My Week With Marilyn

"My Week With Marilyn"

In the summer of 1956, 23-year-old Colin Clark joined the set of THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL as an assistant determined to make his way up in the film business. His diary, released 40 years later, documented the tense interactions between Sir Lawrence Olivier and the iconic Marilyn Monroe . But a week was missing from that account, and this is the story of that week - an experience Clark will never forget. As he and Marilyn spend time together, she begins to shake off the insecurity that plagues her and exposes the many complex layers that have fascinated the world since her rise to fame.

As a long time collector of vintage Hollywood memorabilia what I enjoy is the ability to relive the images of the most memorable history like classic movie making. So, watching “My Week With Marilyn” was a bit surreal, as it reveals what is behind the highly protected image of someone who many people depend on for financial gain.. We see the “real” Marilyn, not a piece of celluloid on a strip of film, that was no different from the rest of us. Like us she had her demons, maybe more than the average person.

She was difficult to work with, forgetting her lines, overly emotional to criticism, late for work, sometimes not showing up due to a hangover or breakdown. I thought Lawrence Olivier was going to have nervous breakdown himself at times trying to manage Marilyn. But, and a big but, when Marilyn finally got it right, when she was “on”, it was sheer magic. The moment that would happen anyone in the room was nearly paralyzed with awe. Her seductive powers were unquestionable. I remember reading after Richard Widmark passed away a couple years ago, that he once said, Marilyn was not the greatest actor but when she walked into a room it was like everyone else disappeared, she had that power.

Another interesting dynamic was the relationship of the iconic Hollywood couple Lawrence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. Vivien has her own challenges as the aging movie icon being replaced by the young beautiful new starlet Marilyn Monroe.

If you have not seen “My Week with Marilyn” it is my not to be missed recommendation. I give it 4 ½ Stars. Watch the one minute trailer below: