That was an excellent one.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Marilyn Monroe is considered an iconic representation of the Hollywood female star. Her looks still inspire millions who adore her. Her breathless dialogue is mimicked to the point it is recognizable. The term glamour is still associated with her. But few look back further than those major performances she left for us to view. Not so with the release of DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK.This is Monroe's first major role, the first film where she had a lead worth noting. She certainly had starring roles in previous films but this was the first to place her center stage in the lead role. Film historians consider her performance here one to back up the claim that she was a talent that deserved more than she received.Monroe stars as Nell Forbes, a young woman whose uncle Eddie (Elisha Cook Jr.) works as an elevator operator in a posh New York City hotel. Peter and Ruth Jones' (Jim Backus and Lurene Tuttle) are in town for him to receive an award at a dinner in the hotel that night and have brought along their young daughter Bunny (Donna Corcoran). Eddie has assured them that Nell is the perfect woman for the job and soon they're introduced and the pair go off to their dinner.While this is transpiring we also meet Jed Towers (Richard Widmark) and Lyn Lesley (Anne Bancroft). Lyn is a singer in the lounge at the same hotel and has just broken off her relationship with Jed, a man who comes to town periodically but offers her no hope of a future together. Feeling that Jed has no sense of emotion deep inside Lyn tells him her issues and he leaves, going up to his room.That room is right across the way from the room Nell is in. Looking across the way Jed sees her. Nell has now displayed a different side of herself to us the viewers. She begins by eating chocolates the Jones' have left behind. She puts on a nightgown of Ruth's as well as stocking and her jewelry. Jed assumes she's in her room and calls her to flirt, eventually getting himself an invite to come over.This rebound date for Jed turns out to be more than he expected. While things seem to move along smoothly at first he soon learns the truth about Nell. At the same time we begin to learn more about her as well, including the fact that she lost the love of her life and has attempted suicide. The question rises what will she do here in this situation? Is Bunny safe in her care? Will she do harm to Jed?The movie move along at a steady pace and holds your interest from start to finish. I wasn't sure in reading the synopsis that this would be the case or not. Fortunately it does so and does it well. Even better than that we're presented with two main characters that we have no reason to sympathize with, two characters that at first seem to earn our disdain only to learn, as they do, that there is more going on beneath their shells than we expected.I've never been a fan of Monroe and honestly this film didn't make me one. I've always found her breathless way of speaking to be annoying and it can be that way at times here in this film. But she does hold her own and shows a certain amount of allure that would go on to make her a huge success. Widmark by this time had already made his mark as a star. He could have hogged the camera for himself but his performance here shows he was willing to provide an assist to someone new, both in Monroe and Bancroft's performances. Bancroft's role here isn't at the heart of things but she does provide a character that helps to bring out the best in Widmark's.Twilight Time is releasing the film as they do with all of their titles, in a great looking hi def 1080p presentation and limiting the release to just 3,000 copies. This time around they've included several great extras to be enjoyed including an isolated music track, a featurette called MARILYN MONROE: THE MORTAL GODDESS, another featurette RICHARD WIDMARK: STRENGTH OF CHARACTERS and the original theatrical trailer. If you're a Monroe or Widmark fan make sure you order this today. With limited copies available they could be gone soon.

Don't Bother to Knock is a solid film despite it being a slower film. Marilyn Monroe was terrific, playing an innocent, lonely girl who quickly turns into the maniac that she is. We get to see just how good of an actor she really was, instead of the sex symbol she was forced to be. Richard Widmark plays a relatively round character as a pilot, who starts out as a man without a heart but proves himself and his girlfriend that he does indeed care about others. The film was not a masterpiece in my eyes by any means, but for a 70 minute film, it was a memorable experience to see Monroe act with such strong emotion.Roy Ward Baker seemed to enjoy using establishing shots in this film, with the over the shoulder shot being used quite often when characters were having a discussion. Low-key lighting also added to the suspense, especially in the little girls room when Monroe was having her most sinister moments. He utilized medium close shots for her most vulnerable moments, such as the end when the realization is setting it. The editing definitely contributed in making it a solid experience, but Monroe is what really made the film work.

After getting to know her for an hour or so, Richard Widmark, as air pilot Jed, remarks that Nell(Marilyn) is like silk on one side and sandpaper on the other, in her case, meaning that she seems coherent at times , but delusional at others. When Nell finds out that Jed is an air pilot, she goes berserk inside, and begins calling him Philip: her deceased boyfriend pilot. Despite his denials, she persists in this belief. She even tries to get rid of the girl(Bunny) she is babysitting for, so she won't interfere in her getting further acquainted with Jed. Thus, Jed rescues Bunny when it appears Nell is trying to pusher her out the open window, while she is looking out. When this fails, Nell resorts to tying up and gagging Bunny with scarves(I think). We didn't see this operation, so I wonder how she accomplished it! Her Uncle Eddie, an elevator operator she lives with, makes her take off the negligee, earrings, bracelet, and lipstick she 'borrowed' from Bunny's mother. When Eddie discovers Jed hiding in the bathroom, Nell beans him with a heavy object to prevent him from escorting Jed out. Poor Jed: he was just bored and frustrated with his former girlfriend, telling him he'd make a lousy husband because he doesn't have sufficient empathy for people. Seeing Nell through his window to the court yard, he decided to try to strike up a little action to pass the time. Pretty soon he realizes this shy lonely young woman has a few loose screws. Instead of politely leaving against her protests, he decides to stay, perhaps concerned that she might harm Bunny. Meanwhile, he has another talk with his ex-girlfriend Lyn about rekindling their relationship. He finally strikes pay dirt at the end, when Lyn sees the concern he has in trying to do what's best for Nell. Clearly, her 3 years in a mental ward failed to cure her mental problems. Probably, she was just warehoused there. He, along with some police, arrange for her to spend some time in a NYC hospital, where she might get better treatment. Thus, there is an apparently happy ending for Jed and Lyn. Marilyn's status at the end might seem tragic, but was possibly the best they could do for her. Unfortunately, they didn't have the various drugs we have today to suppress such symptoms, so I don't know what they could have done to help her.Widmark was bored and boring until he got acquainted with Nell. Fortunately, during this time, Anne Bancroft(Lyn)was singing some nice songs in the bar/restaurant area. Hard to tell, but I think Marilyn was just so-so in a role that provided only a few moments of excitement. On the other hand, she probably more represented a typical schizophrenic than a more animated performance. She was in the age range when most cases of Schizophrenia begin. Sometimes, they maybe instigated by a traumatic event, although more often this occurred in childhood rather than in the recent past. This certainly has the earmarks of a mild form of film noire, all the action taking place in a dark evening inside a hotel, and sometimes the action occurring in a dark room.To my knowledge, this was a rare film of the times that dealt seriously with mental illness. "The Snake Pit" is another, which takes a look inside an asylum.Available as part of the Marilyn Premier DVD Collection.

this movie is pretty good you don't expect Marilyn to be like this in a movie ever. I know people might be disappointed but at the same time its a shocker movie it's not bad it's pretty darn good for a Marilyn movie she plays a psychotic babysitter its hard to explain but you just have to see it for yourself to know. at the same time I feel bad for Marilyn throughout the film if like if you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed you got crazy and that's how it feels its a dark movie? I don't know maybe but if you want to see Marilyn play a suspenseful role this is a movie to check out. if you want something to get set up for this film watch Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" and "rear window" and yes those are both Alfred Hitchcock's films