I was watching ‘The Seven Year Itch’ and was thinking to myself what is not to like about Marilyn Monroe. Not the greatest actress in the world but easy on the eye and starred in some of the classic films of the era.
Marilyn’s actual name was Norma Jean Mortenson. Her childhood was tough in and out of foster care, and was reported to have got married at sixteen and later she found some fame has a pin-up model after being spotted by a photographer. The modelling lead to some short-lived film contracts but it was not until she re-signed with Twentieth Century-Fox her career took off to become the biggest and most enduring sex symbol in the world.
Her image as a ‘dumb blonde’ was a bit unfair but heavily played on by the Fox studio and her first three movies Niagara and the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, helped establish her "dumb blonde” image. When called to act she could but the studio bosses knew has sex sells and so does Marilyn. In most of her film, she portray the stereotypical blonde. She was also renowned to be difficult to work with as many of her leading man have stated.
My favourite three Monroe films are,
The Seven Year Itch
Arguably more prominently remembered as one of Marilyn Monroe's most iconic roles. This is quite an intelligent comedy with Marilyn herself coming across as not only stunning but with a knack for being funny while doing a parody of herself being the dumb blonde.
The film is about a husband who is currently going through the seven-year itch while his wife and child are away for the summer. Living alone while his family is away, he comes under the symptoms of the seven-year itch when a new and mysterious woman, living on the floor above, arrives in his life and he is intrigued by her and her sexual appeal.
He keeps showing symptoms of being paranoid that his wife may find out about his lust for this new neighbour. Throughout the film, we see how paranoid he becomes and the film portrays it with witty and sweet comedy.
Some like it Hot
A pair of musicians witness a mob execution and so go into hiding disguised as women in an all girl band heading Florida. Billy Wilder made his name making a variety of black hearted satires, but here we find him at his least cynical. It's one of those types of film they just don't make any more as the brilliant double act of womanising cad Curtis and sidekick Lemmon see how the other half live.
Their bickering and banter obviously owes a lot to Hope and Crosby and the gender swap is done with real subtlety and sophistication making for a host of hilarious one-liners that come so thick and fast it's easy to miss some of them first time around. Marilyn Monroe was never more appealingly vulnerable, Lemmon shows his mastery of comic timing and Curtis spends much of the film doing a hilarious Cary Grant impersonation as he learns to be a better man without the usual Hollywood schamltz and manipulation. The blend of slapstick and witty dialogue is judged to perfection making Some Like It Hot one of those rare timeless classics that all film fans should see.
Bus Stop
Bo is an innocent young man, fresh off the farm. He is as virgin as they get. While in Phoenix for a rodeo, he walks into the bar he instantly falls in love with Cherie who works there. Cherie wants nothing to do with the love-struck cowboy she has a plan to go to "Hollywood" to become an actress.
Bo doesn't take no for an answer and bugs the crap out of Cherie, trying to get her to like him. He is utterly clueless and at one point resorts to quoting the Gettysburg Address as Cherie is lying in bed apparently naked beneath her sheets. Bo calls Cherie, "My angel". He is so naive that he thinks of her as being as innocent as he is. He also, symbolically, pronounces her name "Cherry." To which Cherie says is "undignified”.
Murray's performance destroys this movie. Monroe does some of the best work of her career. However, with Murray taking up so much screen time playing this obnoxious, over the top character, it is sometimes hard to concentrate on what a great performance she is delivering. Her hair is dyed strawberry blonde and she uses an accent the whole movie. Monroe wanted to prove that she was a legitimate actress. With this movie, she does just that. It's just too bad her co-star could not keep up.
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