|
|
 |
   
With John Huston directing a cast of Hollywood icons, including Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, in a haunting screenplay by Arthur Miller, THE MISFITS was one of the most anticipated films of 1961. But difficult shooting locations, an unruly director, a crumbling marriage, an aging leading man, and an unstable leading lady made the behind-the-scenes story of the film's production anything but ideal. Indeed, the film would turn out to be the final work of both Gable and Monroe, and nearly the last appearance of Montgomery Clift. Luckily, this tale of a collection of loners in Reno, Nevada also happened to be documented by nine photographers from the renowned agency Magnum Photos, including such acclaimed artists as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Inge Morath. With complete access to the day-to-day happenings on the set, they captured a fascinating tableau of life imitating art and vice versa. Now, featuring stunning Magnum photographs and new first-person accounts from Arthur Miller, Eli Wallach, and surviving crew members, MAKING THE MISFITS illuminates the twilight moments of this fabled Hollywood production.
Read an essay by writer Gia Kourlas about THE MISFITS, dubbed "the ultimate motion picture" by its producer Frank Taylor, and learn what prompted director Gail Levin to chronicle the filming of this movie for GREAT PERFORMANCES. See the stunning photos of the film production shot by the photographers of Magnum Photos in the Multimedia Feature. In Dialogue, watch extended interview excerpts from those who were on the movie set, including playwright Arthur Miller, who died in February 2005; actors Eli Wallach and Kevin McCarthy; and Magnum photographer Inge Morath, who died in January 2002.
Special funding for this program was provided by the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust and the Irene Diamond Fund. The VHS and DVD of MAKING THE MISFITS can be purchased from WNET Video Distribution.
All photographs courtesy of Magnum Photos.
Top banner photos: Montgomery Clift, Clark Gable, and Marilyn Monroe (Dennis Stock/Magnum and Eve Arnold/Magnum). |
|
 |
 |
Clark Gable performed his own stunts for the film (Eve Arnold/Magnum). |
 |
 |
|
Arthur Miller and John Huston (Inge Morath/Magnum). |
|
 |
|
