More than four decades after her death, Marilyn Monroe remains the movies’ supreme blond bombshell.
In fact, it’s doubtful any other contender will ever steal her crown–or top her for movie power and private scandal. How could they? Who could possibly equal Monroe’s still universal popularity, the longevity of her legend, the profound romance and sleaze of her love life or her unequaled gossip factor–the seemingly inevitable way she made erotic conquests of sports heroes (Joe DiMaggio), literary lions (Arthur Miller), great directors (Elia Kazan) or maybe world leaders (John and Bobby Kennedy) alike.
And who could match her showcase movies? Monroe’s prime lasted from the early ’50s to the early ’60s, roughly from 1953’s “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “Niagara” to 1961’s “The Misfits.” But, during that brief time, she made a string of pictures that, however ephemeral they may have seemed to some, are still watched and enjoyed.
“Like Jell-O on springs!” Jack Lemmon (in drag) admiringly describes her walk through Chicago’s train station in “Some Like It Hot.” And her innocent but highly sexy movie image conquered writers as high-toned as Miller, Norman Mailer and French philosopher/novelist/playwright Jean-Paul Sartre–who named her his favorite movie actress. That superstar image still blows you away: the honey-blond, silky-soft, plush-figured, baby-voice seductiveness she had or concocted. Even directors whom she drove half-crazy with her chronic lateness and line-fluffs–such as Billy Wilder, who had to guide her through more than 60 takes in one “Some Like It Hot” scene–had to admit her magic was unmatched.
To celebrate what would have been her 80th birthday on June 1, Monroe’s main studio, 20th Century Fox is now releasing a prime MM DVD boxed set: a six-disc package with five classic movies, newly restored, and a first-rate feature documentary. This set shows all over again why she’s the greatest pinup girl, a golden dream and a movie actress we can’t forget.
Marilyn Monroe
Special Anniversary
Collection (star)(star)(star)(star)
(20th Century Fox)
`Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (star)(star)(star)(star) (U.S.; Howard Hawks, 1953). Impure fun. Hawks’ saucy, gaudy musical comedy from Anita Loos’ book and play, with MM and brunette buddy Jane Russell as “two little girls from Little Rock” out to collect men and diamonds on a luxury liner to Paris. Extras: trailer, Fox Movietone newsreel.
`Niagara’ (star)(star)(star)1/2 (U.S.; Henry Hathaway, 1953). Joseph Cotten as a killer, Monroe as his adulterous wife slithering under the sheets and Jean Peters as the unfortunate witness in this taut Niagara Falls thriller. Extra: trailer.
`River of No Return’ (star)(star)(star)1/2 (U.S.; Otto Preminger, 1954). An extremely scenic western, in several senses, with Monroe and Robert Mitchum on the river. Extra: trailer.
`The Seven Year Itch’ (star)(star)(star)(star) (U.S.; Billy Wilder, 1955). George Axelrod’s hit stage comedy about a Walter Mitty-esque New Yorker (Tom Ewell) and his hot “Brief Encounter” fantasies about the blond upstairs. It became an imperishable vehicle for Monroe, especially above that subway grate. Extras: trailer, Fox Movietone News, AMC Backstory featurette, deleted scenes.
`Let’s Make Love’ (star)(star)(star) (U.S.; George Cukor, 1960). Monroe and one-time lover Yves Montand in a good, lightweight showgirl-millionaire romantic comedy, with guest spots by Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby and Milton Berle. Extra: trailer.
`Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days’ (star)(star)(star)1/2 (U.S.; Patty Ivins, 2001). Excellent documentary on Monroe’s last days and her ill-fated last production, “Something’s Got to Give” (directed by Cukor and co-starring Dean Martin), with the unfinished movie’s extant footage shown at the end. Extra: Fox Movietone News.
Other recent releases
– indicates material from past Wilmington reviews.
– `The Dirty Dozen’ two-disc special edition (star)(star)(star)(star) (U.S.; Robert Aldrich, 1967). This movie, one of Aldrich’s biggest hits, is also perhaps, his ultimate anti-establishment movie (tied with 1974’s “Longest Yard”). Led by Lee Marvin, in his prototypical role as insubordinate tough guy Major Reisman, a cast of some of Hollywood’s greatest heavies (Marvin, John Cassavetes, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Ralph Meeker, Telly Savalas, Charles Bronson, George Kennedy) fight World War II–some as members of a secret commando squad of military convicts (also including Jim Brown), and some as their brutal officers. It’s a sizzling suicide-mission actioner done in Aldrich’s all-stops-out style, and though it sprawls a little, the ending is a knockout. Extras: Commentaries by cast members, filmmakers and historians, introduction by Borgnine, documentaries, featurette, trailer and bonus movie “The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission” (D: Andrew McLaglen, 1985) with Marvin and Borgnine. (Warner Bros.)
– `Transamerica’ (star)(star) (U.S.; Duncan Tucker, 2005). In writer-director Duncan Tucker’s weird road movie, Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”) takes on a complex Oscar-nominated role–a pre-op transsexual male-to-female traveling cross-country with her druggie hustler son (Kevin Zegers)–and gives a technically amazing performance. She’s convincing and moving in a movie not often up to her work. Extras: Commentary by Tucker; conversations with Tucker, Huffman and Zegers; Dolly Parton music video; featurette. (Weinstein Company)
– `Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?’ (star)(star)(star) (Germany; Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1970). One of the early works from Fassbinder’s incredibly prolific output, about a bourgeois family man (Kurt Raab) going nuts. A flawed but interesting attempt at John Cassavetes-style spontaneous realism, which becomes typically baroque. (In German, with English subtitles.) Extras: cast and crew interviews. (Fantoma)
Important new releases
(some to be covered at length later)
The John Wayne-John Ford Film Collection: includes “The Searchers” (U.S.; John Ford, 1956), “Stagecoach” (Ford, 1939), “The Long Voyage Home” (Ford, 1940) and five other features (Warners)
The John Ford Film Collection: includes “The Informer” (1935), “Cheyenne Autumn” (1964) and three other features. (Warners). `Dumbo’ (U.S.; Ben Sharpsteen, 1941) (Walt Disney).
`The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada’ (U.S.; Tommy Lee Jones, 2005) (Sony)
`Black Hawk Down’ (extended cut) (U.S.; Ridley Scott, 2001) (Sony)
`Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (U.S.; George Roy Hill, 1969) (Twentieth Century Fox)
`Boomerang’ (U.S.; Elia Kazan, 1947) (Twentieth Century Fox)
`I Wake Up Screaming’ (U.S., H. Bruce Humberstone, 1941) (Twentieth Century Fox)
`House of Strangers’ (U.S.; Joseph Mankiewicz, 1949) (Twentieth Century Fox)
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mwilmington@tribune.com
