May 2010 Book of the Month
Marilyn Monroe in the Movies: A Retrospective
by
Timothy Knight
Pub. Date: January 2010
Publisher: Metro Books
Format: Hardcover, 176pp
ISBN-13: 9781435118577 ISBN: 143511857X

This is another book dealing with Marilyn's movies, which seem to be generating a whole new audience with Some Like It
Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blonde's both being shown in selected UK cinema's over the last few months. It would seem
Marilyn is as popular as any actress on our screens today. With most of Marilyn's films being freely available on DVD and
other media this would seem like the perfect companion, reference source for fans requiring further facts. Each film is
freshly reviewed by Timothy Knight and what strikes you most are the photos used to illustrated the book, they're not
the usual stills or costume test shots we're used to - they're images taken directly from the DVD source, which at times
really work well and at others lacks a little in quality and clarity. On saying that it's a refreshing approach and easily
identifies the film.
Throughout each film section there's quotes from Marilyn and some of her associates and film reviews from magazines.
Each section has a small biography and picture of her leading men but for some reason none of her female co-stars are
given this treatment, which is a shame.
The book is well written and informative and is more focused on her films than her private life and how her legend has
grown since. As a bonus there's a DVD included of a film of the same name by Les Krantz, which explores Marilyn's life in
the media eye with newsreel footage and clips from the film trailers, which has running commentary, again it's very light
and respectful of Marilyn's memory.