Written by the playwright Arthur Miller for his wife Marilyn Monroe—whom he would divorce before the film was released, The Misfits has perhaps become more famous for what went on behind the scenes than what happened on it. Monroe delivers one of the best performances of her career, though she was reportedly battling drug addiction.
The Misfits would be the final, haunting, completed film for two Hollywood legends. 59-year-old Clark Gable (at one time referred to as “The King of Hollywood”), would die of a heart attack just eleven days after filming was completing. Marilyn Monroe would be found dead of an accidental drug overdose on August 5, 1962.
The Misfits concerns a troubled former stripper, Roslyn Taber (Monroe) seeking a quickie divorce in Reno, Nevada. To prepare herself to face the judge, Roslyn practices what she will say, with the assistance of her worldly, wisecracking landlady Isabelle Steers (Thelma Ritter). Through Isabelle, she is introduced to two men. Guido Racanelli (Eli Wallach) is an ex-mechanic, former WWII pilot, and widower. At a local bar she is introduced to Gay Langland (Gable) an aging, washed-out cowboy and rugged individualist. Not surprisingly, both are quickly attracted to the voluptuous blonde. She eventually falls for the fearless Langland, who is old enough to be her father. Offered a house in the dessert that had been abandon by the widowed Guido, the two move in together. Roslyn is taken in by the freedom of the wide open spaces, and the passion of her new relationship.
Langland, Guido, and worn out, injured ‘rodeo cowboy’ rider Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift) join together for one last roundup of wild horses, and decide to take Roslyn along. Roslyn is shocked to learn that the horses will be slaughtered and sold as dog food. She tries and fails to convince Langland to call off the roundup. When he refuses, she successfully appeals to Perce to release the horses that have already been captured. This infuriates wrangler Langland, who recaptures the stallion leader of the horses after a rough struggle.
Having proven he’s the boss, Langland ultimately sets the horses free , thereby reconciling with Roslyn:
Don’t want nobody makin’ up my mind for me, that’s all. Damn ’em all! They changed it, changed it all around. Smeared it all over with blood. I’m finished with it. It’s, it’s like, like ropin’ a dream now. I just gotta find another way to be alive, that’s all. If there is one anymore. (He stands). Perce, cut that mare loose for me, will ya?
With the roundup a financial failure, all three men realize they will have to make a new start for themselves. Despite those inherent difficulties, both Roslyn are filled with hope, because they have each other.
Making The Misfits was not an easy task for legendary director John Huston (The Maltese Falcon). He wanted Arthur Miller’s script paired down. Miller saw the film as an American epic with roadshow potential. Huston saw it as a more intimate film and his desire to have the script shortened and tightened only partially prevailed. The resulting 124 minute cut didn’t really satisfy anyone involved, and it’s conveyed to the viewer. In the first half of the film, Huston’s sure handed touch with the actors is missing (some of this could be due to the fact that he was drinking very heavily during filming), and the characters seem to lack focus. By the second half, the characters are more fleshed out and coherent. As one might expect, Huston delivers some excellent shots of the salt flats and wild mustangs.
Despite some issues with the film, fans of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable will want to pick up The Misfits. Not only is it their last complete film, but it also represents flashes of some of their best work.
This 1.66:1 transfer looks great. That said, The Misfits is not without faults. It has a good share of flecks and even a bit of flicker throughout, especially when looking over the scenic backdrop. There are soft shots of Monroe, which were probably intentional due to her detox during filming. Even so, it’s a delightful presentation with a lot of organic film grain. It offers solid black levels and a nice contrast between the blacks and the whites.
MGM has included a mono DTS-HD Master Audio track, which is more than sufficient for this dialogue-driven movie. Some of the dialogue is a little muffled at points in the film, but it’s never difficult to decipher.
The Misfits comes packing its original theatrical trailer, and that’s it.
