‘Red River’ actor John Wayne went on a bear-hunting trip
Montgomery Clift hated the bear-hunting trip John Wayne trip. According to McCarthy, Clift was a true outsider from the group that included Wayne on Red River. He initially tried to be a part of the group, demonstrated by his attendance on the bear-hunting trip. Additionally, the young actor joined Wayne and Hawks in their late-night poker games. Yet, he eventually found that he simply didn’t fit in with their crowd, and that’s OK.
“They tried to draw me into their circle, but I couldn’t go along with them,” Clift said. “The machismo thing repelled me because it seemed so forced and unnecessary.”
Clift didn’t like the trip, nor did he appreciate the vibe of the group, As a result, he spent a lot of time alone and would frequently leave the set when he didn’t have to be there.
John Wayne and Montgomery Clift had off-screen tensions
In response to the bear-hunting trip, Clift teased, “You see what happens when you turn a bunch of fascists loose in the hills?”
Makeup artist Web Overlander said, “Clift couldn’t take a piss by himself. Hawks must be an idiot if he thinks that s.o.b. can act.” Meanwhile, Wayne added, “Clift is an arrogant little bastard.”
Wayne blamed Clift for not earning an Oscar nomination on Red River, although they both gave extraordinary performances that pushed their careers forward in ways neither of them expected. The Western was Clift’s first major Hollywood role, propelling him into an Oscar nomination for his second film in The Search.