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Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days

  • TV Movie
  • 2001
  • TV-14
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
922
YOUR RATING
Marilyn Monroe in Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days (2001)
BiographyDocumentary

Documentary about the moviestar's last months including her tumultuous love affairs, drug and alcohol dependency, depression and eventual firing from her final film, 20th Century Fox's "Some... Read allDocumentary about the moviestar's last months including her tumultuous love affairs, drug and alcohol dependency, depression and eventual firing from her final film, 20th Century Fox's "Something's Got To Give". Features several first time interviews with the people surrounding M... Read allDocumentary about the moviestar's last months including her tumultuous love affairs, drug and alcohol dependency, depression and eventual firing from her final film, 20th Century Fox's "Something's Got To Give". Features several first time interviews with the people surrounding Monroe at the end of her life, behind the scenes footage and stills, and the assembled foot... Read all

  • Director
    • Patty Ivins Specht
  • Writer
    • Monica Bider
  • Stars
    • James Coburn
    • Gene Allen
    • Steve Allen
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    922
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Patty Ivins Specht
    • Writer
      • Monica Bider
    • Stars
      • James Coburn
      • Gene Allen
      • Steve Allen
    • 10User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Photos

    Top cast43

    Edit
    James Coburn
    James Coburn
    • Narrator
    • (voice)
    Gene Allen
    • Self
    Steve Allen
    Steve Allen
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Lauren Bacall
    Lauren Bacall
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    George Barris
    • Self
    Walter Bernstein
    Walter Bernstein
    • Self
    Humphrey Bogart
    Humphrey Bogart
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    David Brown
    David Brown
    • Self
    Cyd Charisse
    Cyd Charisse
    • Self
    Wally Cox
    Wally Cox
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    George Cukor
    George Cukor
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Joe DiMaggio
    Joe DiMaggio
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Hyman Engelberg
    • Self
    • (as Hyman Engelberg M.D.)
    Cary Grant
    Cary Grant
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Alexandra Heilweil
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Bob Hope
    Bob Hope
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Nunnally Johnson
    Nunnally Johnson
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Van Johnson
    Van Johnson
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • Director
      • Patty Ivins Specht
    • Writer
      • Monica Bider
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    7.7922
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    Featured reviews

    Emchick

    A Brilliant Work

    A magnificent documentary that shows the last days of Hollywood's greatest actress. That also shows rare footage of 9 hours of Marilyn's last movie, Something's Got To Give, that AMC had restored and edited to 37 minutes showing what could have been.

    Most scenes didn't have her in them, because of her absent days during filming, that lead Fox to have her fired from the film. But because of Dean Martin's contract, (saying that he wouldn't be in it if Marilyn wasn't) Fox signed her back on. Sadly, the movie was never finished, due to Marilyn's tragic death. (Suicide, I think NOT!)

    Still, Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days is a beautifully pieced program that tells the ending of Marilyn Monroe's life, but there is no ending to Marilyn's legacy and the memory of her.

    Marilyn Monroe 1926-1962
    9karmacoupe

    transcendent

    wow! this is a mind-blowing documentary! up with the best ever IMHO -- particularly Let It Be in its portrait of a great artist's demise; Lost In La Mancha in the disaster caught on film; Swear To Tell The Truth (about Lenny Bruce) in its common era and tragic hero; and Festival Express in its unreal footage that you never thought existed of masters in their prime. and make no mistake, this girl was still in her prime! she could be in a parka reading the newspaper with a three-ring circus beside her and Nobody would notice the circus!

    how it portrayed the final hours without a conspiracy theory undertone. and Sinatra singing the theme song to her lost last movie?! huh!? and that Wally Cox shot two of the final scenes ever with Marilyn Monroe!? and that Steve Allen was also in the last movie? was there anything he didn't do!?

    I remember hearing about this when it came out, and I just went, "Oh, some other stupid documentary on Marilyn," like there's been A Million of these already. but this is so serious, and real, and complete, and not just whoring her name and figure. it made me choked up in both her final performance in "Something's Got To Give" (another freakily ominous title, like that Beatles farewell), and in the recreation of her last night.

    she is So transcendent! there aren't many humans captured on film as captivating as her. and What a portrait this is of her final reel!
    7Lechuguilla

    Her Final Six Months

    Archival footage and contemporary interviews provide a glimpse into the final six months of the life of Marilyn Monroe. The documentary spans the time from February, 1962, until her death in August, 1962, using benchmark dates, usually associated with the film she was making at the time: "Something's Got To Give". The film was never finished.

    Interviews include Producer David Brown, Associate Producer Gene Allen, Producer Henry Weinstein, Writer Walter Bernstein, and actress Cyd Charisse. Throughout the documentary, Marilyn comes across as physically lovely, playful, emotionally insecure, a tad irresponsible, temperamental, eager to learn, vulnerable, and dependent on sleeping pills.

    One segment has B&W footage of her as she shows up tardy at the May 19th birthday celebration of then President John Kennedy, just weeks before she died. When she finally appears on-stage, host Peter Lawford introduces her to the audience: "Mr. President, the late Marilyn Monroe".

    The Monroe documentary runs about 77 minutes. The remainder of the film consists of pasted-together excerpts of what exists of "Something's Got To Give". It runs about 35 minutes.

    The quality of the documentary is quite good, what there is of it. But I didn't really learn anything new. Some brief mention, at least, could have been made of all the conspiracy theories surrounding her death. They were not included.

    Overall, this is an acceptable film, especially for anyone unfamiliar with Monroe's history. But it is a tad superficial. And I could have wished for more in-depth analysis.
    10moonshiner67

    Best ever

    Love the work they put into this.watch marilyn tapes 2022.and rewatch this.wow.love it.....give a 20.reason we got to watch parts of the movie and tells more about her life.
    7DCBlank-5

    For film buffs

    "Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days" is an interesting look at the filming of the American icon's final and unfinished film. As a documentary, it lacks in several areas (an example - director George Cuckor is said to be angry at Monroe's frequent inability to work, but nothing is said about their on set relationship), but it includes much rare footage of Monroe and a 37-minute recreation of the film using what was shot before Monroe tragically died and the footage vaulted. It is this footage that makes "Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days" worthwhile.

    More like this

    Something's Got to Give
    Something's Got to Give
    Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
    7.5
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    Related interests

    Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangadi, and Geraldine James in Gandhi (1982)
    Biography
    Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
    Documentary

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This documentary is the only source for those wishing to see all the surviving footage from Monroe's uncompleted swan song Something's Got to Give (1962). Earlier exposes on the actress have featured partial excerpts, all of which focused on Monroe. However, this reconstruction also presents, for the first time, individual scenes featuring her co-stars Dean Martin, Cyd Charisse and Phil Silvers, along with underscoring of the title song pilfered from the soundtrack of Daddy Long Legs (1955). As of 2022, no additional footage has been unearthed from Something's Got to Give, making this version the definitive documentation of the aborted project.
    • Crazy credits
      Actors from archived footage not marked uncredited were identified orally by the narrator.
    • Connections
      Edited from Something's Got to Give (1962)
    • Soundtracks
      Something's Gotta Give
      Music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer

      Courtesy of Twentieth Century Music Corporation

      Instrumental version performed by Ray Anthony and His Orchestra

      Played as background music often

      Vocal version performed by Frank Sinatra

      Courtesy of The Frank Sinatra Estate

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 2001 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Marilyn Monroe: Sus últimos días
    • Production companies
      • Prometheus Entertainment
      • Van Ness Films
      • Foxstar Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 30m(90 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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