JOHN HUSTON

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBBB.  USA, 1961.  Seven Arts Productions.  Screenplay by Arthur Miller.  Cinematography by Russell Metty.  Produced by Frank E. Taylor.  Music by Alex North.  Production Design by Stephen B. Grimes, Bill Newberry.  Costume Design by Jean Louis.  Film Editing by George Tomasini.  

Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable both make their last screen appearances, with Montgomery Clift giving one of his very last performances (and probably his last notable one) before they all passed away. The screenplay by Arthur Miller (who was married to Monroe at the time) centres around a recently divorced woman who goes off with two gentlemen (Gable, Clift) to spend time on their ranch and forget her troubles of late. The gentlemen’s rivalry over her soon gets the better of them, however, and things reach a heated conclusion during a climactic wild horse hunt. The atmosphere crackles under John Huston’s direction, and Monroe does some of her best acting work ever. It’s a shame that the world never got to see her do more work of this dramatic nature ever again.