Monroe-esque

[Caproni]

We've got a thread going on Marilyn Monroe and her movies, so let's dive into those women cloned in her likeness. There were a host of them back in the 1950s, the more popular probably being Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren, who, along with Monroe, were called The Three M's in the press.

Every major studio seemed to follow the trend: Columbia had Cleo Moore and Kim Novak, Paramount had Anita Ekberg, Warner Brothers had Carroll Baker, and MGM tried with Barbara Lang. There were other actresses occasionally thrown into the mold, like Barbara Nichols and Joi Lansing. Diana Dors was touted as the English apparent to Monroe, while Brigitte Bardot was the French brand.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Jayne Mansfield, Mamie Van Doren, and Diana Dors

 

[Matt Hough]

Many of these ladies had their own strengths, but none ever matched what Monroe had.

 

[Caproni]

Many of these ladies had their own strengths, but none ever matched what Monroe had.

You're absolutely right. Mansfield was at her best in satirical over-the-top comedy, while Van Doren was the queen of the B-movie bad girls.

The rest of them PROBABLY had potential, but it was all dwarfed by their blonde hair and good looks. It morphed them into a "type" whether they wanted it to or not.

 

[bujaki]

Don't write Dors off. Very talented indeed. Watch her British films and you'll see.

 

[Matt Hough]

Don't write Dors off. Very talented indeed. Watch her British films and you'll see.

She sure is wasted in Berserk!

 

[Osato]

Don't write Dors off. Very talented indeed. Watch her British films and you'll see.

what are her best films?

 

[bujaki]

Yield to the Night aka Blonde Sinner is considered one of her best.
Deep End
The Long Haul
Steaming
There are other films in which she had small roles but she made the most of the opportunity. She was even in Lean's Oliver Twist!

 

[Osato]

Yield to the Night aka Blonde Sinner is considered one of her best.
Deep End
The Long Haul
Steaming
There are other films in which she had small roles but she made the most of the opportunity. She was even in Lean's Oliver Twist!

cool.I’ll try and find some of these.