NIAGARA [1953 / 2013] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] Marilyn Monroe and ‘NIAGARA’ a Raging Torrent of Emotion That Even Nature Can’t Control!
Marilyn Monroe sizzles in this tense, masterful thriller. While the seductive Rose Loomis [Marilyn Monroe] and her husband George Loomis [Joseph Cotten] vacation in a charming guest cabin at spectacular Niagara Falls, Rose Loomis and her lover plot to kill George Loomis. But things go terribly wrong, and soon, an innocent honeymooning couple find themselves swept up in the crime. Narrated by Joseph Cotten.
FILM FACT: Marilyn Monroe was given first billing in ‘NIAGARA’ which elevated her to star status. Her following two films of that year, ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’ with Jane Russell, and ‘How to Marry a Millionaire,’ with Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall, were even bigger successes. Unlike other film noir thrillers of the time, ‘NIAGARA’ was filmed in "Three-Strip" Technicolor, one of the last films to be made at Twentieth Century-Fox in this format, as Twentieth Century-Fox was in the process of converting to CinemaScope, and which is mutually-exclusive with "Three-Strip," but not with Eastmancolor, and was one of Twentieth Century-Fox's biggest box office hits of the year. The famous walk by Marilyn Monroe's character, Rose Loomis, in a black skirt and red sweater across the cobblestone street, holds the record for the longest walk in cinema history with around 116 feet of film. In the weeks after Marilyn Monroe's death in August 1962, Andy Warhol used a publicity photo from ‘NIAGARA’ as the basis for his silkscreen painting Marilyn Diptych, showing multiple images of Marilyn Monroe's face.
Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten (narrator), Jean Peters, Max Showalter, Denis O'Dea, Richard Allan, Don Wilson, Lurene Tuttle, Russell Collins, Will Wright, Leon Alton (uncredited), Henry Beckman (uncredited), Harry Carey Jr. (uncredited), Bill Coontz (uncredited), Roy Damron (uncredited), Robert Ellis (uncredited), Howard Engel (uncredited), Neil Fitzgerald (uncredited), Gloria Gordon (uncredited), Patricia Henderson (uncredited), Winifield Hoeny (uncredited), George Ives (uncredited), Arch Johnson (uncredited), Lester Matthews (uncredited), Sean McClory (uncredited), Norman McKay (uncredited), Audre Monture (uncredited), Patrick O'Moore (uncredited), Tom Reynolds (uncredited), Willard Sage (uncredited), Bert Stevens (uncredited), Minerva Urecal (uncredited), Nina Varela (uncredited) and Gene Wesson (uncredited)
Director: Henry Hathaway
Producer: Charles Brackett
Screenplay: Charles Brackett (written), Richard L. Breen (written) and Walter Reisch (written)
Composer: Sol Kaplan
Cinematography: Joseph MacDonald, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 1.0 DTS-HD Master Mono Audio
Spanish: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
French: 5.1 DTS-HD,
Spanish [Castilian]: 2.0 DTS-HD Audio
German: 5.1 DTS-HD Audio
Italian: 2.0 DTS-HD Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish and Turkish
Running Time: 84 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Andrew's Blu-ray Review: 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' made her a star, but the film ‘NIAGRA’ is a nifty little Technicolor film noir released earlier the same year, and put Marilyn Monroe on the cinematic map. Though Marilyn Monroe previously spiced up such A-level productions as 'All About Eve,' 'The Asphalt Jungle,' and 'Monkey Business' in notable supporting roles, Marilyn Monroe made a splash as monumental as the film's eponymous falls in this Henry Hathaway thriller, which allowed her for the first and only time in her storied career the opportunity to play a duplicitous bad girl. Sexier than Lana Turner in ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’ and more sympathetic than Barbara Stanwyck in ‘Double Indemnity,’ Marilyn Monroe accents the femme in femme fatale, crafting a fatally glamorous portrait of a conniving four-alarm siren whose incendiary allure transcends that of any other Hollywood actress. If given the chance, men would line up by the thousands to be manipulated, teased, and even spurned by such a sensual seductress. And that's all due to a single, extended close-up and a sultry song called "Kiss."
The iconic shot occurs about 17 minutes into the film when Marilyn Monroe emerges from a rustic cabin wearing a tight-fitting, low-cut, off-the-shoulder magenta dress with a thin white chiffon wrap casually draped around her back. Rose Loomis hands a party boy a phonograph record and sullenly asks, "Would you mind playing this?" He dutifully complies, and after a few bars she begins to sing along. The lyrics and arrangement are syrupy, but her vocal delivery is anything but. With a light breeze blowing her wavy blonde hair, her painted lips glistening in the moonlight, her eyes half shut in a romantic reverie and Marilyn Monroe oozes sex appeal and projects a mesmerizing magnetism. The camera and always Marilyn Monroe's closest ally, lingers on this sizzling image for a long time...not long enough for my taste, but long enough to forever embed Marilyn Monroe in our collective consciousness and earn her well-deserved stardom and eventual immortality. Yes, the picture is that powerful, and it's worth far more than a thousand words.
'NIAGARA' is not a great film, but it is a brisk, seductive, and an absorbing piece of popcorn entertainment, distinguished by solid performances, a couple of interesting twists and plots that perk up the tired scenario, and especially with the powerful backdrop of Niagara Falls, which is one of the world's most breath-taking natural wonders. The location shooting adds an authentic accent, with the omnipresent rushing torrents of cascading water heightening suspense and playing a starring role in the films over the top and over the edge climax.
Though 'NIAGARA' starts innocently enough, focusing on cheery young marrieds Polly Cutler [Jean Peters] and Ray Cutler [Casey Adams] and their arrival at the Niagara Falls on a delayed honeymoon, it quickly takes a melodramatic turn as we get to know another, less happy couple, Rose Loomis [Marilyn Monroe] and George Loomis [Joseph Cotten], who are staying at the same inn overlooking the Niagara Falls. George Loomis is a troubled, insecure man, possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a tour of duty in Korea, and the curvaceous Rose Loomis, we soon learn, is shamelessly two-timing him with a beefy hunk Patrick [Richard Allan]. The Cutlers try to ease the tension between the volatile pair, and soon become unwitting enablers in a deadly game that doesn't go as planned, and ends up spiralling out of control.
Though shot in brilliant Technicolor, this film noir possesses many of the same enticing elements that distinguish the genre's black-and-white film noir classics. 'NIAGARA' may not be as hard-boiled as films based on novels by Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, but it occasionally brandishes a well-honed edge that makes its many trite moments bearable. Part travelogue, the film seems to hit all the Niagara Falls tourist highlights, and the picture somehow gels into a cohesive mystery drama and has held up darn well since the film was released well over the past six decades.
Credit to Marilyn Monroe for her durability in the film 'NIAGRA.' While her acting is, for the most part, strong, Marilyn Monroe is still a little rough around the edges in some scenes, enunciating too precisely here and emoting too heavily there. Yet her captivating presence and charisma elevates the story, and when Marilyn Monroe unleashes her inner vamp, it's a sight to behold. Joseph Cotten portrays her tortured and insanely jealous husband well, generating in a surprising amount of sympathy despite his questionable deeds, while the fresh-faced Jean Peters, who three years later would become the wife of the infamous reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, conveys an attractive girl-next-door quality that nicely balances Marilyn Monroe's unvarnished sex appeal.
'NIAGRA' can't compete for top film noir honours, but it remains a satisfying genre entry anyway and puts a potent exclamation point on Marilyn Monroe's Hollywood apprenticeship and career. Hereafter, the iconic star would dominate almost every film in which she appeared, but never again would she play such a hard-nosed, deceitful character. Yet when all is said and done, 'NIAGARA' isn't about an adulterous couple plotting to bump off an inconvenient husband; it's about how a sultry song and especially a monumental close-up of Marilyn Monroe gave birth to a cinema legend. End of story.
NIAGRA MUSIC TRACK LIST
KISS (uncredited) (Music by Lionel Newman) (Lyrics by Haven Gillespie) [Played on the phonograph and sung in part by Marilyn Monroe]
Blu-ray Image Quality – Lush, beautiful photography has always set 'NIAGARA' apart from similar thrillers, and the film's previous home video incarnations have all looked great. That said, I still wasn't prepared for the flat-out dazzling appearance of this high-definition rendering. Crystal clarity, exceptional contrast, and a gloriously saturated colour palette distinguish this vibrant, vivid 1080p image that is a treat to watch from start to finish. Never has Marilyn Monroe's magnetism and allure seemed so potent or her connection with the camera is so intimate. Time after time images pop up that demand freeze framing, and I don’t just mean those of Marilyn Monroe; but more so of Niagara Falls in all its unspoiled grandeur is captured from a variety of stunning angles, along with the rainbows it so often generates. The spotless source material keeps the spell unbroken, with not a single speck, mark, or errant scratch distracting us from the sublime images on display. Colours are bright, bold, and sumptuous. Marilyn Monroe's glossy lipstick, her red jacket, the yellow slickers the sightseers wear as they tour the falls, the blue hues of the river water, and green foliage lining the streets and riverbanks all make a statement. Not to be outdone, black levels are deliciously inky and intense, just look at Marilyn Monroe's jacket and hat as she enters the morgue, the white foam and mist of the raging falls are always crisp and distinct, and flesh tones, from Marilyn Monroe's creamy complexion to Joseph Cotten's olive skin, remain natural and stable throughout. Close-ups, especially those of Marilyn Monroe, are devastatingly glamorous and I could watch her sing 'Kiss' till the cows come home, background elements are easy to discern, shadow detail is quite good, and no crush, noise, banding, or other annoyances rear their ugly heads. The one caveat to this magnificent effort is the sparing use of digital noise reduction, which seems to have erased the film's natural grain structure. A film of this vintage usually doesn't exude such a smooth, dimensional look, but the razor sharp, high gloss appearance of this transfer nicely complements the story's cold nature. Though I'm usually a stickler for grain and revel in the texture it lends the image, I honestly don't miss it much here. I believe the 20th Century Fox technicians have employed DNR [Digital Noise Reduction] intelligently in this instance and in other Marilyn Monroe Blu-ray titles, allowing it to subtly enhance the picture without the waxy and smeary look that's usually a by-product of the process. To these eyes, this is the best 'NIAGRA' has ever looked on home video, and those who own the previous inferior Diamond Collection DVD should upgrade as soon as possible. You won't be sorry you did.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – 'NIAGARA' comes equipped with two lossless tracks, both newly re-mastered. There's the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio option and the more traditional 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio choice for those seeking to replicate the movie's original soundscape. Both provide clean, clear, well-modulated audio with a wide dynamic scale and no incidents of distortion, and any age-related defects, such as pops, crackles, and hiss, have been erased. The newly engineered 5.1 track does its best to widen the audio's scope, but the sound remains front-based. The music scoring and thunderous roar of the falls fill the room nicely, but there's no distinct action from any of the channels. Dialogue is always well prioritized and easy to comprehend, the church bells possess fine resonance, and solid bass undertones add punch and nuance to the falls sequences, offering that extra bit of ambience to immerse us in the setting. The 1.0 track is equally well balanced, yet sounds slightly harsher, especially with regard to the falls. Atmospherics are slightly weaker, but subtleties remain distinct and in certain scenes sound almost identical to their 5.1 counterparts. Either option is a solid performance, but the 5.1 track provides a much more full-bodied, robust experience, as one might expect, so enjoy!
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
'NIAGARA' [1953] [1080p] [1.37:1] [3:03] This is the original Theatrical Trailer for the film 'NIAGARA.' 'NIAGARA' was shot in glorious Technicolor, but for some reason this trailer, which compares Marilyn Monroe to the breath-taking falls that frame the story, is sadly in Black-and-White. Surely there must be a colour print of this preview trailer lying around the vaults somewhere!
More Monroe Movie Trailers [1080p] [16:00] Preview trailers for six more Marilyn Monroe films from Twentieth Century-Fox and includes five, which are included as follows: ‘Bus Stop,’ ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’ ‘How To Marry A Millionaire,’ ‘River Of No Return,’ ‘The Seven year Itch’ and Irvin Berlin's ‘There's No Business Like Showbusiness.’
Finally, while not as widely acclaimed as some of her subsequent films, but the film ‘NIAGARA’ puts Marilyn Monroe on the pop-culture map, establishing her platinum blonde screen siren image. The film feels a little quaint today and is very suggestive in a more than explicit way, with twists that come precisely as expected, but the combination of Marilyn Monroe's steamy presence and Joseph MacDonald's gorgeous "Three-Strip" Technicolor cinematography makes ‘NIAGARA’ a trip worth taking. Further, 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release is a real stunner; what it lacks it special features and you'll only find some trailers here and it makes up in a nigh-perfect high definition transfer. Marilyn Monroe fans will definitely want to add this one to their collections, and even more general golden-age-of-Hollywood enthusiasts will probably want to check it out. In my review of ‘BUS STOP,' I felt the characters did not quite gel for me, but with this film, all the actors, even Marilyn Monroe, tries to pull out all the stops and produce a cracking film and keeps you on the edge of your seat right to the bitter end and I felt Marilyn Monroe put her best effort to make this a worth addition to my ever expanding Marilyn Monroe Blu-ray Collection. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
