Don't Bother to Knock

"I watched this as part of Criterion Channel’s “Cast Against Type: Heroes as Villains” collection. In it Marilyn Monroe plays an emotionally fragile woman, whose uncle got her a gig babysitting a rich couple’s daughter at the swanky hotel he works at. The degree of her psychosis becomes clear, in her dealings with the child and a hotel guest (Richard Widmark) who she has a flirtation with, as the night goes on. Monroe is solid here, as she tries to do a character outside of her usual bombshell persona. It’s interesting that the role dealt with deep psychological issues (this is the earliest movie I’ve saw that references cutting) given her own mental health issues. This a good, not great film, but it is worth a watch for the central performance and its commitment to its premise. 3.5 out 5 Stars"