Evelyn Aubrey Montague
Encyclopedia
Evelyn Aubrey Montague was an English
athlete and journalist. He ran in the 1924 Paris Olympics, placing sixth in the steeplechase
race. Montague is immortalized in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire
, where he is portrayed by Nicholas Farrell
. Contrary to the film, however, he attended Oxford, not Cambridge, and went by the name Evelyn (EEV-lin) rather than Aubrey.
, Greater Manchester
. He was the son of journalist and novelist C. E. Montague, and the grandson of C. P. Scott
, the legendary editor of the Manchester Guardian.
Montague married in 1932. He and his wife had one child, a son named Andy.
, where he studied journalism. He was captain of Oxford's Varsity Cross Country Club, and won the cross-country race against Cambridge (1919–20), and the 3 miles (1920–21).
In 1920, Montague was a founding member of the Achilles Club
, the joint Oxford–Cambridge track and field organization. At the age of 20, he finished fourth in the mile and second in the 4 miles at the 1920 AAA Championships. He was invited to run in the 1920 Olympic 5K, but was unable to accept. From 1921 on, he concentrated on the steeplechase
, and finished second in that race at the AAA Championships (1921, 1924–25).
Montague was selected for the 1924 Olympic
team for Great Britain. At the Games, he placed sixth in the 3000 metre steeplechase, as shown in the film Chariots of Fire, with a time of 9.58.0, coming in 0.4 seconds after the fifth-place runner.
After the Paris Olympics, Montague went into newspaper journalism. He spent two years as a journalist in Chile, returning to England in 1928. He had one final season on the track in 1930, during which he finished third in the Northern Counties
steeplechase.
Montague became a distinguished war correspondent
during World War II
. He also served as the athletics correspondent of the Manchester Guardian from 1926–47, and was appointed its London editor in 1945.
Montague was the joint organizer — together with javelin champion, Olympic coach and author F. A. M. Webster — of the first AAA Summer Schools at Loughborough
.
During the WWII Italian campaign
, Montague contracted tuberculosis. He died from the disease in 1948, in North Walsham
, Norfolk
.
, Montague attended Oxford and Harold Abrahams
attended Cambridge, and although they were both Achilles Club
members, they were university rivals. Montague wrote his mother after an Oxford–Cambridge race: "Cambridge won. They chaired Harold Abrahams from the track, and I was just waiting for them to drop him on his arse." In the years following the Olympics, when Montague and Abrahams were active on athletics boards, they became very good friends, and Abrahams was the godfather of Montague's only child.
Montague played an important role in the making of Chariots of Fire. He had written daily letters to his mother describing his years at Oxford, his athletic training, and the Olympic competition. His son, after reading screenwriter Colin Welland
's query article in a London newspaper, offered them to Welland — who used them, and Montague, as a means to introduce scenes and connect events in the movie.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
athlete and journalist. He ran in the 1924 Paris Olympics, placing sixth in the steeplechase
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
race. Montague is immortalized in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
, where he is portrayed by Nicholas Farrell
Nicholas Farrell
Nicholas Farrell is an English stage, film and television actor. His early screen career included the role of Aubrey Montague in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. In 1983, he starred as Edmund Bertram in a television adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, Mansfield Park...
. Contrary to the film, however, he attended Oxford, not Cambridge, and went by the name Evelyn (EEV-lin) rather than Aubrey.
Early life and family
Evelyn Montague was born in 1900 in Chorlton-cum-HardyChorlton-cum-Hardy
Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. He was the son of journalist and novelist C. E. Montague, and the grandson of C. P. Scott
C. P. Scott
Charles Prestwich Scott was a British journalist, publisher and politician. Born in Bath, Somerset, he was the editor of the Manchester Guardian from 1872 until 1929 and its owner from 1907 until his death...
, the legendary editor of the Manchester Guardian.
Montague married in 1932. He and his wife had one child, a son named Andy.
Athletic and journalism careers
A runner from youth, in 1918 Montague won the mile and the steeplechase at the London AC Schools meeting. Beginning in 1919, he attended Oxford University at Magdalen CollegeMagdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, where he studied journalism. He was captain of Oxford's Varsity Cross Country Club, and won the cross-country race against Cambridge (1919–20), and the 3 miles (1920–21).
In 1920, Montague was a founding member of the Achilles Club
Achilles Club
The Achilles Club is a track and field club formed in 1920 by and for past and present representatives of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Members have won 19 Olympic Gold Medals , and held 38 World Records...
, the joint Oxford–Cambridge track and field organization. At the age of 20, he finished fourth in the mile and second in the 4 miles at the 1920 AAA Championships. He was invited to run in the 1920 Olympic 5K, but was unable to accept. From 1921 on, he concentrated on the steeplechase
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
, and finished second in that race at the AAA Championships (1921, 1924–25).
Montague was selected for the 1924 Olympic
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
team for Great Britain. At the Games, he placed sixth in the 3000 metre steeplechase, as shown in the film Chariots of Fire, with a time of 9.58.0, coming in 0.4 seconds after the fifth-place runner.
After the Paris Olympics, Montague went into newspaper journalism. He spent two years as a journalist in Chile, returning to England in 1928. He had one final season on the track in 1930, during which he finished third in the Northern Counties
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
steeplechase.
Montague became a distinguished war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He also served as the athletics correspondent of the Manchester Guardian from 1926–47, and was appointed its London editor in 1945.
Montague was the joint organizer — together with javelin champion, Olympic coach and author F. A. M. Webster — of the first AAA Summer Schools at Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
.
During the WWII Italian campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
, Montague contracted tuberculosis. He died from the disease in 1948, in North Walsham
North Walsham
North Walsham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England in the North Norfolk district.-Demographics:The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 11,998. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.
Personal bests
Montague's personal best running times were:- 3 miles – 14:45.0 (1920)
- Steeplechase – 9:48.0 (1924)
Chariots of Fire
Despite the depiction in the film Chariots of FireChariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
, Montague attended Oxford and Harold Abrahams
Harold Abrahams
Harold Maurice Abrahams, CBE, was a British athlete of Jewish origin. He was Olympic champion in 1924 in the 100 metres sprint, a feat depicted in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
attended Cambridge, and although they were both Achilles Club
Achilles Club
The Achilles Club is a track and field club formed in 1920 by and for past and present representatives of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Members have won 19 Olympic Gold Medals , and held 38 World Records...
members, they were university rivals. Montague wrote his mother after an Oxford–Cambridge race: "Cambridge won. They chaired Harold Abrahams from the track, and I was just waiting for them to drop him on his arse." In the years following the Olympics, when Montague and Abrahams were active on athletics boards, they became very good friends, and Abrahams was the godfather of Montague's only child.
Montague played an important role in the making of Chariots of Fire. He had written daily letters to his mother describing his years at Oxford, his athletic training, and the Olympic competition. His son, after reading screenwriter Colin Welland
Colin Welland
Colin Welland is a British actor and screenwriter. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his script for Chariots of Fire ,,,....
's query article in a London newspaper, offered them to Welland — who used them, and Montague, as a means to introduce scenes and connect events in the movie.
See also
- Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Men's 3000 metre steeplechase
- Great Britain at the 1924 Summer Olympics
External links
- Evelyn Aubrey Montague – British Olympic Association
- Paris 1924: Team Great Britain – British Olympic Association
- Athletics at the 1924 Paris Summer Games: Men's 3,000 Metres Steeplechase – Sports-Reference.com