Niagara (1953 film)
| Niagara | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Henry Hathaway |
| Written by | Charles Brackett Richard L. Breen Walter Reisch |
| Produced by | Charles Brackett |
| Starring | Marilyn Monroe Joseph Cotten Jean Peters |
| Music by | Sol Kaplan |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates | Jan 21, 1953 |
Running time | 92 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,250,000 (est.) |
Released in 1953, Niagara is a dramatic thriller with film noir elements. It wasn't written as a star vehicle for Marilyn Monroe but she would dominate the film nonetheless. Anne Baxter originally won the role of Polly (which would eventually go to Jean Peters). Unlike other film noir movies of the time, Niagara was shot in Technicolor and was one of 20th Century Fox's biggest box office hits of the year and, along with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, solidified Monroe's status as a bona fide box-office draw.
Plot
On their second honeymoon, Peters and Casey Adams arrive at their Niagara Falls area cottage and meet another couple, Cotten and Monroe. Monroe, from the beginning, confides about her husband being considerably older than she. Cotten's character George is always depressed and may have just been released from a mental hospital. Peters's character Poll later sees Monroe's character Rose kissing a young man, played by Richard Allan, and it is later discovered that the couple are in on a murder scheme and George is the victim.
Critical reaction
Niagara, 1953
Tagline: ”A raging torrent of emotion that even nature can’t control!”
"Obviously ignoring the 7 wonders of the world, 20th Century Fox has discovered 2 more and enhanced them in Niagara. For the producers are making full use of the Falls and Monroe. The scenic effects in both cases are superb." The New York Times
"Two of nature's greatest phenomena, Niagara Falls and Marilyn Monroe get together in Niagara and the result is the sexiest film in these many months." Los Angeles Examiner
"What lifts the film above the commonplace is its star, Marilyn Monroe." Time magazine
Main cast
- Marilyn Monroe as Rose Loomis
- Joseph Cotten as George Loomis
- Jean Peters as Polly Cutler
- Casey Adams (also known as Max Showalter) as Ray Cutler
- Denis O'Dea as Inspector Starkey