The second wave in the Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection series features some diamonds and some zircons from the Monroe canon. The best film in this five-disc set is Howard Hawks' 1952 screwball comedy Monkey Business, in which scientist Cary Grant discovers a youth serum, with Monroe making the most of her supporting role as the secretary to Charles Coburn (who delivers the classic line, "Find someone to type this."). On the opposite side of the character scale, the 1952 noir Don't Bother to Knock features Monroe as a very unstable babysitter, and she plays a memorable femme fatale in the 1953 thriller Niagara, in which she conspires to dispose of husband Joseph Cotton. Rounding out the set are Monroe's notable pairing with Robert Mitchum in the 1954 western River of No Return (which also stars Tommy Rettig, who played Timmy on the original Lassie TV series), and the 1960 musical Let's Make Love, which has its moments, including Monroe's rendition of "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" as well as turns by Milton Berle, Bing Crosby and Gene Kelly, who all attempt to tutor millionaire Yves Montand. While these are not the films that immediately spring to mind when considering Monroe, they do showcase her unsung comedic and dramatic range. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)
Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection, Volume II
Fox, 5 discs, 474 min., not rated, DVD: $79.98 Volume 17, Issue 4
Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection, Volume II
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