Bus Stop (1956)

A naive but stubborn cowboy falls in love with a saloon singer and tries to take her away against her will to get married and live on his ranch in Montana.

Director:

Joshua Logan

Writers:

George Axelrod (screenplay), William Inge (based on the play by)

Stars:

Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Arthur O'Connell

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marilyn Monroe	...	Chérie
Don Murray	...	Beauregard 'Bo' Decker
Arthur O'Connell	...	Virgil Blessing
Betty Field	...	Grace
Eileen Heckart	...	Vera
Robert Bray	...	Carl
Hope Lange	...	Elma Duckworth
Hans Conried	...	Life Magazine Photographer
Max Showalter	...	Life Magazine Reporter (as Casey Adams)

Storyline

Innocent rodeo cowboy Bo falls in love with cafe singer Cherie in Phoenix. She tries to run away to Los Angeles but he finds her and forces her to board the bus to his home in Montana. When the bus stops at Grace's Diner the passengers learn that the road ahead is blocked. By now everyone knows of the kidnapping, but Bo is determined to have Cherie.

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Plot Keywords:

arizona | cowboy | montana | rodeo | virgin | 

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Taglines:

Give this boy enough rope and he'll land Marilyn Monroe!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of Marilyn Monroe's delivery of "That Old Black Magic" was captured live on camera without lip-synching - a rarity in those days.

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Goofs

When Bo gets on the horse for the Bronc riding event, you see him wrap Cheri's green scarf around his neck, and tie it once. In the reverse shot from the stands, you see him wrap it around and tie it again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Beauregard 'Bo' Decker: Are you ready, Virge?
Virgil Blessing: Anytime.
Beauregard 'Bo' Decker: Turn him out!
[calf is released from chute]

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Crazy Credits

And Introducing / Don Murray

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Connections

Referenced in Backstory: The Seven Year Itch (2000)

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Soundtracks

Rye Whisky
(1936) (uncredited)
Written by Tex Ritter

User Reviews

well worth a stop when passing through

'Bus Stop' is a cheerful and romantic old-style film with part of the action centering around a bus stop and bus journey. Bo, a not-very-bright cowboy, does not know anything about love but has his heart set on bringing a woman back home with him. He sees Cherie (played by Monroe) at a bar and falls instantly in love, but she does not quite feel the same way about him. The film explores this romance and the lessons that Bo (and Cherie) has to learn in order to 'grow up'. It takes him several mistakes and character flaws to overcome, but, with the help of Marilyn Monroe, everything comes to a happy (and quick) ending, like most 1950s films.

Overall, 'Bus Stop' is an engaging and funny film and it is worth a watch. However, there are some problems. One of the problems is that I found Bo to be extremely annoying in places. He is too 'in your face'; I am not sure whether Bo's innocence was over-played by the actor or if it was written in the script. The other problem I had was the ending. Older films typically have a rushed ending, at least when compared to the present day. It just seems to abrupt.

The film also has some amuzing adult humor, and this is subtle so there is not a chance of a child picking up on it. (Look at the float in the parade!) Overall, 'Bus Stop' is an all-around enjoyable tale about an age past.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1956 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Bus Stop

Filming Locations:

Arizona State Fairgrounds, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Marilyn Monroe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1