Monroe Takes The Center Ring

Don't Bother To Knock (1952) Intros MM The Star

As admitted before, I’m no authority on acting, not having trod boards except for disastrous go at Shakespeare where I paraphrased dialogue and sounded less like Gielgud than James Best on Dukes Of Hazard. For little as my bouquets matter then, I would say that Marilyn Monroe’s work in Don’t Bother To Knock seems as accomplished as what she’d later do under spell of flim-flamming Actor’s Studio guidance. I’ve read the Strasbergs had quite a racket going on MM. Without over-dwell on Marilyn as victim-or-not, I’ll aver she at least got grossly over-coached, her instinctive gifts suborned to manipulation the well paid courtesy of those who’d exploit her. Don’t Bother To Knock was a first lead-of-sorts for Monroe. She’s billed below Richard Widmark, has protection of character players who help her look good (interesting that one of them, Jim Backus, would do as much for James Dean a few years later). It isn’t a glamour part, and in fact would be a stretch for any actress given the assignment. That Monroe acquits well might have led to further challenging had not glare of publicity made her a biggest sex lure for Fox since Betty Grable. I wonder to what extent the calendar pose impacted, and led to casting that would feed stardom.

She's Hot in Cleveland

So this demonstrated Monroe’s competence as a dramatic actress --- so what? 20^th had these in abundance, as did all companies. Ann Bancroft’s role could have been switched with MM and yielded as good result. Problem would have been sales, this where Marilyn really paid as new-minted lead. Poster and art was hers alone, a mini-Widmark peeking in from the side on most displays. A one-sheet, since collectible, is purest pin-up, and made all-day suckers of many who bought admission. They'd understand, however, that boxoffices were like carnival ground, as in seldom getting what posters promised. Monroe demonstrated, in any case, that she could make a small picture pay. Don’t Bother To Knock with anyone else would probably have lost money, as what were Gene Tierney, Jeanne Crain, and Linda Darnell but largely played out? Fox had to keep volume high to feed hungry distribution, even as much of output fell before emerging colossus that was television. It must have been refreshing to find someone who could bolster a modest B/W into profit ($484K), and underpaid as she was, MM was it.