The Sheila Variations

This is a burning question! I have never seen the movie, so I've never contemplated. Can't wait to find out who here knows the answer.

Umm, Sheila, I think you meant, "Ceci, was that really huh?

Beth - HA!!!

Cullen - Ceci will know the answer. She is the go-to girl where Marilyn Monroe is concerned.

HAHAHAHA!!! I'm so flattered that you would think I am the AUTHORITY on Marilyn Monroe, Sheila! I don't know... I've been obsessed with Marilyn for the better part of my whole LIFE, for Heavens' sake!! And yet, there is always something new to learn.

However, regarding the guitar-playing: as far as I know, she did not play the guitar; she sang herself (very beautifully, in my opinion) and she could play a little on the piano, but she did not play the guitar. So... her playing in River of No Return was actually acting, just as her playing the ukelele in Some Like It Hot.

Ceci - wow. It's so convincing. Especially when she's playing for the little boy out in the wilderness - with her hair down. (It's a very Maria von Trappe-ish moment). She doesn't seem to be pantomiming - it really looks real.

Good work, MM!!

Well, Marilyn prepared for her roles very thoroughly, even for those she disliked or were unworthy of her effort.

She had singing lessons, musical coaching, etc up to the mid '50s, so she had a "musical sense" so to speak - I have nothing to back this up, it is not mentioned in any book I've read about her, but it wouldn't surprise me if she had taken a few quick guitar lessons in order to play those scenes convincingly. Marilyn was a perfectionist when it came to preparing for her roles (a trait that caused a lot of trouble for her on-set, as you probably know - it took her forever to be "ready" and then she was never satisfied with her scenes).

Ceci - Yes! Wouldn't surprise me at all if she had done some preparation there.

I actually have a CD of Marilyn's "greatest hits" - and one of my favorites is her "File my Claim" that is from River of No Return - I love her singing style, especially in that song.

I know, too, that Otto Preminger was terrifying, kind of brutal with her - and he made both she and Mitchum do all of their own stunts on this film, and there were a couple of near-drowning incidents.

A bit off-topic, but the french "Riviere sans Retour" made me think of this.

There's also a set where they give good movies the B-poster treatment. The one for ET knocked me out of my chair.

another great use of 'huh' in our past is the cranston conversation mitchell overheard in which two people wondered if the girl they were looking at was who they thought it was...

"Scutta be huh. Scutta be."

bren - hahahahahahaha

"scutta"!

Now I'm going to have to rent the movie. It's hard to convincingly "act" the guitar, so I'm interested in seeing her rendition.

You're right, Cullen - it's so hard! It's like Tim Robbins acting like a baseball pitcher in Bull Durham. Love the performance but sorry, fella, you're not a pitcher. hee hee

It's a good movie, anyway - really gripping action sequences, great love story, and Marilyn Monroe in either a showgirl's uniform or blue jeans and a checked shirt. What more can one want??

btw...Judy Garland loved Marilyn and was her vocal/musical performance coach..uncredited but effective!!!

And let's not forget the reply to "Scudda be huh" -
"Snot huh!"

Jean - hahahahahahahaha

"Snot huh!"

"Scudda be."

"Snot."

And then the all-time classic:

"All's I wannadoiz dee-yance."

Mitchell - I had no idea!!! Did Marilyn go to Judy? Or did Judy offer? Or ... how did that happen??

Mitchell, I didn't know Marilyn had taken lessons from Judy, either!

I know Marilyn admired Judy very much and there are a few photos of them together on public occasions, but I didn't know they had worked together. Now that I think about it, I have sometimes thought I could hear a Garland influence in Marilyn's singing (in a few songs), but I always thought it was just Marilyn trying to "imitate" her idol. Please tell us more!!!

They just had a thing in the ProJo the other day about Rhode Island-ese and P.S.D.S. (Say it fast.)

Give up? Pierced ears.

I've been a Marilyn fan since I was 15. I'm almost 31 now. Oddly, I've been playing the guitar since I was 15 also. If you play guitar, then Marilyn faking her way in River of No Return is monumentally obvious. She is placing her fingers anywhere on the neck even if that completely does not match the notes you can hear. What lends to the illusion is that as a singer and performer, Marilyn does know the timing of the song and she moves with that timing. If you don't know what you're looking at, it's a little convincing.

If you play almost any instrument at all, you can really tell when an actor is faking an instrument, even if you do not play it.

I think one of the best fakers I ever have seen in film or television is Brent Spiner. On Star Trek The Next Generation, he is the android and thus is able to be "programmed" to play many instruments. I think the actor really can play a little guitar (he frets some chords correctly on the show). He fakes the violin, cello, and piano quite admirably.

The worst? It has to be Michael Landon's faking of "fiddle playin'" on Little House on the Prarie. He didn't even make an effort to move his fretting hand. I admit though, it's always good for a laugh.