Review of Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection

Introduction

Wow, what an idea, the Diamond collection from Fox showcases the career of Marilyn Monroe in several of her memorable movies. This is only possible due to the studio system, where actors had exclusive contracts with certain studios. My own personal slice of the pie is 1952`s Monkey Business, starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn and of course, Marilyn Monroe. I hadn`t realised it, but mad scientists have been letting their formulas get out of hand in films long before Jerry Lewis first donned the mantle of The Nutty Professor. Monkey Business is an earlier example of the genre.

Dr. Barnaby Fulton is a rather single minded chemist who is attempting to find a vitamin with rejuvenating properties for his employer Mr Oxley. When one of the test chimpanzees escapes from a cage in the lab, and starts playing with the chemicals, by accident a fountain of youth is discovered. Unbeknownst to the scientists, the mischievous chimp makes sure the formula gets into the drinking water. When Barnaby returns, he tests his own formula and washes it down liberally with the tainted drinking water. A magical transformation occurs and Barnaby starts acting like an adolescent, much to the surprise of Miss Laurel, Oxley`s ditzy secretary. When the elixir wears off, Barnaby realises what he assumes he discovered. When he is trying to explain to his wife Edwina, the sports car, the youthful haircut, and most importantly the lipstick on his cheek, she decides to try the formula herself, again washing it down with the water. Mayhem once again ensues.

Video

The picture is presented in 4:3 monochrome and has been restored for this release. It is a clear and pin sharp picture with strong contrast levels. It does seem a little dark for my liking though. The restoration is quite well accomplished, with hardly any damage or blemishes visible. They couldn`t quite get rid of all the blips though.

Audio

Monkey Business comes with soundtracks in 5 languages. DD 2.0 mono English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. The sound is nice and clear, with all the dialogue audible. There are of course subtitles in several languages. The subtitles are white text on a rectangular black background. While this does make them exceptionally easy to read, this does have the effect of obscuring more of the picture than usual. Also it was impossible for me to select audio and subtitle tracks while watching the film and I had to exit to the menu screen.

Features

While the film is monochrome, the static menu screen is anamorphic and in colour. You can select from the trailer, a restoration comparison and a stills gallery. The stills gallery contain some 20 pictures, all monochrome. The restoration comparison is a side-by-side look at the before and after image and does show quite well the improvement in the print.

Conclusion

I saw in a documentary quite recently, that Monkey Business wasn`t a big commercial success initially on release. This is despite Marilyn Monroe being billed as one of the four stars. I think that billing may have been to attract audiences rather than a reflection of her role. I also feel that it may be filler for the Diamond Collection as well, as she has very little screen time as the dizzy but attractive secretary, Miss Laurel. She is the hapless recipient of Dr Barnaby`s attention when he reverts to adolescence and accompanies him on a short interlude of roller skating and diving (Cue shots of Miss Monroe in swimwear). She plays the stereotypical dumb blonde secretary perfectly, but even in this small role she manages to fill the screen. Nevertheless, this isn`t a Marilyn Monroe movie, but rather a Cary Grant vehicle, and he is the star of the film. He plays Barnaby with a light touch and the only concession he makes to character is the donning of some thick spectacles. This was when stars were cast for who they were rather than who they could be. Edwina is played by Ginger Rogers and she has fun with the character as she lets her inner child out. The trouble with the pair`s descent into childhood is that they act out an adult`s perception of childhood rather than childhood itself, so the performances seem a little forced. They are still fun though.

This is a rather silly comedy, with a rather inconsequential story. There is little attempt to examine the consequences of an elixir of youth. The Nutty Professor was at least an allegory on addiction, but Monkey Business has no such pretensions. Instead there is just the novelty value of seeing Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers acting like children. While there is amusement value in this, there were occasions that I felt a little embarrassed for them. While the script may not be up to much, the stars of the movie do much to redeem it. Cary Grant is stylish as always, while he and Ginger Rogers spark off each other well. Most of the movie is pleasant enough to engender the occasional smile, but the film ends on a high note when the Fultons take overdoses of the formula and regress right to childhood. At least I was laughing when the film ended, and that`s a good note to end the movie on. Monkey Business is a short and enjoyable comedy that will raise a few smiles, just don`t be under the misapprehension that this is a Marilyn Monroe movie.

By the way, chimpanzees are apes, not monkeys. I guess Ape Business doesn`t sound as catchy.