Les reines du music-hall

Today many people think that MM began her career at the bottom as a small part player, the blonde bimbo in many films like ASPHALT JUNGLE and ALL ABOUT EVE, who in time slowly rose to stardom. In fact, thanks to her sponsorship by her lover, the top-agent Johnny Hyde, very earlier in her career, 1948 to be exact, MM was cast in a major co-starring role as Adele Jurgen's daughter in this 60+ minute Columbia Pictures B movie. It was not a success and her contract at Harry Cohn's studio was dropped. MM then moved on to a Fox contract.

Given this film's feeble script and the twenty day shooting schedule, she can't do more than a competent job as a burlesque queen's daughter in a movie that avoids any suggestion of that tawdry world and the striptease. The dances and songs shown here are all mediocre, as is Phil Karlson's direction. In the beginning, MM was professional; she worked hard with was she's been given to play. She does her best in the few mother/daughter scenes with Jurgens who looks much too young to be believable as her mommy. Neither was MM helped by Columbia's casting of her leading man, Rand Brooks (Scarlett O'Hara's first husband in GWTW), who is particularly wooden and unattractive as the love interest.

A few years later, Marilyn did some rhinoplasty to fix nose and chin, but even in this minor effort she is still very beautiful and appealing. MM was determined to become a star, and when her moment came she was ready. She had paid her dues as this minor effort proves.

LADIES OF THE CHORUS is a fairly rare "B" movie from 1948 of interest because it's Marilyn Monroe's very first starring film but beyond that it's a quite well-made little musical. Marilyn was a complete unknown at the time with only a little extra work and one credited bit part under her belt when she was cast in this movie and yet she's quite wonderful and a total pro.

Marilyn stars as Peggy, a very young burlesque chorus girl who works in the chorus alongside her fortyish mother Mae (Adele Jergens). When the obnoxious "star" of the show walks out, Peggy steps into her part and becomes a sensation, earning the interest of various back door johnnies, in particular wealthy heir Randy (Rand Brooks). Peggy and Randy fall in love and he proposes but Mae is wary that Peggy will never be accepted in his social circles from her own past experience with her own annulled marriage to a socially prominent young man decades ago. Mae makes Randy promise to tell his mother (Nana Bryant) that Peggy is a burlesque queen in advance of their visit to the family's Cleveland estate, which he fails to do.

Marilyn is just adorable in this film and sings two surprisingly good songs for a "B" movie, "Anyone Can See I Love You" and "Every Baby Needs a Da Da Daddy", the latter a sexy little number that foreshadows her classic "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" in sexiness and philosophy, right down to a reference to Tiffanys. Columbia's resident B queen of the era Adele Jergens is negated to a subordinate role as her mother, as still shapely middle-aged dancer who hides her gray hair under a blonde wig. Adele does very well at suggesting a slightly tired woman a decade or so older than her actual age and also gives a very good performance. (Adele was top billed in the original 1948 release but it appears only copies from the 1952 reissue exist where Marilyn was given that spot).

Rand Brooks (best known as Scarlett O'Hara's first husband in GONE WITH THE WIND) is quite pleasant as Marilyn's romantic suitor (they have a lovely scene together parked in a car that is an endearing ode to wholesome young love) and character actress Nana Bryant gives a pleasant performance as his mother, complete with a musical number of her own, the memorable "You're Never Too Old". Standing out in good comic unbilled bits are Gladys Blake as a gossipy sales girl and Dave Barry as a garbled-speaking decorator.

Running just a minute over an hour, the movie moves so quickly there's really no time for dull spots. This movie was reissued in 1952 by Columbia at the dawn of Marilyn's stardom but was virtually unseen for decades thereafter (likely because it was too short for most television movie programming slots); it reemerged in 1994 on video and a few years later had a handful of showings on cable television. Today your best bet in seeing it would probably be in buying a used copy of the out-of-print VHS tape or, if your DVD player can handle it, the region 2 DVD release from the United Kingdom in a Marilyn Monroe boxed set.

Back in her earlier days in Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe did what most aspiring actresses did...she played bit parts and supporting roles. While "Ladies of the Chorus" offers her a bit more, she's not the lead nor was she ever intended to be. After all, it was 1948 and she was still a couple years from stardom. However, the studio did what I've seen many times with Monroe....after she become famous, they re-cut the movie (adding a title screen that shows Monroe in the lead) and re-released it! I watched this version. I've also seen many DVDs of Monroe and her bit roles with covers blazoned with her face....as if she was the star...so this re-issuing isn't any surprise to me.

The actual star of this film is Adele Jurgens, a gorgeous blonde who did quite a bit of television in the 50s. Sadly, her career worked out but not nearly enough to offer her many more starring roles. On the positive side, she lived a very long and full life aside from acting.

As far as Jurgens, despite being the star, the casting of Monroe as her daughter (despite only being nine years older) must have been painful to her. Jurgens plays Mae Martin, a chorus girl who works with her daughter, Peggy (Monroe). But when Peggy falls in love and the man asks her to marry her, Mae is worried. After all, Mae's husband came from a good family, just like this man, and she is worried that love won't be enough to keep Peggy's marriage going strong. After all, 'good families' don't want ex-chorus girls marrying into their family...and Mae's husband just couldn't cut it. What will come of Peggy and her new man?

In addition to this plot, there is lots of singing and dancing...especially by Jurgens and Monroe. Considering the film is made by Lippert Studios, it's surprisingly good...as I usually expect very little from their productions. The best part is how all this worked out in the film....something that makes it all worth seeing.

Like most folks I tuned in to catch Monroe in her first featured role. Being a Columbia quickie (filmed in 10-days), I wasn't expecting much outside of the luscious blonde. So I was rather happily surprised that the 60-minutes turned out better than I expected. The first part features nicely staged burlesque bits, along with good snappy backstage dialog. The second part has Monroe and fiancé (Brooks) having to confront his family's apparent uptown snobbery. After all, Monroe does play a burly-que queen, not exactly the Manhattan Social Register. I like the way the ending's surprisingly finessed.

It's a fine cast with scrappy Jergens doing well considering she has to play Monroe's mother, of all things. Kudos too to Bryant as Brooks's uptown mom, though actor Brooks seems pretty colorless which maybe he was supposed to be. Anyway, the famously skittish Monroe appears utterly relaxed and glowing in her role. Musical numbers, I think, always brought out the best in her. Also, this is before super- stardom began to weigh her down. Should also note that director Karlson shows his versatility here since his specialty otherwise was tough, tight crime dramas.

All in all, the little flick can be enjoyed on its own merits or as an early peek at perhaps Hollywood's most legendary actress.

For Marilyn Monroe fans this is a real treat. Before she hit the BIG time, Monroe made this 1 hour B movie at Columbia and puts in a relatively assured performance despite this being so early in her career.

Sure, her performance wasn't going to win an Oscar but she is self-assured and natural in front of the camera. Leaving aside a couple of duff line deliveries Monroe sparkles in this movie and brightens it up somewhat.

Although relatively light-weight and inconsequential, this cheapo is actually pretty well produced and looks and feels of higher quality than most quickie filler films.

At the end of the day, this is really going to appeal only to fans of Marilyn Monroe wanting to see her in an early role, but is enjoyable nevertheless and a pleasant way to waste an hour.