Dieter,
Thank you for your intriguing note on Remorse. After I
read your assertion of Remorse being
a Marilyn film, I began to look up facts and background so as to make a
thorough reply to you, based on quantitative evidence, that the
fictional film in question would be — if it were to be at all — a Garbo
or Dietrich film. Then I realized that, since I consider the film in
the poem to be a fictional device, it struck me that facts were
not at all the way I should try to impress upon you my theory that the
film is simply an example of a film and not a film itself. And
yet I have the feeling, of which I may or may not be able to convince
you, that if this film were real, it would more likely be a
Garbo or Dietrich film than a Monroe film.
Unfortunately, I have just received a phone call requesting that I go
to my brother’s apartment and wait for a plumber to show up. The call
was from some guy in the town of Porlock. If I can remember my idea
when I get back here, I’ll relate it to you.
Andrew
***AB send an addendum, which I paste here rather than separately
~SB*****
I
have to get out of here. I should be gone now. But, two brief points.
In ‘57, TV and movies were still regarded as being in such competition
with each other that the practice of using TV to support the promotion
of films was still in the future.
This point I admit does less to advance the real argument, but the fact
is, up to ‘57 the majority of MM’s roles still based their appeal more
directly on MM’s presumed inanity, not to say other even less
intellectually related attributes, as an attraction. In any case, a
more educated and longer view of MM’s career should place Monroe’s
supposed inanity among her strong repertoire of comic abilities. It was
not the incidental behavior of a performer primarily interested in
exploiting her erotic presence. MM was an intelligent and skilled
performer, adapting “acted” portions of her personal characteristics
to the roles she performed. The fact that she was in some sense always
herself no matter what roles she took on is a talent we applaud in Jack
Nicholson and other male performers.
I’ll return as soon as -- and if -- this plumber deems it within his
interests to visit my brother’s place to fill in an idle afternoon.
AB