In "Great Performances" 'Making the Misfits (2002) we get to look behind the scenes of this great John Huston movie from 1961.The movie is an underrated gem that stars Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in their last film.This documentary shows all the trouble they had on the set.Writer Arthur Miller and Monroe were heading towards their divorce, and Miller wrote the film for his wife.It's quite amazing to listen to Miller (1915-2005) sharing his memories.You also get to hear Eli Wallach, who acted in the movie.Today this terrific actor turns 95 years.And he still isn't showing any signs of slowing down.Kevin McCarthy, who we sadly lost at 96 on September, shares his memories.Brian Dennehy is the narrator.There is also some great photography of Marilyn by Henri Cartier-Bresson and Elliott Erwitt.Both the movie and this documentary is worth seeing.
2 Reviews
Nice Look at The Misfits
Michael_Elliott23 May 2011
Great Performances: Making The Misfits (2002)
*** (out of 4)
Film buffs will always remember John Huston's THE MISFITS as a disappointment that would turn out to be the final picture for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. This documentary gathers up some of the people who worked on the film as they try to go over the troubled production as well as the end result, which didn't seem to make anyone happy. Writer Arthur Miller, actors Eli Wallach and Kevin McCarthy as well as other members of the production team are interviewed about the making of the film. Miller, who was with Monroe at the time, has a rather interesting story to tell on how he got the movie made and why he wanted Huston to do the picture. There's also talk about various issues with the production including the hot temperatures, Monroe never showing up on time and of course the stories of Huston spending all night in the casinos. One of the most interesting stories comes from McCarthy who talks about the filming of his quick scene on the steps and how Monroe kept messing up each take because she couldn't remember her lines. McCarthy jokes about how he had to lose his performance because he and the director were trying to get Monroe to do the scene correctly. Wallace tells another nice story about meeting Gable and what he thought about when he heard the actor suffered a heart attack. If you're a fan of the movie then this is a pretty good look at the making of the movie but at the same time it seems like some of the stories have been watered down. Miller never really goes into any real detail about the various problems Monroe was going through at the time but I guess this is understandable if he's simply not willing to talk about it. Monroe's troubles on the production were apparently quite high but most of this isn't gone into detail about, although some of the production members say that no one ever called her on her lateness.
*** (out of 4)
Film buffs will always remember John Huston's THE MISFITS as a disappointment that would turn out to be the final picture for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. This documentary gathers up some of the people who worked on the film as they try to go over the troubled production as well as the end result, which didn't seem to make anyone happy. Writer Arthur Miller, actors Eli Wallach and Kevin McCarthy as well as other members of the production team are interviewed about the making of the film. Miller, who was with Monroe at the time, has a rather interesting story to tell on how he got the movie made and why he wanted Huston to do the picture. There's also talk about various issues with the production including the hot temperatures, Monroe never showing up on time and of course the stories of Huston spending all night in the casinos. One of the most interesting stories comes from McCarthy who talks about the filming of his quick scene on the steps and how Monroe kept messing up each take because she couldn't remember her lines. McCarthy jokes about how he had to lose his performance because he and the director were trying to get Monroe to do the scene correctly. Wallace tells another nice story about meeting Gable and what he thought about when he heard the actor suffered a heart attack. If you're a fan of the movie then this is a pretty good look at the making of the movie but at the same time it seems like some of the stories have been watered down. Miller never really goes into any real detail about the various problems Monroe was going through at the time but I guess this is understandable if he's simply not willing to talk about it. Monroe's troubles on the production were apparently quite high but most of this isn't gone into detail about, although some of the production members say that no one ever called her on her lateness.
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