George Montgomery

Career overview

George Montgomery was born in Brady, Montana, in August 1916 and died on December 12, 2000 at the age of 84. After excelling as a boxing champion at the University of Montana while studying architecture and interior design, he left school after a year and moved to California, where former heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries coached him in boxing. In Hollywood he attracted studio attention for his riding ability and began work as a stuntman in 1935. He performed stunt work for four years before receiving a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1939, after which he became a regular lead in B‑western films.

Montgomery’s acting career was largely defined by his roles in Western movies and television series, accumulating more than one hundred credited performances. He appeared in titles such as The Odd Couple, Studio One and Hawaiian Eye. A notable shift toward higher‑profile work came with his co‑starring role in the film Roxie Hart, which provided him with a prestige picture credit beyond his usual genre fare. Throughout his career he was also known by the alternate name Douglas K. St. His body of work reflects a transition from stunt performance to a steady presence in mid‑century American westerns and occasional mainstream productions.