Don't Bother to Knock
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Movie Reviews of Don't Bother to Knock
Movie Review: Get a grip girlfriend!
Summary: 4 Stars
Don't Bother to Knock starring Richard Widmark and Marilyn Monroe is an interesting thriller to say the least. Monroe is quite good in this noir-like thriller, you believe that her character is full of baggage and maybe even a little psychotic. Widmark is wonderful as always, he and Monroe have this natural, intense chemistry. The ending is a bit soap opera but for the most part - I found this classic film very intriguing. Check it out!Movie Review: Unusual Marilyn Monroe movie
Summary: 4 Stars
Marilyn Monroe does a good job portraying a mentally disturbed woman babysitting a little girl in a hotel. The rest of the cast is fine too. The script is a bit clumsy at times, but it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the movie. If you've only seen Marilyn portray empty-headed blondes, you should watch "Don't Bother to Knock" to get a different look at her. Her character "Nell" is a sad, pathetic figure.Movie Review: Ok movie,bad Performance from marilyn
Summary: 4 Stars
Ok,i dont care what people say but,marlyn monroe's performance in this film is pretty bad,its actually very bad,sure the role was good,but if someone like elizabeth taylor or jeanne crain did the role,it would have been great.Marilyn was never a GOOD actress,she was just ok,she did get alot better later,than she was in her early days.I do like this movie but her performance just wanst very goodMovie Review: First-Class Fifties Film
Summary: 4 Stars
Filled with familiar Hollywood character actors of the Fifties, this is a low-keyed thriller with a bit of an edge. A good film to watch on Saturday evening.Movie Review: Don't Bother to Knock
Summary: 3 Stars
Over the years I have heard about this little film, often referenced in biographies and documentaries about Marilyn Monroe, but I never actually saw it. Besides Marilyn, the movie stars Richard Widmark, and a very young Anne Bancroft. Marilyn plays a young woman recently released from a mental institution after a breakdown following the tragic wartime death of her lover. Her uncle who works at a big hotel as bellhop, finds his niece a job babysitting a little girl for the evening while her parents attend a dinner function downstairs. Meanwhile, Richard Widmark has had a falling out with his girlfriend, hotel chanteuse Anne Bancroft because of his reluctance to commit to a serious or permanent relationship. While in his room he spots Marilyn across the way and decides to phone her and persuade her to let him come over. She agrees, and weirdness ensues. Think "Fatal Attraction" without the heavy sex and violence (though they try to get as much in as censors allow). Marilyn all dolled up in the mother's clothing, make-up and perfume becomes convinced that Widmark is her dead boyfriend. When the little girl wakes up before any serious reuniting can happen, the sitter really goes off the deep end (she actually winds up binding and gagging the little girl to keep her quiet and out of the way). To make a long story short, Widmark suddenly realizes that settling down with his non-crazy old girlfriend is not such a bad idea, and Marilyn is carted off to the local looney bin to receive treatment.
While having some of the elements of film noir, this movie while not a total failure, isn't really up there with similar films of the era. It's worth watching even for unintentionally funny moments (I thought) when Anne Bancroft is singing away in her nightclub act completely ignoring the microphone in her hand which she seems to constantly hold downwards in the opposite direction far away from where her mouth is. There is some dreadful dialogue here and there, and this isn't even one of Monroe's best performances. However, this would be an interesting movie for MM's fans because it is quite different from anything else she did in her career. Furthermore, as over-the-top as some scenes were, Marilyn never struck me as funny. She turned in a very believable, even sympathetic performance despite shortcomings of the script. This probably reveals more about Monroe's talent as an actress than if she was in a top-notch film. Widmark is good as the sleazy hero and aside from the bad lip-syncing, Anne Bancroft is fine as the young but very saavy gal pal. Fun scene where Mom (Lurene Tuttle) comes back to the room and sees her kid tied up and starts to beat the tar out of the sitter.
I would have rated this video slightly higher except that it lacked the special features I really look forward to when I purchase a DVD (making of documentaries, etc). Special features that are on the disc: Restoration comparison, still gallery, previews of other Marilyn movies in the DVD series, and a theatrical trailer that demonstrates that sex sells even when there really isn't any. The trailer has Marilyn looking fetching in her (borrowed) negligee (with a bed clearly in the background) while Widmark's character remarks "Why didn't you tell me that you were working here?". She replies, " I'm not. I'm just doing it for the night." Ahem.
A fun movie for Marilyn Monroe fans and film buffs, despite its shortcomings is worth the relatively low price.