This year marks the 100th birthday of Marilyn Monroe. I thought I would take the opportunity to share the five film performances that I consider to be her best. Here are the other five films that would make my Marilyn top 10: Clash By Night(I’m in awe that she stole this from Barbara Stanwyck), Some Like It Hot, Don’t Bother To Knock, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and River Of No Return.
Niagara(1953). Marilyn is clearly relishing every moment playing Rose Loomis, the young femme fatale who is planning her husband’s murder so she can go off with the younger man who she’s fallen for. What I love most about Marilyn’s performance is that she doesn’t make Rose either all bad or entirely sympathetic. She goes right down the middle. This dame is complicated. Rose is sexy and knows it. She wants fun. She wants male attention. She’s not ashamed of any of this. This leads to the iconic moment where Marilyn slips on that slinky pink dress, puts on a record and sings “Kiss”. Marilyn does some of her best work in scenes with Joseph Cotten, who plays her troubled hubby, when we see her turn on the act of devoted wife, but in those moments she simultaneously reveals to us the truth of what she’s really thinking or feeling behind his back. It’s great to see Marilyn playing a bad girl. I wish Marilyn had made many more Noir films and been given the opportunity to play more villains.
Marilyn is utterly dazzling and enchanting in The Prince And The Showgirl(1957). She plays Elsie Marina, an effervescent, warm and fun-loving showgirl who catches the eye of the stuffy Prince Charles(Laurence Olivier), regent of Carpathia, who is in London to attend the coronation of George V. She shakes up his world. Marilyn effortlessly steals every single scene. My favourite moment is when she pours herself some champagne and squeals with infectious delight as it overflows from her glass. She is an absolute delight throughout.
How To Marry A Millionaire(1953)features Marilyn in arguably her most quintessential role. Her performance as the short-sighted Pola remains a masterclass of comic timing, delivery and screen presence. Marilyn notably doesn’t make Pola a joke or a dumb blonde; her portrayal of this woman is instead multidimensional and layered. This film became an instant favourite of mine on my first viewing, and that was entirely down to Marilyn’s performance. A delight from start to finish. Shoutout to William Travilla’s gorgeous costumes.
The Misfits(1962)features Marilyn at her most vulnerable, poignant and emotionally raw on screen. She is heart-breaking as Rosalyn, the lonely divorcee who falls in love with ageing cowboy Gay(Clark Gable)and befriends the widowed Guido and young rodeo star Perce(Montgomery Clift). Watching her here makes me mourn for all of the performances both she and audiences were robbed of during the 1960’s. If she had lived longer during this decade, then I firmly believe she would have finally received more dramatic roles like this. The Misfits was Marilyn’s last completed film. It stands as a haunting reminder of the actress she could have been had she been given more opportunities like this earlier in her career. My favourite scenes are where she is dancing with Eli Wallach, and the famous outburst regarding the fate of the horses.
Bus Stop(1956) was the first film that Marilyn made after studying with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studios. This is really the film that made people sit up and take notice of her dramatic acting ability. She shines as Cheri, a café singer who dreams of bigger things, and who finds herself subjected to the unwelcome advances(at first)of inexperienced cowboy, Bo(Don Murray in his screen debut). Marilyn poured her heart and soul into this performance, and it shows in every single frame. She also nailed the Ozark accent. She is so authentic, vulnerable, passionate and raw here. It almost hurts to watch the outburst scene where she is humiliated in public and tells Bo what she really thinks of him because it comes across as so real. Same goes for her almost completely silent reaction to Bo telling her how he loves her no matter what happened in her past.
Marilyn has always been one of my favourite actresses. She could do it all. Sadly she was underrated during her lifetime by many, including colleagues and bosses within the film industry itself, who reduced her merely to her physical beauty and sex appeal. She was so much more. She was a gifted comedienne and a superb dramatic actress. She was not a dumb blonde. She was highly intelligent and well read.She was gentle, kind, generous and compassionate. She struggled with her mental health and her physical health – she suffered from severe endometriosis, which was especially painful when she was on her period – but through all her struggles she never lost her empathy and compassion for others. She continues to bring joy to millions around the world. You’re still so loved and missed, Norma Jean.
This is my entry for the Marilyn 100th Birthday Blogathon being hosted by Kristen at Hoofers And Honeys. Be sure to visit her site to read more of the tributes to Marilyn.