Monty: the search

While it is true that Montgomery Clift’s first film role was in “Red River,” as Susan King writes in “Monty: An Actor of Fragile Brilliance” (Aug. 29), American movie-goers got their first look at him in “The Search,” which was filmed after “Red River” but released before it. It was in “The Search” that Clift received his first Academy Award nomination.

It is entirely possible that Ms. King’s failure to mention Clift’s first-released picture and his best actor Oscar nomination for his performance in it had to do with the fact that “The Search” is not among the 10 films in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art retrospective. But it seems to me that mentioning the films Clift actually made is of more importance than the films he turned down: “Mrs. Miniver,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “Shane.”

Jim Pinkston

Los Angeles