Why Does Marilyn Monroe Talk Funny
It's difficult to pin down what makes Marilyn Monroe so magnetic when she's on screen. Perhaps it's her quick wit, undeniable charm, or triple-threat talent. Or more likely, a combination of all three. Born Norma Jean Mortenson in 1920s Los Angeles, Monroe didn't come from a long line of celebrity names. Indeed, she rose to become a legend of cinema through her own volition, hard-work, talent, and noted aura of kindness. After being discovered by a photographer at a factory during World War II, Monroe's career in modeling in everything from advertisements to magazines to pin-up photoshoots began. By the late 1940s, Monroe had signed with an acting agency, and began her training at the Actor's Laboratory Theater. After a few supporting roles, including noir-heist The Asphalt Jungle , Monroe's breakout performance truly happened in Niagara , which led her career down a path of unforgettable roles.
Monroe was meticulous about her craft, and it shows in her performances. She always found the humanity within her characters, which is what makes them feel multidimensional and real. As her performances continue to be analyzed and studied, her legacy lives on as she's paved the way for aspiring artists, singers, dancers, and comics alike. Monroe's range was astonishing. Not only did she present nuanced layers to her characters in her dramatic roles, but she had incredible comedic timing, whether she was playing a role in a slapstick, screwball comedy or in one of Billy Wilder's more darkly comic, sardonic stories. As Joshua Logan, the director of one of Monroe's most celebrated roles, Bus Stop , once accurately put it, "She is an artist beyond artistry…she is pure cinema." Below is a list of some of her most interesting roles that display the actresses' wealth of talents and range, from comedy to drama.
Miss Casswell in All About Eve (1950)
Although Monroe is only in the film briefly, she is unpredictable in every scene as Claudia Casswell in All About Eve . Even more than 70 years later, it's no surprise that the film received a whopping 14 Academy Award nominations, as well as a record-breaking 4 female acting nominations. Margo Channing (Bette Davis) is an acclaimed actress who feels she's losing relevance as a public figure as she ages. When Margo puts trust into a new assistant, the ambitious young Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), things quickly turn sour when she realizes that Eve is actually after her career.
The film is almost a cautionary tale of how merciless the entertainment industry can be, and Monroe's hilarious delivery provides levity to an often dark story. Claudia Casswell is an important film critic's date at the party, as well as an aspiring actress. While everyone around her thinks she's a terrible actress, she in fact possesses an incredible ability of using her charm and flirtatiousness to get away with things. One of her best lines is, "You won't bore him, honey. You won't even get a chance to talk." Her deadpan delivery of this insult is so subtle that nobody bats an eye. It's a deceptively sarcastic character that only someone with razor-sharp comedic timing like Monroe could've pulled off.
Miss Lois Laurel in Monkey Business (1952)
Another supporting role just before landing a hugely popular film the following year, Monroe is Lois Laurel, a secretary at a chemistry lab in Howard Hawks' screwball comedy Monkey Business . The film follows Dr. Barnaby Fulton (Cary Grant) a scientist who is determined to create an elixir that will turn adults young again. After he ends up taking too much elixir himself, he along with Edwina (Ginger Rogers), Fulton's wife, develop child-like sensibilities, and a giddy Fulton ends up going for a day trip with Lois.
Monroe's wit lights up every scene throughout the film. Cary Grant weaves his way through the film with his trademark sly delivery, but it's Monroe's slapstick comedy that appears effortless. A standout moment is when she slaps her boss Oliver Oxley (Charles Coburn) across the face with zero hesitation. Her ease in front of the camera in every scene, despite only having been in the industry for less than a decade, is incredibly admirable. For good reason, the film was instrumental in Monroe's gradual path to becoming a household name.
Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
It's the film that skyrocketed Monroe as not only a hugely important figure of the industry, but an enormously multi-talented artist. The musical comedy stars Monroe as Lorelei Lee and Jane Russell as Dorothy Shaw, two showgirls and best friends who go on a cruise across the Atlantic. However, Lorelei's father-in-law (Taylor Holmes) doesn't trust her to stay loyal to her fiancée (Tommy Noonan), so he hires a private detective (Elliott Reed), who ends up falling in love with Dorothy.
While everything about the film, from the musical numbers to the over the top costumes, are a joy to watch, it's the casting that the producers nailed. Monroe, who transforms as the giddy and optimistic Lorelei, is the perfect contrast to Russell's dark, cynical sense of humor. Perhaps one of the most memorable moments is when she gets stuck trying to crawl out of a window, and a young boy tries to assist her. Still stuck, one of her lines during the scene is a short "Please put that back", delivered flat and sternly. The fear in her voice that she'll be discovered is palpable, and showed audiences that Monroe's use of physical comedy is near perfection.
The Girl in The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Heralded as one of Monroe's most iconic roles, The Seven Year Itch cemented her image as a screen legend for a reason. Her first collaboration with Wilder, the film started out as a play, and when it was developed as a feature, Wilder cast Monroe along with Tom Ewell, who reprised his role. Ewell is Richard Sherman, a neurotic, childish publishing executive who is consumed by daydreams about women falling madly in love with him. When his family goes away for the summer, he becomes infatuated with his charming neighbor, played by Monroe.
Monroe is electric in every moment on screen. Her character could have easily been one dimensional, but she breathes life into each moment with her seemingly effortless comedic timing. In a brilliantly delivered monologue, she calls Richard out on his twisted perceptions of women. After she scolds him, "You think every girl's a dope!", she goes on to impersonate the characters that Richard has built up in his head about what women want from men. Her combination of facial expressions as she mocks him and her witty delivery encapsulates everything that's great about the sharp, intelligent performance.
Chérie in Bus Stop (1956)
Just based off of her accent alone, Monroe is unrecognizable throughout Logan's Bus Stop. Monroe adopted a deep Southern accent for the role of Cherie, a lounge singer with dreams of being a Hollywood star. When Cherie encounters Beauregard (Don Murray), a completely unhinged, obnoxious cowboy, he begins stalking her, and eventually kidnaps her to try to force her to fall in love with him. While Beauregard's controlling, sexist character hasn't aged well as a romantic comedy lead, it's Monroe's incredible, nuanced performance that stands the test of time. The performance, which coalesces comedy and tragedy in such an exceptional way that Logan compared her to Charlie Chaplin, earned the actress her first Golden Globe nomination for a film.
Cherie is one of Monroe's most powerful characters. She stands her ground, and doesn't let anybody take control of her. In one scene, Cherie wakes up to find Beauregard at her door. "It's you!" She's exasperated and throws her head back in her pillow in a way that makes audiences deeply empathize with her frustration. This film solidified Monroe as not only an extraordinarily talented singer and comedian, but an actress with incredible range. Her expressions shift slightly from elated, to confused, to terrified, all in the span of a few moments.
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk in Some Like It Hot (1959)
One of Monroe's most commercially successful films, Wilder's Some Like It Hot garnered immense critical acclaim upon its release, and a total 6 Academy Award nominations. The enormous success of the film would not have been possible without Monroe's sharp humor and radiance. When jazz musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) witness a mob hit, they disguise themselves as women in an all-girls band, where they meet Sugar Kane, an exuberant singer leaving behind a difficult past. Complications arise in Joe and Jerry's plan when people become suspicious of them, and especially when Joe and Jerry both fall for Sugar.
While Monroe is exceptional and a scene-stealer throughout the film, it's her palpable heartbreak that makes this performance one of the best in her filmography. In one of the most emotional scenes, Sugar confides in Joe and Jerry about her lost love, "He's the first nice guy I ever met in my life." It's clear that she's trying to hide the pain of rejection, but her disappointment rises to the surface. Although this moment is played for comedy (her "lost" love is right in front of her) Monroe is wholly truthful throughout the entire scene, and the film benefits immensely as a result.
Roslyn Tabor in The Misfits (1961)
In Monroe's final film before her tragic death in 1962, she finds herself in perhaps one of her most nuanced and complex roles yet. The Misfits is a Western drama written by Monroe's then-husband Arthur Miller, and directed by John Huston. Monroe transforms as Roslyn Tabor, a woman in search of a new life after ending a toxic marriage. When she encounters an older cowboy, Gay (Clark Gable) and his best friend, a trucker named Guido (Eli Wallach), she decides to move away with them into a half-finished house in the desert. As their relationships, and wild horse-catching business progress, they start to find trouble within their differences.
Monroe as Roslyn embodies one of her most powerful character arcs. Roslyn goes from an optimistic woman with a hunger for life and everything that comes with it. However, as the film progresses, and as tension grows between her and Gay, her enthusiasm diminishes. In an excruciating moment, she witnesses the abuse of one of her horses. As the cowboys discuss how much money the animal will make them, the horror of her reality unveils itself in just her expression alone. It's a difficult scene to watch, but one worth it for Monroe's performance alone.
Source: https://collider.com/best-marilyn-monroe-movies-some-like-it-hot/
0 Response to "Why Does Marilyn Monroe Talk Funny"
Post a Comment