On Marilyn Monroe: An Opinionated Guide - Hardcover

by Richard Barrios (Author)

Marilyn Monroe has been gone for over sixty years, and yet people are still talking about her. What, exactly, is the spell she casts on so many? Stunning, exciting to watch, incredibly famous, Monroe lived a very public life and died young, with a sad suddenness. All of this is true, and yet there is so much more to her story.

On Marilyn Monroe: An Opinionated Guide looks past the sensation to the real legacy--her richly varied body of work. Both during her life and following her death, Monroe was dismissed as more of a phenomenon than an actor, often an object of ridicule instead of a performer whose work could be taken seriously. Even when films such as The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot saw immense success, Monroe seldom got her due as the inventive and accomplished performer she was. The truth that lay behind the dazzling surface was that she was one of the hardest working of actors. Rigorously applying both skillful technique and an inherent charisma, she was able to create truly unforgettable performances.

In this lively guide, Richard Barrios looks beyond the ballyhoo and legend at Monroe's best-known films, and some that even today remain obscure. Besides her films, it also addresses the work she did on television and the stage, as well as her underrated abilities as a vocalist. Both an informative study and a perceptive critical assessment, On Marilyn Monroe: An Opinionated Guide gives this brilliant performer the attention she desired--that of an artist whose work deserves both examination and celebration.

Author Biography

Richard Barrios is the author of A Song In The Dark: The Birth Of The Musical Film, Screened Out, Dangerous Rhythm, Must-See Musicals, and West Side Story: The Jets, The Sharks, And The Making Of A Classic. He has lectured extensively, co-hosted the Screened Out series on Turner Classic Movies, appeared in many film and television documentaries in the United States, Great Britain, and Japan, and served as audio commentator for numerous DVD and Blu-Ray releases, including State Fair and South Pacific. Born in the swamps of South Louisiana, he now makes his home in New Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.