Marilyn (1953 film)
Marilyn, released in the United States as Roadhouse Girl, is a 1953 British film noir directed by Wolf Rilla starring Sandra Dorne and Maxwell Reed.[1]
| Marilyn | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Wolf Rilla |
| Written by | Wolf Rilla |
| Story by | Peter Jones (play Marion) |
| Produced by | Ernest G. Roy |
| Starring | Sandra Dorne Maxwell Reed |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
| Edited by | Peter Seabourne |
| Music by | Wilfred Burns |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Butcher's Film Service (UK) Astor Pictures (US) |
Release dates | 1953 (UK) August 1955 (US) |
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The film is based on James M. Cain's novel The Postman Always Rings Twice.[2]
Plot edit
Drifter mechanic Tom Price (Reed) lusts after seductive Marilyn (Dorne), the young wife of ill-tempered garage owner George Saunders (Dwyer). Assuming (correctly) that Marilyn is fooling around with his employee, Saunders angrily confronts him. Defending himself, Tom accidentally kills his boss. Marilyn helps him to cover up the crime - the inquest verdict is "accidental death" - and Marilyn begins a new life, while also keeping Tom at a distance. Several months later she is running a just-getting-by "American bar". Wealthy businessman Nicky Everton (Mayne) agrees to lend her some money, believing that Marilyn will offer her affections as repayment. Everton later changes his mind as he feels they won't be happy in the longer term; and Price also walks out, frustrated by her erratic behaviour and in particular her lack of lasting commitment to him. Throughout all this, Rosie, Marilyn's maid, has kept the dark secret of Saunders' death to herself, until she is taken for granted once too often by her self-centred boss. Marilyn is left alone with her hopes and fears.
Cast edit
- Sandra Dorne as Marilyn Saunders
- Maxwell Reed as Tom Price
- Leslie Dwyer as George Saunders
- Vida Hope as Rosie
- Ferdy Mayne as Nicky Everton
- Hugh Pryse as Coroner
- Kenneth Connor as Customer in Roadhouse
- Ben Williams as Jury Foreman
Critical reception edit
Marilyn was selected by film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane as one of the 15 most meritorious British B films made between World War II and 1970. The authors note that it is "symptomatic of a transatlantic turn in the British 'B'" and praise its depiction of a "pervasive sense of dissatisfaction with things as they are".[3]
References edit
- ^ at the BFI Database
- ^ "Marilyn Movie Reviews". Cinema Montreal. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ Steve Chibnall & Brian McFarlane, The British 'B' Film, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, pp. 268–70.