Sight and Sound - 01/01/2002
"...That this was the last film of both Monroe and Gable adds an elegiac patina..."
Description by OLDIES.com:
Expertly directed by John Huston (The Maltese Falcon) from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner Arthur Miller, The Misfits is a "probing, exciting drama" (Film Daily) of honesty, intensity and sheer poetic brilliance. Divorced and disillusioned, Roslyn Tabor (Marilyn Monroe) befriends a group of "misfits," including an aging cowboy (Clark Gable), a heartbroken mechanic (Eli Wallach) and a worn-out rodeo rider (Montgomery Clift). Through their live-for-the-moment lifestyle, Roslyn experiences her first taste of freedom, exhilaration and passion. But when her innocent idealism clashes with their hard-edged practicality, Roslyn must risk losing their friendship...and the only true love she's ever known.
Product Description:
Sophisticated, but emotionally crippled Roslyn (Marilyn Monroe, giving what many believe to be her strongest performance) has come to Nevada to gain a quick and easy divorce. When her landlady introduces her to aging, broken cowboy Gay Langland (Clark Gable), she finally finds herself with a worthy partner. Meanwhile, Gay and his fellow horsemen Guido and Perce (Eli Wallach and Montgomery Clift) scheme to capture a herd of wild horses. Though megawatt star power and a brilliant script by Arthur Miller failed to turn THE MISFITS into box office success (probably due a legendarily troubled shoot), time and critical reputation treated it very kindly. It was the final film for icons Gable and Monroe.
Plot Synopsis:
A down-on-her-luck, divorced woman meets and falls for a disenchanted outcast cowboy who earns his living by capturing wild mustangs. When she witnesses this cruel spectacle, she recoils in horror -- then teams up with a jaded rodeo performer in an attempt to free the horses.
Plot Keywords:
Character Study |
Divorce |
Essential Cinema |
Recommended |
Romance |
Theatrical Release
Production Notes:
Last screen appearance for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, who was married to playwright Arthur Miller during the course of the filming.
Additional cast: Philip Mitchell; Dennis Shaw (Young Boy), Walter Ramage (Old Groom), Peggy Barton (Young Bride), J. Lewis Smith (Cowboy), Marietta Tree (Susan), Bobby LaSalle (Bartender), Ryall Bowker (Man), and Ralph Roberts (Ambulance Attendant).
Film Collectors & Archivists: Alpha Video is actively looking for rare and
unusual pre-1943 motion pictures, in good condition, from Monogram, PRC,
Tiffany, Chesterfield, and other independent studios for release on DVD. We
are also interested in TV shows from the early 1950s. Share your passion
for films with a large audience.
Let us know what you have.
Based on 
![100 Years of Horror [Documentary]](http://d3dvedx3sqrauf.cloudfront.net/i/boxart/mid/10/741914101260.jpg?v=2 "100 Years of Horror [Documentary]")
