'Lucky Lady' & Other Cine-bombs of My '70s Youth

 

The most memorable thing about 1975's 'Lucky Lady'
starring Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli, & Burt Reynolds
may be this beautiful Richard Amsel poster.

 

I discovered classic films during the early '70s, on TV afternoon movies. This coincided when Hollywood struck gold with modern cinematic gems that harkened to its studio era heyday: The Way We Were; The Sting; Chinatown; and That's Entertainment, to name the most notable.

Alas, there were an equal amount of much-hyped films that my '70s teen self couldn't wait to see, but which never made it to my local theater in Upper Michigan. And for good reason—most were flops!

One of the few film duds that did come to my hometown Manistique was 1974's The Great Gatsby. The 3rd version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel actually made money, but was a disappointment because of the enormous money spent making and promoting the lifeless movie. I was turned off because I already loved the book and couldn't imagine why anyone would pine after Mia Farrow for a decade. As for remote Robert Redford, he was not great as Gatsby. The supporting cast came off best in this fashion spread of a movie, which I never saw again.

My entertainment guru of the '70s was Rona Barrett, who really beat the
 drums for 1974's "The Great Gatsby." Note the Lucy headline at lower left!

I was also excited to see Lucille Ball as Mame in ’74. I watched all three of Lucy's series, which CBS was running: I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show in daytime reruns and Here's Lucy in prime time. The latest series should have been a warning. Canned comedy ensued whenever Lucy Carter met a celebrity and irritated them with her star struck antics or looked for an excuse to sing. On I Love Lucy, Ball's singing always caused intentional laughter. 

'Lucille Ball as Mame' was the hype mantra for this 1974 mammoth musical.

There were all kinds of promo for Mame. The gay geek that I was, I kept looking at the big spreads Rona Barrett's mags, marveling at how young Lucy looked. And there was the new fave, TV's Maude, Bea Arthur in a black Joan Crawford wig and ankle straps. I was awestruck —and so naive.

Love this headline for Rona Barrett's 1974 story on "Mame."
The short answer is NO!

Then the bad reviews for Mame came out… then there were stories about the reviews! I read one news story of Lucy at an event, dabbing tears away, distraught over the backlash. The news photo showed that she did not look young, despite Ball all dolled up like Mame. The film never shook the blues in my hometown! 

I saw Mame a couple times later on TV. My thought was that if the songs with Lucy's raspy singing were cut, Mame would have been much better. Only, then you would have Auntie Mame again. So why not just watch the 1958 Rosalind Russell as Mame Dennis?

Lucille Ball was a favorite veteran star for Rona Barrett magazines. 

Next, I was fascinated that my favorite star, Elizabeth Taylor, was heading an all-star musical remake of The Blue Bird, filmed in Russia. Directed by George Cukor, it was hyped as the ‘70s answer to The Wizard of Oz. I read gossip items on the troubled filming, but when I saw that Rona Barrett was promoting a big spread for the epic in her next issue, I was hopeful. Then the issue came out, and no sneak preview of Easter 1976’s The Blue Bird! I've only seen clips of the elusive epic on You Tube since and that was plenty. The Blue Bird looks like a chintzy costume party.

I was agog when I bought this People magazine with Elizabeth Taylor in
 costume in "The Blue Bird." I think I still have the Milton Greene cover shot.

A lovely poster for 1976's "The Blue Bird," a gawd-awful movie.

By 1976, I was becoming a jaded teen when it came to modern Hollywood cashing in on old-time Tinseltown. I loved the biography book, Gable and Lombard, which made me a new fan of Carole Lombard. When they cast Marcus Welby's James Brolin as Clark and newcomer Jill Clayburgh as Carole, I was appalled. When clips were previewed on TV talk shows, I knew once again that the onscreen Gable and Lombard was never coming to Upper Michigan. I finally watched Gable and Lombard during 2020's Covid lockdown, and found the film bio inaccurate at best, smutty and juvenile at worst.

I was hoping that 1976's "Gable and Lombard" wouldn't be as terrible
as it looked... sadly, it was!

And there was so much bad press about Barbra Streisand's ’76 remake of A Star is Born that I vowed not to go see it. In the '70s, people would flock to see Streisand sing from a phone book, so Star was a big hit. My female classmates loved it and when I sang the praises of Judy Garland's version over Babs', their sullen stares said, “Shut up, nerd!” I didn't see Streisand's Star until 2017, over 40 years later. It was indeed still awful, after all these years!

By the time 1976's "A Star is Born" came out, I never wanted to hear about this
 ego trip again. I finally watched Babs' version in 2017!

This brings me to 1975's Lucky Lady, which inspired all these movie memories. This was another event movie that I was all excited about back then: Cool Burt Reynolds! Judy Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli! Gene Hackman, that guy from The Poseidon Adventure! And dreamboat Robby Benson, who sealed the deal! They were starring in a comedy caper like The Sting, which I loved. Once again, I pored over my bible, Rona Barrett’s magazines, trying to figure out what Lucky Lady was all about. Turns out, not much! The Christmas blockbuster was looked upon as a cinematic lump of coal and bad word of mouth trumped three superstars at the height of their appeal. This too didn't come to pass at my hometown's theater.

Just watched 1975's "Lucky Lady" for the 1st time in 2026! Better late than never?

I just saw a great copy of Lucky Lady for the first time on YouTube, in March 2026, over 50 years later. The disjointed story and style of Lucky Lady reflects its troubled filming. The plot of Lucky Lady was inspired by rum running stories on the western coast and classic buddy movies where the men fight over the sassy leading lady. What appeared onscreen was pretty thin, and no one knew how to end the movie. No one liked the original finale, where the men were killed, ala Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One version that was quickly discarded had the trio reunited in their senior years and looking decomposed, not aged. 

The "old age" ending for 1975's "Lucky Lady" was quickly scrapped,
for good reason. The stars look mummified!

Stanley Donen, a classic era director fave of mine, was past his prime and out of his depth. As the romantic triangle, Gene Hackman fares well enough, displaying an early comic touch. Liza Minnelli, the leading lady, just wrote in her memoirs that Gene was extremely rude to her throughout filming. Hackman could be a curmudgeon, I think because he was rarely cast as a romantic leading man. Or perhaps it was because Gene was appalled by Liza's obnoxious performance as Claire. If you looked up "over the top," in the dictionary, I'm sure Liza's picture is on that page. And Liza goes beyond the pale in Lucky Lady. Minnelli is all over the place—character, comically, and she caterwauls her dialogue and two songs, both Kander and Ebb on autopilot. My guess is director Donen turned Liza loose, hoping the results would be triple threat Judy all over again. She looks like a deranged Clara Bow and whines and wheezes in her harried moments like Shelley Winters! Burt Reynolds is the surprise here. As the handsome but dim rum runner, Burt doesn't fall on his mock macho shtick and is quite endearing. Reynolds was a natural comic actor and could be a strong dramatic one, too. A shame Burt didn't prioritize those qualities over stardom.

Liza Minnelli, Gene Hackman, & Burt Reynolds take over the "Tonight Show"
 to promote 1975's "Lucky Lady." Everyone seems jovial here.

Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli,  & Burt Reynolds may be wondering how
they got stuck in 1975's "Lucky Lady" here.

It must be said while Gene, Liza, and Burt were at the top of their ‘70s stardom, independent modern day stars weren't any better at choosing scripts than the old studio star system. All three made some real clinkers during this time: Gene in Zandy's Bride and Bite the Bullet; Liza in A Matter of Time and New York, New York; Burt in W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings, At Long Last Love, and Nickelodeon. None of which I have seen, nor plan to, ever!

Of the superstar menage a trois with Burt, Liza, & Gene? I'd take only one!
 1975's "Lucky Lady."

As for Lucky Lady, what began with anticipation became a boondoggle, with a final film that satisfied no one. Visually, it's lovely despite the excessive soft focus, filmed along the water in Mexico. Some beautiful architecture serves as backdrops. Despite the incoherent story and unfunny dialogue, Gene, Burt, and Robby Benson, do decent work. But you have to be a hardcore Liza fan to enjoy her performance—she's one unlucky lady here. 

A sweet snapshot of the "Lucky Lady" cast: Robby Benson, Burt Reynolds,
 Liza Minnelli, & Gene Hackman.

Up next for Minnelli was New York, New York, which was another troubled production that flopped on first release. A few years later, a director's cut was released, to better effect. While Liza won praise for New York, New York, it's almost an anti-musical, not a tribute. To revamp a quip that Bette Midler made about another '70s song-laden movie disaster, "I never miss a Martin Scorsese musical.”

Well actually, I did. I don’t even recall if New York, New York came to Manistique—a Minnelli miss to be remedied at a later date!

Another big movie everyone was excited about... until it was released!
Rona Barrett gives the big build-up for 1977's "New York, New York."

My deep dish on Barbra Streisand's diva version of A Star is Born: 

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/08/barbra-streisands-star-is-born-still.html

 

 

 

 

The Only Game in Town 1970

One of Elizabeth Taylor's directors accurately if unkindly said that "Elizabeth's face
is her fortune, but her body belongs to somebody else!" Yes, but what a face!

Warren Beatty & Elizabeth Taylor's rapport is one of the few bright spots in
1970's romantic drama,"The Only Game in Town."

A life-long Elizabeth Taylor fan, there are not many ET films that I won't repeat-watch, but The Only Game in Town is one. I found a great print of this flick recently, so I gave it a second try. Once again, I was bored to tears.

The Only Game in Town is basically a two-character Broadway play turned movie that was filmed late 1968/early '69, but dumped into release January, 1970! For the last time, The Only Game in Town won Elizabeth Taylor her highest salary, 1.25 million dollars. As in A Place in the Sun and Giant, Taylor got favored director George Stevens, but as with Monty Clift and James Dean, Taylor got a hot method leading man, Warren Beatty, fresh off Bonnie and Clyde. 

One of the few scenes of location shooting, the opening credits of ET strolling home.

Game was set in Las Vegas, but filmed mostly in Paris. Why? So Taylor could be near Richard Burton, where he was filming his dud, Staircase. There was some exterior filming in Vegas. And if nearly all the film takes place in her character's apartment or with Beatty in casinos, what was the difference?

The one-night stand between Fran & Joe becomes something deeper in
"The Only Game in Town."

The real problem, as often the case with movies that bomb big, was the script. The Only Game in Town was first a poorly reviewed Broadway flop. Here, Warren Beatty's Joe is an addicted gambler and Taylor's Fran is an aging showgirl, waiting for her married lover to come through with a proposal. Then Joe and Fran hook up, start to fall for each other, and fight and make up along the way. That’s it.

ET doesn't even do jazz hands as the aging showgirl in "The Only Game in Town."

The other big problem with Game is both stars are miscast. Warren Beatty was far too young and breezy to be believable as a world-weary, down on his luck gambler. Frank Sinatra was first choice, but left when Taylor's emergency hysterectomy took a long recovery, and he left the project. Elizabeth Taylor, as many viewers noted, was too short and plump to play a Vegas showgirl. The perfect team would have been Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine, as an extension of the roles they played in Some Came Running a decade before.

Big stars, with even bigger hairstyles, in "The Only Game in Town."

What is unfair from today’s viewpoint is how many critics and film fans have dumped all the blame on Taylor. Many commented that Liz looked like Beatty's mother. Taylor did look matronly with her shapeless minis and with football helmet wigs. Some of this was the era’s style, none of which suited petite and plump Elizabeth. However, at 36, her face still looks quite lovely here. And while Beatty was boyish at 31, but he doesn't look like the kid from Splendor in the Grass. With Heaven Can Wait eight years later, Warren at 40 would start giving himself the soft focus treatment. Even if Taylor looks older, I think of all the prematurely aged actors like Gable, Cooper, Crosby, Stewart, and Astaire, acting opposite new stars like Audrey, Grace, or Leslie Caron— all a quarter of a century younger! And many of young Elizabeth’s co-stars were 15 to 20 years older, too. Here, Elizabeth hardly looked like a hag.

This profile photo of Elizabeth Taylor & Warren Beatty reminds me of a famous pic of ET & Richard taken five years before. Burton admitted concern over Beatty's charms.

Off-screen, Taylor and Beatty certainly had a mutual admiration society, to the point where hubby Richard Burton admitted concern. When Elizabeth said she thought of Warren as a brother, Burton replied, "Yes, but I worry about incest!" Taylor later told Barbara Walters that she rated Warren an 11 on a scale of one to 10. Elizabeth called Warren “Warren Beauty;” my nickname for him is “Sleeping Beatty!” I've always thought of Beatty as an artsy George Hamilton, but his wry charm can appeal. Beatty commented much later that he thought Elizabeth had the most beautiful face he’d ever seen and that he never met an actress less interested in acting, at that point.

Warren Beatty as Joe & Elizabeth Taylor as Fran, about to commit in "The Only Game in Town." One critic commented that ET's face was still a national attraction, but her performance was awfully grand. Warren's sleepy style didn't win raves, either.

More than Taylor’s physical attributes, it’s her intrusive fame that distracts. What showgirl who’s a homebody that watches old movies would constantly be changing outfits, wigs, and wear full makeup just to sit around her apartment? Or wake up wearing tons of jewelry? Scenes with hefty Liz asking to be carried by Beatty into the bedroom, or questioning the size of a diamond ring, all seems like begging for ridicule. Also, has anyone ever noticed how much Kim Novak’s more believable Third Girl from the Left resembles The Only Game in Town? Both feature an aging showgirl, schmuck boyfriend, and younger beau.

Who wears their jewelry to bed? Elizabeth Taylor in "The Only Game in Town!"

Despite Taylor being overly dramatic in the big scenes, she’s good in her brittle banter with Beatty. I like the scene where they twit each other by singing to each other from different rooms. While Warren Beatty is not one of my favorite actors, he does show a flair for humor. His youth plays against him, where his constant jokes doesn't seem like a defense mechanism of an older guy keeping reality at bay, but that of an immature jerk. Still, in his big scene, where he finally admits that he's in love with Fran, teary-eyed and all, Beatty’s genuinely touching.

Warren Beatty's great as Joe declares his love for Fran in "The Only Game in Town."

George Stevens was known for his character-driven, methodic style. You come to know the characters here, but after Fran turns down her long-time beau's proposal, the movie has nowhere else to go. This was Stevens’ last film and his work had become lethargic, as in 1965’s The Greatest Story Ever Told.

The only thing more boring than Fran's married lover finally agreeing to put a ring
on it is staring at the avocado green decor!

Vicki Tiel and Mia Fonssagrives were Taylor’s designer friends. Their clothes represent Taylor's worst style period. Yes, ET was not a '60s chick. But they really couldn't think of any other way of dressing her than to throw her in tent-like minis? Thankfully, they stick to solid colors, which makes ET's coloring pop. I'm sure hairdresser Alexandre of Paris knew the drill of what Liz wanted, but couldn't he have fashioned her wigs not to look like bowling balls? One critic correctly commented that Taylor looked like the dancing tomato from the old drive-in movie ads, in rounded ‘dos and muumuu minis, with her short legs sticking out.

Liz looks lovely in an indigo blue boating top...

I guess ET's fancy designers forgot that stripes aren't exactly slimming when your star is short and chubby. And Elizabeth Taylor's hat is nearly as tall as she is!

Taylor hadn’t been slim on film since Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but didn’t start getting called out on it until The Sandpiper. I recall Rex Reed’s quote about ET in Game, that she looked like “the Goodyear Blimp pumped full of Chasen’s chili.” The unkind comments on her weight reached fever pitch in the late ‘70s as a fat Republican wife, and Joan Rivers led the pack. It’s odd that in our current PC culture, some show biz writers or bloggers think it’s funny to make Liz Taylor fat or drunk jokes, while clutching their pearls over the same criticism of today’s stars.

While Warren Beatty enjoyed working with ET, the real reason he accepted
"The Only Game in Town" was to work with George Stevens. Beatty's later work reflected Stevens methodical style, for better and worse.

The Only Game in Town was an attempt at the kind of mainstream movie Elizabeth Taylor used to make. Critic Pauline Kael aptly wrote that “after the initial pleasure of seeing Elizabeth looking prettier than she has in years, Game is a sluggish star vehicle of the bad old days.” I don’t think anyone involved here was at their best, and watching this Game once is definitely enough.

 

The scene where Joe wins big, then loses bigger, is one of the best from "The Only Game in Town." Interesting that Beatty began the decade starring with Vivien Leigh & ended with Elizabeth Taylor.

Here’s my post on the 10 year anniversary of Elizabeth Taylor’s passing: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2021/03/reflections-of-life-long-elizabeth.html

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 

Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/ 

Is this the apricot scarf Carly Simon wrote about in "Your So Vain?" 

 

MM’s Unfinished Finale: ‘Something’s Got to Give’ 1962

Marilyn Monroe in "Something's Got to Give."
What should have been a quick dip turned into a debacle.

Marilyn Monroe, from her last, unfinished film, 1962's "Something's Got to Give."

This essay isn’t just about the making of Marilyn Monroe’s Something’s Got to Give or the partially finished results. What I find most fascinating is how this no-brainer, assembly line remake became so fraught with off-camera drama. Much has been said about the making of the ‘62 sex comedy, with wildly differing views, all of which would be worthy of a film in itself.

The title of Marilyn Monroe’s final, unfinished film, Something’s Got to Give, has long been a go-to reference point for the last year of her life. Less commented upon is that Marilyn plays a woman who everyone thought was dead!

Wardrobe tests showed Marilyn Monroe in fine form for "Something's Got to Give."

Something’s Got to Give was a 1962 remake of the classic comedy, 1940’s My Favorite Wife, which starred Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, and Gail Patrick. The new version cast Monroe in the Dunne role, with Dean Martin, Thomas Tryon, and Cyd Charisse replacing the above cast, respectively. Monroe’s missing wife is presumed dead after she’s swept away in a yachting accident. MM turns up five years later, just as her husband Martin remarries, to neurotic Charisse. Tryon plays the hunk that was stranded on a desert island with her.

Marilyn Monroe with friend/co-star Dean Martin in "Something's Got to Give."

While not the dramatic type of role that Marilyn craved, this George Cukor-directed froth was film fodder that was very much in style, thanks to the Doris Day/Rock Hudson sex comedy, Pillow Talk. Monroe owed Fox two films on her old contract, so Marilyn was assigned yet another sex comedy. And since Cukor also owed the studio a film, he accepted the directorial task. So what if Marilyn and George had already teamed up for 1960’s limp Let’s Make Love. Something’s Got to Give, indeed: A rehash of a classic, with talent that didn’t click, who took part only to fulfill old studio obligations—what could go wrong?

Ava Gardner once said, that in Hollywood, the only reason they kiss so much, is that
 otherwise, they'd be at your throat! George Cukor did both with Marilyn Monroe.

George Cukor was one of Hollywood’s most literate, intelligent directors, with a reputation for helping actors deliver award-worthy performances, especially female stars. But that old Hollywood line, you’re only as good as your last picture, aptly applied to aging talent like Cukor. Aside from winning a career Oscar for the piece of cake assignment, 1964’s My Fair Lady, Cukor had been on the decline for years, like many golden era directors. Still, George had much less at stake than Marilyn. I wonder why he didn’t take a pass on working with Monroe again, after enduring a low-energy Marilyn and her foolish affair with co-star Yves Montand, on the aptly titled Let’s Make Love. Still, George accepted, perhaps ready to clear the slate for better movie offers.

Making "Something's Got to Give" should have been a breeze for Marilyn Monroe.

As for Marilyn, her ambivalence over Something’s Got to Give seems symbolic of her attitude toward her own stardom. First, while not challenging, the film would have brought Marilyn closer to finishing with 20^th Century Fox. And SGTG was a way to prove to Fox and Hollywood that she could still work. Also, Marilyn Monroe, an icon of ‘50s sexuality, had recently slimmed down and gotten a makeover with her white blonde bouffant, looking the height of early ‘60s sexiness. Yet, Marilyn felt deflated that she was still appearing in the same type of sex comedies that made her famous a decade earlier. While Monroe blamed Fox for exploiting her as the sexy, dumb blonde, Marilyn also did the same, with her choices to film a skinny dip, pose nude again, and perform for the President of the United States wearing little save for sequins and see-through “soufflé” material. Marilyn yearned to move forward, yet when in doubt, she fell back on her sex symbol image, and 36 years was close to the sell-by-date for cinema cheesecake.

Marilyn Monroe looked '60s chic and sexy in "Something's Got to Give."

After cast-approving friends Dean Martin and Wally Cox, Marilyn was comfortable with the Nunnally Johnson script—he had scripted earlier comedy successes. Marilyn looked great in her elegant Jean Louis outfits. Plus, Monroe would play a wife and mother, a rarity for the sex symbol. And MM would speak in her normal voice and not the breathy bombshell shtick that Jayne Mansfield turned into a stale joke. There were some upsides to Something’s Got to Give.

Then the showbiz machinations began. And the chaos of Something’s Got to Give still gets big play today. After MM’s firing and shortly after her death, all the blame was laid at Marilyn’s pedestal. But like many other showbiz scandals and tragedies, the blame has shifted over the years, to the studios and their “suits.” Especially when Something’s Got to Give footage was discovered and restored, and showed Marilyn looking radiant and trying her best.

Co-star Dean Martin was a good friend, too. When Fox fired Marilyn Monroe,
Dean refused to continue film "Something's Got to Give" with anybody but Marilyn.

The thing is that both sides are right. Marilyn fans point to MM’s fine figure and game face while trying to put over familiar film material. And those who counter that Marilyn held up shooting over illness, while jetting across the country to JFK’s birthday bash, also have valid points. Marilyn looked great, performed well, with an impatient George Cukor—but also showed up for only 13 out of 30 shooting days. This caused Marilyn to rightly lose much good will to those who stood around and played the waiting game. In context, when the film was later revamped as Move Over, Darling, with Doris Day and James Garner, the total schedule was two months—standard for a non-epic film. After six weeks, Something’s Got to Give had only shot a handful of scenes. The unfinished compilation was just shy of 40 minutes, of which Marilyn appeared in about half of said scenes!

Waiting for Marilyn? Cyd Charisse & Dean Martin in "Something's Got to Give."

Director Cukor didn’t bother to oversee insecure Monroe’s wardrobe, hair, and makeup tests. The next day, when the new producer was to meet with MM over the results, she was the no-show. He went to her house, only to find her overdosed!

No wonder that the actual shooting seemed like a war of egos, with a bitterly complaining Cukor and a passive/aggressive no-show star. On the SGTG set, it was a contradictory but not unusual set of studio attitudes: the bottom line tunnel vision of time and money spent versus coddling the talent. On the one hand, studios long accepted granting the stars their favorite cameramen, designers, hair and makeup people, etc. But Marilyn went one further. MM’s final acting coach was Paula Strasberg, wife of Lee Strasberg of the Actors Studio. Monroe paid Paula $5,000 per week, to offer Marilyn her acting expertise for a silly comedy like Something’s Got to Give. If Strasberg had worked the entire eight weeks, Paula would have made nearly half of Marilyn’s salary! Then Monroe’s latest analyst got into the act. Ralph Greenson recommended that producer David Brown be fired and replaced with Greenson’s friend, newbie producer Henry Weinstein.

This was director George Cukor's home. He had the exterior recreated for
 "Something's Got to Give." Why? That's show biz, baby!

Director Cukor had his demands, too. Instead of the Fox crew likely building or redressing an old set for such a modest film, Cukor had the crew create a lavish exterior set that was the exact replica of his own home. WHY? Perhaps for the same reason Cukor had Fox’s resident comedy writer Nunnally Johnson’s script tossed out. George insisted that Walter Bernstein re-write Johnson’s script, upsetting Marilyn. Bernstein had prior worked on two Sophia Loren film duds, Heller in Pink Tights (with Cukor) and A Breath of a Scandal. Fox should have titled this troubled comedy All About Ego.

When Monroe started missing work, nearly everyone started to turn against Marilyn, except Dean Martin. The cardinal rule in the movie biz is you don’t hold up the shooting schedule. About the time the filming was abandoned, Cukor banned celebrating Marilyn’s 36^th birthday until 6 p.m., after the work day was done—pennywise and pound foolish. Cukor didn’t help matters by anonymously dishing to gossip ghoul Hedda Hopper about Monroe’s behavior.

It must be 6 o'clock somewhere! Fox & director Cukor decreed that Marilyn Monroe'sbirthday could not be celebrated on-set until 6 p.m.,
to get a full day's work from her. Sadly, Marilyn's 36th birthday would be her last.

As for Fox, they blamed Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor for the chaos during the making of Something’s Got to Give and Cleopatra respectively. Yet, Fox was equally guilty—out of corporate greed. Both films went into production with dated, problematic scripts. And both projects started shooting with stars that were physically ill and emotionally precarious. Though Monroe hadn’t made a film in 18 months, her personal life had worn her down, and was going from slim to thin as shooting progressed. And Marilyn was physically ill with sinusitis right from the start. Fox was warned off of Monroe by the producer but they turned a deaf ear. As for Taylor, Elizabeth was seriously ill with a number of ailments before shooting commenced on the Egyptian epic during a cold, rainy, autumn in London. All that trouble for a tax break to film in England. The mantra was the same for both Fox productions: get the stars in front of the camera, no matter what.

While Marilyn Monroe would have been the first American film star to do a nude scene, her skinny dip in "Something's Got to Give" didn't send everyone into shock,
as has sometimes been reported. MM with Dean Martin & George Cukor.

Much was made of “fading” Marilyn working at her home studio for $100,000 while Fox made Elizabeth Taylor the first star to earn $1 million dollars per film, with all the contractual trimmings. The media picture painted Marilyn as Cinderella, scrubbing floors, while Elizabeth was the belle of the ball. However, before Taylor could accept the Cleopatra offer, Elizabeth had one more film to make on her old MGM contract, a similarly paltry $125,000, to make the boring soap, BUtterfield 8. The big difference between the two, as always in Hollywood, was profits. Both Marilyn and Elizabeth had major career breakthroughs in 1956, Bus Stop and Giant, respectively. Both stars made five films by ’62. The difference was Elizabeth’s films were all smash hits, two of which were epics. Marilyn had a hit with Bus Stop and a smash hit with Some Like it Hot, but The Prince and the Showgirl, Let’s Make Love, and The Misfits, were considered “disappointments.” Also, while Taylor could be spoiled and difficult toward MGM brass, she was “One-Take Liz” on the set. Also noteworthy is that Elizabeth was a trouper during this time under trying circumstances: new friend James Dean died in his car crash near the end of Giant’s shooting; best friend Monty Clift nearly died a car accident in the midst of making Raintree County; Elizabeth’s beloved Mike Todd died in a plane crash near the start of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Taylor was unhappily married to Eddie Fisher and trying to keep the suits from firing Monty Clift on Suddenly, Last Summer; and Elizabeth was forced to make BUtterfield 8 or stay off screen for two years. And finally, Taylor herself nearly died while making Cleopatra, topped by her scandalous affair with Richard Burton. Yet, ET got the job done, no matter what was going on. And these films all made a pile of money—the true bottom line in Hollywood. Marilyn by contrast, got by with minor skirmishes over co-stars in Bus Stop, but clashed with Olivier on The Prince and the Showgirl, along with director Billy Wilder and Tony Curtis on Some Like It Hot, was a total mess on the set of The Misfits, and got mixed up with married Yves Montand on Let’s Make Love. These last two films got horrible publicity and while MM had her moments in each, her lethargy showed in both her film performance and figure.

Marilyn Monroe's skinny-dipping scene was more like a slow strip tease
in "Something's Got to Give." MM started with flesh-colored garments,
but gradually peeled them off.

Interestingly, when Monroe was fired from Something’s Got to Give, she gave a flurry of interviews and photo shoots, as a rebuttal to the bad studio publicity. Marilyn’s mantra was that it was okay if fame as a sex symbol was passing her by, that she was ready for something new. Yet, at the same time, her photo shoots were often scantily clad, along with the barrage of nude skinny dipping photos. Once again, Marilyn was sending out mixed signals.

Marilyn Monroe in her only scene with both co-stars at the same time,
Cyd Charisse and Dean Martin in "Something's Got to Give."

I have wondered what would have become of Marilyn Monroe had she lived, and embraced maturity. This is unlikely, as the general consensus now is that Marilyn was an untreated bi-polar personality. Yet, could she have become an enduring star no matter what, like Elizabeth Taylor? Could she have become a star character actress like Shirley MacLaine or Lauren Bacall? Or could she have found happiness and solitude by leaving Hollywood, like Kim Novak? I think she could have opted for any of these possibilities, but given her instability, would she have? Instead Monroe became part of the trio of legendary slow suicides who died in the ‘60s: Marilyn, Monty, and Judy …sad, sad, sad.

Love this shot of Marilyn Monroe, with the family dog in "Something's Got to Give."
The pooch is the only one who remembers her!

As for the finished product, Something’s Got to Give, if it had been made and released in a timely manner, it might have been a modest hit. At the very least, it would have shown Marilyn Monroe in a fresh, modern light, and having completed some contractual obligations. I found Marilyn’s scenes to be warm and natural with the children, and amusing as the “Swedish” servant. But the few scenes MM performed were undemanding, with little dialogue. And Marilyn’s performance was at odds with the typical, stylized comedy performances of Martin, Charisse, and the character actors—funny, but in a more ‘50s way. There are literally two different movies going on in Something’s Got to Give.

Whatever else happened during Marilyn’s last summer, at least Monroe knew that her studio still wanted her. After friend Dean Martin refused to work with anybody but Marilyn, Fox had hired her back, to complete SGTG, and at a higher pay rate. The studio also offered their star a big salary increase to make her final picture for them, What a Way to Go! Another ironic title, this lavish comedy was later made with Shirley MacLaine. Realistically, the outcome probably would have been the same, regarding Marilyn and movies. But on a positive note, what there is of Something’s Got to Give shows off Marilyn, who looks and acts incandescently, a goodbye gift for her fans. 

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 

Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/

Would Marilyn Monroe have ever been ready for her close-up in
"Something's Got to Give?" Probably not, but isn't it pretty to think so?