‘Happy Birthday Ms. Monroe,’ a cinematic retrospective, begins at HOME in Manchester on Thursday, May 14, with six films showing over the next few weeks.
“Although her presence is inescapable, Monroe’s status and standing in the history of Hollywood cinema is complex … her filmmaking career is often flattened into isolated, iconic moments that are indelibly burnt into the popular culture retina, but detached from her wider body of work as an actor.
Elsewhere, much of Monroe’s celebrity is driven by extracurricular influences that would almost eclipse her achievements as an artist: be that her expert leveraging of the publicity machine, or, indeed, her troubled personal life.
Happy Birthday, Ms Monroe offers a simple, obvious and deeply rewarding reframing of Marilyn Monroe’s legacy: to think of her as a performer first and foremost, before considering her status as a public figure or a product of popular culture. The result? A fascinating journey through a rich and diverse filmography.”
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – Thursday, May 14 and Sunday, May 17
- All About Eve – Sunday, May 24
- Don’t Bother to Knock – Sunday, May 31
- The Misfits – Monday, June 1 and Sunday, June 14
- Niagara – Sunday, June 7
- Some Like It Hot – Wednesday, June 10 and Sunday, June 21
The Marilyn Report 