The film premiered on September 28, 1980, and was greeted with positive reviews.[1] It was the second-highest-rated prime time program in the United States for the week.[2] Catherine Hicks was praised by the critics for her portrayal of Monroe, as were others including Richard Basehart, Frank Converse, Sheree North, and Jason Miller, playing fellow playwright Arthur Miller.
Plot
Norma Jeane is an orphan in California. She is seen growing up and having superstar dreams fill her head. She eventually marries, starts modelling, divorces, signs a contract with 20th Century Fox, and changes her moniker to Marilyn Monroe. Her personal life with her husbands, baseball-star Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller are detailed along with her rise to stardom, her career peak, and her tragic final years ending with her death.
I quit about two-thirds of the way through, because [producer] Schiller kept interfering with the production, changing my camera set-ups, changing the wardrobe. Schiller is a very bright guy, but he drove me up the wall with his constant meddling, to the point where I literally had my hands around his neck one day. So I left and Schiller brought in Jack Arnold to finish the picture. I shot all the footage with Richard Basehart, Catherine Hicks and John Ireland, who was terrific as director John Huston.
I cast this picture very carefully. Sheree North was outstanding as Marilyn’s crazy mother. Jocelyn Brando (Marlon’s sister) had a small part as Marilyn’s grandmother, and she made the most of it. Catherine Hicks was good, but she was kind of an imitation of Marilyn Monroe. I begged Bonnie Bedelia to take the part of Marilyn, but she turned it down. She was a great actress and an absolute knockout back then. I thought Bonnie would have been brilliant as Marilyn. Even Schiller agreed to cast her, but Bonnie wouldn’t do it.[3]
Hicks auditioned three times for the role of Marilyn before given the role.[4] In an April 2015 radio interview, she said ABC wanted Ann Jillian for the part, but Larry Schiller fought for her.[citation needed]
Sheree North, who portrayed Marilyn's mother Gladys in the movie, was under contract to 20th Century Fox at the same time as Marilyn Monroe, and said she coached Catherine Hicks on playing Marilyn.[5]
