Something's Got to Give (1962)

Unfinished remake of "My Favorite Wife," due to the firing of Marilyn Monroe from the film. She was eventually re-hired, but died in August, 1962. Film was never completed.

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Bella Spewack (screenplay), Sam Spewack (screenplay),

Stars:

Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Cyd Charisse

Cast

Cast overview:
Marilyn Monroe	...	Ellen Wagstaff Arden
Dean Martin	...	Nicholas 'Nick' Arden
Cyd Charisse	...	Bianca Russell Arden
Tom Tryon	...	Steven Burkett / Adam
Alexandra Heilweil	...	Lita Arden
Robert Christopher Morley	...	Timmy Arden
Wally Cox	...	Shoe Salesman
Phil Silvers	...	Johnson
John McGiver	...	The Judge
Grady Sutton	...	The Judge's Clerk
Eloise Hardt	...	Miss Worth

Storyline

Years after his wife, Ellen, was lost at sea, Nick has her declared legally dead and remarries. That same day, Ellen is rescued from a desert island and returns home. This unfinished remake of "My Favorite Wife" was the last film Marilyn Monroe worked on before her death in 1962. Most of the footage was unseen, until it was restored into a 37-minute short which aired on television on June 1, 2001.

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Plot Keywords:

remake | unfinished film | blonde | lead actor's last film

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Marilyn - Ihr letzter Film

Filming Locations:

Stage 14, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

37 min 37 min (2001)

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This material eventually became Move Over, Darling with Doris Day and James Garner replacing Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin. Many of the sets constructed for this version were used for that one.

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Quotes

Ellen Wagstaff Arden: Come on, the water's so refreshing! You know, after you finish doing, uh... you know.

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Connections

Remake of My Favorite Wife (1940)

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Soundtracks

"Something's Gotta Give"
Written by Johnny Mercer
Courtesy of Twentieth Century Music Corporation
Instrumental version performed by Ray Anthony and His Orchestra

User Reviews

gotta give her one last 10...

I gotta say, i was terribly gloomy while watching the footage of what could've been a very interesting work in Marilyn Monroe's résumé.

I haven't watched the original movie in which Something's Gotta Give was based, so i really can't say it would've lived up to the original.

The one thing i can say though is that i've never seen Monroe looking so stunning on screen. She was 36 and more beautiful than ever! She had lost that dizzy kinda dumb blonde look she had in the 50's, even the famous breathy affectation in her voice was gone. No gimmicks this time. She was determined to prove that she was indeed an actress and apparently those years she spent in the Actor's Studio improving her acting really paid off. The footages leave us only wondering how delightful it would have been to watch this new, much more mature and sophisticated woman she was evolving into. Her acting was quite sharp and despite of her constant mental confusion she still turned out refreshingly sexy and funny on the screen. Watch as her astonishingly slim figure gracefully strolls across the set in this flowery summer dress. She was cheery and smiling here.

Her character was a young wife and mom and ,as absurd as it may sounds, she seemed to have nailed it. As a mom, she was caring and loving (watch her effusively playing with the kids) and as a young wife she was just absolutely charming. The film even includes some scenes in which she splashes around the poll naked. And believe me there's nothing tasteless here, in fact she was just being a plain goof ball. It's very funny to watch 'cause you can totally tell she was having the best time while shooting it.

I was completely charmed by Dean Martin's character and Cyd Charisse was just being her regular elegant self. They truly assembled a terrific cast for this!

The documentary that comes before the 37 minute film is somewhat biased but effective either way.

Seeing this only puzzles me more and more regarding Monroe's tragic demise. Clearly she was not the most stable person, but with the new contract she got with Fox, all these new perspectives springing up and all, nothing hinted she was on the verge of something like that. That's why i think the suicide assumption becomes less and less believable.

Anyway, hands down, Monroe's still absolute.