The Misfits

THE MISFITS – 55th Anniversary

We close the weekend with a modern take on the oater genre. This 1961 film’s themes of outsiders and nonconformists misplaced in contemporary society, with no new undiscovered
frontiers, provide a fitting elegy to the Western. Directed by John Huston from an original screenplay by playwright Arthur Miller, with apt black-and-white cinematography by Russell Metty, this drama took on a heightened valedictory tone when it became the final film for both co-stars Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe (married to Miller at the time). Monroe’s portrayal of a lonely divorcee is among her best roles, and Gable’s aging cowboy is considered the greatest performance of his career. He died 12 days after completing filming. A superb ensemble includes Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach, and Thelma Ritter. Although a box office failure at the time, the British Film Institute notes that The Misfits “scores…in the remarkable intensity of the performances and the delineation of the characters’ complex relationships. It remains one of the
finest works of all involved.” Screens Sunday, August 14, at 5:30 PM.