Don't Bother to Knock

Starring:Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Bancroft, Donna Corcoran, Jeanne Cagney, Lurene Tuttle, Elisha Cook Jr., Jim Backus, Verna Felton, Willis Bouchey, Don Beddoe, Gloria Blondell, Grace Hayle, Michael Ross, Robert Foulk, Dick Cogan, Elizabeth Flournoy, Harold Miller, Olan Soule, Tom Daly (III)
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Marilyn Monroe's first bona fide starring role came in the taut, stripped-down film noir Don't Bother to Knock. She plays a recently institutionalized, none-too-stable babysitter, awkwardly tending a little girl in a Manhattan hotel. Richard Widmark, jilted by the songbird (Anne Bancroft) in the hotel lounge ("The female race is always cheesing up my life," he pouts), puts the make on the lonely blonde in room 809, to his regret. The picture benefits by not being a "Marilyn" movie, but just a good little thriller with, as it happens, a terrific performance by the future superstar. Monroe's childlike distraction eerily suits her rattled character, a misfit who can't distinguish her tragic past from the confusing present. Kudos to Daniel Taradash (From Here to Eternity), whose script contains a collection of tart slang that neatly captures the noir feel--all without leaving the boundaries of the hotel. --Robert Horton

Description

While baby-sitting in a hotel, a beautiful woman (Marilyn Monroe) begins a flirtation with one of the hotel's guests (Richard Widmark). Rebounding from a breakup with his girlfriend (Anne Bancroft), he's willingly seduced by the baby-sitter and ends up in bed with her. When the child wakes up and disturbs their lovemaking, the baby-sitter reveals homicidal tendencies and terrorizes them both. A frightening and provocative exploration of a murderer's mind.

Customer Reviews:

First-Class Fifties Film.......2007-05-25

Filled with familiar Hollywood character actors of the Fifties, this is a low-keyed thriller with a bit of an edge. A good film to watch on Saturday evening.

Don't Bother to Watch- except for the stars.......2006-12-01

'Don't Bother to Knock' looks promising from the outside. What could be better than seeing Marilyn Monroe give one of her few dramatic performances? After all, she was great in 'The Misfits', decent in 'Bus Stop' and 'Niagra'. This one is good too, right?
Wrong. This film is horrible. Honestly the preview for this film (the trailer is an extra on the DVD) is so cheesy this film would have worked better as a parody. Of course, it was 1952, so I guess they didn't realize films still had a long way to go. A weak attempt to be a noir/dramatic/suspense film that just doesn't cut it. The script is weak, the characters are flat and underdeveloped, and the acting is embarassing. Although many Monroe fans may be smitten with her acting in this film, I'm not buying it. The breathy, sex goddess voice just doesn't cut it for a mentally deranged chick. Instead her portrayal comes off as a weak cross between trying to be a psycho and trying to be sexy. You could see Monroe still wanted her character to be sexually appealing (or maybe it was the producers who wanted her character to be sexually appealing) and that just doesn't work for a psychotic character. Whether or not it's a sex goddess actress playing a psychotic character doesn't matter. The line between bringing an actor's personality into a character should not be crossed, and in this case, it is. We cannot help but see Nell as 'Marilyn Monroe trying to play a psycho' instead of just 'Nell the psycho'. Monroe's attempt at drama is interesting to watch, but at times, cringeworthy. By this time, she may have perfected her ability at playing bombshells but not yet drama. It is safe to say Monroe's dramatic acting would certainly improve later on (re: 'The Misfits'). But as terrible as 'Don't Bother to Knock' is, the film should not be completely ignored, it's a good piece of memorabilia for movie fans. We get to see Monroe with darker hair and less makeup and watch as a young Anne Bancroft makes her film debut. If you must watch it, watch only for the two young actress (one a future legend, the other a future Academy Award winner) who would go on to achieve much greater things with their lives.

Marilyn VS her personal demons.......2006-07-22

I found this film-noir(ish) B-Movie very disturbing to watch.
After having read 16 books about Marilyn,it is obvious that this role must have been very difficult for her to play.To say that Marilyn was emotionally-unbalanced is the understatement of the Year;therefore,playing such a confused character was a little too close to home for her.I would disagree with the people talking about 'good-acting';she was simply playing herself,with no pretense,no mask,so you get to see Marilyn 'au-naturel',with all her demons,and the fact that she was terrified to go insane just like her mother,grand-mother,and one of her uncles.If you fast-forward her career to a little less than 10 years later,you see the same kind of confusion in 'The Misfits',that semi-autobiographical written soon-to-be-ex-husband Arthur Miller.That man was very cruel to expose her with all her idiosyncrasies,but then again Orson Welles had done the same thing with Rita Hayworth in 'The Lady From Shangai'.Two bitter men realising that they were fighting a losing battle with Legends,and they made sure that were giving them one last kick in the ribs,before signing those divorce papers.
To get back to 'Don't Bother to Knock':a special delight is to see Anne Bancroft in her film-debut when she was still using her real family name (Italiano),before Hollywood sat back and realised what a gifted actress she was.(that took a while,Ms.Bancroft would appear in 'Gorilla at Large' 2 years later).Widmark is as good as usual,and seems to be as confused by the character Monroe plays,as he is by Marilyn-the person.
To conclude:Not a bad movie,but an upsetting experience for the true-blue Monroe fan

Don't bother to babysit (recommended).......2005-05-06

Is that really Marylin in a film noir? Such versatility! Spectacular, unexpected plot twist and superb performance!

Movie quote: "I can't figure you out. You're silk on one side and sandpaper on the other."

"You're a gal with a lot of variations.".......2005-02-15

When an affluent society couple staying in a large New York hotel mention to bellhop, Eddie (Elisha Cook Jr.) that they need a babysitter for their daughter, Bunny, he suggests his niece, Nell (Marilyn Monroe). Nell arrives at Room 809 and she looks neat, and clean, but there's something about her distracted manner that should ring alarm bells for any parent. Unfortunately, Mr. And Mrs. Jones float off for the evening leaving Nell in charge of Bunny while they attend a dinner in one of the hotel's dining rooms.

Lounge singer Lyn Leslie (Anne Bancroft) is performing her usual evening routine when her beau, airline pilot, Jeb Towers (Richard Widmark) arrives. Lyn has decided to break up with Jeb because he's cold, and he doesn't "have an understanding heart." Frustrated and irritated, Jeb goes back upstairs to his hotel room. Once in his room, Jeb spots Nell across the way, and on an impulse, he decides to call her and invite himself over.

The role of Nell allows Marilyn Monroe to really show her talent as an actress. She's just amazing in this role, and if you haven't seen the film, watching Monroe's facial expressions will give you new respect for her talents. Jeb imagines he's hit the jackpot when he finds this beautiful, lonely woman. When he sets eyes on Nell, he tells her, "you might have been a droopy looking job," and as far as he's concerned, he's there in a hotel room with a beautiful stranger to have a no-strings attached evening. Ironically, Jeb finds himself involved up to his neck. Loaded with great one-liners, the film grows increasingly tenser as Nell unravels before Jeb's eyes. Marilyn Monroe fans will love this film, and Widmark fans will be also pleased with his performance. Widmark does an excellent job of playing the irritated lover who wants to step on the rebound into another romance, but instead he has a pivotal experience of his lifetime--displacedhuman

Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II (Don't Bother to Knock / Let's Make Love / Monkey Business / Niagara / River of No Return)

Average customer rating:

Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II
Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II
STUNNING LEGENDARY PERFORMANCES~BRAVO MARILYN!!!
Niagara is a (flawed) Gem
Waiting for the soundtrack of the DIAMOND COLLECTION , Volume II. This collection merits a soundtrack.

Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II (Don't Bother to Knock / Let's Make Love / Monkey Business / Niagara / River of No Return)
Starring: Marilyn Monroe
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection (Bus Stop / How to Marry a Millionaire / There's No Business Like Show Business / Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / The Seven Year Itch / The Final Days)
The Prince and the Showgirl
Some Like It Hot (Collector's Edition)
The Misfits
We're Not Married

ASIN: B000062XG8
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com

Some essential examples of the Marilyn Monroe mystique make up this second collection of titles from MM's years at Twentieth Century Fox. After sparkling in small roles, she burst upon the public consciousness in 1952, thanks to five films and a certain nude calendar. Two of the 1952 pictures, showing very different sides of the new actress, are included here. One is Monkey Business, Howard Hawks's raucous comedy about a youth serum, in which top-lined stars Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers regress to a state of adolescent abandon, with Monroe doing spot-on supporting duty. Don't Bother to Knock gives Marilyn her first lead role, in a tense little film noir; she's a babysitter with an unstable streak, a fine performance hinting at depths rarely touched in her career.

In Niagara, Monroe is a full-fledged sex goddess, a scheming wife tormenting husband Joseph Cotten in their cabin by the falls. This Technicolor slice of pseudo-Hitchcock is a fun location picture with a genuinely exciting climax. Otto Preminger's River of No Return has Marilyn livened up by the presence of costar Robert Mitchum, in a strong outdoorsy Western that catches the two stars in appealing form. By the time of 1960's Let's Make Love, MM looks tired. This backstage musical is more interesting as a time capsule than as a romance, although one number shines: "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." Less urgent for Monroe fans than the first Diamond Collection, this set is still a good one for the die-hards. --Robert Horton

Description

Contains: *Don't Bother to Knock *Let's Make it Legal *Monkey Business *Niagra *River of No Return

Customer Reviews:

Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II.......2007-01-19

These are the movies that made us love her forever and a day or two.

Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II.......2007-01-10

If you're a fan of Marilyn Monroe, this is a great collection ... each selection is Classic Marilyn. Quality is excellent.

STUNNING LEGENDARY PERFORMANCES~BRAVO MARILYN!!! .......2006-11-10

Marilyn Monroe is a once-in-a-lifetime legend and nobody has come along since to match the magic of this gifted and very versatile performer...each gem in this Diamond Collection are classics to be enjoyed over and over again for anyone who enjoys the finest that the world of entertainment has to offer! "Don't Bother To Knock" is an amazing hauntingly brilliant performance early in Marilyn's career that shows incredible dramatic range while "Monkey Business" is a fun romp showing Monroe's great comic ability. "Niagara" is a real DIVA Superstar turn unlike any other and Marilyn is drop-dead gorgeous in this colorful spectactular with this film being the one that made Marilyn Monroe a true film Superstar and introduced without a doubt that famous Monroe walk with Marilyn unforgettable in that sumptuous red dress...mesmerizing and exotic singing "Kiss" and never was Marilyn more seductive!!! "River Of No Return" is a great movie that has aged well having a timeless quality to it with a moving and richly etched performance from Marilyn that holds up well today...musical numbers show Marilyn had her own totally original style and made magic with these numbers and every moment is fascinating to watch. "Let's Make Love" was ahead of its time and its style of intergrating musical numbers into the story was used some ten years later in "Cabaret"...listening to the Original Soundtrack CD it is clear that Marilyn delivers some of the finest musical performances of her brilliant career (Cole Porter's "My Hear Belongs To Daddy" is a real showstopper!) making this a must have for fans of great musical films and this winning release also features wonderful unreleased performances not in the film...as a young teen who sneaked into the theatre to see this racy at that time film, I have lost track of how many times I have seen this classic and find it richly entertaining every time...and the final never completed "Something's Got TO Give" show a sophisicated and very beautiful Marilyn who never looked so stunning on the big screen and this motion picture would have been a real classic...Marilyn was coming into her own as a unique performer and living screen legend who showed promise of becoming the greatest star of her generation...too bad her career which meant so much to Marilyn and showed such promise of hitting greater heights was cut tragically short. Thankfully movies such as these keep this incredible legend alive and Marilyn will in this way always shine the brightest and she always lit the screen up in a way that nobody else ever could...Marilyn was the true meaning of SUPERSTAR...we love and miss you Marilyn and thank you for leaving behind a treasure chest of magic for all of us to savor and enjoy!!!

Niagara is a (flawed) Gem.......2006-01-01

I bought the 1st Diamond collection for my wife (a devoted Marilyn fan) and we were both impressed with the quality of the restorations. We were looking for more of the same with the Marilyn II collection. Although I ordered the collection well before Christmas, I didn't receive it until the day after Christmas. The tracking site showed it ready for pickup on December 18. When we received it we first viewed Niagara. The restoration was very good. I've been to the Falls many times and I got a kick out of how little things had changed since this movie was shot. Joseph Cotton was very convincing as the tortured soul who was infatuated with Marilyn. The action was well-paced and kept you in suspense during the last half of the movie. Unfortunately, this DVD was defective and the picture broke up 30 minutes into the movie and we lost about 10 minutes of the movie. I went to Amazon's site and after going through a short questionaire I was able to print out a postage-paid mailer without having to talk to anyone. I returned the collection for replacement due to arrive in a week. Hopefully this one will not be defective since we are looking forward to viewing the other DVDs in this set.

Waiting for the soundtrack of the DIAMOND COLLECTION , Volume II. This collection merits a soundtrack........2005-12-19

After The DIAMOND COLLECTION of Marilyn Monroe DVD was released,
a soundtrack CD was also released with many interesting tracks.
Yet this time around, no soundtrack was released. I am waiting
for a soundtrack with the songs Marilyn sings in NIAGARA (KISS),
River of No Return, and Lets Make Love, as well as the main themes from Don't Bother to Knock, and Monkey Business. There must be enough tracks in the vaults of 2oth Century Fox to include as Bonus items of Marilyn Monroe singing, deleted songs
from her movies, alternate takes, etc. We Marilyn Monroe fans
demand that a soundtrack CD to the Marilyn Monroe DIAMOND COLLECTION vol. II be released.

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