The Misfits (1961 John Huston/United Artists)
Directed by John Huston. Screenplay by Arthur Miller.
124 minutes.
Cast: Clark Gable (Gay Langland), Marilyn Monroe (Roslyn Taber), Montgomery Clift (Perce Howland), Thelma Ritter (Isabelle Steers), Eli Wallach (Guido), James Barton (Fletcher’s Grandfather), Kevin McCarthy (Raymond Taber).
Left: Clark Gable & Marilyn Monroe.
Below: Montgomery Clift & Marilyn Monroe.
The screenplay for The Misfits was written by Arthur Miller and based on one of his own short stories. That is only one of the facts that makes this film such a treasure. It was the last film of both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Not only was this the last performance for each of them but also the best either had ever given. They were supported by a show stopping turn by Montgomery Clift. Eli Wallach and Thelma Ritter also lend depth and humor to the somber story.
John Huston sees to it that the pathos in the drama and comedy of the piece reverberates in the black and white desert surrounding. The black & White Photography by Russell Metty (Touch of Evil), is superb and intensifies the isolation of the locations. The dying breed that Gay and Pearce and Guido are part of stay stuck in time, aided and abetted by Roslyn and Isabelle, they are unable to pull themselves out of the past.
Roslyn has come to Vegas to divorce a husband that, “you could touch him but he wasn’t there.” Isabelle talks her in into staying for a while to get over the shock of the divorce; Roslyn finds solace among Isabelle, Gay, Guido, and later Perce. Something sparks between Gay and Roslyn much to Guido’s disdain. This causes some friction that is lubricated for better or worse by alcohol, and eventually they meet Perce. Perce is a daredevil of a rodeo performer with a drunken death wish. Roslyn agrees to go on a roundup of wild horses with Gay, Guido, and Perce and everything is fine until she understands why the horses are being rounded up.
The struggle their characters are suffering through is paralleled by the struggles the actors must have been facing as they shot the film: Gable’s bad health (he died shortly after the filming), Monroe’s harrowing addiction that was eating away at her relationship with Miller and landed her in rehab during the shooting, and one can only guess at what demons Montgomery Clift was wrestling with as his drinking accelerated. The film is a monument to the careers of the three leads because it allows them to do what they did best at full throttle and without Hollywood’s usual restraints. They are able to give timeless performances that not only stand up to multiple viewings, but invoke them. Huston was able to help the stars leave a legacy reaching a depth of poignancy that echoes their real life tragedy.
Facts/Rumors/Hearsay:
On completion of the film Clark Gable said of Marilyn Monroe, “Christ, I’m glad this picture’s finished. She damn near gave me a heart attack.” A day later he had a heart attack that led to his death within two weeks.
It is said that Marilyn Monroe said to Montgomery Clift, “I’ve never met someone in worse shape than me.”
Clark Gable admired Montgomery Clift’s performance so much that he would show up on the set to watch even on days when he himself wasn’t scheduled to work.
Clark Gable insisted on doing some of his own stunts. One of which had him dragged by a truck moving at 30 miles per hour.
Available on dvd, Blu-ray, and streaming.