I love her! She's incredibly talented and gorgeous. I love how she always seems so confident and always delivers a strong performance. I wonder how it would have been if Marilyn had accepted the role of Mamie Stover. I'm not sure she would have been right for this role but I guess we'll never know.
shareRussell was the right choice for the role. Although in the book Mamie is a six foot blonde amazon, Russell had the right 'tough' edge required for the role. I can't see MM pulling it off.
I love the film as great showcase for Jane Russell, but it would have better served if it had stayed closer to the original intended ending, with Mamie still plying her trade to make a buck.
Give screenwriter Sydney Boehm credit for trying to adapt the book for the screen. This was a tough feat given the censorship issues of the '50's.
The flip side of fear is understanding.
Think MM as Rose Loomis in 'Niagara' and you have your answer as to whether she could play Mamie. This was the period when she was dissatisfied with the roles being offered by TCF, and maybe she felt insulted by them offering her the role of a blatant prostitute; afterall, in 1961 she turned down the part of Holly Golightly in 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' because the character was a call-girl, even though Truman Capote wrote the part with her in mind.
I agree, Jane was great as Mamie.
This is one of Jane's best performances, what a great scheming broad she is here! This is a great glossy trash potboiler deluxe in the tradition of PEYTON PLACE, DYNASTY, et al. It also kind of reminds me of a super-sized Cleo Moore vehicle, in Technicolor and Cinemascope. I think Marilyn could have pulled this off but Jane's harder edge made her more believable Mamie.
I'm not sure exactly why Jane accepted the part since she seems to been just as hostile to being cast in it judging by what she wrote in her autobiography as Marilyn was when offered it. Perhaps Jane had a multi-pact deal with Fox and needed to finish off a contract?
HarlowMGM, JR wrote negativly about some elements of the script becasuse the then head of TCF didn't want the film to show the hardships of being a prostitute. To quote JR from her autobiography:"He thought being a whore was fun".
shareTo quote JR from her autobiography:"He thought being a whore was fun".
Funny, but I know a totally different Jane R. The one that went into alcohol rehab at 79 years old - finally. Who I don't blame for going to get an abortion, but she, with resources, chose someone more like a butcher! Then she went all weird, reactionary & anti choice. Here's what she said about herself according to wikipedia.com - "These days I am a teetotal, mean-spirited, right-wing, narrow-minded, conservative Christian bigot, but not a racist." Ah, not a racist. Does that sound so confident & strong? Not to me. Totally different from today how men & women relate, all still with romantic mythology & different in red vs. blue America.
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