Tuesday, August 31, 2021

‘Picnic’ 1955

William Holden & Kim Novak as the drifter & the beauty queen in 1955's "Picnic."

 

Picnic portrays the lives of quiet—or raucous, in the case of Roz Russell—desperation. Set in a small Kansas town during the 1950s, the story revolves around the effect that a charismatic young drifter has on the repressed townspeople one sizzling Labor Day.

Picnic is the Pulitzer Prize winning play by William Inge, at the height of his acclaim. The domestic drama was a huge Broadway hit that was brought to the screen by its stage director, Joshua Logan. Noteworthy about the stage version were some up-and-coming actors: Ralph Meeker as drifter Hal Carter; Paul Newman in his Broadway debut as rich kid Alan; Janice Rule as beauty queen Madge; and Kim Stanley at age 28, as kid sister Millie! Eileen Heckart portrayed Rosemary, the spinster teacher who spins out of control on Labor Day evening.

William Holden's "boyishness" act as Hal is as awkward as Kim Novak's acting. 

I’m sure Columbia Studios paid William Inge a pretty penny to bring his play to the big screen. Columbia head honcho Harry Cohn was giving Kim Novak a huge build up and decided this property would be perfect to launch her as a leading lady. Therefore, a “name” leading man was needed. Instead of going off the studio lot for a suitable male star to play the sexy young college dropout/drifter—say Brando?—Cohn chose studio homeboy William Holden to play Hal. And Harry didn’t have to pay a pretty penny for Bill, because it was the last film on Holden’s old studio contract. It’s a shame Marlon Brando did Guys and Dolls instead of Picnic. Brando was six years younger than Holden, far more boyishly charismatic.

William Holden was a fine actor, but too careworn & not carefree as Hal in "Picnic.

While Holden was an especially subtle male actor for the era, he was a decade too old for the part. What made this especially noticeable was that while Bill’s bod was still in fine form, Holden’s face was already showing signs of alcoholic dissipation at just 37. When Holden acts like an over-aged teenager, it’s especially awkward as he tries to impress Madge, played by 22-year-old Novak.

William Holden's form was fine, but his close-ups showed hard living in "Picnic."

Still, Bill had charisma, authority, and “rugged” sex appeal, so Holden as the young stud wasn’t a total dud. Hal Carter reminds me of Tennessee William’s later character, Chance Wayne, in Sweet Bird of Youth. They’re golden boys who come to a small town and stir things up, and both want to make off with the lovely ingénue. Both are Peter Pans, star athletes with aspirations of movie stardom, but neither have never amounted to anything. Ironically, Paul Newman was the same age as Holden in Picnic when he played Chance in ’62. While Newman liked his beers, it didn’t show, like the effects of whatever Holden hoisted.

Rosalind Russell lets rip on William Holden's shirt, as passions get heated in "Picnic."

An amused eye roll comes when Columbia cut the line from Picnic’s climactic dance scene: “I feel just like Rita Hayworth!” I guess they were more concerned with shining a spotlight on Columbia’s new love goddess, Kim Novak!

Cliff Robertson as the rich beau that Kim Novak's Madge "should" want, in "Picnic."

Kim as Madge is a contradiction, as often is the case with Novak’s acting. Kim’s shyness and uncertainty works for the character, and she was often cast thusly. I’m sure playing a girl who is valued mainly for her looks hit home for insecure Kim, who was treated like an object by Harry Cohn. Yet, Novak’s studio-trained mannerisms and dazed demeanor reminds me of another actress who often felt uncomfortable in front of the camera, Jennifer Jones, thrust into the spotlight by her Svengali, David O. Selznick. Kim’s Madge is an uneven performance, yet her vulnerability goes a long way, and she and Holden have a strong chemistry. Kudos to whoever decided that Novak temporarily drop her “lavender blonde” look. With her simple makeup and a long reddish brown wig, Kim looks pretty yet realistic as the local beauty queen.

Columbia Studios' blonde bombshell Kim Novak was toned down
for the small town drama "Picnic."

Rosalind Russell as Rosemary, the middle-aged teacher who boards at the Owens’ home, is another mixed blessing from the leads. Eileen Heckart was said to be a wow in the role on Broadway, though she was known to play big, too. While Roz bravely goes glamour-free and plays her age, unlike most of her contemporaries, Russell plays to the rafters far too often. It’s a tricky role, because Rosemary is an over the top character, which can be problematic when played by an actress who is often the same. As often the case with a “big” performance, Roz fares best in the smaller moments, when her Rosemary shares the fear of growing old alone. Russell is obviously a skilled actress and a smart one, but like the other lead actors in this film, she would have benefited from a more experienced film director, and not a theater director whose film work showed a heavy hand.

Rosalind Russell emotes as Rosemary, the desperate school teacher in "Picnic."

Arthur O’Connell is appealing and effortlessly believable as Howard, the store owner across the river, who sees Rosemary, but from a safe distance. Betty Field doesn’t play brassy for a change, as Madge and Millie’s mother. Field’s Flo has been deserted by her husband to raise the two girls the best she can. Betty is totally natural as a woman whose dreams are now for her daughters. Only in a ‘50s movie would Susan Strasberg be cast as the “plain” sister. Susan’s naturalistic as the brainy kid sister (with eyeglasses!). Strasberg’s as emotional as Novak is remote as the pretty sister, Millie’s outburst—“Madge is the pretty one!”—was the “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” of the ‘50s!

Lovely Susan Strasberg is Millie, Kim Novak's "bookworm" kid sister in "Picnic."

Cliff Robertson does what he can with the role Alan, the rich, weak kid.

In the smaller supporting roles, Nick Adams is cockily amusing as Bomber, the brash neighborhood teen; Verna Felton is most endearing as the neighbor lady who’s the first to befriend Hal; and Reta Shaw is salty as a fellow teacher. The entire supporting cast is strong, but it’s the three leads that are a mixed bag.

The superb supporting cast of "Picnic" bring reality to this slice of life drama.

Others have noted that Inge, just as popular as Tennessee Williams in the ‘50s, with a string of hits, isn’t as well remembered. Well, Williams went through a period where he was considered passé, too. I’ve read that it’s perhaps that Inge’s dialogue wasn’t as poetic and quotable. Still, William Inge did write plays about real people and their problems, often small town people. Come Back, Little Sheba, Bus Stop, Picnic, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs were huge hits. On film, he wrote screenplays for Splendor in the Grass and All Fall Down. Not too shabby!

Playwright William Inge & Director Joshua Logan surely loved this opening title!

Director Joshua Logan had an incredible string of musical, comedy, and dramatic successes on Broadway. That’s probably why Logan was asked to recreate some of those stage hits on film, as well as other blockbuster productions. That said, most films I’ve seen directed by Joshua Logan all seem a bit off-kilter: Picnic, Sayonara, South Pacific, Camelot, and Paint Your Wagon. The man had mad stage credentials, but I don’t think Logan was in film making on a regular basis to learn its intricacies. In Picnic, that’s apparent with the uneven lead performances and the very intrusive music score.

Madge gets out of Dodge at the finale of 1955's "Picnic."

Picnic is one of those movies which are frequently labeled dated. Indeed a product of its time, the drama is a snapshot of the repressed ‘50s. However, how much has really changed in small towns since then? We are obviously less repressed and are able to communicate through the internet and social media. Still, how many people feel stuck and stifled in small towns, with dreams that don’t come true? As someone who lives in rural Upper MI, I see it all the time. In that sense, Picnic is timeless.

My look at Kim Novak, teamed with Sinatra, in The Man with the Golden Arm: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-man-with-golden-arm-1955.html

And here’s my take on Rosalind Russell, in her signature role as Auntie Mame: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/12/rozs-signature-role-auntie-mame-1958.html

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 

Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/


The poster of "Picnic" promises more than it delivers--typical of the era!


Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Redford & Newman’s Star Power: “The Sting” 1973

 

Paul Newman & Robert Redford re-team for their greatest hit, 1973's "The Sting."


I hadn't seen The Sting again since it was released, back in Christmas of ‘73. I was a young teen when the smash con man caper finally came to my Upper Michigan town’s theater later that winter. Ironically, the only thing that I remembered now about The Sting is the super sting finale.

During the first half of the '70s, the nostalgia boom was in full bloom in movies, TV, theatre, and music. I think about half of the movies from Robert Redford during the mid '60s and early '70s were period pieces! The Sting was the biggest hit for stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, even bigger than Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Part of it was that audiences had loved their teamwork from four years before. Also, people were tired of inflation, Vietnam, and Watergate. Most of all, while The Sting is total cinematic fluff, it was also an extraordinarily well-crafted confection.

Robert Redford & Paul Newman seek elaborate $$$ revenge in 1973's "The Sting."

Deftly done on all counts, The Sting has a clever story, fine acting, stylish production and costumes, and a great score of Scott Joplin music, adapted by Marvin Hamlisch. Watching it again in the summer of '21, The Sting still has snap.

Recall this great art work? The music of Scott Joplin was rediscovered in "The Sting."

The Sting was a coup of an Oscar win for George Roy Hill as director, against a diverse group of nominees: Ingmar Bergman, Cries and Whispers; Bernardo Bertolucci, Last Tango in Paris; William Friedkin, The Exorcist; and George Lucas, American Graffiti. This was Edith Head's 8th and last Oscar win, who accepted by saying that The Sting was her dream assignment, dressing the two most handsome men in the world.

Snapshot of designer Edith Head with Robert Redford, from "The Sting."

Robert Redford has only been nominated once for Best Actor Oscar, for The Sting, which is a bit surprising in itself. And while Johnny Hooker is one of his warmest leading man performances, Redford really should have been nominated for his more in-depth performance in The Way We Were that same year. James Caan, who was shut out for one of his best performances—Cinderella Liberty—snarked at the time that Robert Redford got nominated for being cute!

Robert Redford's big year was 1973, with "The Sting" & "The Way We Were."

Paul Newman, as veteran conman Henry Gondorff, eases into his star character actor era here, and loses some of his studied cool and mannerisms from the '60s. Almost 50, Newman is also quite the silver fox here. As Henry, Newman finally seems naturalistic as an actor, and not so posturing as his previous anti-hero era. Newman’s laid-back humor also felt more organic than in past heavy-handed attempts, as in Harper. Need I really point out that Newman and Redford have a great screen rapport?

Paul Newman, moving into his star character actor era with ease, in "The Sting."

The story was based on two real-life brothers that David S. Ward was inspired by, from David Maurer’s 1940 book The Big Con. Ward claimed he used a number of sources in his research, was upset by the charges of plagiarism, and didn’t want Universal to pay out. The studio was already citing the book in its movie promotion and it didn’t help that Ward named Newman’s character after the last name of the con brothers Maurer wrote about. Universal quickly settled. TV writer/producer Roy Huggins later noted that The Sting also borrowed plot elements from a classic episode of his Maverick series: “Shady Deal at Sunny Acres.” This isn’t to take away from Ward’s tight, zingy script, but why is it so hard for Hollywood talent to give others credit where it’s due?

Robert Redford, as the con man whose biggest con is nearly complete, in "The Sting."

The Sting made a fortune and was a real feel-good picture—but an Oscar winner for Best Picture? Well, far lesser films have won and who says that Oscar winners have to be dramatic, groundbreaking, etc. Sometimes Oscar-winning films and performances can just be entertaining!

The Sting boasts a terrific supporting cast all the way down the line. With two beautiful leading men to compensate, Hill’s cast looks like an idiosyncratic cast from an old Warner Brothers movie. Robert Earl Jones (James’ father!) resonates warmly as Redford’s first partner in crime, who gets rubbed out by heavy Doyle Lonnegan, which sets in motion the elaborate plot of Hooker and Gondorff’s revenge. And as Lonnegan, with his icy blue eyes and barely controlled fury, Robert Shaw makes a masterful villain. Charles Durning, Dana Elcar, Harold Gould, and Eileen Brennan lead a marvelous supporting cast, perfectly evoking a previous movie era. A special shout out to Ray Walston, who is colorful but restrained, perfect in small doses as J.J. Singleton.

Robert Shaw makes a very good villain that gets played, in "The Sting."

George Roy Hill, who often directed period films, was meticulous in creating the movie’s style. Hill wanted it to look like a ‘30s movie. And this was one of the first films to actually do so, when ‘60s period TV shows and movies regularly mixed past and current day styles, often looking absurd. To that end, Edith Head’s costumes lent themselves to the sets and movie’s hues. Art director Henry Bumstead mussed up Universal’s back lot and made it look realistic. Robert Surtee’s cinematography is lovely, with a rosy glow to suggest a past era. Jaroslav Gebr’s beautiful title cards that preceded each vignette suggested classic magazine covers by Norman Rockwell.

At nearly 50, Paul Newman is the silver fox in 1973's "The Sting."

And though Scott Joplin’s music was no longer in vogue by the mid-30s, director Hill felt the jaunty ragtime music fit the feel of the movie’s story. Marvin Hamlisch got Oscars galore that year, for both The Sting and The Way We Were, films which were also good to Redford.

The Sting is the ultimate movie-movie. If you’re looking for fine, fun entertainment to take your mind off the woes of the current-day world, escape to the charming conmen and the creative artistry of The Sting. 

Robert Redford hit his stride as leading man in 1973's "The Sting."

For Redford’s other big hit of 1973, here’s my look at The Way We Were:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2016/08/robert-redford-and-barbra-streisand.html

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/

The stars of "The Sting," captured in the 1973 film's beautiful title cards.


Tuesday, August 3, 2021

MM’s Unfinished Finale: ‘Something’s Got to Give’ 1962

Marilyn Monroe in "Something's Got to Give."
What should have been a quick dip turned into a debacle.



Marilyn Monroe, from her last, unfinished film, 1962's "Something's Got to Give."


This essay isn’t just about the making of Marilyn Monroe’s Something’s Got to Give or the partially finished results. What I find most fascinating is how this no-brainer, assembly line remake became so fraught with off-camera drama. Much has been said about the making of the ‘62 sex comedy, with wildly differing views, all of which would be worthy of a film in itself.

The title of Marilyn Monroe’s final, unfinished film, Something’s Got to Give, has long been a go-to reference point for the last year of her life. Less commented upon is that Marilyn plays a woman who everyone thought was dead!

Wardrobe tests showed Marilyn Monroe in fine form for "Something's Got to Give."


Something’s Got to Give was a 1962 remake of the classic comedy, 1940’s My Favorite Wife, which starred Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, and Gail Patrick. The new version cast Monroe in the Dunne role, with Dean Martin, Thomas Tryon, and Cyd Charisse replacing the above cast, respectively. Monroe’s missing wife is presumed dead after she’s swept away in a yachting accident. MM turns up five years later, just as her husband Martin remarries, to neurotic Charisse. Tryon plays the hunk that was stranded on a desert island with her.

Marilyn Monroe with friend/co-star Dean Martin in "Something's Got to Give."

While not the dramatic type of role that Marilyn craved, this George Cukor-directed froth was film fodder that was very much in style, thanks to the Doris Day/Rock Hudson sex comedy, Pillow Talk. Monroe owed Fox two films on her old contract, so Marilyn was assigned yet another sex comedy. And since Cukor also owed the studio a film, he accepted the directorial task. So what if Marilyn and George had already teamed up for 1960’s limp Let’s Make Love. Something’s Got to Give, indeed: A rehash of a classic, with talent that didn’t click, who took part only to fulfill old studio obligations—what could go wrong?

Ava Gardner once said, that in Hollywood, the only reason they kiss so much, is that
 otherwise, they'd be at your throat! George Cukor did both with Marilyn Monroe.

George Cukor was one of Hollywood’s most literate, intelligent directors, with a reputation for helping actors deliver award-worthy performances, especially female stars. But that old Hollywood line, you’re only as good as your last picture, aptly applied to aging talent like Cukor. Aside from winning a career Oscar for the piece of cake assignment, 1964’s My Fair Lady, Cukor had been on the decline for years, like many golden era directors. Still, George had much less at stake than Marilyn. I wonder why he didn’t take a pass on working with Monroe again, after enduring a low-energy Marilyn and her foolish affair with co-star Yves Montand, on the aptly titled Let’s Make Love. Still, George accepted, perhaps ready to clear the slate for better movie offers.

Making "Something's Got to Give" should have been a breeze for Marilyn Monroe.

As for Marilyn, her ambivalence over Something’s Got to Give seems symbolic of her attitude toward her own stardom. First, while not challenging, the film would have brought Marilyn closer to finishing with 20th Century Fox. And SGTG was a way to prove to Fox and Hollywood that she could still work. Also, Marilyn Monroe, an icon of ‘50s sexuality, had recently slimmed down and gotten a makeover with her white blonde bouffant, looking the height of early ‘60s sexiness. Yet, Marilyn felt deflated that she was still appearing in the same type of sex comedies that made her famous a decade earlier. While Monroe blamed Fox for exploiting her as the sexy, dumb blonde, Marilyn also did the same, with her choices to film a skinny dip, pose nude again, and perform for the President of the United States wearing little save for sequins and see-through “soufflé” material. Marilyn yearned to move forward, yet when in doubt, she fell back on her sex symbol image, and 36 years was close to the sell-by-date for cinema cheesecake.

Marilyn Monroe looked '60s chic and sexy in "Something's Got to Give."

After cast-approving friends Dean Martin and Wally Cox, Marilyn was comfortable with the Nunnally Johnson script—he had scripted earlier comedy successes. Marilyn looked great in her elegant Jean Louis outfits. Plus, Monroe would play a wife and mother, a rarity for the sex symbol. And MM would speak in her normal voice and not the breathy bombshell shtick that Jayne Mansfield turned into a stale joke. There were some upsides to Something’s Got to Give.

Then the showbiz machinations began. And the chaos of Something’s Got to Give still gets big play today. After MM’s firing and shortly after her death, all the blame was laid at Marilyn’s pedestal. But like many other showbiz scandals and tragedies, the blame has shifted over the years, to the studios and their “suits.” Especially when Something’s Got to Give footage was discovered and restored, and showed Marilyn looking radiant and trying her best.

Co-star Dean Martin was a good friend, too. When Fox fired Marilyn Monroe,
Dean refused to continue film "Something's Got to Give" with anybody but Marilyn.

The thing is that both sides are right. Marilyn fans point to MM’s fine figure and game face while trying to put over familiar film material. And those who counter that Marilyn held up shooting over illness, while jetting across the country to JFK’s birthday bash, also have valid points. Marilyn looked great, performed well, with an impatient George Cukor—but also showed up for only 13 out of 30 shooting days. This caused Marilyn to rightly lose much good will to those who stood around and played the waiting game. In context, when the film was later revamped as Move Over, Darling, with Doris Day and James Garner, the total schedule was two months—standard for a non-epic film. After six weeks, Something’s Got to Give had only shot a handful of scenes. The unfinished compilation was just shy of 40 minutes, of which Marilyn appeared in about half of said scenes!

Waiting for Marilyn? Cyd Charisse & Dean Martin in "Something's Got to Give."

Director Cukor didn’t bother to oversee insecure Monroe’s wardrobe, hair, and makeup tests. The next day, when the new producer was to meet with MM over the results, she was the no-show. He went to her house, only to find her overdosed!

No wonder that the actual shooting seemed like a war of egos, with a bitterly complaining Cukor and a passive/aggressive no-show star. On the SGTG set, it was a contradictory but not unusual set of studio attitudes: the bottom line tunnel vision of time and money spent versus coddling the talent. On the one hand, studios long accepted granting the stars their favorite cameramen, designers, hair and makeup people, etc. But Marilyn went one further. MM’s final acting coach was Paula Strasberg, wife of Lee Strasberg of the Actors Studio. Monroe paid Paula $5,000 per week, to offer Marilyn her acting expertise for a silly comedy like Something’s Got to Give. If Strasberg had worked the entire eight weeks, Paula would have made nearly half of Marilyn’s salary! Then Monroe’s latest analyst got into the act. Ralph Greenson recommended that producer David Brown be fired and replaced with Greenson’s friend, newbie producer Henry Weinstein.

This was director George Cukor's home. He had the exterior recreated for
 "Something's Got to Give." Why? That's show biz, baby!

Director Cukor had his demands, too. Instead of the Fox crew likely building or redressing an old set for such a modest film, Cukor had the crew create a lavish exterior set that was the exact replica of his own home. WHY? Perhaps for the same reason Cukor had Fox’s resident comedy writer Nunnally Johnson’s script tossed out. George insisted that Walter Bernstein re-write Johnson’s script, upsetting Marilyn. Bernstein had prior worked on two Sophia Loren film duds, Heller in Pink Tights (with Cukor) and A Breath of a Scandal. Fox should have titled this troubled comedy All About Ego.

When Monroe started missing work, nearly everyone started to turn against Marilyn, except Dean Martin. The cardinal rule in the movie biz is you don’t hold up the shooting schedule. About the time the filming was abandoned, Cukor banned celebrating Marilyn’s 36th birthday until 6 p.m., after the work day was done—pennywise and pound foolish. Cukor didn’t help matters by anonymously dishing to gossip ghoul Hedda Hopper about Monroe’s behavior.

It must be 6 o'clock somewhere! Fox & director Cukor decreed that Marilyn Monroe'sbirthday could not be celebrated on-set until 6 p.m.,
to get a full day's work from her. Sadly, Marilyn's 36th birthday would be her last.

As for Fox, they blamed Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor for the chaos during the making of Something’s Got to Give and Cleopatra respectively. Yet, Fox was equally guilty—out of corporate greed. Both films went into production with dated, problematic scripts. And both projects started shooting with stars that were physically ill and emotionally precarious. Though Monroe hadn’t made a film in 18 months, her personal life had worn her down, and was going from slim to thin as shooting progressed. And Marilyn was physically ill with sinusitis right from the start. Fox was warned off of Monroe by the producer but they turned a deaf ear. As for Taylor, Elizabeth was seriously ill with a number of ailments before shooting commenced on the Egyptian epic during a cold, rainy, autumn in London. All that trouble for a tax break to film in England. The mantra was the same for both Fox productions: get the stars in front of the camera, no matter what.

While Marilyn Monroe would have been the first American film star to do a nude scene, her skinny dip in "Something's Got to Give" didn't send everyone into shock,
as has sometimes been reported. MM with Dean Martin & George Cukor.

Much was made of “fading” Marilyn working at her home studio for $100,000 while Fox made Elizabeth Taylor the first star to earn $1 million dollars per film, with all the contractual trimmings. The media picture painted Marilyn as Cinderella, scrubbing floors, while Elizabeth was the belle of the ball. However, before Taylor could accept the Cleopatra offer, Elizabeth had one more film to make on her old MGM contract, a similarly paltry $125,000, to make the boring soap, BUtterfield 8. The big difference between the two, as always in Hollywood, was profits. Both Marilyn and Elizabeth had major career breakthroughs in 1956, Bus Stop and Giant, respectively. Both stars made five films by ’62. The difference was Elizabeth’s films were all smash hits, two of which were epics. Marilyn had a hit with Bus Stop and a smash hit with Some Like it Hot, but The Prince and the Showgirl, Let’s Make Love, and The Misfits, were considered “disappointments.” Also, while Taylor could be spoiled and difficult toward MGM brass, she was “One-Take Liz” on the set. Also noteworthy is that Elizabeth was a trouper during this time under trying circumstances: new friend James Dean died in his car crash near the end of Giant’s shooting; best friend Monty Clift nearly died a car accident in the midst of making Raintree County; Elizabeth’s beloved Mike Todd died in a plane crash near the start of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Taylor was unhappily married to Eddie Fisher and trying to keep the suits from firing Monty Clift on Suddenly, Last Summer; and Elizabeth was forced to make BUtterfield 8 or stay off screen for two years. And finally, Taylor herself nearly died while making Cleopatra, topped by her scandalous affair with Richard Burton. Yet, ET got the job done, no matter what was going on. And these films all made a pile of money—the true bottom line in Hollywood. Marilyn by contrast, got by with minor skirmishes over co-stars in Bus Stop, but clashed with Olivier on The Prince and the Showgirl, along with director Billy Wilder and Tony Curtis on Some Like It Hot, was a total mess on the set of The Misfits, and got mixed up with married Yves Montand on Let’s Make Love. These last two films got horrible publicity and while MM had her moments in each, her lethargy showed in both her film performance and figure.

Marilyn Monroe's skinny-dipping scene was more like a slow strip tease
in "Something's Got to Give." MM started with flesh-colored garments,
but gradually peeled them off.

Interestingly, when Monroe was fired from Something’s Got to Give, she gave a flurry of interviews and photo shoots, as a rebuttal to the bad studio publicity. Marilyn’s mantra was that it was okay if fame as a sex symbol was passing her by, that she was ready for something new. Yet, at the same time, her photo shoots were often scantily clad, along with the barrage of nude skinny dipping photos. Once again, Marilyn was sending out mixed signals.

Marilyn Monroe in her only scene with both co-stars at the same time,
Cyd Charisse and Dean Martin in "Something's Got to Give."


I have wondered what would have become of Marilyn Monroe had she lived, and embraced maturity. This is unlikely, as the general consensus now is that Marilyn was an untreated bi-polar personality. Yet, could she have become an enduring star no matter what, like Elizabeth Taylor? Could she have become a star character actress like Shirley MacLaine or Lauren Bacall? Or could she have found happiness and solitude by leaving Hollywood, like Kim Novak? I think she could have opted for any of these possibilities, but given her instability, would she have? Instead Monroe became part of the trio of legendary slow suicides who died in the ‘60s: Marilyn, Monty, and Judy …sad, sad, sad.

Love this shot of Marilyn Monroe, with the family dog in "Something's Got to Give."
The pooch is the only one who remembers her!

As for the finished product, Something’s Got to Give, if it had been made and released in a timely manner, it might have been a modest hit. At the very least, it would have shown Marilyn Monroe in a fresh, modern light, and having completed some contractual obligations. I found Marilyn’s scenes to be warm and natural with the children, and amusing as the “Swedish” servant. But the few scenes MM performed were undemanding, with little dialogue. And Marilyn’s performance was at odds with the typical, stylized comedy performances of Martin, Charisse, and the character actors—funny, but in a more ‘50s way. There are literally two different movies going on in Something’s Got to Give.

Whatever else happened during Marilyn’s last summer, at least Monroe knew that her studio still wanted her. After friend Dean Martin refused to work with anybody but Marilyn, Fox had hired her back, to complete SGTG, and at a higher pay rate. The studio also offered their star a big salary increase to make her final picture for them, What a Way to Go! Another ironic title, this lavish comedy was later made with Shirley MacLaine. Realistically, the outcome probably would have been the same, regarding Marilyn and movies. But on a positive note, what there is of Something’s Got to Give shows off Marilyn, who looks and acts incandescently, a goodbye gift for her fans. 

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 

Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/


Would Marilyn Monroe have ever been ready for her close-up in
"Something's Got to Give?" Probably not, but isn't it pretty to think so?