|
| ||||
An Unforgettable Tryst with Marilyn Monroe It was the name of the book that caught my attention, 'The Prince, The Showgirl and Me: Six Months on the Set with Marilyn and Olivier'. Like scores of others, I have always considered Marilyn - the showgirl nothing more or nothing less than the world's sexiest platinum blonde. But that was all about to change with this single book. Colin was able to pull a few strings in his favor using his father's influence and thus ended up being a part of the set while this movie was being shot. The book is basically written in the form of a diary in which young Clark, at night after the day's shoot, penned down the events that took place that day and his experiences on the set. And the result is an absolute uncensored hoot from day one of the shoot till its wrap. His comments on the very sexy Marilyn and the haughty Olivier apart from others like Paula Strasberg and Vivien Leigh are refreshing and cheeky, donning new light on the lives of these stars. It is the writing style of this author that would capture your attention; there is a heavy English accent to the whole book. The 'oh so British' and 'Yankee' style of conversation makes this book such a delight to read. The daily observation made by young Clark on the sets in his own unique writing style is so new and refreshing unlike the other 'movie books' that we usually come across. And of course his conversations and meetings with Marilyn are out of this world; he gives us a glimpse of this star who can beautifully and sexily create uproar and be completely oblivious of what she has done. This movie was one of the best performances given by the lady winning over our hearts just like she won over Colin's. There are also interesting anecdotes about Marilyn and her ongoing honeymoon with her then husband, playwright Arthur Miller, on the sets. And now after nearly forty years after his diary account of the movie, he sets out to tell the story of 'the missing one week' in his book through the movie, 'My Week with Marilyn'. The movie tells us the story of this one week during which young Clark gets the chance of his lifetime to spend a memorable week with Marilyn as an escapade from her Hollywood duties and pressures. The movie is a perfect collision of new Hollywood meeting old England. But it is also about the author's introduction into the dark background of this lovely girl which is one of eccentricity, ambition, single-minded sexuality and abuse in the form of various men and finally her rise to the numero uno position in Hollywood.About the AuthorThe author, Colin Clark was 23 when he met Marilyn. He later became a documentary movie director and television executive, specialized in the art. Colin recounts his experiences on the set during the filming of this drama/comedy. What you would expect is a serious stiff-faced book with a lot of anecdotes and conversations with the world's greatest actor and the blonde sexpot. But what you actually get is a rib-tickling and downright laugh-out-loud hilarious adventure that the author had with these stars. Other booksSweet Land: This is all about the Midwest and how this fascinating land is rapidly changing. Answering 911: You could not believe what the 911 operators have to go through, including false accusations of beatings by desperate housewives trying to hurt their husbands. | ||||
