Watch Something's Got to Give For Free

To me, this movie is perfection.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This may have turned out to be Marilyn Monroe's best film. I remember when it was being made in the spring of 1962. There were some pictures of her on the set in Life Magazine . She was with George Cukor on that set by the pool. She looked awesome. I had seen her in the 'Misfits' in 1961 and thought she was becoming a real serious actress. Marilyn had been excellent in 'Some Like It Hot'. Her singing voice was great . After 20th Century Fox fired her in June no one ever thought she would be dead a few months later. It hurts to see the out-takes of her with Wally Cox at her 36th(and last) birthday party on June 1, 1962 as they left the 'Something's Got To Give ' set for the final time. I was pleased to see that someone finally found all that film that they used to put together the 37 minute version of 'Something's Got To Give' for that special on 'Marilyn's Final Days'. The saddest part is the last shot of her and Dean Martin talking and then you hear the voice of George Cukor (the director) shout " Cut " then the picture just fades away....and the titles say "In memory of : Marilyn Monroe , Dean Martin and George Cukor " .........Maybe someday some ambitious young film buff will piece together enough material from 20th Century Fox cans and cans of film from all those 'takes' to finish the film.....John in Louisiana........

Doris Day made "Move Over Darling" as big favor to 20th Century Fox and as a chance to finish her contractual commitment with the company. 20th was in financial trouble with Elizabeth Taylor holding up production of "Cleopatra" in Rome and practically breaking the studio financially with delays, illness, etc. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe couldn't get it together to film "Somethin's Gotta Give." She was late, couldn't remember lines, wasn't showing up for work...a real mess. After Monroe's death, Doris was asked to step in. She was box office bonanza and DEPENDABLE. Plus, she was the #1 ranked star in films.I didn't like Irene Dunne's version, I certainly thought that Marilyn Monroe's was inept and Doris Day's version was overblown.Among the three actresses/stars, Doris Day, of course was the best performer, but she was directed haphazardly in "Move Over Darling." If you compare her performance to Monroe's, you'll see a stark difference. Whereas Marilyn looked and acted drugged, Day was alert but following bad direction by Michael Gordon. On the DVD release of MOD, there is an extra feature "Doris vs Marilyn." Day wins.Tony Randall ("Let's Make Love") was once asked about appearing with both Marilyn and Doris. On Marilyn he said, "she had no talent at all! If you were standing off camera watching her do a scene, you'd shake your head and say, 'no, she'll never get by. But, the next day when you saw the rushes -- MAGIC on the screen! There was something she had going on with the camera. Hard to explain." On Doris Day ("Pillow Talk" "Lover Come Back" "Send Me No Flowers"): "Brilliant! One of the best actresses on the screen. She, herself, doesn't know how great she is. A natural." To me, it was painful watching Monroe in this role. I saw the outtakes and it was obvious that the rumors were true. Marilyn couldn't remember her lines, she was nervous and unsure...a total disaster. The only time she looked comfortable was when she was nude, swimming in the pool. In contrast, Day was the total professional. She showed up on time, knew her lines and finished the picture on time. "Move Over Darling" was a huge hit at the box office because all of Doris' pictures were at the time. I didn't like all of the picture, only parts. I thought Day was wonderful in the department store scene with Don Knotts and great with the slapstick through the car wash. She was also good in her scenes with Thelma Ritter. The rest was garbage.Monroe was even bad in the department store scene with Wally Cox. You could see how Cox was struggling...she was giving him NOTHING. Actors need feedback. If they don't get it from the other actor, their performance suffers. It must have been HELL acting with Monroe.

I taped the "finished" product of "Something's Gotta Give" when it appeared on AMC. Being a fan of Marilyn Monroe's, I expected to like what I saw. The documentary showed Marilyn just as she has been described by many of her co-stars: confused, ill-prepared and generally "lost." By the time that Tony Curtis finished "Some Like It Hot," he almost hated Marilyn. Movie stars like Curtis do NOT like waiting around all day for their co-star to show up! And, when they show up, not ready to perform.Tony Randall said of Monroe: "if you were there watching her film a scene, you'd say, 'she'll never get by'...but the next day, you look at the rushes and MAGIC ON THE SCREEN." He felt, basically, that Monroe had "no talent." That the camera transformed her. Tom Ewell ("Seven Year Itch") said, "what you see on the screen with Marilyn, usually took up to 90 takes per scene. She couldn't remember her lines." More than any of her movies, I think that "Something's...Give" would have been awful, worse than Doris Day's overblown version, which was ill-directed. Dean Martin looked totally out of it, while Cyd Charisse did quite a credible job, much better than Polly Bergen, who was much too "acty" and over the top.Day, a much more skilled actress than Monroe, had her moments in "Move Over Darling," but the script was bad, and they should have used Day's own hair instead of those crazy wigs.Poor Marilyn's brain was not up to making ANY film at the time of SGTG. I must admit that she was much better when she kept her mouth shut (when she first saw her children on her return), but her scenes with Dean were God awful. The best thing she did was take a nude swim.Just compare Day's scene with Don Knotts and Monroe's with Wally Cox in the department store scene. Day and night. Day/Knotts was certainly better than the grade school calibre acting of Monroe/Cox.To be fair to everyone. I didn't like "My Favorite Wife," "Something's Gotta Give" or "Move Over Darling." Was there a "Thelma Ritter" in "Something's"?

I voted 10 on what they could put together with the last pieces of film of Marilyn Monroe. The opportunity to see her one more time is reason enough for high scoring this film/collection a 10.At times she does look a bit "out of it", but a lot of that may have been due to her own lack of genuine "enthusiasm" for this script. I don't know if this vidio shows the early wardrobe test, but that wardrobe test along with the swimming pool scene does show that Marilyn Monroe still had all of her talent and beauty nipped in a bud. "Enthusiasm" was one of the keys to Marilyn Monroe's spirit and talent, which she would have held during this films beginning with the wardrobe test, as well I am sure that she couldn't help but to have had enthusiasm with the freedom of filming the swimming pool scene. Regarding such, one can recall what Patricia Ryan/Whittier High School Teacher once stated back in 1937, that being.....Thus to you I say: never lose your enthusiasm - merely direct it - and that same enthusiasm will take you "where you want to go." Madame Ryan would later marry Richard M. Nixon. Perhaps the reasons and facts regarding the life and death of Marilyn Monroe may never be uncovered, but I always have found joy in watching her on screen and in the reading of her life, or in just looking at a candid snap shot photograph of her. She had incredible talent as an actress. She had an incredible spirit that moved off the screen and touched many people's hearts. And she was just as pretty as a pretty person can be and then even prettier.Dean Martin deserves mention here, as it has often been reported that it was due to his insistence (and contract right) that the movie continue with Marilyn Monroe and no one else, after she was dismissed from the film. This then forced the studio to hire her back. For the record and to Marilyn Monroe's credit, she was hired back at a more deserving salary.