Marilyn Goes to the Movies in Munich

marina72

A major film retrospective marking Marilyn’s 100th birthday begins at Munich City Museum this weekend.

“Even decades after her death, Marilyn Monroe remains the epitome of the classic Hollywood star. How could her radiance ever fade? The promise she embodied was irresistible. It led into a realm of exuberant pleasure, generous seduction, and a life of abundance conceivable only in America. The dark side of this fame contributed just as much to her myth: she is saddled with the image of the saddest, most tragic of all Hollywood stars.

She herself struggled deeply with this fame. Part of her legend is that she despised her own films. But then why did she act in them with such unparalleled verve? Where did the radiance she brought to the screen come from—if not from an inner glow she absolutely had to share with the world?

Yet her fame seems to be inextricably detached from her work. How many scenes from her films truly remain in our memories? Isn’t it rather the gazes of the photographers that still make her an icon today? Eve Arnold, Richard Avedon, Inge Morath, Bob Willoughby, and finally Bert Stern captured her sense of loss and thoughtfulness, her willpower and zest for life.

But as her centenary approaches on June 1st, it presents the ideal opportunity to rescue her from the realm of legend and rediscover her in her true medium.”

– Gerhard Midding

The series includes seventeen Monroe films – from The Asphalt Jungle to The Misfits – and the feature-length documentary, Love, Marilyn (2012.) A full programme (in German) is available here – and I will add links to the films listed below as they become available.

  • The Asphalt Jungle (Friday, March 13)
  • All About Eve (Saturday, March 14)
  • Clash By Night (Friday, March 20)
  • Don’t Bother to Knock (Saturday, March 21)
  • Monkey Business (Friday, March 27)
  • O. Henry’s Full House (Saturday, March 28)
  • Niagara (Friday, April 3)
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Saturday, April 4)
  • How to Marry a Millionaire (Friday, April 10)
  • River Of No Return (Saturday, April 11)
  • There’s No Business Like Show Business (Friday, April 17)
  • The Seven Year Itch (Saturday, April 18)
  • Bus Stop (Friday, May 1)
  • The Prince and the Showgirl (Saturday, May 2)
  • Some Like It Hot (Friday, May 22)
  • Let’s Make Love (Saturday, May 23)
  • The Misfits (Friday, May 29)
  • Love, Marilyn (Saturday, May 30)