Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Tom Noonan, Don Murray, Betty Field, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Anne Bancroft, Richard Widmark, Tony Randall, Yves Montand, Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, Robert Mitchum, Rory Calhoun, Tom Ewell, Robert Strauss

Director: Roy Ward Baker

Summary: An essential for Marilyn Monroe fans, THE DIAMOND COLLECTION presents many of Hollywood icon's greatest films, ranging from DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK (1952) to LET'S MAKE LOVE (1960). The set also features MONKEY BUSINESS (1952), NIAGARA (1953), GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953), HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953), RIVER OF NO RETURN (1954), THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS (1954), THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955), and BUS STOP (1956). Also included is a bonus six feature, MARILYN MONROE: THE FINAL DAYS, a documentary about the star's unfinished final film project, SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE. This romantic comedy, directed by George Cukor, was plagued with production difficulties and went over schedule and budget until Marilyn was fired. Forty minutes of footage, including Marilyn's famous swimming pool scene, have been restored for this special never-before-seen presentation.

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Released to mark the 40th anniversary of her death in 1962, The Diamond Collectionbrings together all of Marilyn Monroe's films for 20th Century Fox. This handsome box set stands as a salutary reminder of the considerable achievements of an actress who still reigns supreme as the greatest screen goddess of them all.

The uninitiated might be surprised at the versatility of someone whose legend is founded so much on her image as a sex symbol. In particular, her touching performance as the abused second-rate bar singer Cherie in Bus Stop(1956) is a rounded study of a woman still capable of dreaming when life has done everything to dull her. The box set as a whole offers plenty of evidence that while she certainly specialised in a unique and complex variation on the blonde bombshell stereotype--embodied in her timeless performances as Lorelei Lee (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) and short-sighted Pola in How to Marry a Millionaire, both 1953--she could certainly diversify.

The documentary, Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days, provides a sympathetic take on the troubles and behaviour which led to her being sacked from her final picture, Something's Got to Give. The presentation of the restored footage from that movie is less successful, though, as the glimpses of Monroe's incandescent screen presence, belying her illness and depression, leave a palpable sadness in their wake. Better by far to focus on her earlier work. Whatever the role, her luminous beauty and statuesque figure, combined with an unselfconsciously joyful sexuality and an on-screen vulnerability, were always at their best under the careful guidance of directors like Billy Wilder and Otto Preminger. These qualities continue to give her an enduring appeal.

On the DVD:The Diamond Collectionhas been digitally restored using, for the most part, the original negatives, making this a sumptuous package for any Monroe fan. Niagaraand Gentlemen Prefer Blondesare both presented in standard 4:3 ratio but the rest--filmed in Cinemascope and presented here in letterbox format--are certainly better-served by widescreen viewing. The colours, like Monroe, come alive. The sound quality is crisp and Monroe's singing--she had limited but genuine musical talent--has polished up well. Multiple extras include before-and-after restoration comparisons, trailers from various countries, stills and posters, and newsreel footage. Eleven discs of Marilyn in one box, this is a veritable feast indeed. --Piers Ford

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Theatrical Trailers, Movietone News, Restoration Comparison, Stills Gallery, Documentary Backstory The Seven Year Itch, Deleted Scenes
Year:	1951
Release Date:	August 5, 2002
Runtime:	999 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	23874 D V D
Keywords:	Collection, Comedy, General, Diamond, Marilyn, Monroe, Definitive
Genre:	Comedy