Search found 2 matches: Billy Wilder

kyvetti wrote:Naah, I disagree, even though I do think she was better as a comedienne and her type of comedy relies more on playing against someone and timing instead of being funny for her own sake. And she was playing a lot of ditzy airhead roles, mostly because that's the sort of thing studios chose to want from her (and being typecast was more a rule than an exception at the time).

Did you read my post in full? The hypothesis that "she was typecast" can be easily rejected by the fact that when she played outside of type, as in The River of No Return, she was fucking horrendous. Have you seen that film?

kyvetti wrote:However I'd point out that as was also usual for the studio system, one often explores different aspects of that cast type, this was also true for Marilyn.
Seven Year Itch airhead was unreal, pure male fantasy (to the extent that one can suspect she wasn't even real but an invention of Ewell character).
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Prince and The Showgirl and How to Marry a Millionaire all have airheadedness as a bit of an act, in all three she is something of a mercenary. In the first one she is definitely a shrewd mercenary like no other, in the next one more playful, not really knowing what she wants but going for the ride, in the third one showing a bit more human qualities, being actually unsure of herself (though also in that one she really has least to do, the main dramatic storyline goes to Bacall and the main comedic one to Grable).
And in Some Like It Hot her airheadness does have a cracked quality in it, abused and down on her luck.

Again, did you read my first post in full? Her performances in those films range from "decent" to "very poor and forgettable", and it's mostly a function of how great her director was. Even Vin Diesel once turned in an excellent acting performance (much, much better than any performance Marilyn Monroe ever has) in Sidney Lumet's Find Me Guilty. Does that make him a great actor? Absolutely not. And borderline competence in a limited, ditzy role in a Billy Wilder comedy does not even make Marilyn Monroe a half-way decent actress.

I hadn't watched anything featuring Marilyn Monroe until the past couple of years. Thus, for the longest time, I assumed that her reputation was roughly correct; she probably wasn't a great actress, but she was pretty good, to be cast in so many classic films by legendary directors. Or at least decent.

When I actually sat down and watched a number of films featuring her, I was stunned at how awful she was. The only time Marilyn Monroe is even serviceable occurs when she is playing a silly, comic role in a film made by a great director surrounded by a bevy of outstanding talent. Outside of those very strict parameters, she is utter garbage. Hell, it might even be more specific than that. I hope she profusely thanked whatever deity she believes in for the existence of Billy Wilder.

Some Like It Hot (1959)- Wilder directed, surrounded by unbelievable comic talent. Lemmon and Curtis at the height of their powers. Monroe plays a ditzy, sleazy airhead, which, revisionism aside, is very close to what she was. She looks really beautiful, and her acting is okay.

The Seven Year Itch (1955) - Another Wilder classic, and another ditzy airhead role. This time, she is playing off the talents of Tom Ewell, who is excellent here, even if I keep wondering what would have happened if Wilder's original pick, a then-undiscovered Walter Matthau, got the role.

Monkey Business (1952) - This is where it starts breaking down. Howard Hawks was a legendary director in his own right, a master of multiple genres, but he wasn't as great at comedy as Wilder was. The talent surrounding Marilyn is still incredible; Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Charles Coburn. Her role is a secondary, comic one, but she isn't as quite much of a ditz.

Monroe is utterly invisible and downright forgettable. I doubt anyone can remember a single good scene featuring her. Meanwhile, I can think of multiple fine quips and moments with Charles Coburn's character, who is also secondary.

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) - Jean Negulesco is a far cry form Hawks or Wilder, but it's still a light comedy, and the rest of the talent is still amazing; Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable, Fred Clark, and William Powell. Marilyn isn't such a blatant airhead, but it's still a comic role.

And poor Marilyn is worse than useless here. She is utterly outshined by not just by Bacall, not just by Betty Grable, her two co-stars, but even by all the male suitors. She is dry, boring, and unfunny.

The River of No Return (1955) - Otto Preminger is a good director, but the script fucking sucks, and this is a bad movie overall. Worst though, it's a drama. And Marilyn is playing a serious, intelligent character. Oh, and she is expected to carry scenes on her own.

Needless to say, it's a fucking trainwreck. I was almost laughing during Marilyn's serious, "dramatic" scenes. They're that bad and blatantly forced and faked. And while it's a crap film, her co-star, Robert Mitchum, still turns in a fine performance. Hell, even a secondary character played by Rory Calhoun is pretty good! Marilyn, though, is one of the worst parts of the movie.

Focus-

Do you agree with my assessment of Monroe's acting abilities? (Not talking about her looks, obviously) Am I being too harsh? Was she ever serviceable in a non-comedy role where she didn't play an airhead, or wasn't directed by Wilder?