In the 21st century, men turn to plastic surgery frequently to turn back the clock or address a facial injury, according to Dr. Joel Aronowitz. For decades, plastic surgery seemed the domain of women who wanted to change their appearance, but that’s slowly changed. Part of the evolution comes from awareness of what such surgery can do and one of the most famous cases of facial reconstructive surgery happened during the mid-1950s but received new media coverage since 2014.
Leading Man Montgomery Clift Nearly Dies in Car Accident
In the early 1950s, any trip to the movie theater included a film with the gorgeous matinee idol Monty Clift starring in it. May 12, 1956, seemed like any other day for the actor and his then-co-star, Liz Taylor. By day, the pair filmed on their project “Raintree County,” and that night, Taylor threw a dinner party with husband Michael Wilding, which Clift attended. As he drove away from the Taylor-Wilding home, Clift lost control of his car and hit a telephone pole.
Guests poured out of the home, finding a nearly dead Clift. In a 2014 Vanity Fair article, actor Kevin McCarthy, who had been in the car in front of Clift’s, recounted the scene: “his face was torn away-a bloody pulp. I thought he was dead.” Taylor realized Clift was alive, but choking. She cleared his airway, removing two lost teeth to do so. Her quick thinking saved the actor’s life. Modern plastic surgery reconstructed his face afterward.
Plastic Surgery to Reconstruct a Face
According to The Evening Star, a Washington, D.C. newspaper, Clift was transported to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital where he underwent treatment for facial lacerations, a broken nose, a concussion, and bruises. In the article dated May 14, 1956, his attending physician noted in the article that his face would remain un-scarred. How could a doctor factually state that only two days after the accident?
Quick intervention by a plastic surgeon as a part of a comprehensive medical team, says Joel Aronowitz MD, can make the difference in outcomes. The newspaper article did not reveal the full extent of the actor’s injuries, which would slowly leak to the press in the coming weeks. Initially, the film’s director said he’d shoot around Clift’s scenes while he mended. Once film production staff learned how serious the accident had been, production temporarily closed.
Doctors had to wire shut Clift’s shattered jaw. With production on “Raintree County,” on hold, Taylor, one of his closest friends visited him often, helping nurses feed him through a straw, journalist Sheilah Graham wrote in her Hollywood column in the June 14, 1956, issue of The Evening Star. Five days later, in his Little Old New York column, Ed Sullivan revealed that after recovering from his injuries, Clift would need to undergo “painful dental sessions.”
In the June 23, 1956, issue of The Evening Star, Harold Heffernan reported in his Hollywood column that production has closed on “Raintree County,” and the studio would not finish the film. On July 9, 1956, without fanfare, Ed Sullivan devoted three lines to announce in his Little Old New York column that production would resume on July 30, 1956, on “Raintree County” with Taylor and Clift resuming their roles.
Saving One Man’s Face and Career
In 1956, quick action by an actor’s friends and co-workers saved his life, face, and career. Quick attendance by emergency room doctors and plastic surgeons prevented scarring, reconstructed bones, and prepared Clift for future surgeries that would reconstruct his features. Studying photos of Clift in 1954 and 1958 reveals no discernible change in his face except aging, a natural occurrence.
Today, hospitals consider having a plastic surgeon on duty in a trauma center normal procedure. According to a 2021 article in the Journal of Trauma and Injury, “plastic surgery has entered the specialty of traumatology.” Statistical analysis in the journal article reveals that 41% of patients referred to a plastic surgeon suffered facial trauma. If you or a loved one suffered facial trauma, consult a board-certified plastic surgeon about reconstruction possibilities. You don’t need to be a world-famous actor to undergo scar revision, bone reconstruction, or jaw resetting.
