Charles Casillo

The critically acclaimed dual biography of the lifelong, platonic "love affair" between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift - now in paperback Violet-eyed siren Elizabeth Taylor and classically handsome Montgomery Clift were the most gorgeous screen couple of their time. Over two decades of friendship they made, separately and together, some of the era's defining movies--including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; The Misfits; Suddenly, Last Summer; and Cleopatra. Yet the relationship between these two figures--one a larger-than-life star, the other hugely talented yet fatally troubled--has never truly been explored. . . until now. "Monty, Elizabeth likes me, but she loves you." --Richard Burton When Elizabeth Taylor was cast opposite Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun, he was already a movie idol, with a natural sensitivity that set him apart. At seventeen, Elizabeth was known for her beauty rather than her talent. But Monty took her seriously, inspiring and encouraging her. In her words, "That's when I began to act." The press, convinced the stars were more than friends, clamored for a wedding. But Monty was sexually attracted to men--a fact that, if made public, would destroy his career. Yet he found acceptance and kinship with Elizabeth. Her devotion was never clearer than after his devastating car crash near her Hollywood home, when she crawled into the wreckage and saved him from choking. Monty's accident shattered his face and left him in constant pain. As he sank into alcoholism and addiction, Elizabeth used her power to keep him working. In turn, he was her constant. Their relationship endured until his death in 1966. His influence continued in her outspoken support for the gay community, especially during the AIDS crisis. Far more than the story of two icons, this is a unique and extraordinary love story that shines new light on both stars, revealing their triumphs, demons--and the loyalty that united them to the end.

Violet-eyed siren Elizabeth Taylor and classically handsome Montgomery Clift were the most gorgeous screen couple of their time. Over two decades of friendship they made, separately and together, some of the era's defining movies--including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Misfits, Suddenly, Last Summer, and Cleopatra. Yet the relationship between these two figures--one a dazzling, larger-than-life star, the other hugely talented yet fatally troubled--has never truly been explored until now. "Monty, Elizabeth likes me, but she loves you." --Richard Burton When Elizabeth Taylor was cast opposite Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun, he was already a movie idol, with a natural sensitivity that set him apart. At seventeen, Elizabeth was known for her ravishing beauty rather than her talent. Directors treated her like a glamorous prop. But Monty took her seriously, inspiring and encouraging her. In her words, "That's when I began to act." To Monty, she was "Bessie Mae," a name he coined for her earthy, private side. The press clamored for a wedding, convinced this was more than friendship. The truth was even more complex. Monty was drawn to women but sexually attracted to men--a fact that, if made public, would destroy his career. But he found acceptance and kinship with Elizabeth. Her devotion was never clearer than after his devastating car crash near her Hollywood home when she crawled into the wreckage and saved him from choking. Monty's accident shattered his face and left him in constant pain. As he sank into alcoholism and addiction, Elizabeth used her power to keep him working. In turn, through scandals and multiple marriages, he was her constant. Their relationship endured until his death in 1966, right before he was to star with her in Reflections in a Golden Eye. His influence continued in her outspoken support for the gay community, especially during the AIDS crisis. Far more than the story of two icons, this is a unique and extraordinary love story that shines new light on both stars, revealing their triumphs, demons--and the loyalty that united them to the end. Praise for Elizabeth and Monty"Casillo weaves an engrossing story about the intertwined lives of his subjects--the parallel worlds of privilege that they camefrom, the personal misfortunes that each suffered and the seemingly inextricable path that led to that fateful night. The authorapproaches them both with sympathy and comes away with a melodrama as good as any that they ever starred in." --The New York Times "In a riveting new book that brings Hollywood's golden age to life with colorful, well-researched details and interviews with stars who knew Taylor and Clift, Casillo explores the intense bond the two shared." --People Magazine "A new dual biography details a relationship that became a Hollywood legend." --Town & Country "Their on-screen magic translated outside of the spotlight, and the duo enjoyed a long-lasting friendship that's explored in the new book Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship by Charles Casillo...Classic movie buffs get a glimpse into their unique bond." --Southern Living "As Casillo reveals in Elizabeth And Monty: The Untold Story Of Their Intimate Friendship, they had an intense, even romantic, relationship which, while never consummated, would weigh heavily on Taylor's life, propelling her into a string of misguided marriages." --Daily Mail UK "So jammed packed with sex, pill-popping, alcoholism, affairs, breakdowns, suicide attempts and multiple brushes with death that most readers will want to read it in one greedy, high-caloric gulp. Readers may come for the nonstop scandals but what will keep them reading is Casillo's deeply empathetic and nuanced portrait of two Hollywood stars who forged a loving and loyal friendship." --Shelf Awareness "Has the feel of a novel. A well-researched work that will appeal to readers who like their celebrity biographies juicy." --Library Journal "In this dual biography, their intertwined lives and careers are recounted with new and vivid detail, and their #FriendshipGoals are considered from all angles by Casillo, the author of Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon and Outlaw: The Lives and Careers of John Rechy. The book is incisive on the politics and personalities of bygone Hollywood, an understanding Casillo credits to friends like the late screenwriter and film historian Gavin Lambert (Inside Daisy Clover, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone)." --Everything Zoomer

Marilyn Monroe. Her beauty still captivates. Her love life still fascinates. Her story still dominates popular culture. Now, drawing on years of research and dozens of new interviews this biography cuts through decades of lies and secrets and introduces you to the Marilyn Monroe you always wanted to know: a living, breathing, complex woman, bewitching and maddening, brilliant yet flawed. Casillo studies Monroe’s life through the context of her times - in the days before feminism. Before there was adequate treatment for bipolar disorder. Starting with her abusive childhood, this biography exposes how - despite her fractured psyche - Marilyn managed to transform each celebrated love affair and each tragedy into another step in her journey towards immortality. Casillo fully explores the last two years of her life, including her involvement with both John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, and the mystery of her last day. A few of Casillo's revelations: *Despite reports of their bitter rivalry, Elizabeth Taylor secretly called Marilyn when she was fired from her last film to offer moral and financial support. *Film of a rumoured nude love scene with Clark Gable was said to have been destroyed - but an exclusive interview reveals that it still exists. *A meticulously detailed account of the events of her last day, revealing how a series of miscommunications and misjudgments contributed to her death.