Blu-ray Review: Box Set Proves Lasting Power of ‘Forever Marilyn’

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CHICAGO – There is arguably no one in the history of Hollywood more iconic than Marilyn Monroe. Not only was she a massive star in her day but her tragic death turned her into a beauty that was frozen in time. She transcends movies and it’s possible that she’s never been more popular than she is in the ’10s with releases like “My Week with Marilyn,” “Smash,” and the new 7-disc Blu-ray box set, “Forever Marilyn,” a must-own for fans of Norma Jeane Masterson.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The seven-disc set from MGM/FOX includes two previously available Blu-rays — “Some Like It Hot” and “The Misfits” — along with five films that have not previously been available in HD — “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “How to Marry a Millionaire,” “River of No Return,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” and “The Seven Year Itch.” It’s undeniably a mix of peaks and valleys but all seven films have make the same indisputable fact perfectly clear — Marilyn Monroe was a movie STAR. It’s cliched to say it but they just don’t make stars like that any more. And they probably never will again.

Marilyn historians will notice that the seven films in “Forever Marilyn” are from essentially the same period of her career. They all came out from 1953 to 1961 in her final phase as an actress, which also was her peak of popularity. Having said that, it would have been nice to have an earlier performance from a lesser-known film (or even an agreed-upon classic like “Niagara” or “The Prince and the Showgirl,” just to serve as a companion to “My Week with Marilyn”) to balance out the collection with a bit of history. It’s a minor complaint.

A more major one would be how some of the films in the set include virtually no special features — “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” for example, has a mini-mini-mini-piece about Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe that runs less than a minute. All of the special features were previously available and what could have truly elevated “Forever Marilyn” would have been an 8th disc of documentaries, interviews, screen tests, etc. to tie it all together.

However, while the management of the bonus material is a bit disappointing the films and their transfers are, for the most part, perfect. “Gentlemen,” “Some,” and “Misfits” look spectacular. “Seven Year Itch” is close. Only “River of No Return” seems a bit imbalanced in its color remastering. What one thinks over and over again while going through these films is a simple though but a true one — Marilyn Monroe was made for HD.

Forever Marilyn was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 31, 2012
Photo credit: Fox/MGM

In chronological order:

“Gentleman Prefer Blondes” (1953)
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell co-star as showgirls who set a course for love and laughter on board a luxury liner sailing to France.

“How To Marry A Millionaire” (1953)
Marilyn, Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall play three Manhattan models who concoct a wild scheme to meet the men of their dreams.

Click here to buy “Forever Marilyn”

“River Of No Return” (1954)
Marilyn joins forces with Robert Mitchum in this suspenseful tale of adventure and survival in the Northwest wilderness.

“There’s No Business Like Show Business” (1954)
Marilyn plays an ambitious showgirl who gets involved in the lives and loves of the Five Donahues, a family of Vaudeville performers.

“The Seven Year Itch” (1955)
Marilyn plays a seductive starlet who tests the wedding vows of a married man when she moves into the apartment above him.

“Some Like It Hot” (1959)
Marilyn is the lead singer of an all-girl band joined by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, who are posing as women to hide from the mob.

“The Misfits” (1961)”
In her last completed film, Marilyn co-stars as a sensitive divorcee who falls in love with a modern cowboy played by Clark Gable.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com