GOODBYE, NORMA JEAN
US/Australia, 1975, 95 minutes, Colour.
Misty Rowe, Terence Locke, Patch Mackenzie, Preston Hanson, Marty Zagon.
Directed by Larry Buchanan.
Australian investment has gone into this Hollywood-nostalgia offering, purporting to give us 'how she happened' and not the legend of Marilyn Monroe. Dates and names have been changed, which makes one wonder how authentic are the facts. What is offered, however, is a lurid story of an exploited but driven and ambitious young blonde who learns to use people as much as they have used her to get to the top. Not particularly well-acted (except by Misty Rowe who does her best while looking more like Lynn Redgrave than MM). Conventional Hollywood ugliness is shown in a story that would put prospective Marilyn Monroe's off stardom forever.
1. The significance and tone of the title? The appeal? The interest in Marilyn Monroe?
2. The quality of this film? A serious piece of film-making, shoddy filmmaking, exploitive filmmaking?
3. The use of wide-screen, colour, music, Los Angeles and Hollywood sets? An authentic atmosphere for the film?
4. What is the nature of the mystique of Marilyn Monroe? Her impact in her time? Her life, her death? Sex appeal? The memory of Marilyn Monroe, the 50s? How well did the film communicate and explain the mystique?
5. How much insight into the person, personality, career and style of Marilyn Monroe? The social background, the personal relationships etc.?
6. The initial picture of her home life, her foster parents and their fighting, their hostility and puritanism, the hypocrisy? The effect on her?
7. The emphasis on sexuality? Her own awareness of this? Her innocent using of it, eg, hitch-hiking, the policeman? The shock of her being raped? The effect on her as regards sexuality, attraction towards men, exploiting herself?
8. The picturing of her at work, during the war, her attitude towards men, the change that gradually came about? What detail was offered for this section of her life, eg. the beauty contest for war workers?
9. The significance of her relationship with the photographer? The jobs that he got her? His belief in her? His exploiting her? Was his character well developed? The fact that it was he who said "Goodbye, Norma Jean"?
10. The importance of dreams and ambitions for Norma Jean? The reality of her dreams, American dreams, Hollywood stardom as an American dream? Her subordinating all her drives towards this dream? To become a star?
11. Comment on the amount of suffering in her life? From her background, the memories of her mother, eg. in the dream sequence about her mother? Her suffering in her work, people exploiting her?
12. The importance of producers and their exploiting Norma Jean, their using her? The fact that they would not accept her unless she succumbed sexually? Her work in pornographic movies? Sexy photos? The covers for lurid magazines etc.? How did the film comment on this effect on her life?
13. The importance of the patronage of the ageing film star? His belief in her, support of her, references, finally transforming her? The importance of his father-figure image? What did this indicate about her need for a father?
14. The importance of the lesbian agent? An exploitive aspect of the film? The truth value in this? The effect on Norma Jean?
15. Comment on the transformation of Norma Jean into Marilyn Monroe? The ability of Misty Rowe to impersonate Marilyn Monroe? The achievement of ambitions? The hardening of her personality and character? As "Goodbye, Norma Jean"?
16. The insight into Hollywood and its personalities. The producer who finally accepted her? The ugliness of this artificial Hollywood world, careers and struggles, people being used and discarded? Was it worthwhile to dream to be a star? Was it worthwhile achieving stardom?
