Don’t Bother to Knock
The casting is crucial to the success of Don’t Bother to Knock as a taut psychological drama. On one side two actors – Richard Widmark and Elisha Cook Jr – known for playing weirdos, psychos, oddballs or generally damaged individuals. And on the other is Marilyn Monroe. In her first lead role, after a series of minor cheesecake roles and light comedies, it’s actually Monroe who’s the proper whacko in this strange story centred on Nell Forbes (Monroe), a disturbed young woman who is babysitting a little girl for one night when by rights Nell should probably be in an asylum. As for Cook and Widmark, the former plays Nell’s decent uncle Eddie, … Read more