The Misfits (1961)

"Beats wages, don't it?"

As the story opens, lost-soul Roslyn (Marilyn Monroe) has just arrived in Reno to get a quickie divorce. She meets Guido (Eli Wallach), a sensitive mechanic and his pal Gay (Clark Gable), an aging cowboy. Both men fall in love with her and she ends up living with Gay in Guido's house. The men take Roslyn out the desert to go "mustangin'," but she's horrified when she learns the purpose of their trip.

This story is about four aimless and rather pathetic people who have nothing to do and no place to do it in. They're just drifting through life and for a short time, they drift together. Gable is outstanding as the rugged old cowpoke who still wants a woman's touch. He takes manly command of every scene and is charisma personified. Wallach's role is less flashy but still powerful and touching. Montgomery Clift plays a rodeo cowboy who's been kicked in the head one too many times. He doesn't get to do much but he's still sweet and likeable. Marilyn is, well, Marilyn, still delivering her lines in that breathy, little-girl voice. Only occasionally does she break through and become a real person; mostly she over-emotes and poses prettily.

Filmed in black and white in a mostly barren desert, the movie is grim and depressing and doesn't let up for a minute. (Animal lovers' note: The "mustangin'" scenes of wild horses being roped and hog-tied are brutal.) I'm glad I got to see Gable and Monroe in their last performances; this is a thoughtful character study of four achingly lonely people. October 7, 2008

Misfit title

I have never seen Monroe's movie before. After reading "Blonde" by Joyce Carol Oates, I decided to buy this and several other Monroe DVD's. This was the first one I saw. Wow, what a beautiful actress! She makes today's actresses pale in comparison. You can tell Authur Miller wrote this screenplay with a lot of love to his beautiful wife. It was well casted; however, I disagree with the title. I don't think any of them were misfits. They just don't know what they want out of life - confused maybe, but not misfits. The chase scene with the horses was amazing. Director John Houston was a genius! I think Gable played a memorable role here, more so than in "Gone with the Wind", but that's just my opinion. The reason why I gave the movie a 4 star rather than a 5 star is 1) the title (which I didn't think fit the movie) and 2) the ending (which I thought was corny.) Overall, a great classic movie. It's a shame this was the last movie for both Monroe and Gable.

Just this very afternoon, I saw on the news that an extra on this movie had taken a home video on the set. His family is now auctioning off this footage. June 2, 2008

One Of The Great Movies

Marilyn Monroe and Gable at their best in a screenplay by Arthur Miller and direction by John Huston. Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter, and Eli Wallach at the height of their craft. Some epic Miller lines like Wallach saying he was blind bombardier in the war, killing people he never saw, and Monroe saying that if she was going to be alone, she would be by herself. A movie worth watching every year or two. April 6, 2008

James and Peggy Barton are great in this!

James Barton and Peggy Barton are just fabulous in this film. I'm not sure if they're brother and sister, or brother and transvestite, but they're just wonderful. I'm not even quite sure who they are in the film, but they sure are terrific. Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable are in the film too, it was the last film either of them made. And Thelma Ritter offers great support, and Montgomery Clift and Eli Wallach are excellent too. But I can see why Amazon stresses the contributions of the Bartons. Here's to them! March 2, 2008

The end of the west and a new kind of western

The Misfits was touted as the next great American movie when it was being made. And why not? It was written by Pulitzer prize play write Arthur Miller for his soon to be ex-wife Marilyn Monroe. It was directed by the already legendary John Huston and stared Icon Hollywood actors Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, and Monroe. For Monroe and Gable it would be there final Film. While received well by the critics at the time it was a box office failure. The average person was not ready for a modern day western that showed the myth of the west was over and those remaining trying to live by its code were just Misfits. Thankfully, over the years the movie has gained a cult classic status that it deserves. The Misfits is a must see for fans of Monroe, Gable, Clift, and/or Huston and for fans of movies and movie history, this movie did herald a new era in Hollywood. I also have to Recommend Misfits Country for a dramatic look behind the scenes of the making of this movie. February 24, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...