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 Chandlers 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 Starrs 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 60s, 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.
Philip Marlowe
Film 1947
Cutter Murdock
Film 1970
Sgt. Duquesne
Film 1965
Bill Abbot
Film 1942
Davy Crockett
Film 1950
Cowhand at Dance (uncredited)
Film 1937
Paul Tunney
Film 1972
Eddie Johnson
Film 1943
Johnny Williams
Film 1942
Self
Film 1979
Homer Howard
Film 1942
Grant Merrick
Film 1969
Capt. John Larsen
Film 1961
Paul 'Pale Arrow' Fletcher
Film 1957
John Dean
Film 1957
Will Sabre
Film 1957
Rev. Tom Walker
Film 1948
Harry Quartermain
Film 1959
Self
Film 1941
Capt. Jed Horn
Film 1953
Jack McCall
Film 1953
Cam Elliott
Film 1955
Cruze
Film 1954
John Worth Hyndman
Film 1941
Bat Masterson
Film 1954
Maj. Frank Archer
Film 1954
Gid McCool
Film 1967
Bret Ivers / Iverson
Film 1952
John Dirkson
Film 1964
Pathfinder
Film 1952
Van Damm Smith
Film 1946
Tom Horn / Steve Garrett
Film 1950
Capt. Matt Sloane
Film 1958
Dr. John David Saunders
Film 1962
Jim Clark
Film 1938
Capt. Chase McCloud
Film 1952
Randy Burke
Film 1959
Dan Barton
Film 1957
Pat O'Brien
Film 1965
Lank Garrett
Film 1941
Greg Dickson
Film 1956
Ronnie
Film 1940
Marshal Tom Jackson
Film 1948
Henchman
Film 1939
Cowhand
Film 1939
Buck Duane
Film 1941
Policeman
Film 1939
Patrolman Joe
Film 1939
Film 1939
Mob Member
Film 1939
Lieutenant Harris
Film 1939
Henchman
Film 1939
Bandit
Film 1939
Inspector Marks
Film 1988
Capt. Jeffrey Dakin
Film 1943
Dan Beattie
Film 1958
Col. John Hannegan
Film 1968
Charlie Crane
Film 1940
Jim Corbett
Film 1955
Soldier
Film 1939
Lassiter
Film 1941
Jim Clark
Film 1940
Eric
Film 1966
Soldier
Film 1938
Major Nestorovic
Film 1985
Pat Garrett
Film 1958
Steve Corbett / Stiv Korbet
Film 1967
Film 1939
Tex Mallory
Film 1941
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Film 1944
Lt. Warren
Film 1944
Film 1970
Murphy
Film 1964
Dr. Stanley Wayne
Film 1956
Tv 1971
Bakeland
Tv 1948
Self
Tv 1952
Self
Tv 1956
Self - Cimarron City
Tv 1956
Self
Tv 1961
The President
Tv 1985
Christopher Bell / Garth
Tv 1974
Self - Mystery Guest
Tv 1950