Long time, no write!
I'll eventually continue with the long-delayed saga of Steve Cochran, but first I'd like to salute George Montgomery, who was born on this date in 1916. Some sources claim he was born on August 27, but he himself said it was the 29th in his book The Years of George Montgomery, and I figure he ought to know. So, it was 100 years ago today when this actor made his earthly debut.
I recently discovered "GM" when I stumbled upon his 1958-'59 TV series Cimarron City, which is currently being repeated on the GetTV retro network. I'd seen Mr. Montgomery years before:
Shows how much I knew. GM was actually born in Montana, USA, the 15th child of Russian immigrants (which explains the accent--he spoke Russian as a child before learning English).
And, GM was indeed married to Dinah Shore for nearly 20 years. Here's a wonderful color clip from Dinah's 1959 Thanksgiving show in which GM guest-starred along with Betty Grable (his co-star in the 1943 film Coney Island) and Jackie Cooper, then starring as a Navy doctor in the series Hennesey . GM enters at about 3:10; I love the ending where he literally sweeps Dinah off her feet:
As is usually the case with my sigh guy discoveries, I've come very late to the party. Other bloggers have already written eloquently and extensively about George Montgomery, so I'll let them fill you in on the rest of his life:
Laura's Miscellaneous Musings
Hedy Lamarr Fansite
Poseidon's Underworld
George Montgomery definitely qualifies as a sigh guy (TV critic John Crosby once described him as being "monstrously handsome"), but he's much more than that. In addition to his good looks, I'm also fascinated by the fact that he was an extremely talented furniture maker and sculptor. GM also authored a syndicated newspaper column in the 1970's offering practical hints for the do-it-yourself set. And, he toured veteran's hospitals to demonstrate how patients could learn woodworking skills.
George Montgomery used his stylized initials as a brand for some cattle he owned while married to Dinah Shore. He also stamped his personal mark of excellence on his acting roles and on his creations of wood and bronze. I'm so glad I finally discovered him. :)
