- Actors: Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Bancroft, Donna Corcoran, Jeanne Cagney
- Directors: Roy Ward Baker
- Writers: Charlotte Armstrong, Daniel Taradash
- Producers: Julian Blaustein
- Language English
- Classification: PG
- Studio: Fox
- VHS Release Date: 1 Oct 1999
- Run Time: 76 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CIR6
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 13,897 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Marilyn Monroe's first bona fide starring role came in Don't Bother to Knock, a taut, stripped-down film noir. She plays a recently institutionalised, none-too-stable babysitter, awkwardly tending a little girl in a Manhattan hotel. Richard Widmark, jilted by the songbird (Anne Bancroft) in the hotel lounge ("The female race is always cheesing up my life", he pouts), puts the make on the lonely blonde in room 809, to his regret. The picture benefits by not being a "Marilyn" movie, but just a good little thriller with, as it happens, a terrific performance by the future superstar. Monroe's childlike distraction eerily suits her rattled character, a misfit who can't distinguish her tragic past from the confusing present. Kudos to Daniel Taradash (From Here to Eternity), whose script contains a collection of tart slang that neatly captures the noir feel--all without leaving the boundaries of the hotel.--Robert Horton, Amazon.com
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
I always thought there was more to Marilyn Monroe than her trademark dyed-blonde hair and breathless speech, and you'll see a deeper and darker side of her in this great thriller.
She plays (ironically enough) a suicidal woman, who terrorises the little girl she is babysitting. Her persona is desperate for love, and when a man on the rebound from his girlfriend begins to flirt with her the timid babysitter's confused mind is explored - she thinks that he is her dead boyfriend.
I won't give any more away, but needless to say, if you're a Monroe fan you'll really like this film. I won't say it's her best (Some Like It Hot, no question!) but it's certainly up there with her more prominent and somewhat overrated films.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Anyone who says Marilyn Monroe was not a talented dramatic actress has never seen Don�t Bother to Knock, a darkly unique entry among Marilyn�s filmography. This film marks Marilyn�s first dramatic starring role, and it is Marilyn as you would never see her again. She plays Nell, a deeply troubled young lady whose shyness and aloofness at first prove to be only the tip of the iceberg in relation to her problems. She has recently moved to New York to start her life over again, and her helpful uncle, an elevator operator in a grand hotel, has arranged for her to baby-sit a wealthy couple�s little girl for the night. This, as soon becomes apparent, was not a good idea. Her behavior becomes stranger and stranger as the night progresses, exacerbated by the attentions of a young man (Richard Widmark) who comes calling on the rebound after seeing her from the room across the way. His girl has just broken things off with him downstairs, but the simple diversion he seeks in the form of some drinks and kicks with a beautiful stranger becomes something else entirely. As the roots and degree of Nell�s problems are slowly revealed, the film takes on a very dark tone charged with suspense.
Marilyn delivers a truly incredible performance in this early performance from 1952. Her aura of innocence and vulnerability plays perfectly in her role as Nell, and the range of emotions she conveys as the film progresses is amazingly convincing, making her character one who must be feared as much as sympathized with. I can�t find a single weak spot in her performance, and I imagine the melancholy side of her true nature, the Norma Jean in her, served as a source of inspiration and strength for her in this demanding role.
This movie is quite overlooked today, with most people associating Niagara or even Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Marilyn�s first starring role, but those who see this movie will most likely never be able to forget it. Sadly, some of the plot summaries I have read elsewhere (including the back covers of the Marilyn Monroe Collection videos) over dramatize things, saying Nell and Jed (Widmark) end up in bed together at one point or labeling Nell as a murderess. Such sensational claims are not true, and there is nothing remotely sexy about this movie. It is a serious and powerful dramatization of a deeply troubled young lady fighting some very real personal demons in a place and time she is quite ill suited for. Marilyn�s performance won critical praise and helped make 1952 the year that launched her into superstardom.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
37 reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Beautiful But Dangerous.....
28 Dec 2003
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This review refers to The DVD edition(Diamond Collection/20th Cent Fox)of "Don't Bother To Knock"
This film is a must have for Marilyn completists. From 1952,as a very young and emerging screen idol, she turns in an expert performance, as a woman on the edge, in this psychological drama. It also stars Richard Widmark and Anne Bancroft in her first feature film role.
The beautiful Nel(Monroe) has arrived in New York from Oregon to forget her past. She has had deep psychological problems and has recently been released from an "institution". Uncle Eddie(Elisha Cook Jr.),elevator operator at an established hotel, gets her a job babysitting for some of the guests, after all 'they' did said she was better now! But Marilyn turns out to be the babysitter from hell when her past takes over and she loses control. But even hell can be heavenly when Marilyn Monroe is involved,as she draws you into her spell and captivates you for the entire film.
The film directed by Roy Baker, has some wonderfully shot sequences that are chilling in Black and White.The character development is remarkable. As Nel goes from a quiet babysitter to a dangerous woman, Richard Widmark, is also brillant as his character develops from a cynical snob to a caring human being. It is also obvious, that in this early role, Anne Bancroft had that special something it took for her to become the great star she is today. Jim Backus and Gloria Blondell also add their talents to the supporting cast.Some old romantic tunes, including "How About You" also add greatly to the story.
This film is over 50 years old, but you won't know that by viewing this restored edition. It looks great and may be viewed in DD2.0 surround or the original mono. The special features include a restoration comparison, several trailers for other films from the Diamond Collection and a wonderful still gallery.There are subtitles in English and Spanish.It is presented in the original academy ratio (full screen1.33:1).
So don't forget to always check references and enjoy.....Laurie
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Who Says Marilyn Can't Act?
14 July 2000
Don't Bother To Knock is a dark psycho-drama that serves as a vehicle for Marilyn Monroe's mesmerizing performance. As Nell, a mentally unstable woman whose lover was killed in WWII, Monroe delivers a creepy performance. Hired for the night to babysit a little girl (Donna Corcoran) Nell drifts in and out of reality. Director Roy Baker draws out desperate emotionalism from Monroe, who is eerily convincing with her lines, and facial expressions. Richard Widmark plays Jed, a cold hearted pilot who cannot understand why his lounge singer girlfriend ( Anne Bancroft) has jilted him. Elisha Cook Jr. once again delivers a fine supporting role as the hotel elevator operator caught up in his nieces's (Nell's) strange behavior. The film is almost entirely shot within the confines of a hotel room and Baker's camera work and tight cutting adds to the suspense. Don't Bother To Knock definitely opened the door to Monroe's career.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
MARILYN'S GREATEST ACTING & A GREAT FILM
8 April 2004
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This film was mesmerizing to watch. Richard Widmark was great, as always, but Marilyn's acting was the greatest in the film. She plays a deranged babysitter and when Richard Widmark's character, Jed, goes to her hotel room to catch a little hay-hay with her, he has no idea what/who he is getting himself involved with. The plot unfolds from there and it's a nail biter all the way. The background music is really cool, giving it a film noir touch.
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