MARILYN - THE UNTOLD STORY
US, 1980, 150 minutes, Colour.
Catherine Hicks, Richard Basehart, Frank Converse, John Ireland. Viveca Lindfors, Jason Miller. Sheree North.
Directed by John Flynn, Jack Arnold, Lawrence Schiller.
Marilyn - The Untold Story is based on the book by Norman Mailer. However, all the ingredients presented in this telemovie can be found in standard books about Marilyn Monroe e.g. Joan Mellen's paperback 'Marilyn Monroe' or dramatised in Garson Kanin's 'Moviola'.
Catherine Hicks is excellent as Marilyn Monroe and for the duration of the film seems to be Marilyn herself. She makes the transformation from a young girl to tragic star about to die. She has obviously studied Marilyn Monroe and impersonates her excellently, even to the smallest mannerisms. There is a very good supporting cast representing real characters. There are short interpretations of characters and scenes from her films or the making of her films, ranging from The Asphalt Jungle through How To Marry A Millionaire to the English experience Olivier and The Prince and the Showgirl to The Misfits.
Marilyn's private life is suggested and sometimes glossed over (especially in comparison with Larry Buchanan's emphasis on the sordid early experiences of Marilyn in his Goodbye Norma Jean). The encounter of Marilyn with Johnny Hyde is also explored in the television presentation of Garson Kanin's chapter in Moviola (with Constance Fordlund as Marilyn and Lloyd Bridges as Johnny Hyde). Marilyn is presented sympathetically throughout a victim of her circumstances, her parents, her lack of a father, her ambition to be a star, the influences of her coaches and of her husbands. The failed marriages are presented very much from Marilyn's point of view, even that with noted playwright Arthur Miller. There are psychological suggestions for Marilyn's failure and her addictive personality - the reliance on pills and then drink. The suggestion of a heritage of mental imbalance is also presented. The film keeps the attention while it is on the screen but it merely recapitulates very entertainingly what was generally known about Marilyn Monroe. Direction is by veteran Jack Arnold and thriller director John Flynn.
1. The focus of the title on Marilyn Monroe herself? The reference to Norman Mailer's book and his insights? The contrast of the title The Untold Story with critics remarking that it was the 'oft-told story'? The material available from magazine articles and books?
2. The film made for television audiences and their response? The presentation a screen legend. the origins of a star, her rise to glamour, her achievement on the screen, her personal tragedy? Her association with the great names of films in the '50s and '60s? The older audience and the memory and recapitulation of Marilyn's life and career? The drama and melodrama of her life? Her place in American popular culture - as sex symbol, as talented comedienne, as wife of Arthur Miller and the inspiration for The Misfits and After the Fall?
3. The style of the screenplay ? the emphasis on soap opera and easy and immediate communication of characters and themes? How much depth? Audiences' emotional response? Interest and curiosity? The film's theory about Marilyn's career and life? The influence of her mother, the lack of home life, her being abused as a child, her insecurity about her parents, her absent father and her husbands as substitutes, her driving ambition, her need for reassurance, addiction?
4. The quality of the colour photography, the re-creation of the period, the re-creation of Hollywood. of Marilyn's films and their production? Decor and costumes? Musical score and the use of the theme song 'My Foolish Heart'?
5. The length of the film and sustained interest, the quality of the coverage of all aspects of Marilyn's life and career? The framework of her last illness and death in 1962? The sketching in of some detail? The quality of Catherine Hicks' impersonation and performance, manner, style? Recreating Marilyn Monroe and continually drawing audience attention to her to understand Marilyn's personality?
6. Marilyn's childhood, the instability of her mother, her outings with her mother, especially to Grauman's Chinese Theatre, her talk about her ambitions as a star? As working at the candy bar? Her guardians? Her mother's madness and being institutionalised? Her going to film? Her lonely run down Hollywood streets to find her mother? Her mother's being in the institution and Marilyn's lies about her, her visit to her and her mother wanting her autograph? Her appeal to her father and his snubbing her on the phone? His later concern and her snubbing him? Her fear of going like her mother? Her need for a father and her relationships with Johnny Hyde and her husbands?
7. The dating with Jim Doherty, their being married, her work during the war, his being posted overseas and her sense of being abandoned, her being invited to do modelling work, the famous calendar (and the old man at the garage recognising her later)? The inevitability of divorce ? hastened by the pressure of the studios for their starlet not to be married?
8. The influence of Natasha and her style of training Marilyn, Marilyn auditioning and her emphasis on her figure and bust, with good humour? Her working in the chorus and discussions with the chorus girls? Her being coached and trained as well as being guided personally by Natasha? Natasha's consent about her roles, presence on the set? Her later being fired and appealing in vain for reinstatement? The lack of emphasis on Paula Strasberg's subsequent training of Marilyn?
9. The sketch of Johnny Hyde and his work for the studios and agencies, fascination with Marilyn, leaving his wife and children, infatuated with her, her operation on her nose, the introduction to John Huston, the scenes of her acting the screen test for The Asphalt Jungle, the lyrical time with Johnny Hyde, his death?
10. Her work at 20th Century Fox, the rehearsal of the songs for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the sequence from How To Marry A Millionaire? The encounter with Joe di Maggio, the outings, getting to know each other, the build up to their wedding? The honeymoon in Korea and her going on tour and singing for the troops? His irritation at this? His dislike of the famous sequence and people's response? The Seven Year Itch? The growing clashes, the isolation? Her press conference and tears announcing the divorce? His later interest in her and blaming her friends for her death?
11. The early meeting with Arthur Miller and his interest in her? Suggesting reading? His later meeting her in New York? Their discussions? Her working at the Actors' Studio with Lee Strasberg? The discussions about acting with the young actors? Her marrying Arthur Miller? The impact at the time - the sex symbol with the intellectual playwright? Miller's moulding her? Her going back to work - the song from Bus Stop? Her behaviour in England for The Prince and the Showgirl? Overawed by Olivier, her tantrums at the hotel, being persuaded to work by Sybil Thorndike? Her work on Some Like It Hot and Billy Wilder's help, the exasperation of her lateness, the good reviews?
12. Arthur Miller's growing exasperation with her tantrums? The affair with Yves Montand during the making of Let's Make Love? The reaction to the reviews of Some? Like It Hot? His writing The Misfits and her reaction to the character of Rosalyn? The making of The Misfits and her encounter with Clark Gable and her talk about idealising him? The help from Montgomery Clift? Her many takes during The Misfits and Clark Gable's death, people blaming her? The asylum sequence and her breakdown? The long interview and session with the psychiatrist? George Cukor encouraging her at Something’s Got To Give? The executives firing her from the film? The lawyer discussing her career?
13. Her going downhill, her lack of balance, the many sequences of her relying on tablets, her drinking, her fading away in death?
14. How well did the film capture the tragedy of people in the public eye? The pathos of their experiences? Their achievement in entertaining people in the films that they made? What did the film contribute to the solving of the enigmas about Marilyn Monroe's life?
