Turns out Marilyn Monroe could sing, too.
So many millions of words have been written about Ms. Monroe that to even attempt to say anything at all about her would be repetitious and dull. (She sure was pretty, though, huh?) I will say that this new two-disc box from Stardust reveals her to be a better singer than I ever gave her credit for. She had a much wider vocal range than that breathless little- girl voice she adopted would admit. She's no Sarah Vaughan or anything, but she's okay.
Anthology's first disc provides most all the songs she ever recorded?from "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" to her duets with Jane Russell and Frankie Vaughan, to "River of No Return." It's fine. If you're a big fan, there's no question that you'll want to pick the set up for that first disc alone (along with the glossy booklet and poster which are packed into the fancy box).
For the rest of us, though, it's on the second disc that things get interesting and very odd.
Disc two provides the rarities?mostly Monroe's guest appearances on radio shows from the early 50s, together with a few other doo-dads. For one reason or another, the producers of the set decided to run entire episodes of shows on which she may have only made the briefest of appearances.
After two 1947 commercial spots?one for Lux laundry detergent, the other for Triton motor oil?we jump right into a full episode from 1952, in which Charlie McCarthy is scheduled to marry Monroe.
I always hated Edgar Bergen's act when I was a kid. Even as I got older and saw some of his movie appearances, I thought he was terrible. Not funny at all. But hearing him on the radio's turned my head around about that. Maybe it's because I couldn't see his lips move?and maybe it's because he's backed up by a crack team of really sharp comedians and impressionists. Monroe only shows up for about three minutes near the end?though the scene with the city clerk when she and Charlie try to pick up the license is priceless.
Then Jack Benny plans to marry her on a 1953 episode of his show. Then she shows up on the Martin and Lewis Show to accept an award from Redbook magazine and do a quick sketch with Jerry Lewis. I was never a big Jack Benny fan (and still ain't), but it was nice to hear an entire episode of Martin and Lewis. They always sounded like they were about to erupt into a tirade of drunken obscenities.
The disc ends with two more songs and, of course, "Happy Birthday, Mr. President"?which I must admit, is still really something to this day.
In the end, it's tricky. While this is something clearly aimed to please M.M. fanatics and absolute completists, those who are non-obsessive in their Monroe fandom might ultimately be disappointed?even annoyed?at the lack of primary Marilyn material on the second disc. "Why not a couple of old radio interviews instead of 30 seconds on a half-hour Martin and Lewis show?" they might ask, and they'd probably be justified in doing so. To be honest, it's a 70-minute disc upon which she actually appears for 15 minutes or less.
On the other hand, for those of us who can take Marilyn Monroe or leave her, but who have an interest in radio comedy, or American pop culture?even old commercials (there's a delightful Chesterfield ad that promises no ill effects to the smoker's nose, throat or sinuses)?the set makes for a great historical document.