"Mad Men" and Marilyn (Quick Update)

On Mad Men it's the summer of 1962. I've just turned fourteen. Marilyn Monroe just died. The press wonders: Suicide or Accident? (Only later will theorists postulate that she was murdered.) The girls in the office are taking it hard. Theme of invisibility: the black elevator man who feels for Joe DiMaggio, how Betty's friend feels in her marriage. Betty is reading Katherine Anne Porter's Ship of Fools. Floyd Patterson is still heavyweight champion -- for a few more months. (Sonny Liston waits in the wings.) The song Marilyn Monroe sings over the closing credits is "I'm Through with Love," lyrics by Gus Kahn, music by Joseph A. Livingston and Matt Malneek: "For I must have you or no one, / And so I'm through with love."

-- DL

Comments

i've only seen madmen a couple of times. i have to admit that for me the show's reason for being was the showcasing of the redhaired sexy woman -- not sure what her name is. along these lines, there is a movie called 'jet pilot' starring janet leigh and john wayne. it was produced by howard hushes, who was involved with leigh at the time. the whole film basically shows her from as many angles as possible. at one point she is trying on clothes in fronat of a wraparound dressing room mirror, so we see her her from four angles at one. 'jet pilot,' the last movie directed by josef van sternberg, is also a kind of remake of 'ninotchka. (sp?' anyway, the warparound mirror scence would be good in 'madman.' also, i happened to be in a restaurant recently where there was a wrap party for 'madman.' the redhared woman was there and she seemed really sweet -- not at all like her character.
--mitch s.

[DL]

Lucky you! On the show the redhead is named Joan, and she's quite an interesting character in addition to being as sexy as anyone could want. I believe that Janet Leigh said she never showered (only bathed) after "Psycho." She's very good in "The Manchurian Candidate."

[Lawrence J. Epstein]

You caught the episode perfectly, David. What I continue to find fascinating about "Mad Men" is how brilliantly they present each character's repression. By definition, such a presentation is dramatically difficult.

Betty's repression is the most interesting to me because it comes out in such odd ways. At first I thought her arranging a meeting for her bored girlfriend was ironic since she was encouraging the very cheating she detested in Don. But then I realized that she still felt though she couldn't free herself she could free a friend.

Also, thanks for reminding us of the song backgrounds. I can still see Danny Thomas playing Gus Kahn in "I'll See You in My Dreams."

Larry

[Laura Orem]

And MM's version of "I'm Through With Love" is from one of my all-time favorite movies, "Some Like It Hot."