Customer Reviews

Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II (Don't Bother to Knock / Let's Make Love / Monkey Business / Niagara / River of No Return) [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

MM (Marilyn Monroe) was & now again (due to these magnificent digitally restored picture & sound DVD's) the most celebrated film star of Hollywood.

The Black & White and Technicolor quality / clarity of all the movies are worth the price of admission. This Diamond Collection Volume II 5 DVD set allows us into the hey day of Hollywood & the early career of Marilyn becoming the most celebrated star of her era.

These movies show us Marilyn's versatile talent beyond singing and comedy.

Summary: Monkey Business (1952) with Cary Grant & Ginger Rogers is Marilyns first serious star billing. This Black/White Full Screen comedy introduces us to the young & camera aluring MM. Don't Bother To Knock (1952) with Richard Widmark also Black/White Full Screen Drama has Marilyn playing a mentally disturbed babysitter. Niagara (1953) with Joseph Cotton is one of Marilyns greatest dramatic roles. Shot on location at Niagara Falls in gorgeous Full Screen TECHNICOLOR. MM is a deceiving wife who wants her husband (Cotton) dead! River of NO Return (1954) with Robert Mitchum is a Western Drama magnificently filmed WideScreen (Anamorphic for HDTV's) TECHNICOLOR movie. Marilyn a saloon singer, Mitchum a farmer & his son's only escape from an Indian attack & vengence for being left behind is on a raft down the "River of No Return". Let's Make Love (1960) with Ives Montand is a Comedy Drama filmed in WideScreen (also Anamorphic for HDTVs) TECHNICOLOR. Montand is a well known playboy billionaire looking for that girl who wants him for himself. Not his money. MM a struggling actress becomes that girl unknowing of his image.

Marilyn was captured on film forever but now her true beauty & talent explode off the screen with these restored DVD beauties.

This Diamond Collection Volume 2 continues to show us the beauty, vulneribility & talent of Marilyn Monroe. These's DVD's are the best sampling of Marilyn's eternal stardom, total audience appeal & obsession for her.

MM is totally delightful & amazing in all these early films. She always steals the scenes, lights up the screen & audiences always want more of Marilyn!!!

She can act (Comedy, Drama) dance, sing, & win our hearts.

If you ever wondered about Hollywood phenomenon you can now see for yourself the true talent & beauty of Marilyn Monroe. The Bonus Features on these DVD's include; Restoration Comparison, Still Gallery and Theatrical Trailers. So sit back & experience the joy of this Diamond Collection Volume II & the legendary star immortalized forever on theses DVD's. Enjoy.

Although I give 5 stars for the quality and presentation of the main features, I was very disappointed in the Bonus Features (or lack of). Unlike the Diamond Collection 1, this collection has no Movietone newsreels (there's an excellent one on the Marilyn Collection VHS of "Let's Make Love"), there are no documentaries or deleted scenes like on the "Seven Year Itch" DVD, and a black and white(!!!) copy of the theatrical trailer to "Niagra" (even though there is an excellent colour copy on the VHS-Marilyn Collection. I get the feeling this collection was put together in a rush and not much time put into research to come up with some interesting things hidden in the vaults (also, where is the soundtrack to this collection like the excellent one that was put together for the last collection?). All and all, I still really enjoy seeing this collection, especially the wide screen versions of some of the movies ("River of No Return" was a treat as this was the first time I could see some scenes where Marilyn had been completly cut out with the "pan/scan" technique used on previous VHS tapes. An exciting joy to watch and see a great screen presence.

Another beautifully restored tribute to one of the biggest stars of all time. (If you don't own the first diamond collection, get it.)

The best film of this package is "Don't bother to knock." It shows a different side to Marilyn, the one rarely seen. Usually typecast as the "chipper, dumb blonde," Marilyn shows off her dramatic talent in this dark film. She's more than a pretty face. She showcases her acting ability to the point where she is completely unrecognizable from her other films.

She'll blow you away with her comedic performance in "let's make love," and leave you mystified in the beautifully filmed "Niagara." I'm not a big western fan, but still found "River of no return" to be quite entertaining. "Monkey business" was my least favorite of the package, but that had more to do with the casting error of Cary Grant. He didn't suit his character, at least not to me.

Overall, a very entertaining movie set, much like the first. But "Don't bother to knock," offers the biggest bang for your buck. She'll mesmerize you with the best things about her: her talent and her mind.

After all, it takes more than a pretty face for a girl to coin the phrase, "I'm like this entire superstructure with absolutely no foundation. But I'm working on the foundation."

I enjoyed this collection, though not nearly on par with Volume 1. This edition pretty much rounds out Monroe's notable Fox output. Its definitely for completist and film buffs.

As always, the picture quality and sound are superb. DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK has some source film negative problems, but nothing outwardly noticeable. The stereo presentation of MONKEY BUSINESS I found enhanced the experience (and watching Ginger Rogers chew the scenery around Monroe) LET'S MAKE LOVE is notable only for its lively musical number of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" (truly Monroe's musical swansong thats reveals the musical comedy star she could have been). Truly, the best of the crop is the wonderful NIAGARA, which is the best picture quality I've seen for this exciting film ever. Monroe really goes for the jugular in this vamp role. Its one of my all time favorite movies, period. But I also need to put in a plug for RIVER OF NO RETURN. I'm not a Western fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I found Preminger's adept direction and photography to be breathtaking. This is truly a film meant to be on DVD.

Marilyn Monroe is the once-in-a-lifetime mesmerizing legend, nobody has come along since to match the magic of this gifted versatile performer. Each highly entertaining gem in this delicious "Diamond Collection" are classics to be enjoyed over and over again for anyone who enjoys the finest the world of entertainment has to offer! "Don't Bother To Knock" is an amazing hauntingly brilliant performance early in Marilyn's career showing chilling dramatic range while "Monkey Business" is a fun romp showing off Monroe's great comic ability. "Niagara" is a real DIVA Superstar turn unlike any other with Marilyn drop-dead gorgeous in this colorful spectactular, being the film that made Marilyn Monroe a true film Superstar and introduced that famous Monroe walk with Marilyn unforgettable in that sumptuous red dress. Musical moments with Marilyn were always memorable and in "Niagara" so mesmerizing and hypnotic singing "Kiss" and never more seductive or beautiful in this gorgeous moment. "River Of No Return" is a fine movie that has aged well having a timeless quality to it with a moving and richly etched performance from Marilyn holding up well today with inspired Robert Mitchum pairing another plus...again musical numbers show Marilyn had her own original style, making magic with these great numbers and every moment fascinating to watch. "Let's Make Love" was way ahead of its time and the concept of intergrating musical numbers in to story line used to great success some ten years later in "Cabaret". Listening to "Let's Make Love" Original Soundtrack latest mix on Compact Disc, it is clear Marilyn delivers some of the finest musical performances of her brilliant career (Cole Porter's "My Hear Belongs To Daddy" is a real showstopper!) making this a must have for fans of great musical films and this winning release also features wonderful unreleased performances not in the film. As a young teen who sneaked into the theatre to see what was considered at that time to be a racy film, lost track how many times seeing this classic, finding it totally engrossing and richly entertaining every time. Final never completed "Something's Got To Give" show a sophisicated and very beautiful Marilyn who never looked more stunning on the big screen and this motion picture would have been a real classic, taking her career to a new level with Marilyn coming into her own as a unique performer and living screen legend who was the brightest & greatest star of her generation. Marilyn had a number of varied promising projects coming together and too bad her career which meant so much to Marilyn and showed such promise of hitting greater heights was cut tragically short & that her life came to a sudden unexplained end. Thankfully movies such as these wondrous gems keep the incredible legend alive and Marilyn will always shine the brightest lighting up the Silver Screen in a way nobody else ever could & Marilyn is the true meaning of SUPERSTAR. Love and miss you Marilyn and thank you for leaving behind a treasure chest of magic for all to savor and enjoy & RIP beautiful lady!

You might want to rent these movies before buying them.

It's not a bad set -- but more for the die-hard fans & completists than anyone else. The best movie of the bunch is "Niagara", which should have been included in volume one. Full-throttle Marilyn, low-cut dress and all. The worst one is "Let's Make Love", where the wooden acting of Yves Montand (Marilyn's costar) truly ruins things.

All these films have been digitally restored and look fantastic, as do their "Volume 1" predecesors. Special features are minimal (all movies have trailers for all the others in the set).

Too bad "Prince & the Showgirl", "Some Like it Hot", & "The Misfits" were made by other studios. They'd be welcome additions to this set.

These are the movies that made us love her forever and a day or two.

I have been a Marilyn Monroe fan for years and always felt she was underrated as an actress. Enjoying these films all over again. Monkey Business was new for me. I had not seen Marilyn monkeying around before. Would buy this all over again.

My sister is an avid Marulyn fan and she simply loved this collection. After she loaned it to me for my vieweing pleasue I too found it quite entertaining. This era of movie making was very comforting and pleasing to watch.

This is, with only minor exceptions, the greatest of Marilyn!! She is, without a doubt, on of the most talented actresses that ever lived!! And her natural "inner" beauty is unparralled!!! I will cherish this collection for ever!! Loved by all, and murdered by the Kennedys!!!