The Bastard and the Showgirl.

There's a programme on about the making of The Prince and the Showgirl at the moment, based on the diaries of the third AD. Now, despite my most hated actor being in that particular film, I've always had a soft spot for it, possibly because the divine Miss Monroe is so bleeding good in it.

As I suspected, nay knew, 'Sir' Laurence Olivier treated Marilyn abominably. Abominably. It's all very well being disdainful or irritated, but he was cruel to her.

What I didn't know was the kindness and sweetness towards MM of the always great Dame Sibyll Thorndike, who was the Queen Dowager in the film. The way she treated MM was the way everyone should've treated her- with kindness. Not necessarily doing everything she said, but being kind.

And man, I've read a lot of stuff about MM over the years. I've seen a lot of people puff themselves up grandly to talk about her, as if having known her or worked with her somehow made them great by association.

However, I have never seen Dame Sibyll's interview from around the time about said film. And she said this:

"I've never had any difficulties with her. People must be difficult themselves if they have."

Man alive, I never knew other people thought that too! Man alive, if only MM hadn't been in showbusiness, which is famously filled with the most difficult people to be found in the universe.

Sir Laurence Olivier was one of the most difficult, most arrogant people in the world and he found it awful to work with her. How telling.

Billy Wilder was difficult but inspired and so found it only partly difficult to work with her.

Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller were both incredibly difficult people... do you see where I'm going with this?

The diarist, Colin Clark did not think much of the apparently intellectual Arthur Miller. Nor do I. In fact, CC came close to calling him a twat with his head so far up his own arse he must've had difficult brushing his teeth of a morning. OK, he only called him vain and 'pseudo-intellectual', but I think my translation is more accurate.

And yes, I think Death of a Salesman is pretty awful. The only reason I can sit through the inordinately dull Misfits is the practically holy trinity of Marilyn, Clark Gable and beautiful-but-as-fragile-as-MM Montgomery Clift.

The whole show was funny, and the diarist man has a wonderfully incisive sort of wit about the making of films. He, by the way, was honest and open and nice enough to win her confidence, trust and several kisses.

All Sir Fucking Larry had to do was get off his high horse and give her a fucking chance. Just a chance and it might've been a film of great and epic proportions. However, The 'Great' Olivier never gave a chance to those he knew to be greater than himself (and that's a long list). It must've been awful to be married to someone so much greater himself. It must've been awful to have to act opposite people so much greater than himself. Personally, I would've found a way to be delighted to work with people better than myself, not burned myself up with bitterness and jealousy.

But perhaps that's because the age of our great heroes has passed, and we can only sit back and wonder. Perhaps it's because I can only watch MM from afar and wish I had a fraction of her beauty or talent (yes, I said it, and I stand by it. You think it's easy acting dumb?). They are all forever out of reach now, and no matter how we try, they will always be several steps ahead of us. The age of our great heroes has passed, and like the generations following Achilles and Ulysses, we can listen to their stories in awe.

The Bastard and the Showgirl.

There's a programme on about the making of The Prince and the Showgirl at the moment, based on the diaries of the third AD. Now, despite my most hated actor being in that particular film, I've always had a soft spot for it, possibly because the divine Miss Monroe is so bleeding good in it.

As I suspected, nay knew, 'Sir' Laurence Olivier treated Marilyn abominably. Abominably. It's all very well being disdainful or irritated, but he was cruel to her.

What I didn't know was the kindness and sweetness towards MM of the always great Dame Sibyll Thorndike, who was the Queen Dowager in the film. The way she treated MM was the way everyone should've treated her- with kindness. Not necessarily doing everything she said, but being kind.

And man, I've read a lot of stuff about MM over the years. I've seen a lot of people puff themselves up grandly to talk about her, as if having known her or worked with her somehow made them great by association.

However, I have never seen Dame Sibyll's interview from around the time about said film. And she said this:

"I've never had any difficulties with her. People must be difficult themselves if they have."

Man alive, I never knew other people thought that too! Man alive, if only MM hadn't been in showbusiness, which is famously filled with the most difficult people to be found in the universe.

Sir Laurence Olivier was one of the most difficult, most arrogant people in the world and he found it awful to work with her. How telling.

Billy Wilder was difficult but inspired and so found it only partly difficult to work with her.

Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller were both incredibly difficult people... do you see where I'm going with this?

The diarist, Colin Clark did not think much of the apparently intellectual Arthur Miller. Nor do I. In fact, CC came close to calling him a twat with his head so far up his own arse he must've had difficult brushing his teeth of a morning. OK, he only called him vain and 'pseudo-intellectual', but I think my translation is more accurate.

And yes, I think Death of a Salesman is pretty awful. The only reason I can sit through the inordinately dull Misfits is the practically holy trinity of Marilyn, Clark Gable and beautiful-but-as-fragile-as-MM Montgomery Clift.

The whole show was funny, and the diarist man has a wonderfully incisive sort of wit about the making of films. He, by the way, was honest and open and nice enough to win her confidence, trust and several kisses.

All Sir Fucking Larry had to do was get off his high horse and give her a fucking chance. Just a chance and it might've been a film of great and epic proportions. However, The 'Great' Olivier never gave a chance to those he knew to be greater than himself (and that's a long list). It must've been awful to be married to someone so much greater himself. It must've been awful to have to act opposite people so much greater than himself. Personally, I would've found a way to be delighted to work with people better than myself, not burned myself up with bitterness and jealousy.

But perhaps that's because the age of our great heroes has passed, and we can only sit back and wonder. Perhaps it's because I can only watch MM from afar and wish I had a fraction of her beauty or talent (yes, I said it, and I stand by it. You think it's easy acting dumb?). They are all forever out of reach now, and no matter how we try, they will always be several steps ahead of us. The age of our great heroes has passed, and like the generations following Achilles and Ulysses, we can listen to their stories in awe.