Bus Stop

Plot synopsis:
A naive, rambunctious, overly enthusiastic and socially inept cowboy, Beauregard Decker, and his friend and father-figure Virgil Blessing take the bus from Timber Hill, Montana to Phoenix, Arizona, to participate in a rodeo. Virgil has encouraged the 21-year-old virgin, Beau, to take an interest in "girls". Initially reluctant and frightened of the idea, Beau declares that he hopes to find an "angel" and will know her when he sees her. Making trouble everywhere they go, he continues his unsophisticated behavior in Grace's Diner. In Phoenix, at the Blue Dragon Cafe, he imagines himself in love with the café's singer, Chérie, a talentless but ambitious performer from the Ozarks with aspirations of becoming a Hollywood star. Her rendition of "That Old Black Magic" entrances him and he forces her outside, despite the establishment's rules against it, kisses her and thinks that means they're engaged. Chérie is physically attracted to him but resists his plans to take her back to Montana. She has no intention of marrying him and tells him so, but he's too stubborn to listen.
The next day, Beau gets a marriage license, and then takes an exhausted Cherie to the rodeo parade and the rodeo, where he rides the bucking bronco and then competes in the calf roping and the bull riding. Beau intends to marry Chérie at the rodeo, but she runs away. He tracks her down at the Cafe, where she jumps out a rear window and flees. Beau catches her, and forces her on the bus back to Montana. On the way, they stop at Grace's Diner, the same place the bus stopped on the way to Phoenix. Chérie tries to make another getaway while Beau is asleep on the bus, but the road ahead is blocked by snow and the bus won't be leaving at all. They're all stranded there. The bus driver, the waitress and the café owner by now all have learned that Beau is kidnapping and bullying the girl. Virgil and the bus driver fight him until he promises to apologize to Chérie and leave her alone. He, however, is unable to do so because he's humiliated about having been beaten.
The next morning, the storm has cleared and everybody is free to go. Beau finally apologizes to Chérie for his abusive behavior and begs her forgiveness. He wishes her well and prepares to depart without her. Chérie approaches him and confesses that she's had many boyfriends and is not the kind of woman he thinks she is. Beau confesses his lack of experience to her. Beau asks to kiss her goodbye and they share their first real kiss. All Chérie wanted from a man was respect, which she'd previously told the waitress when they sat together on the bus. This new Beau attracts Chérie. He accepts her past and this gesture touches her heart. She tells him she'll go anywhere with him. Virgil decides to stay behind. When Beau tries to coerce him to go with them, Chérie reminds him that he can't force Virgil to do what he wants. Having finally apparently learned his lesson, Beau offers Chérie his jacket and gallantly helps her onto the bus.

Tags: romantic

Review:
Whether acting or if it's the real Marilyn Monroe, she conveys loneliness in front of a packed saloon; the feeling of recognition and appreciation when the Don Murray (Bo)character berates the patrons to show respect to her while she sings; and the out-and-out sexiness of her when she is lit up in red flames.
Alternately puzzled, lost, desperate, lonely, confused and unexpectedly radiant with happiness, Marilyn Monroe, with a mixture of humor and pain scores her greatest triumph in Joshua Logan's "Bus Stop" creating a complete and deeply touching character...Singing 'That Old Black Magic' to a noisy crowd of cowpokes who couldn't care less about her efforts to entertain them, Cherie is pleased to discover a fan in Bo, a young and innocent cowboy who has come to make his fortune at the Rodeo and finds himself an Angel to take back to his Montana ranch...The kiss she gives him in appreciation, determines him then and there to be his beloved wife...Logan gives Don Murray his first and best-remembered screen role, as the gauche simple-thinking cowboy who romances the glamorous 'chantoose'...
Murray was Oscar-nominated for his performance...There are other fine performances in the movie: Arthur O'Connell, delightful as the cowboy's pal who big-brothers him with loving patience; Eileen Heckart amusing as the old time friend; Betty Field, strong enough as the bus stop owner; Robert Bray, firm as the driver of the bus and Hope Lange, so auspicious in her screen debut whom Cherie reveals details of her past...With a modern Western background and rodeo atmosphere, and with panoramic long shot and overwhelming close-ups in color and CinemaScope, "Bus Stop" is a comedy-drama very well done, and a modest entertainment in familiar American vein...The film had one of Monroe's most touching songs: 'That Old Black Magic' was as funny as it was heartbreaking.
Not to detract from Monroe, but what really pushed Bus Stop over the top for me in terms of quality--in addition to the fine, allegorical story--was the hilariously over-the-top performance of Murray and the sheer absurdity of his character.But maybe my different view on this, and why I love the film so much, is because I'm a huge fan of absurdism.
And it's not to say that Monroe and Murray do not have chemistry together--they do; if they hadn't, the film wouldn't have worked.But without Murray's bizarre but funny character, which he plays to a tee, I'm not sure I would have thought Bus Stop was a 10.
The film is still good at that point--still definitely a 9, but I found myself slightly missing the hyperactive comedy of the earlier scenes.The story for Bus Stop was originally a one-act play by William Inge called People in the Wind.
Well, it was disappointing: not because of Marilyn - she was fine - but the story was incredibly stupid.Part of the problem might be the way our society has changed, although I doubt even 50 years ago - when this film came out - a guy could do what "Bo Decker" (Don Murray) did in here and get away with it.
Monroe ("Cheri") and friend Eileen Heckart ("Vera") are fine, as is the other main character, "Virgil" (Arthur O'Connell) but Murray is so loud, abrasive and stupid that he ruins the movie.
Bus Stop has been rightly hailed as Marilyn Monroe's breakthrough performance in a movie as a serious dramatic actress.
Him and Cherie coming together at the end of the picture is unbelievable and spoiled the movie for me...I always wanted her to get away!Bus Stop is more enjoyable from the Monroe point of view as her playing is spellbinding and marked a turning point in her career..
I like to cut Norma Jean a fair bit of slack on the subject of her acting ability and will go a little out of my way to watch some of her lesser-known movies when they air on the schedules but I found this country bumpkin nonsense almost toe-curlingly unwatchable.I'm struggling really hard to think of any redeeming features but I find I can't.
However her co-star, "introducing" Don Murray (how I wish he'd been introduced to oblivion!) gives the most lunk-headedly irritating performance I think I've ever seen as a hayseed country boy who gets the hots for Monroe's down-at-heel showgirl with plenty, in fact, far too much a-whooping and a-hollering for normal patience to bear.
I see to my horror that Murray inexplicably got an Oscar nomination for his I hesitate to call it acting which must surely have given hope to every non-actor of the day!The direction is almost as dumb and the dialogue dumber again, - I defy anyone to not laugh out loud at Murray and Monroe's big "at long last love" scene where their faces fill the screen and unfortunately the world's worst dialogue simultaneously fills your ears.I guess the producer and director were seeking to cash in on Marilyn's ascending star with a light-hearted country-style romantic comedy but really do yourself a favour and give this particular bus the widest possible berth and wait for the next one, no matter how long it takes.
It takes him several mistakes and character flaws to overcome, but, with the help of Marilyn Monroe, everything comes to a happy (and quick) ending, like most 1950s films.Overall, 'Bus Stop' is an engaging and funny film and it is worth a watch.
I approached this film from a different angle, attracted by the apparent similarity in source material to the 1943 'The Lady Takes a Chance', a bus/rodeo-set romantic comedy starring John Wayne, of all people, which to my surprise I had very much enjoyed.In this case, I was disappointed.The first ten minutes of the film is pretty fair comedy material; the last thirty finally introduces some much-needed emotional subtlety and character development.
I expected Bus Stop to be a comedy drama where dramatic elements were focused more upon, not some sketchy vile humorless drivel.The acting is atrocious; Don Murray's character is badly written and badly played – it had to potential to show a person's obsession for another but it never happens.
As I expected, it was.There are many great films that were made in the forties and fifties with very talented actors and actresses and I advice everyone to watch those movies rather than spending two hours on Bus Stop.
I have always loved Marilyn Monroe, but bless her, more for her beauty and intrigue than her acting (although I found her genuinely funny in movies like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire).Bus Stop was rated by many as some kind of dramatic achievement for Marilyn, and that's what Monroe lovers, such as myself, are looking for when we finally get around to watching the film.
Furthermore, if people didn't know so much about Monroe's life-story and her (now mythologised) struggle to be 'taken seriously' as an actress, her performance in this movie would be written off as nothing more than cringe-worthy, both back when it was filmed and today.In terms of other actors and general plot line, Bill Murray plays the cowboy 'Bo' as well and as tolerably as any other actor could have, considering the obnoxiousness of the character (at one point Bo captures his unwilling love interest 'Cherie' with a lasso and then forces her onto a bus).
Obviously, Bus Stop was filmed in an era when feminism had not yet gained a stronghold, but even back in the 50's it's hard to imagine, particularly female audiences, warming to a lead character that doggedly pursues a woman and then eventually decides the only way to get her is to kidnap her.
Instead of bouncing off him and/or providing a nice contrast to his character, Marilyn's sappy, over-dramatic portrayal of Cherie simply brings Bo down (in fact, she makes him look like much more of a creep than I think was intended) and in places where you guess you should be laughing, you simply can't because Bo just seems like too much of a villain (who knows though, maybe that is more of a feminist contribution on Marilyn's part than anything?!).Anyway, the other characters in the film just seem to fade into the background and you more-or-less end up wondering why they're even there, and the movie can get quite boring and laboured in parts, so rather than being taken on a journey, so to speak, you feel the need to forcibly keep account of what is going on.Overall, I found Bus Stop a disappointment although I must say I wasn't shocked by this - Hollywood has long proved it's ability to hype the mediocre up to mammoth proportions - before, during, and long, long after the event!!.
The only relief is when the bus driver beats the cowboy up to stop him from pestering the poor young woman any further.There are some comic moments in the film, but it's too frustrating watching Monroe's character treated like an animal.
Don Murray (in his film debut) plays a rodeo star who falls head over heels in love with saloon entertainer Marilyn Monroe.
Not William Inge's best work but BUS STOP offers an astonishingly good performance by Marilyn Monroe as the talentless "chanteuse" who meets up with the green cowboy (Don Murray).
Top support from the likes of Eileen Heckart, Arthur O'Connell, Hope Lange, Betty Field, and Robert Bray.This is definitely Monroe's best performance and she's exceptional in the "Old Black Magic" number.
Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Arthur O'Connell and Betty Field are all at the "Bus Stop," a 1956 film based on the play by William Inge and directed by Josh Logan.
They're snowed in, however, and have to stop for the night at a restaurant on the route, run by Betty Field.Logan seems to have directed this like a play, and Murray's performance through most of the film is very stagy - big and loud.
Bus Stop does have some good music too, and while her character isn't the most likable of all in her career Marilyn Monroe is very beautiful and charming.
Being a Marylin Monroe fan I expecting so much more from this film, and admittedly I barely read the synopsis as her being in it was enough for me to watch, however half way through I found myself pressing information on my remote control to find out what was going on, only to see it being described as a 'Romantic Comedy' I was so confused, not once had I laughed and I had yet to see any romance blossom between Marylin's character 'Cherie' and Don Murray who played an obnoxious cowboy called 'Beau' and who I can only describe as a deranged fool who basically began to stalk Marylin, and then even went as far as kidnapping her.
In the scene, when I saw her sing a song in the bar, I honestly felt that I wanted to take care of her, from the bar owner who abused her mentally and physically.Appearing as the character of a Bo Decker, played by Don Murray, was a perfect choice to star opposite Marilyn.
BUS STOP has got to be one of the most enjoyable and entertaining Western/Comedy/Romances that I have ever had the pleasure of watching.With an excellent cast, showcased by the likes of the voluptuous Marilyn Monroe and the virile Don Murray, BUS STOP is a Western/Romance that's certainly worth a second view.When husky Montana rodeo-champ, Bo Decker, finds his "Angel", it's love at first sight.
Before you know it, it's suddenly cheers and happy times ahead when Cherie realizes that, yes, she is, indeed, in love with this impulsive, but basically good-hearted cowboy-dude.Released in 1956 - BUS STOP is, most definitely, Western/Comedy/Romance at its rootin'-tootin' best!.
Starring in this film Marilyn Monroe gave one her finest performances of a career noted for brilliant work: All About Eve, Bus Stop, Some Like It Hot, The Misfits et al.
Marilyn Monroe plays a hillbilly bar-hostess in Arizona who is swept off her feet by young Montana cowboy Don Murray; he isn't worldly and knows nothing about women, but his naïve romantic notions nearly convince her this might be true love.
When l'd watched this picture for first time l saw something familial that l used to see when my dad was a bus driver, in this has the same kind bus driver that my father looks like mainly in their same behavior with the girls, so this has a special meaning for me, in other hand l has to confess that whatever l wrote over Marilyn is totally under fan's eyes only, apart the plot was well-crafted and a stunning performance by Murray and O'Connell my goddess Marilyn was convincing and sexy in every frame, saying this in others words means that Miss Monroe was unique in movie's history, acctually she put all things in a high ground, she has something special indeed, just reconized after his sudden and predicable death for this self-destruction behavior and mental instability!!!Resume:First watch: 1985 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 8.
Then recently, and for the first time, I watched Bus Stop all the way through and was amazed.It's clear that Marilyn was drawing on her own experiences in portraying Cherie, the put-upon saloon singer.
She proved herself to be a real actress and while Don Murray was Oscar-nominated, Marilyn's work was ignored by the Academy, as it would be for the rest of her life.Watch Bus Stop and be amazed..
Don Murray is also very good in this film, playing a rough and tough cow boy, named Beau, who learns the facts of life and love in a very funny and dramatic way all at the same time.
Marilyn Monroe is lovely in this film and I can't think of anyone else who could have played the part of Cherie any better.It's hard to imagine that someone like Bo could have been doing the rodeo circuit for this long and still been this naive about women, but Don Murray somehow makes it slightly believable.I enjoy movies-from-plays that try to duplicate the original theater experience, where you can concentrate on the characters because extravagant sets don't get in the way.
"Bus Stop" has a bit of pretty scenery but it never detracts from the story or the characters, which are always foremost and well-defined.Personally I don't give Bo and Cherie much chance on a lasting relationship because Cherie will always have the dreams of a being a big-city gal and will once again be stuck in a small town, but the ending leaves us with the hope that she'll be happy with a man who truly loves her..
The rest of the story is really about his pursuit as Cherie tries unsuccessfully to escape from Bo's persistent efforts, and it all ends up in a snowbound diner on the way back to Bo's Montana ranch.Kim Stanley played Cherie to great acclaim on Broadway, but it's safe to say Marilyn Monroe makes the role her own.
We see the process come full circle after they are stranded at the "Bus Stop" near the end and Monroe is given increasing depth in the script - but "Bo" and "Cherie" remain caricatures throughout...In one of many strange "Academy Award" moves, Murray was nominated as "Best Supporting Actor" of the year; he is inarguably the lead actor in this film.
A catchy theme, Ken Darby's "The Bus Stop Song (A Paper of Pins)" by The Four Lads was a hit single, though the film is not a musical and Monroe wisely sings "That Old Black Magic" off kilter and in character.******** Bus Stop (8/31/56) Joshua Logan ~ Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Arthur O'Connell, Betty Field.
Don Murray is charming in a simplistic, but necessary role as the naive, goal-oriented, frisky cowboy, looking to bring home an "angel", against which Marilyn can play the confused, semi-willingly manipulated girl who isn't sure she knows what real love is, or how to give in to it when it comes.
A naive but stubborn cowboy (Don Murray) falls in love with a saloon singer (Marilyn Monroe) and tries to take her away against her will to get married and live on his ranch in Montana.So, Don Murray was nominated for best supporting actor (he lost to Anthony Quinn for "Lust for Life").
Marilyn's an Angel, the Film is Not. Although dated and visually pedestrian, "Bus Stop" has one of Marilyn Monroe's most vulnerable performances and an energetic debut by Don Murray.
But the romantic Hollywood movies have to end in a good way, so they don't change this time.Marilyn Monroe did a great job as Cherie but it isn't her best film.
I have never seen a movie this willfully stupid in my life.Neither Beau (Don Murray) or Cherie (Marilyn Monroe) can think.
Therefore, the movie almost plays like an review of Monroe's life and how she could have wound up if not for the fact that she somehow had real sense about her career and own image.The film is supposed to be a comedy but has later been seen more as a human drama and I think that makes more sense since the character Beauregard, played by Don Murray, is really too annoying and sometimes frightening to be funny.
Bus Stop had a run of 478 performances with Kim Stanley and Albert Salmi in the roles of that Monroe and Murray played.
That Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray can overcome bad accents, pathetic and obnoxious characters, and humanize them at the end really surprised me.
"Bus Stop" (1956) / Cinemascope and Technicolor / Directed by: Joshua Logan / Written by: George Axelrod / Based on the 1954 Broadway play by: William Inge / First viewing 12/11/2010* * * Film* * * 1/2 Acting performance of Marilyn MonroeGood writing, most of the way through, along with Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray's exceptionally fine acting performances, make this comedy-musical with heart, worth watching.
Marilyn Monroe was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role as Cherie in "Bus Stop", but did not win.