Tag: Nevada

Take 3: The Misfits (1961) Review

On By 18cinemalane8 Comments

Marilyn Monroe is a woman who needs no introduction. One of the most popular actresses of all time, almost everyone knows who Marilyn is, even if they’ve never seen any of her movies. I remember a time when I would go to a store and find memorabilia with Marilyn’s picture or likeness on it, from metal wall signs to Christmas ornaments. I even recall a church named after her in the 1975 movie, Tommy. But when the Marilyn Monroe – 100th Birthday Anniversary Blogathon was announced, I remembered one of her films was recommended to me. That film is 1961’s The Misfits, suggested by Eric Binford (from Diary of a Movie Maniac)! On my blog’s Year-Long Bingo Card, one of the squares is labeled “Review a movie from the Western genre”. This became another reason why I chose to review The Misfits, as the movie is classified as a “contemporary western”. However, I had no idea Marilyn ever starred in a western genre picture until I selected the 1961 title for the blogathon. My aforementioned reasons, including the fact I don’t review western genre movies often, finally gave me an opportunity to write about The Misfits!

The Misfits (1961) poster created by United Artists and Seven Arts Productions

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: Throughout my years of watching and reviewing movies, I’ve heard Marilyn Monroe receive titles like “icon” and “sex symbol”. But as I reflect on her performance in The Misfits, I feel those titles do her acting talents a huge disservice. Toward the beginning of the 1961 film, Marilyn’s character, Roslyn, is questioning what her life will look like after her recent divorce. She’s hunched over her drink and her hands are folded, appearing as if she’s lost in thought. Roslyn’s eyes show how she’s trying to make a thousand decisions in a single moment, but not in a way that makes her look overwhelmed. She’s carefully processing what her new steps will be, coming up with a strategy that will prevent her from repeating her mistakes. As I watched this scene unfold, I was so focused on Roslyn and what decisions she was going to make, I had completely forgotten I was watching an actress portray a character. This is just one example of how Marilyn’s performance was one of the best parts of The Misfits!

Clark Gable is an actor I am definitely familiar with. Not only have I seen Gone with the Wind, I reviewed China Seas back in 2021. His portrayal of Gaylord in The Misfits is quite different from his two previously mentioned roles. That’s because it didn’t feel like Gaylord had something to prove, yet was emotionally versatile. One of the saddest scenes is when Gaylord is trying to find his children. As he drunkenly stumbles throughout and out of the saloon, he calls out his children’s names. A mixture of pain, confusion, and longing can be heard in his voice. Even his eyes were filled to the brim with sadness. In that scene, I, honestly, couldn’t help feeling sorry for Gaylord. Clark’s solid performance certainly contributed to that.

While I’m on the subject of the acting performances in The Misfits, I want to bring up Eli Wallach and Montgomery Clift. As I watched this movie, I was impressed by Eli’s portrayal of Gaylord’s friend, Guido, as well as Montgomery’s portrayal of a rodeo rider named Perce. One stand-out moment was when Guido is talking to Roslyn about his deceased wife. His voice quivers during the conversation and his eyes even appear on the verge of tears. Eli’s performance presents one of those times where a character can say so much as they say very little. In a different conversation with Roslyn, Perce shares his life story with her. Throughout his reflections, his wide eyes look like they’re searching for something. But it’s not because he’s lost, it’s because he’s trying to find something to focus on after a recent head injury. Montgomery’s expressive eyes are one of the reasons why his performance was captivating to watch!

The dialogue: Sometimes, a movie’s dialogue can be so thoughtfully written, it sounds profound without trying too hard to be. That was definitely the case for The Misfits! Honestly, it’s difficult to choose a favorite quote because several quotes were so thought-provoking. But I will provide a few examples to prove my previously stated point. At one moment in the movie, Isabelle, Roslyn’s former landlady and current friend, claims to know Nevada’s slogan. She says it’s “Anything goes, but don’t complain if it went”. Poignant reminders of how unpredictable life is and how some things were or were not meant to be are shared in that one line. During a conversation with Roslyn, Guido tells her, “You have the gift for life, Roslyn. The rest of us, we’re just looking for a place to hide and watch it all go by”. This piece of dialogue simply, yet effectively, differentiates between people who allow life to pass them by and those who fearlessly grab the steering wheel.

Providing creativity to the western genre: When it comes to means of travel within the western genre, horseback riding, horse drawn carriages/wagons, and trains are typically shown on screen. These modes of travel provide a stone in the western genre’s foundation, making the genre itself what it is. But what if I told you there was a plane in The Misfits? In the 1961 movie, Guido says he was a pilot in the war, likely referring to World War II. He uses his piloting skills to not only fly a plane, but to also wrangle a group of wild horses with that same plane. I bring this up because, prior to reviewing The Misfits, I had never seen, let alone heard of, a plane in a western genre film. Incorporating any aircraft into the movie added creativity to the western genre. It also gave The Misfits a unique identity.

Marilyn Monroe – 100th Birthday Anniversary Blogathon banner created by Kristen from Hoofers and Honeys

What I didn’t like about the film:

Guido’s unaddressed jealousy: At Guido’s house, Roslyn and Gaylord share a dance together. When Guido sees Gaylord and Roslyn together, the look on Guido’s face appears to be that of jealousy. But throughout The Misfits, this apparent jealousy wasn’t addressed. I honestly thought it was going to lead to a love triangle or Guido and Gaylord fighting for Roslyn’s love. Looking back on the 1961 movie, I wonder what the purpose was of showing Guido looking jealous if that feeling didn’t play a role in the story? Guido’s apparent jealousy could have led to an interesting conflict within the script had that feeling been acknowledged.

The run-time: IMDB lists The Misfits’ run-time as a little over two hours. Personally, I think that run-time is a bit excessive. Not only is the story pretty straightforward and easier to follow, the cast is smaller, which helps the audience remember who is who. These elements should have led to a tighter script. Plus, some scenes were drawn out too long, such as when Gaylord, Guido, and Perce wrangle the wild horses. If scenes like the one I brought up were trimmed down, the run-time of The Misfits could (and should) have been, at least, an hour and thirty to forty minutes. Important points in the story could have been reached sooner as well.

Perce’s underutilized backstory: In my opinion, Perce was the most interesting character in The Misfits. His backstory, along with his phone conversation with his mother, made him intriguing. I was genuinely curious about where Perce’s part of the story would go. But, unfortunately, his backstory became underutilized. During a conversation with Roslyn, Perce brings up how he was denied inheriting his father’s ranch. This could have provided Perce with a motive to carry his story forward. After his conversation with Roslyn, however, this detail is barely brought up again. In fact, Perce’s backstory becomes an afterthought as the movie progresses.

Joshua Tree National Park in California image created by Welcomia at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/tree”>Tree photo created by welcomia – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Have you ever watched a movie where you didn’t know what the movie’s creative team was trying to say? That was my experience watching The Misfits. I think I know what the film was supposed to tell me. But I don’t know for certain if that’s what The Misfits’ creative team wanted to tell their audience. However, I don’t believe the 1961 movie is bad. In fact, I thought it was just ok. The acting performances, including Marilyn Monroe’s, were certainly worth watching. Not only was the dialogue, at times, thought-provoking, the inclusion of a plane added creativity to the western genre. But there were flaws that held The Misfits back from being a stronger movie. I didn’t like how Perce’s backstory was underutilized and how Guido’s jealousy was unaddressed. Plus, the run-time was, in my opinion, a bit excessive. Despite those flaws, I am thankful to have received an opportunity to finally watch (and review) The Misfits!

Overall score: 6 out of 10

Have you seen The Misfits? Which film from Marilyn Monroe’s filmography would you like to see me review next? Let me know in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Ocean’s Eleven (1960) Review

On By 18cinemalane4 Comments

Peter Lawford is an actor I was not familiar with prior to my participation in the 1st Annual Peter Lawford Blogathon. But, like I’ve said in past blogathons, I didn’t let this stop me to joining Kristen’s event! As I was looking through Peter’s filmography on IMDB, I discovered he had starred in the original Ocean’s Eleven. This is the movie I chose to review for the blogathon because of how rarely heist films are talked about on 18 Cinema Lane. Two years ago, I wrote a review for Logan Lucky when I participated in my very first blogathon. Anyone who has read that article would know how I did not like that film. Another point I’d like to make is how Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Cesar Romero (who all appear in Ocean’s Eleven) starred in another movie I reviewed for a blogathon; Marriage on the Rocks. Like Logan Lucky, I was not a fan of the 1965 movie. With my review of Ocean’s Eleven, however, I’m hoping my luck will start to turn around!

Ocean’s Eleven (1960) poster created by Warner Bros. Image found at http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/18360/Ocean-s-Eleven/#tcmarcp-196918.

Things I liked about the films:

The acting: As I said in the introduction, I have seen and reviewed Marriage on the Rocks. Three of the film’s stars, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Cesar Romero, reunite in Ocean’s Eleven! The 1960 picture allowed Dean and Cesar to work with acting material that was different from Marriage on the Rocks, with their performances appearing more dramatic. Meanwhile, Frank’s portrayal of Danny Ocean contained the same ease he displayed in the aforementioned 1965 movie. Ocean’s Eleven also introduced me to talent that I had never seen before, such as Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr. What I liked about Peter’s performance was how he was able to adapt to any situation placed in his character’s path. Even though this was the first time I’ve ever seen Sammy act, I was impressed with the smooth confidence he consistently carried throughout the story! One thing that stood out to me was the on-screen chemistry among the cast! Every actor appeared to work well with each other and compliment their co-stars.

The differentiation among the casinos: In a movie showcasing five casinos, it’s important to differentiate these locations for the audience. This choice avoids confusion and prevents the casinos from blending in with each other. The various New Year’s Eve parties feature creative ways these facilities were able to set themselves apart! At the party in the Flamingo casino, pink balloons served as party decorations. Down the street at the Sands casino, blue balloons could be seen. The costumes of the on-stage performers also highlighted the differences between each location. Dancers wearing burnt orange and white checkered costumes were found at the Desert Inn. Meanwhile, black costumes were worn by dancers at the Sands.

The dialogue: For the most part, the dialogue in Ocean’s Eleven was smartly written and sounded clever! One example takes place during a conversation between Danny’s ex-wife and Sam Harmon. When she is talking about her relationship with her ex-husband, Sam responds by saying how Cloud 9 must have been boring. Another example of smart writing happens when Josh Howard to talking with one of the members of Danny’s group. In their conversation, they talk about bravery. Josh shares that being brave doesn’t make someone invincible. These two examples I shared show how there was effort placed in the script.

The 1st Annual Peter Lawford Blogathon banner created by Kristen from KN Winiarski Writes. Image found at https://knwiniarski.com/peter-lawford-blogathon/.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A dialogue heavy first half: Every heist movie sets aside time to lay out the plans for the heist. While the first half of Ocean’s Eleven does feature these plans, it also included explanations of why the members of Danny’s group wanted to pull off the heist. The first half of the story featured explanations of the characters’ personal issues as well. This caused the movie’s entire first half to be dialogue heavy. If some of these explanations had been shortened or cut, it would have presented the heist sooner.

A “bait and switch” third act: With a movie titled Ocean’s Eleven, the audience expects a good portion of the story to focus on the heist itself. While the planning and execution of the heist was shown, the story transitions its focus to Duke Santos and his investigation after the heist takes place. This creative choice made the third act seem like a “bait and switch”. It also caused this part of the story to drag a little bit, preventing the film from ending earlier than it did.

Too many characters: Despite the film containing an all-star cast, I felt there were too many characters in this story. There were times when I had difficulty keeping track of who was who. The large number of cast members also caused some actors to receive less screen time than others, with Red Skelton being one of them. When I saw his name on a casino marquee, I was given the impression he would perform a comedy sketch on the casino’s stage. However, Red was briefly featured in one scene where he was seen arguing with a casino employee. I wondered why this film’s creative team would recruit such a well-known star for such a small part, especially when Red Skelton’s claim to fame, comedy, wasn’t utilized?

Money image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/bills-and-coins-in-isometric-design_1065328.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/business”>Business vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

Ocean’s Eleven is the first film of Peter Lawford’s I have ever seen. But I have not seen the “Ocean” movies from the 21st century, so I cannot make a comparison. Despite all this, I found the 1960 movie to be a fine first impression! Unlike Logan Lucky, Ocean’s Eleven showcased a heist that was interesting, exciting, and even suspenseful. Clever dialogue and creative set design at each casino were worth seeing and listening. Even the acting was solid, not just from Peter, but from the cast as a whole! However, there are factors that held Ocean’s Eleven back from being a stronger film. While I liked the dialogue, I found the movie’s first half very dialogue heavy. There were also too many characters and the third act felt like a “bait and switch”. But I still thought it was better than Logan Lucky and Marriage on the Rocks. If Kristen brings this blogathon back next year, it’ll be interesting to see what I choose!

Overall score: 7.2 out of 10

Have you seen any of the “Ocean” movies? Which film of Peter Lawford’s would you want to check out? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen