Biography
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 90
1980s
- 1988
Ransom
Inspector Marks
- 1985
Children's Island
The President · 1 episode
Wild Wind
Major Nestorovic
1970s
- 1974
- 1972
The Daredevil
Paul Tunney
- 1971
- 1970
Satan's Harvest
Cutter Murdock
Ride the Tiger
Movie
1960s
- 1969
Strangers at Sunrise
Grant Merrick
- 1968
Warkill
Col. John Hannegan
- 1967
Hostile Guns
Gid McCool
- 1966
Hallucination Generation
Eric
- 1965
Django the Condemned
Pat O'Brien
- 1964
Hell of Borneo
John Dirkson
Guerillas in Pink Lace
Murphy
- 1962
Samar
Dr. John David Saunders
- 1961
The Steel Claw
Capt. John Larsen
1950s
- 1959
King of the Wild Stallions
Randy Burke
Watusi
Harry Quartermain
- 1958
Cimarron City
Mayor Matt Rockford · 26 episodes
Badman's Country
Pat Garrett
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
Capt. Matt Sloane
Man from God's Country
Dan Beattie
- 1957
Black Patch
Clay Morgan
Pawnee
Paul 'Pale Arrow' Fletcher
Street of Sinners
John Dean
Gun Duel in Durango
Will Sabre
Last of the Badmen
Dan Barton
- 1956
Canyon River
Steve Patrick
Claire
Dr. Stanley Wayne
- 1955
Robbers' Roost
Jim 'Tex' Wall
Seminole Uprising
Cam Elliott
- 1954
Masterson of Kansas
Bat Masterson
Battle of Rogue River
Maj. Frank Archer
- 1953
Gun Belt
Billy Ringo
Fort Ti
Capt. Jed Horn
Jack McCall, Desperado
Jack McCall
General Electric Theater
Jim Corbett, Buchanan Smith · 1 episode
- 1952
The Pathfinder
Pathfinder
Cripple Creek
Bret Ivers / Iverson
Indian Uprising
Capt. Chase McCloud
- 1951
The Texas Rangers
Johnny Carver
- 1950
The Iroquois Trail
Nat Cutler / Hawkeye
Dakota Lil
Tom Horn / Steve Garrett
1940s
- 1948
The Girl from Manhattan
Rev. Tom Walker
- 1947
The Brasher Doubloon
Philip Marlowe
- 1946
Three Little Girls in Blue
Van Damm Smith
- 1944
Take It or Leave It
(archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1943
Bomber's Moon
Capt. Jeffrey Dakin
Coney Island
Eddie Johnson
- 1942
China Girl
Johnny Williams
Orchestra Wives
Bill Abbot
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Joe Dawson
Roxie Hart
Homer Howard
- 1941
Cadet Girl
Tex Mallory
Riders of the Purple Sage
Lassiter
Last of the Duanes
Buck Duane
Accent on Love
John Worth Hyndman
The Cowboy and the Blonde
Lank Garrett
- 1940
Jennie
Franz Schermer
Charter Pilot
Charlie Crane
Young People
Mike Shea
Hi-Yo Silver
Jim Clark
Star Dust
Ronnie
1930s
- 1939
The Cisco Kid and the Lady
Tommy Bates
Saga of Death Valley
Henchman
In Old Monterey
Soldier
S.O.S Tidal Wave
Movie
The Night Riders
Mob Member
Frontier Pony Express
Lieutenant Harris
Southward Ho!
Movie
Rough Riders' Round-up
Patrolman Joe
The Mysterious Miss X
Policeman
- 1938
Army Girl
Soldier
The Lone Ranger
Jim Clark
- 1937
Springtime in the Rockies
Cowhand at Dance (uncredited)
Directed 5
1970s
- 1970
Satan's Harvest
Director
1960s
- 1964
Hell of Borneo
Director
Guerillas in Pink Lace
Director
- 1962
Samar
Director
- 1961
The Steel Claw
Director
Other crew 4
1960s
- 1966
Hallucination Generation
Special Effects
1930s
- 1938
Hawk of the Wilderness
Stunts
- 1935
The Singing Vagabond
Stunts
Wrote 4
1970s
- 1970
Satan's Harvest
Writer
1960s
- 1964
Hell of Borneo
Screenplay
- 1962
Samar
Writer
- 1961
The Steel Claw
Writer
Produced 1
1960s
- 1964
Guerillas in Pink Lace
Producer
Art department 1
1940s
- 1944
Strange Affair
Set Decoration
Appearances8
1970s
- 1979
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
- 1974
1960s
- 1961
1950s
- 1956
- 1952
- 1950
1940s
- 1941
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
Self