men suspected of being the titular hero in The Lone Ranger. That year Life included him in a photo montage of "Hollywood's Movie-struck Kids" and described Montgomery, still using his full name, as "6 ft. 3 in. tall, weighs 210 lb., rides well, is superlatively handsome." He remained with Republic Pictures until 1940 when he signed with 20th Century Fox, which billed him as George Montgomery.
George Montgomery
George Montgomery may refer to:
See also
George Montgomery (bishop)
The Rt. Rev. Dr. George Montgomery (1562–1621) was a Scottish churchman, promoted by James VI and I to Irish bishoprics.
Life
He was born in North Ayrshire, the younger son of Adam Montgomery, 5th Laird of Braidstane, and brother of Hugh Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery, who used his influence on George's behalf. Their mother was a Montgomery cousin. After James I had made him Dean of Norwich in 1603, he was appointed the first Protestant Bishop of Raphoe, in 1605. There he began the construction of The Cathedral Church of St. Eunan. At the same time he was made Bishop of Clogher and Bishop of Derry; and in 1607 lobbied Lord Salisbury for the establishment of free schools in Ulster.
In 1608 when O'Doherty's Rebellion broke out, the settlement of Derry was captured and burnt by the rebels led by Sir Cahir O'Doherty. Although Montgomery and O'Doherty had been on good terms before the rising, the rebels burnt the Bishop's house and his library of two thousand books because of their "heretical" content. The Bishop's wife and sister were taken as hostages by the rebels, but were eventually freed by Crown forces.
George Montgomery (set decorator)
George Montgomery (September 23, 1899 – March 5, 1951) was an American set decorator. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film Ladies in Retirement. He worked on 74 films between 1941 and 1951.
Selected filmography
References
External links
Podcasts:
