Review of Bus Stop (1956) by Donald W — 27 Nov 2013
This movie was based on a stage play. It's about a young cowboy and his old man friend who travel from Montana to Arizona in order for the young cowboy to enter a rodeo. Marilyn Monroe plays a saloon singer with no talent.
The young cowboy falls in love with her and tries to abduct her to his ranch in Montana. Marilyn Monroe was at the height of her popularity when she made this movie. The second half of the movie takes place in a bus stop during a snow storm.
The first half was added for the movie and sets up the story set in the bus stop. It's a comedy romance story. The premise of a young cowboy kidnapping a saloon singer on his first trip to the city seemed funny in the 1950's but today sounds creepy.
It's not politically correct today to make a hero out of a bully. The whole idea of a love at first sight is a Hollywood cliché. What the cowboy did in the movie is a crime and would have gotten him thrown in jail in real life.
Marilyn Monroe looks good in this movie. She's trim and curvy in all the right places. During the first part of the movie she spoofs herself by singing songs she's famous for but does them badly.
I thought it was funny when the old man was shocked that a saloon girl was drinking tea instead of whiskey that he was paying 60¢ a shot for. Today you can't get a full glass of iced tea for less that $1.
00. I have this movie on Laserdisc. It's been formatted for a standard TV screen. Most of the time it doesn't matter because there are a lot of close-ups. A few times the actors are partially off screen.
The first half of the movie has a lot of cool rodeo scenes. They filmed a lot of the movie at an actual parade and rodeo.
This review of Bus Stop (1956) was written by Donald W on 27 Nov 2013.
Bus Stop has generally received positive reviews.
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