Irish author Tony Summers, having accumulated over 600 hours of taped telephone interviews with various associates, friends and witnesses of the the late Marilyn Monroe, has compiled the most vital bits of information into this documentary for Netflix. There's also bits and pieces of the actual Monroe talking, though we're not sure of the source for these conversations (she mostly sounds tired, fed up, and dryly pithy). Actors lip-synch to the tapes to give us a visual perspective, and there are many clips of Marilyn's movies and newsreel footage of her in and out of hospitals and courtrooms, but what do we learn about her demise? Not much. Marilyn was being bugged--as was friend Peter Lawford at his beach house in Malibu--by the FBI after Monroe had gotten herself involved with both President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy. Marilyn had extra-marital affairs with both--and was mostly smitten with Bobby--before realizing they were using her "like a piece of meat". When the police were called early in the am on August 5, 1962, Marilyn was found dead in her bedroom, the phone in her hand, surrounded by pill bottles. However, Summers shows that she was actually found "comatose" around 11pm the previous night, and that her psychiatrist had her transferred by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, Monroe didn't make it, dying in the ambulance of a drug overdose (either intentional or accidental). The decision was made to turn the ambulance around and return her to her bed. Meanwhile, "someone higher up than Hoover" demanded that her bedroom be searched and stripped of any evidence connecting Marilyn with the Kennedys (this is presumed to be Bobby's doing, as he was in Los Angeles at this time before quickly beating it out of town). I always felt sorry for Monroe's elderly housekeeper, Eunice Murray, who never seemed to get her story right (and for good reason!). Is this a great document of Monroe's life and final days? No, but it has been put together in a fairly concise manner so as to be easily understood by viewers who may not know much about the star. Director Emma Cooper gets a little arty with her fill-in footage of street scenes at night (taken mostly around 1985, when Monroe's death was reopened by the courts), including inscrutable black-and-white footage of train yards and old houses. Still, for those who are curious, this delivers a timeline of events told by voices on a cassette player that helps us to digest what happened that fateful night, concluding with a quote from Marilyn herself: "I just want to be a good actress."
57 Reviews
Nothing new for longtime fans, but young admirers may get a clearer picture of events here
moonspinner551 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Good until the very end..
Zen-Balance30 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I enjoyed the whole documentary, until the very end. The journalist didn't complete his research by neglecting the autopsy. Autopsies tell the story that no one else will. He didn't interview the morgue staff, nor the hospital staff. That alone is a red flag for someone who researched for so long.
Marilyn, In Others' Words...
Lejink13 August 2022
Released no doubt to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Monroe's death, this new Netflix documentary film relied largely on audio tapes made back in 1982 by British journalist Anthony Summers with several people who either were friends, associates or colleagues of the ill-fated actress. These tapes were made by him as the background to a high-profile L A. Court case of the time which sought, no doubt under public interest if not pressure, to ascertain once and for all, the reason or reasons for her death. That verdict was the same then as that reached twenty years previously, i.e. That Monroe had died of an accidental overdose, but just like the JFK assassination or even the death of Princess Diana, speculation and conjecture still surround her death today.
Naturally however, to pad out its running-time I suspect, we get a potted history of Marilyn's life and career up to the point of her passing. Although mostly known to me anyway, it was still interesting to see contemporary news footage of her and if you think that today's paparazzi are uncaring and invasive, just get a load of the press mobbing her and inconsiderately pressing her for a comment even as she's leaving an asylum where she'd just been treated for something of a breakdown.
We get the familiar story of her abandoned childhood and Hollywood breakthrough in John Huston's "The Asphalt Jungle" feature from 1950, the short-lived marriages to baseball star Joe De Maggio and playwright Arthur Miller, her aspirations to be a serious actress in attending the Strasberg method-acting school and finally her fateful, at least so it's argued here, entanglement with the Kennedy brothers, one the President and the other the Attorney General of America.
The film at least draws a very clear conclusion but of course it's both controversial and speculative. The director's technique of having the verite audio-tapes with long-dead interviewees like Huston and Billy Wilder amongst many others, lip-synced by actors in reenactments, I must admit I found strange and off-putting, especially when used with fuzzy out-of-focus shots of the actors themselves reciting their lines, There are surely more than enough images of Monroe to act as a backdrop to just playing the audio on its own.
Also interspersed throughout the movie were carefully selected tapes of the actress herself speaking in her own voice, some from the private collection of her last psychiatrist, but these are too often taken out of context just for effect. At one point we hear her talking about the pursuit of truth almost as if she's foreseen her own death which struck me as bizarre and certainly contrived. Strange and inconsistent too not to follow-through by having an actress lip-synch Monroe's own words as every other interviewee in the film was, even if I disagreed with this particular device. In the end, it was difficult not to come to the conclusion that the film merely served to feed the Marilyn-obsession of Summers himself and that the director should have exercised a lot more objectivity.
Me, I'm not convinced this film served its subject well. Yes, it put a different spin on her death of which I hadn't been aware and gave me some pause for thought, but overall I found this production to be rather slipshod, sensationalist and almost trashy at times in its execution.
Goodbye Norma Jean, but after this, I still don't think I knew you at all.
Naturally however, to pad out its running-time I suspect, we get a potted history of Marilyn's life and career up to the point of her passing. Although mostly known to me anyway, it was still interesting to see contemporary news footage of her and if you think that today's paparazzi are uncaring and invasive, just get a load of the press mobbing her and inconsiderately pressing her for a comment even as she's leaving an asylum where she'd just been treated for something of a breakdown.
We get the familiar story of her abandoned childhood and Hollywood breakthrough in John Huston's "The Asphalt Jungle" feature from 1950, the short-lived marriages to baseball star Joe De Maggio and playwright Arthur Miller, her aspirations to be a serious actress in attending the Strasberg method-acting school and finally her fateful, at least so it's argued here, entanglement with the Kennedy brothers, one the President and the other the Attorney General of America.
The film at least draws a very clear conclusion but of course it's both controversial and speculative. The director's technique of having the verite audio-tapes with long-dead interviewees like Huston and Billy Wilder amongst many others, lip-synced by actors in reenactments, I must admit I found strange and off-putting, especially when used with fuzzy out-of-focus shots of the actors themselves reciting their lines, There are surely more than enough images of Monroe to act as a backdrop to just playing the audio on its own.
Also interspersed throughout the movie were carefully selected tapes of the actress herself speaking in her own voice, some from the private collection of her last psychiatrist, but these are too often taken out of context just for effect. At one point we hear her talking about the pursuit of truth almost as if she's foreseen her own death which struck me as bizarre and certainly contrived. Strange and inconsistent too not to follow-through by having an actress lip-synch Monroe's own words as every other interviewee in the film was, even if I disagreed with this particular device. In the end, it was difficult not to come to the conclusion that the film merely served to feed the Marilyn-obsession of Summers himself and that the director should have exercised a lot more objectivity.
Me, I'm not convinced this film served its subject well. Yes, it put a different spin on her death of which I hadn't been aware and gave me some pause for thought, but overall I found this production to be rather slipshod, sensationalist and almost trashy at times in its execution.
Goodbye Norma Jean, but after this, I still don't think I knew you at all.
A boring mess
BongoJustice30 April 2022
Narratively this is absolutely all over the place. No structure, no new information, nothing revelatory at all. It careers around regurgitating stuff we already knew, hints at a few things but is such a mess it never even bothers to provide any real interesting information. Crap, even for Netflix.
"Every studio had a black book"
BrunoRatesTheMovies6 August 2022
Marilyn Monroe is intrinsically linked to classic Hollywood, in all it's representations. This doc tells the 'facts' from a cold, distant point of view, but it completely leaves out her mental state and the whole film doesn't take one beat to talk about her well-being. I did think it showed a side to the story that is rarely told, I just think it could have been more even handed.
More Marilyn Gossip with Tons of Old Footage of Her
iquine10 June 2022
For those who can't get enough of the ultra famous Marilyn Monroe or Hollywood stars, then this is a must-see. Apparently, some chap has a stash of tapes that contain assorted recordings of people's thoughts on Marilyn as a person, some lesser known tidbits, their insights into her private life and what everyone is waiting for, their speculation on her death and the causes and factors around it. As there are still open questions that remain to this day. Thankfully, it did incorporate all of her historic moments that helped to make her famous along with an abundance of video footage of her so it was a solid blend of biography and then dives into the gossip toward the end. Lots of recorded tape interviews narrated by the chap who looked into her death. The editing and production were above average for a documentary of this nature. Like many of the interviewees who didn't want to talk, they just said let her memory rest. I concur.
Not Bad, Not Great!
ThomasMuf2 May 2022
This documentary, based on the interview tapes and memories of a British investigative journalist, does not cover much new ground, but if anything, it corroborates the widely held opinion that she died of an accidental or deliberate overdose on sleeping pills, and that there was no real criminal activity involved. There has been so much hush-hush about her death I don't think we will ever get to know the complete truth. The film documents much of her life, from her childhood and arrival in Hollywood, while spending more than one third on the events of her final days. Few of the interviews are truly enlightening, and the structure (listening to the tapes the journalist recorded) becomes grating and monotonous after a while. Having actors impersonate the interviewees doesn't do much to relieve us of the monotony. Some excerpts are interesting and fresh, but not enough of them contain anything revelatory or even intriguing. So-so documentary for newbies on MM's life and death.
Rise and Fall of the World's Sex Symbol
albertval-6956029 April 2022
This docu gives the viewer insights into the last day of Marilyn Monroe's life as well as her backstory as a fascinating character who strove to be a good actress.
Before this docu, people already knew something about her affair with the Kennedy brothers and her ties to friends who were avowed Communists. Non-Americans know less about her failed marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller.
Investigative journalist Anthony Summers paints (through his sources including John Houston, the Greenson family and even private eyes like Fred Otash and Reed Wilson) a tragic life going back to her traumatic childhood as an orphan and her early life as a waif. She always felt that no one likes her and that she's never used to being happy.
If anything, this film drives home the point, as happens elsewhere to other celebs, that fame and glam couldn't prevent her from ending her life in an unglamorous way. It categorically rules out murder but avers that there was a cover-up that probably involved RFK which then begs a lot of unanswered questions.
Watch this film to get nostalgic and re-trace those fateful days leading to the death of the world's only veritable sex symbol.
Before this docu, people already knew something about her affair with the Kennedy brothers and her ties to friends who were avowed Communists. Non-Americans know less about her failed marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller.
Investigative journalist Anthony Summers paints (through his sources including John Houston, the Greenson family and even private eyes like Fred Otash and Reed Wilson) a tragic life going back to her traumatic childhood as an orphan and her early life as a waif. She always felt that no one likes her and that she's never used to being happy.
If anything, this film drives home the point, as happens elsewhere to other celebs, that fame and glam couldn't prevent her from ending her life in an unglamorous way. It categorically rules out murder but avers that there was a cover-up that probably involved RFK which then begs a lot of unanswered questions.
Watch this film to get nostalgic and re-trace those fateful days leading to the death of the world's only veritable sex symbol.
Lacks visual flair and presents nothing fascinatingly new! [+43%]
arungeorge1328 April 2022
There isn't much in this documentary that warrants a distinct visual approach. As many rightfully remarked, the material is befitting a podcast more than a Netflix piece. To be honest, the actors' lip-syncing to the tapes didn't add anything. Also, the tapes pose a few relevant questions but none that insist on a deeper study. All the information we see (or hear) in this piece is, more or less, already out there in some form or the other. It's always blissful to see the charismatic Monroe on screen, and her presence is genuinely undeniable. But I couldn't figure her out as a person here, let alone understand more about her untimely death.
Haunting, but too focused on Monroe's personal life than around her death
wellthatswhatithinkanyway25 May 2022
STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful
Norma Jean arrived in Hollywood in 1946, a very young woman determined to make her mark. The product of a broken home and abusive childhood, she became Marilyn Monroe and became a sensation, redefining the typical perception of a female star, and responding to the changing social attitudes to sex on screen. However, her fragility and personal demons saw her stumble from one high profile relationship to another, before falling in with the Kennedy brothers, and their inner circle. Journalist Anthony Summers attempts to establish the facts about what was the driving force behind her untimely death.
For all the starlets that have followed since, Marilyn Monroe has retained a timeless, glamorous quality, that has endured coming up to sixty years after her death. Still greatly admired and emulated, the mystery around her death continues to develop new layers, and unravel new findings, which have been ripe for speculation by conspiracy theorists since before even the internet was around. Anthony Summers clearly has a profound interest in the case, and here has unearthed some tapes that shine new light on things.
Monroe is revealed as determined but humble, shy and awkward in an industry then (and, to a great extent now) dominated by men, but for all her success and appeal, fixed herself to strong, capable men, to make up for not having any kind of desirable father figure growing up. Observations like this delve in to who she was as a person, but at the expense of getting to what was behind her death, which only really comes in to focus at the end, even though the framework of the film seemed to be centred around this. Emma Cooper's film is carried by a haunting, melancholy score, which adds to the maudlin documentation of Monroe's life, but further detracts from what appeared to be the primary focus.
While it's a tragically fixating account of a damaged soul, by following this path, it spends its time throwing up a list of facts many will already know, without staying focused and really getting under the skin of how she met her end. ***
Norma Jean arrived in Hollywood in 1946, a very young woman determined to make her mark. The product of a broken home and abusive childhood, she became Marilyn Monroe and became a sensation, redefining the typical perception of a female star, and responding to the changing social attitudes to sex on screen. However, her fragility and personal demons saw her stumble from one high profile relationship to another, before falling in with the Kennedy brothers, and their inner circle. Journalist Anthony Summers attempts to establish the facts about what was the driving force behind her untimely death.
For all the starlets that have followed since, Marilyn Monroe has retained a timeless, glamorous quality, that has endured coming up to sixty years after her death. Still greatly admired and emulated, the mystery around her death continues to develop new layers, and unravel new findings, which have been ripe for speculation by conspiracy theorists since before even the internet was around. Anthony Summers clearly has a profound interest in the case, and here has unearthed some tapes that shine new light on things.
Monroe is revealed as determined but humble, shy and awkward in an industry then (and, to a great extent now) dominated by men, but for all her success and appeal, fixed herself to strong, capable men, to make up for not having any kind of desirable father figure growing up. Observations like this delve in to who she was as a person, but at the expense of getting to what was behind her death, which only really comes in to focus at the end, even though the framework of the film seemed to be centred around this. Emma Cooper's film is carried by a haunting, melancholy score, which adds to the maudlin documentation of Monroe's life, but further detracts from what appeared to be the primary focus.
While it's a tragically fixating account of a damaged soul, by following this path, it spends its time throwing up a list of facts many will already know, without staying focused and really getting under the skin of how she met her end. ***
Move along...Nothing new to see here.
caramia200230 April 2022
What a huge waste of time. This "investigation" is little more than the sound of cassettes stopping, starting, and rewinding. Very little information about Marilyn, certainly nothing new. Kept waiting for it to really begin. Too few snippets of phone calls and he comes to the same conclusions that have already been concluded, both in 1962, and when the investigation was re-opened by the LAPD in 1982. You should know this before you waste your time.
If you are new to Marilyn, this is NOT the place to learn about her. Not a good or complete bio on her life. Just another scam artist, trying to make money from Marilyn, after it's all been known for decades. Shame on you, NF, for adding to this.
I think it's a huge disservice that she is always talked about or referenced only by the men in her life, or even the Kennedys using her as a sex toy to bolster their egos. But of course it's usually men doing the writing or docs or news stories, from a titillating point of view. She was a multi-faceted human being, and deserves better. This film is just more of the same.
If you are new to Marilyn, this is NOT the place to learn about her. Not a good or complete bio on her life. Just another scam artist, trying to make money from Marilyn, after it's all been known for decades. Shame on you, NF, for adding to this.
I think it's a huge disservice that she is always talked about or referenced only by the men in her life, or even the Kennedys using her as a sex toy to bolster their egos. But of course it's usually men doing the writing or docs or news stories, from a titillating point of view. She was a multi-faceted human being, and deserves better. This film is just more of the same.
Marilyn still captivates
mjanssens2630 April 2022
An intriguing documentary which uses the real life voice recordings of Marilyn Monroe and the many people who knew her both before and after she became a mega star. Though we ultimately know how this tragic story ends, Marilyn is still ravishing and lovely enough to hold our attention. When one sees her remastered film clips in this documentary, it's easy to understand why the world fell in love with her and why she continues to captivate so many to this day.
Nothing Fresh
ChopraParth0126 September 2022
If you love Marilyn Monroe, like swamps of people out there, then you might like it. To be honest, the film does not offer anything fresh, creativity wise.
It might help you with a perspective on Marilyn's death and shed a different light on the Kennedy Brothers.
Somethings have been overly used such as some sounds and B-Rolls.
Involves personalities like John Huston, Billy Wilder, and many other Golden Age stars, so definitely a worthwhile watch if you enjoy the latter.
I understand why one would decide to make such a film slow, but then again, it's a little too slow at some points. Being too slow does not achieve much, other than the audience slipping away at times.
Hope you like it, should you choose to watch it :)
It might help you with a perspective on Marilyn's death and shed a different light on the Kennedy Brothers.
Somethings have been overly used such as some sounds and B-Rolls.
Involves personalities like John Huston, Billy Wilder, and many other Golden Age stars, so definitely a worthwhile watch if you enjoy the latter.
I understand why one would decide to make such a film slow, but then again, it's a little too slow at some points. Being too slow does not achieve much, other than the audience slipping away at times.
Hope you like it, should you choose to watch it :)
Nothing new
Nevergivea1027 April 2022
There's absolutely nothing you haven't seen or heard before about Marylin and the Kennedys. There's no new evidence to prove and affair. It's just tapes of people who knew her talking as actors lip sync. It's actually pretty boring.
Total Netflix garbage
Ripshin29 April 2022
WHY are they putting their name on this? It's pointless. Plus, STOP with the "reenactment" visuals. We just couldn't LISTEN to the tapes, with historical footage? They had to insert "actors" mouthing the words of celebrities?
I turned it off after twenty minutes. THIS is why you're failing, Netflix. We deserve more than garbage...
I turned it off after twenty minutes. THIS is why you're failing, Netflix. We deserve more than garbage...
Nothing new
abdalrahmanassi23 July 2022
This documentary raises the possibility that she was killed a little, but for me I think she committed suicide, but the documentary is not an important thing that will give you new information about the Marilyn accident.
Account of tragic life undermined by unsubstantiated nonsense
RunRabbitRun8728 April 2022
What begins as a fair appraisal of the early life and career of Marilyn Monroe quickly becomes dogged down in the baseless conspiracy theories around her death, a documentary ending in a mire of nonsense.
The most salubrious claims, that Jimmy Hoffa recorded Monroe having had sex with Bobby Kennedy, photos of them together in LA, come out without an iota of evidence. The central journalist claims they may have been scrubbed by the FBI. Perhaps they are just not true.
If you want to look at a work that does even handed research into both the incredible life and sad death of Monroe I would recommend her biography by Donald Spoto, not the same tabloid trash reheated here.
That Netflix is releasing this dreck and has been sitting on Blonde for over a year, which looks like it will be a very interesting portrayal of her life, is a sad state of affairs.
The most salubrious claims, that Jimmy Hoffa recorded Monroe having had sex with Bobby Kennedy, photos of them together in LA, come out without an iota of evidence. The central journalist claims they may have been scrubbed by the FBI. Perhaps they are just not true.
If you want to look at a work that does even handed research into both the incredible life and sad death of Monroe I would recommend her biography by Donald Spoto, not the same tabloid trash reheated here.
That Netflix is releasing this dreck and has been sitting on Blonde for over a year, which looks like it will be a very interesting portrayal of her life, is a sad state of affairs.
new audio same outcome
ksheets-5241528 April 2022
Was dissappointed after new audio and footage still singing same old suicide song. Why can't anybody ever hold kennedys accountable for anything? She did not kill herself. The pills were not in her stomach, the blood pooling was on her back. Please someone tell the truth.
Yet...still something missing
lhollan27 April 2022
This is a riveting and well-produced documentary of a fascinating story. The incredible thing is that it's a real story. "I would say that it was covered up because of her connection with the Kennedy Brothers." Only half of the reality. Clearly (from these accounts) Marilyn Monroe was dangled as an unwitting conduit to the highest offices of the US Government by the Soviets during the cold war. This connection was known by a very anti-communist FBI whose machine forced the Kennedy brothers to sever ties rapidly and cleanly. Marilyn--an ideal candidate to be dangled--was very insecure, emotionally susceptible, and in need of being needed, and she was unable to sustain the emotional quagmire she had gotten herself into. A last attempt on Robert Kennedy's part to try to intervene into her emotional break was unsuccessful. In times like this there is no recourse but to clean up a horrid mess that ensued. It happens more than we want to know. Kudos for this investigative reporter to put this story straight, though he dances too lightly around the Soviet involvement, mostly because he can't puncture that sphere. So, there it is. "She killed herself either intentionally or accidentally. This case is closed." That is true.
Needs more Monroe and less Summers
justahunch-7054928 April 2022
Nothing at all new here, though the tapes of her voice are touching, though the gimmick of actors lip-syncing the audio tapes of other voices is a poor decision and distracting. This absolutely gorgeous woman was damaged goods due to her horrid childhood and was used by many in wrong ways to succeed in show business, but she bares some responsibility for that part too, but she had no say in her upbringing making her chronically insecure with barely an ounce of self confidence, though she could turn on for a camera and man, was she ever photogenic. For better or worse, she did indeed live a short and sensational life with huge stardom, marriages to one of the biggest sports heroes in history along with one of our greatest playwrights. We will never, ever know the details of her connections to the Kennedys, but she was clearly closely associated with them as has been talked about since the 1960's. Some of the speculation here of how she died is valid, but so is suicide, the legal reason for her death, but no one then or now is talking, which in itself is interesting. She was fascinating and she was in a few good films, though none come close to the heights of Some Like It Hot. This film seems just like some cheap cash in by the author of the book Goddess, but at least we get to see some pictures and video of her, which is nice, but there is not even nearly enough of that for one of the most photographed women in history.
Here's the point !!
rostat-3722430 April 2022
The film was not good for a documentary that talks about the life of an actress and her facts , And the events of the movie are not arranged The information is not clear, the film is not arranged, and everything seems vague and incomprehensible to that degree Sorry, but the movie looks bad.
stupid ending
maerlander7 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Everyone knows my now Marilyn was murdered by the mafia. Multiple mobsters have given testimony of it on youtube, even explaining the postmortem and method of death. This interviewer completely ignores this info and then still says it is suicide??? Very poor journalism!!!
The truth is still out there never to be told
rkeilitz-19-53791528 April 2022
A tasteful done documentary despite the subject matter for fans or just the curious Hollywood aficionados.
Sex, drugs, politics, Hollywood, conspiracy theories - Marilyn Monroe's life and the aftermath of her death is surely still one of the juiciest and most tragic celeb stories ever. Anthony Summers is surrounded by file boxes full of papers and cassettes, all the source material for his book, Goddess: 1,000 interviews, 650 of them on tape. It took him years to write it. With the weight of his notable journalistic integrity behind him, Summers says the circumstances surrounding Monroe's death - in 1962 at age 36, from an overdose of sleeping pills, with a big question mark as to whether it was intentional or accidental - have been covered up.
What annoyed me was using actors who mouthed the words of people on the tapes close to the situation that are no longer with us. It would have been much more effective if the creator just used pictures of them instead of actors.
Sex, drugs, politics, Hollywood, conspiracy theories - Marilyn Monroe's life and the aftermath of her death is surely still one of the juiciest and most tragic celeb stories ever. Anthony Summers is surrounded by file boxes full of papers and cassettes, all the source material for his book, Goddess: 1,000 interviews, 650 of them on tape. It took him years to write it. With the weight of his notable journalistic integrity behind him, Summers says the circumstances surrounding Monroe's death - in 1962 at age 36, from an overdose of sleeping pills, with a big question mark as to whether it was intentional or accidental - have been covered up.
What annoyed me was using actors who mouthed the words of people on the tapes close to the situation that are no longer with us. It would have been much more effective if the creator just used pictures of them instead of actors.
Actors lip syncing... awful
MrPink8320 May 2022
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