The films Marilyn made in and after 1953, the year in which she became an undeniable star, remain pretty familiar to this day: films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Seven Year Itch, Bus Stop, Some Like It Hot, The Prince and the Showgirl, and The Misfits. For most people, far less is known about Marilyn's early films, and it is here that this particular book serves its greatest purpose. Here you will find basic information on largely forgotten films from the early 1950s featuring Marilyn in the smallest of roles, films such as Dangerous Years, Ladies of the Chorus, A Ticket to Tomahawk, The Fireball, Right Cross, and Hometown Story. Those unfamiliar with the truly transformative period of Marilyn's career from bit player to star-in-waiting will want to check out the sections on films such as As Young as You Feel, Love Nest, Let's Make it Legal, and Don't Bother to Knock. The importance of Marilyn's small but visible roles in such classics as The Asphalt Jungle, Clash By Night, and All About Eve are also alluded to in these pages.

From Marilyn's first part in the film Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (a part that wound up on the cutting room floor) to her final completed film The Misfits and an aborted new project called Something's Got to Give, the authors trace Marilyn's cinematic evolution from a lovely young woman wanting to be an actress to a true goddess of the silver screen.


straight forward and very organized   July 1, 1999
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is a must have book for every Marilyn Monroe fan because it goes through in chronological order of Marilyn's films. It shows what critics thought of the films in the years that they came out, the songs that Marilyn sings or dances to. Along with an extensive review of each film's plot, climax,a nd characters.