Don't Bother to Knock (1952)

monroe at her best

wow catch her acting!! with anne bancroft and great richard widmark....all 3 actors are gone now..as is the elevator operator cousin to monroe's character...eddie jr...cant remember his whole name..wow did he steal this movie..classic black and white and so well edited and filmed....yummy...is show monroe was very aware of her dark side from her childhood and mean mom who was in crazy bin, and monroe gives so much of her true feelings in this film!! check it out May 7, 2008

knock !

only about an hour long but a great vehicle for marilyn monroe as the crazed/delusional baby sitter.
Check it out. March 4, 2008

I had no idea Marilyn Monroe could act

If I were to classify Don't Bother to Knock, I would put it into the rarely used category of meta-noir. All of the elements of noir are in full force here: an urban landscape, an inquisitive male lead stuck between two women, a suspenseful plot, but then the noir aspects break down. (I will be intentionally vague in the next few sentences so as not to give the plot away.) The script offers what seems like a femme fatale role, a staple of all noir, but the script blunts and softens her, and the audience must rethink and re-judge her at the close of the film. In many films noir, there is also a nurturing woman to counter the femme fatale and seduce the male lead in a more traditional way. In this film, however, there is no nurturing woman, but rather a strong, independent woman. The film seems to throw noir completely on its head, complicating stock female characters and making the male lead more dynamic than one would expect from noir. The result is a tidy vignette that argues against the noir world, yet unfortunately runs out of time before offering another world in return.

Marilyn Monroe (playing Nell Forbes) steals this film effortlessly. Because she is generally not a strong actor, it's wonderful to see Monroe so confident and subtle. I imagine that she knew Nell better than any other character she ever played. As I was watching the movie, I wondered what Monroe could have been if Hollywood had taken her more seriously and challenged her rather than relegating her to perpetual blonde bombshell. I was surprised and fascinated by the moments in this film when Monroe ceased to be attractive. She spends almost the entire film inside two adjoining hotel rooms, and it's amazing what she can do with few props and very little space.

It's been argued that the script is weak and that all the characters aside from Nell are underdeveloped. I agree that the film showcases Monroe, but the script isn't that bad. The first half of the movie is peppered with cheesy, noir one-liners and sets an intriguing mood slowly. This is intentional. Quite suddenly, a dramatic thriller sets in the second half of the film, the canned dialogue gets tossed, and the noir elements unravel quickly.

Any Monroe fan should treasure this film, but even those who find most of her other films silly should give this one a chance. It's a glimpse of Monroe as she could have been. August 25, 2007

A one trick pony in room 809?

Before there was Swimfan (2002, which is only being listed because it fits the genre, not because it is great), The Crush (1993), Fatal Attraction (1987) or even Play Misty for Me (1971), there was "Don't Bother to Knock" (1952). The conduit between all of the former movies is one key element; the antagonist is a woman suffering from borderline personality disorder/BPD. In simple terms, women who are a bit cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs and there is no milk in sight.

This movie is somewhat of a departure of the Marilyn Monroe that we all knew in her cinematic career. Her character of Nell is dark, disturbed and doleful. Consequently, these character traits make her anything but monotonous. It mirrors the hidden dangerous and dandy motives to her character. The thing I like about Monroe in this movie is it wasn't the usual role for her. She wasn't all "dolled up", meaning she didn't have pounds of make-up on, her hair wasn't vivid blonde and her clothes were more conservative than other roles she has performed before and after this film.

Don't get me wrong, all the prior listed traits were wonderful and made Monroe very, very sexy. However, this seemed like a more stripped down performance. I felt this only added to the arcane quality of presentation. In many ways Marilyn Monroe is remembered for her role in "The Seven Year Itch" or the bright and sleek dress she wore in "Niagara" or even her musical number in "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend". This is fine, but almost puts that stigma of "sexy dumb blonde". If nothing else, "Don't Bother to Knock" displays that Marilyn Monroe wasn't a total one trick pony.

Of course Monroe's character Nell isn't totally devoid of the sexiness Monroe played in her films. There is still the breathy voice and erotic vibe that she always sported, just differently. As for Nell being too unstable or "psycho" to be sexy, I beg to differ. Nell would be classified as a person who suffers from borderline personality disorder, as noted prior. Therefore, it isn't that impossible to see her character as both "sexy and psycho". One of the real and tangible things that most BPD women have is their looks. It is their secret weapon, because (most) of these women with BPD have a real hard time with true intimacy and identity. Therefore, the one solid and tangible thing they possess is their sex appeal.

As for plot, the entire 76 minute movie takes place in a hotel. Nell is hired to baby sit for a couple while they are at a business dinner in the lobby of the hotel. She got this job via nepotism, her cousin the bellhop. Enter Richard Widmark, who plays the perfect part as the "average guy" down on his luck. When presented with the situation of "hooking up" with Nell after he breaks up from his girlfriend (played by a young Anne Bancroft). Mr. Widmark appears totally genuine and enthusiastic with the invitation to room 809.

In conclusion, this movie is a nice slice of quasi-film noir (shot in black and white) and is both entertaining and unique, given that the movie was made in the early 1950s. Friends or foes of Marilyn Monroe's work might find it hard to deny "Don't Bother to Knock" as one of her most atypical performances. The DVD has the original trailer/preview for "Don't Bother to Knock", and a preview for the Diamond Collection (selected films from Marilyn Monroe's resume). There is also a restoration comparison showing what this movie looked like before and after it was re-mastered. A nice little package that all fits nicely in room 809. August 14, 2007

First-Class Fifties Film

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. May 25, 2007

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