The Misfits (1961)

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

Arthur Miller (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 February 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

'SMASHING' thru the Excitement Barrier !

Plot:

A sexy divorcée falls for an over-the-hill cowboy who is struggling to maintain his romantically independent lifestyle in early-sixties Nevada.

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Horse | Wild Horse | Cowboy | Dog

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Gay Langland
Marilyn Monroe	...	Roslyn Taber
Montgomery Clift	...	Perce Howland
Thelma Ritter	...	Isabelle Steers
Eli Wallach	...	Guido
James Barton	...	Fletcher's Grandfather
Kevin McCarthy	...	Raymond Taber
Estelle Winwood	...	Church Lady Collecting Money in Bar
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peggy Barton	...	Young Bride (uncredited)
Rex Bell	...	Old Cowboy (uncredited)
Ryall Bowker	...	Man in Bar (uncredited)
Frank Fanelli Sr.	...	Gambler at Bar (uncredited)
John Huston	...	Extra in Blackjack Scene (uncredited)
Bobby LaSalle	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Philip Mitchell	...	Charles Steers (uncredited)
Walter Ramage	...	Old Groom (uncredited)
Ralph Roberts	...	Ambulance Driver at Rodeo (uncredited)
Dennis Shaw	...	Fletcher - Young Boy in Bar (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith	...	Fresh Cowboy in Bar (uncredited)
Marietta Tree	...	Susan (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
Arthur Miller		(screenplay)

Produced by
Frank E. Taylor	....	producer

Original Music by
Alex North		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Russell Metty		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Stephen B. Grimes		(art direction) (as Stephen Grimes)
Bill Newberry		(art direction) (as William Newberry)

Set Decoration by
Frank R. McKelvy		(set decoration) (as Frank McKelvy)

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(dresses: Marilyn Monroe)

Makeup Department
Agnes Flanagan	....	hair stylist
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
Frank La Rue	....	makeup (as Frank Larue)
Franz Prehoda	....	makeup (as Frank Prehoda)
Allan Snyder	....	makeup
Bunny Gardel	....	body makeup (uncredited)

Production Management
C.O. Erickson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carl Beringer	....	assistant director
Tom Shaw	....	second unit director
John Gaudioso	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ross C. Burke	....	property master (uncredited)
Bud Pine	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Robert L. Stephen	....	painter gang boss (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Philip Mitchell	....	sound recordist
R.D. Cook	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Al Marsh	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Cline Jones	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Babcock	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cole Palen	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted White	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Rex Wimpy	....	photographer: second unit
Eve Arnold	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Lefty Budman	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Cornell Capa	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Henri Cartier-Bresson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Charles Cowie	....	key grip (uncredited)
Bruce Davidson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Elliott Erwitt	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ernst Haas	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ledge Haddow	....	camera (uncredited)
Erich Hartmann	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Lee Jones	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Richard A. Kelley	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Michael Moramarco	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Inge Morath	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Eddie Pyle	....	second camera (uncredited)
Louis Schwartz	....	first camera (uncredited)
Al St. Hilaire	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Dennis Stock	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Harry L. Underwood	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Louis	....	wardrobe: Miss Monroe
Dorothy Jeakins	....	costumer: Marilyn Monroe (uncredited)
Jesse Munden	....	costumer (uncredited)
Shirlee Strahm	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Stu Linder	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Connie Roese	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Alex North	....	conductor
Henry Brant	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Frank Khoury	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Angela Allen	....	script supervisor
Billy Jones	....	wrangler
Edward Parone	....	assistant to the producer
Friedrich von Ledebur	....	horse master
Bob Davenport	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Bruce Gailbraith	....	wrangler (uncredited)
James W. Gavin	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Cindy James	....	dog trainer (uncredited)
Eugene Logan	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Evelyn Moriarty	....	stand-in: Marilyn Monroe (uncredited)
George Nelson	....	title designer: main titles (uncredited)
Corky Randall	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Frank Remsden	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Jimmy Sherwood	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Barlow Simpson	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Lew Smith	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Paula Strasberg	....	dialogue coach: Ms. Monroe (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Seven Arts Productions (presents) (The John Huston Production)

Distributors

• United Artists (1961) (USA) (theatrical) (as A United Artists release)
• United Artists (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• United Artists Films (1961) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1961) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (????) (France) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Communications Co. (????) (USA) (TV)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1999) (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• Scanvideo (????) (Finland) (video)
• TV3 (1988) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1969) (1977) (2008) (2009) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• George Nelson & Co. Inc.  main titles
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of: affiliated with A.F. of L. (as I.A.T.S.E.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

124 min | France:120 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Hungary:14 | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rated) | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:U (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved | Ireland:PG

Filming Locations:

Dayton, Nevada, USA

Company:

Seven Arts Productions

Trivia:

Originally written as a short story by Arthur Miller while awaiting his own divorce in Reno prior to marrying Marilyn Monroe.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Gable, Monroe, and Clift look at the horses in the distance with the binoculars, all three of them hold the binoculars upside down (but they still work, of course).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Isabelle Steers:Young man, do you have the time? I got six clocks in the house and none of them work.
Guido:Twenty after nine.
Isabelle Steers:After? It's twenty after, dear. Dahlin'. Five minutes.
Roslyn:What about you?
Isabelle Steers:I'm all set, I just tyin' my sling. The lawyer said nine thirty sharp, dahlin'.
Roslyn:Okay.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Great Performances: Making 'The Misfits' (#31.2)" (2002)

Did Gable really have to die for the making of The Misfits

I still remember when it was reported Clark Gable had had a heart attack shortly after completing The Misfits. It happened just before Election Day because there was a news item and it's mentioned in at least one Gable biography that he voted by absentee ballot in 1960. Shortly after that he died and the world was waiting the birth of his son and his last posthumous film.

No doubt about it Gable does look all of his 59 years in the Misfits. But he's still exudes that gruff animal magnetism that leaves you no doubt as to why Marilyn Monroe was finding him so sexy. It's an interesting and challenging role for Gable, his Gay Langland is a bitter multi-layered character, whose family has deserted him and his way of life is vanishing. All three of the men, Gable, Monty Clift, and Eli Wallach have a deathly fear of working for wages expressed often during The Misfits.

For Monty Clift it's more than fear. He's also bitter about being cheated out of his father's ranch by a stepfather who offers him wages. So he's taken to the rodeo circuit, but he's also past his prime in that dangerous sport.

Eli Wallach starts out as what we think is a deep sensitive portrayal, but as we go along we find there's less than meets the eye. He wants Marilyn Monroe real bad (who wouldn't) and it's clear he's just using some of his best lines in his quest for her.

Marilyn as eastern divorcée to be serves as the group's conscience when they start going after mustangs for dog food manufacturers. Quite illegally of course, but that's part of the challenge for this group. Lots of shots of Marilyn's bulges both front and rear are another good reason to see this film.

Towards the end the wild mustangs on the Nevada desert take over the film from the human actors. They are a kind of doppleganger for this group, they are also misfits with no place in the modern world for them except as canned dog food.

Those roping stunts and Clark Gable being dragged by a horse probably put a strain on his cardiovascular system. It's been written that Marilyn was the cause of his demise. Pure and utter nonsense. I can't believe John Huston the director let him do those scenes. Why wasn't a stunt double used? Marilyn Monroe was one royal pain to work with, what with all of her issues, but that surely had nothing to do with what happened to Gable.

The Misfits still holds up well after over 40 years. All of the cast can be proud of their work in that film.