听 We all know of Marilyn Monroe as a Hollywood icon, but with the "Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection" DVD release, you're soon reminded of how many entertaining films she starred in. There are ten movies in the set, each on its own disc, carefully restored and often featuring an upgraded sound mix. There's also a bonus disc with The Final Days documentary.
We've covered each DVD, assessing it for picture and sound quality, and detailing the extra features to be found. The set divides into three categories:
Musical
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
"There's no Business like Show Business"
"Let's Make Love"
Comedy
"How to Marry a Millionaire"
"Bus Stop"
"The Seven Year Itch"
"Monkey Business"
Drama/Thriller
"Niagara"
"River of no Return"
"Don't Bother to Knock"
Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days
The bonus disc of the set contains a fascinating, if often desperately sad account of the making of Marilyn Monroe's final and unfinished film, "Something's got to Give". Co-starring Dean Martin and Cyd Charisse, this was to have been her comeback vehicle after a year away from the screen.
As co-stars and production staff reveal, she was often absent from the set, battling illness and psychological problems. There's a wealth of footage on offer that shows her trying to complete takes, often lacking the concentration to finish a scene. She's stunning to look at, and there are glimpses of her magic, but it's as if she really isn't there at all and it makes for painful viewing.
In the end she was fired, only to then be taken back by Fox. Shortly after that she was found dead from a pill overdose. The documentary ends with 37 minutes of the footage edited together to give us a taste of what "Something's got to Give" could have been like.
This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.
