arts // no. 10 theotherpress.ca

Marilyn Monroe: a Canadian connection

» Late screen icon filmed movie in Canada at height of career

  

Brandon Yip
Senior Columnist

 

M arilyn Monroe was the personification
of beauty, elegance, and grace. Since
her tragic death on August 4, 1962 at the
age of 36; her legacy has endured. She has
been immortalized in art, films, fashion,
music, books, and documentaries.

Notably, 67 years ago, at the height
of her film career, Monroe made a trip to
Canada in the summer of 1953 to film the

Jerrison Oracion
Senior Columnist

 

Li every country in the world
including Canada, Japan had to go
through the impacts of the coronavirus
pandemic this summer, and more. The
Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo were
delayed to next year, heavy rainfall went
through the southern part of the country,
two typhoons happened, and a well-
known actor and singer named Haruma
Miura committed suicide which caught
the entertainment industry off guard.
Even the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo
Abe, stepped down again for the same
health reasons that he had in 2007.

On the bright side, many musicians
in the country thought of ways to
present their music including concerts
online which look like live concert films,
live streams on YouTube, creating trends
on social media, a variety of summer
songs, and releasing charity singles for
coronavirus relief. Here are some of
those songs that helped the country get
through their hardships.

Nogizaka46 - “Neighbors Around the
World”

The music video of the group’s charity
single for coronavirus relief begins

Photo of Marilyn Monroe in Banff

Western movie, River of No Return. The
film was shot on location in Banff and
Jasper, Alberta.

The film focuses on a farmer named
Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum), who has
been released from prison and is united
with his young son Mark (Tommy Rettig),
and goal-driven saloon singer Kay Weston
(Monroe). The Calder farm is later attacked
by hostile Native Americans; Matt, Mark,
and Kay escape—fleeing downriver on a
raft with frequent rapids.

Importantly, the film’s focal point is
the three characters learning to tolerate
one another and working together to
survive. Each person must be rid of
anger, while demonstrating patience and
understanding in caring for each other.
Particularly, Kay begins to appreciate and
admire Matt’s courage and heroism—
especially the way he cares for both Mark
and her.

The film continues with more
challenges and conflict that entails a
mountain lion attack, a run-in with gold
prospectors, as well as a second battle with
Native Americans. The movie ends with a
romantic but cliché ending with Kay singing
inasaloon, Matt entering the saloon,
approaching Kay, and throwing her over his
shoulder to take her back to his farm.

Remarkably, it is Monroe’s
performance that stands out. She
commands a strong screen presence with
a subtle vulnerability throughout the
film—while sustaining her natural beauty
and elegance. As well, she demonstrated
her versatility by singing four songs in the
movie: “River of No Return,’ “I’m Gonna
File My Claim,” “One Silver Dollar,’ and
“Down in the Meadow.”

The movie opened with a world
premiere in Denver on April 29, 1954.

J-POP SPOTLIGHT
Stay home and they will come

» Japanese songs released during the pandemic

with member Mai Shiraishi singing

in her apartment followed by former
and current members singing at home
during the lockdown while shots of

the empty streets in Tokyo are shown.
The video ends with them singing on

a screen in an empty baseball field,
encouraging people to stay home during
the lockdown.

AKB48 - “Even When Apart”

After the state of emergency was
lifted, AKB48 reopened their theatre
with no audience and only two

members performing for the music
video. We see the members perform
by themselves in an empty theatre

as well as them adjusting to the new
normal in restaurants, grocery stores,
movie theatres, and at work. The
video includes a shot of fighter jets
flying across Tokyo when the state of
emergency ended—the most patriotic
shot of the video. Former members
including Atsuko Maeda make an
appearance while still focusing on the
current members. Right now, the AKB48
Theatre is open to the public with a 27-

Still of ‘Sekaijuu no rinjin yo' music video by Nogizaka46

The film received mixed reviews. Bosley
Crowther of The New York Times praised
the movie: “It is a toss-up whether the
scenery or the adornment of Marilyn
Monroe is the feature of greater attraction
in River of No Return[...] The mountainous
scenery is spectacular, but so, in her own
way, is Miss Monroe.”

However, Film4 was not at all
impressed, stating, “The plot doesn't
convince, but Monroe, at the peak of
her career, is more than easy on the eye
[...] despite some pretty locations and
occasional tension, there’s little going on.
A shallow river indeed."

Unfortunately, Marilyn Monroe did
not have fond memories filming River of
No Return, claiming years later that it was
her worst film. Director, Otto Preminger,
was very outspoken about Monroe—
criticizing her in many interviews after
the film’s release. However, he changed
his opinion about Monroe almost three
decades after her death; during an
interview with the New York Daily News
in January 1980: “She tried very hard, and
when people try hard, you can’t be mad at
them,” he said.

seat capacity instead of their usual 250
person capacity.

Gen Hoshino - “Halfway”

In this music video, Gen is at home
during the lockdown trying to work but
is experiencing writer's block. He sits
around his house looking at his phone
and in one part of the video, he is so
distracted he almost spills his tea. He
has a friend who is in the other side of
town and decides to make a song for her,
which is this song. The song has a 1980s
electronic sound which is a recurrent
style in his recent music.

Official Hige Dandism - “HELLO”
The band’s recent hit single from their
recent EP of the same name is, in my
opinion, the summer song in Japan this
year. The music video features the band
playing in an enclosed space and shows
other people living inside their homes
through their windows, representing
the lockdown. When they go outside
we see the band on top of a building,
showing that people are allowed to go
outside now and are happy. The video
ends abruptly with the guitarist Daisuke
making distortion with his guitar. The
song is the type of music that we need
during this time with its feel-good
sound that’s easy to jam to.