Almas Desesperadas

Excellent drama starring Marilyn Monroe in possibly her best role. She did this movie specifically to prove her worth as an actress, and she definitely succeeds at that point. Richard Widmark co-stars. After breaking up with his girlfriend (Anne Bancroft, in her debut), Widmark spots Monroe through her window across from his hotel room. He invites himself over there. She's babysitting, but she immediately lies about who she is and what she's doing. It turns out she's kind of a nutcase and has just recently returned from the mental hospital. She begins to mistake Widmark for a dead former boyfriend, and it seems as if the girl she's babysitting may be in danger. This is a tight little film, running at just under 80 minutes. Elisha Cook Jr. co-stars as Monroe's uncle. Widmark is every bit as impressive as Monroe. It's too bad Monroe didn't get to try her hand at more dramatic roles.

A hotel guest flirts with a beautiful woman after a breakup from his girlfriend. He is seduced by the woman while she is babysitting. The child wakes up and terrorizes the child and the guest. The moral to this movie is never judge a book by its cover. Marilyn Monroe give her best acting performance in the whole movie and makes you understand her character emotions through the story. Very rare to find a movie with this type of acting even today.

This psychological suspense flick was one of Marilyn's first leading roles and gave the sexy star an opportunity to play a serious dramatic role. Viewers who have never seen the great Monroe in a serious part will be amazed. She really was a very gifted and versatile actress. Sincerely, if you have ever dismissed Monroe as just another pretty face, you should really see this film. If after that you're still not convinced, then rent BUS STOP.

This film doesn't receive a lot of attention. I grew up a fan of classic film, and I only saw this one once until tonight. Seeing it for the second time (I can't imagine there are any other major-release MM films I haven't seen over & over) I was extremely impressed by the quality of the performance Marilyn turned in. Hardcore fans seem to generally feel that her performance in "the Misfits" is her finest; the role had more depth than many she played, and seemed highly personal. I argue that she does just as fine a job in just as deep a role in "Don't Bother To Knock." It's my belief that MM was _ALWAYS_ versatile and talented, but that the American public fell so deeply in love with the breathless (& brainless) beauty role, that the studios typecast her until they weren't sure her looks alone would be enough to guarantee the volume of gross profits which they expected from Marilyn's films.

Marilyn Monroe and Richard Widmark star in this early Monroe star vehicle. This is one film you'd never see being made today, due to the new child-care sensibilities.

Jim Backus and Lorene Tuttle leave their child with a complete stranger while they go out for an evening. The stranger is Monroe, complete with wrist scars, who is the niece of the elevator man in the hotel where the couple is staying.

Mid-evening, she picks up with Widmark, who is more upset about his lounge singer girlfriend (Anne Bancroft) breaking up with him than he thought he would be - he and Monroe flirt from their respective rooms. Widmark goes to the room, expecting a night of fun.

Instead he and the hapless child get a night of terror, with Monroe believing Widmark is her dead pilot boyfriend and nearly killing not only the little girl but her uncle as well. Turns out, Marilyn's been institutionalized and her uncle (Elisha Cooke, Jr.) thought she was "nearly well."

Monroe is very good in this - very beautiful, of course, as well as vulnerable and believable. The wild look in her eyes when she scolds the little girl is downright scary.

One thing that has always bothered me about Monroe doing drama is her very excellent diction which always sounds studied and unnatural. It's a distraction in this film as well.

However, she's so watchable in everything - the camera just adored her - I have to believe that as she lived and aged, she would have had more chances at drama.

Widmark is excellent as the apparent cynic who proves to have more to him than his girlfriend thought - in fact, his character was much better with the child than Monroe's.

Bancroft's role is small and belies her future dramatic appearances; and there is a cameo by "Honeybee Gillis," Joan Blondell's sister Gloria, as a photographer.