Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days (2001)

Documentary about the moviestar's last months including her tumultuous love affairs, drug and alcohol dependency, depression and eventual firing from her final film, 20th Century Fox's "... See full summary »

Director:

Patty Ivins Specht (as Patty Ivins)

Writer:

Monica Bider

Stars:

James Coburn, Gene Allen, Steve Allen

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Coburn	...	Narrator (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gene Allen	...	Self
Steve Allen	...	Self (archive footage)
Lauren Bacall	...	Self (archive footage)
George Barris	...	Self
Walter Bernstein	...	Self
Humphrey Bogart	...	Self (archive footage)
David Brown	...	Self
Cyd Charisse	...	Self
Wally Cox	...	Self (archive footage)
George Cukor	...	Self (archive footage)
Joe DiMaggio	...	Self (archive footage)
Hyman Engelberg	...	Self (as Hyman Engelberg M.D.)
Cary Grant	...	Self (archive footage)
Alexandra Heilweil	...	Self (archive footage)

Storyline

Documentary about the moviestar's last months including her tumultuous love affairs, drug and alcohol dependency, depression and eventual firing from her final film, 20th Century Fox's "Something's Got To Give". Features several first time interviews with the people surrounding Monroe at the end of her life, behind the scenes footage and stills, and the assembled footage from her final film, co-starring Dean Martin and Cyd Charisse.

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Plot Keywords:

depression | film set | archive footage | film director | film editor | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

Actors from archived footage not marked uncredited were identified orally by the narrator.

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Connections

Features All About Eve (1950)

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Soundtracks

Something's Gotta Give
Music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Courtesy of Twentieth Century Music Corporation
Instrumental version performed by Ray Anthony and His Orchestra
Played as background music often
Vocal version performed by Frank Sinatra
Courtesy of The Frank Sinatra Estate

User Reviews

transcendent

wow! this is a mind-blowing documentary! up with the best ever IMHO -- particularly Let It Be in its portrait of a great artist's demise; Lost In La Mancha in the disaster caught on film; Swear To Tell The Truth (about Lenny Bruce) in its common era and tragic hero; and Festival Express in its unreal footage that you never thought existed of masters in their prime. and make no mistake, this girl was still in her prime! she could be in a parka reading the newspaper with a three-ring circus beside her and Nobody would notice the circus!

how it portrayed the final hours without a conspiracy theory undertone. and Sinatra singing the theme song to her lost last movie?! huh!? and that Wally Cox shot two of the final scenes ever with Marilyn Monroe!? and that Steve Allen was also in the last movie? was there anything he didn't do!?

I remember hearing about this when it came out, and I just went, "Oh, some other stupid documentary on Marilyn," like there's been A Million of these already. but this is so serious, and real, and complete, and not just whoring her name and figure. it made me choked up in both her final performance in "Something's Got To Give" (another freakily ominous title, like that Beatles farewell), and in the recreation of her last night.

she is So transcendent! there aren't many humans captured on film as captivating as her. and What a portrait this is of her final reel!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Marilyn Monroe: Ostatnie dni

Company Credits

Production Co:

Prometheus Entertainment, Van Ness Films, Foxstar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 117 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1