I've watched this a couple or so times during my lifetime and am with you, that it didn't impress or much interest me. I think it's one of those movies that some have given rave reviews to simply because it features two very dissimilar stars performing in an unlikely combination with one another.

Watching it once is enough for me

I read somewhere that Olivier was not pleased with the casting of Monroe and was utterly cold to her - he wouldn't kiss her on the lips in love scenes which was pretty cruel and ungentlemanly - not surprising then that a film without chemistry between the two stars was doomed to failure.

Also I'm pretty sure I've read that Monroe was routinely extremely late arriving to the set, which proved a great irritation to Olivier. So no doubt that further significantly contributed to poor chemistry.

Indeed - Olivier was a consummate professional and her behaviour would have disgusted and outraged him. It wasn't as if she was a great actress anyway (even though she dearly wanted to be one) and that would have added fuel to the fire. I wonder what he would have thought of her idea of coming to Britain and opening up a studio wherein she would star in plays by Shakespeare. Can you imagine Lady Macbeth - the blonde version !!!

That would have been bizarre, to say the least!

Considering that Olivier's great love was Vivien Leigh, Monroe is about as far of complete polar opposite, in pretty much everything, from basic type, style, culture, education, class, degree of actual major talent, etc. as one could possibly imagine.

By the way, once when in London, during my teens, I attended a play, Filumena, that starred Olivier's widow (still wife at the time, as he was still alive), Joan Plowright. So, I'm very vaguely one step removed from him. Like that actually counts for anything.

It's nice to have some connection - however remote. She is a good actress, I trust you enjoyed the play !!

@strangebedfellows said:

. I wonder what he would have thought of her idea of coming to Britain and opening up a studio wherein she would star in plays by Shakespeare. Can you imagine Lady Macbeth - the blonde version !!!

Wow! Talk about over ambitious. I like Marilyn, but we all know she could never have pulled that off. Olivier would have been horrified I'm sure.

@genplant29 said:

By the way, once when in London, during my teens, I attended a play, Filumena, that starred Olivier's widow (still wife at the time, as he was still alive), Joan Plowright. So, I'm very vaguely one step removed from him. Like that actually counts for anything.

It would have been fabulous to watch a world class actress on stage

Believe it or not, I actually had a front row seat. I recall the theatre being a small seeming venue, and that the front of the stage (as I recall it - though this may not be actually accurate) was only like 5 or so feet in front of the front row of seats - and that Miss Plowright stood smack dab in front of me, at the edge of the stage, more than once during the performance. So I did actually get physically very near her.

I've just now checked online and found, on Wikipedia, reference to precisely the year and location I saw the performance. Here's the relevant Wiki excerpt: "In 1977 an English language translation...undertook a production at the Lyric Theatre in London directed by Franco Zeffirelli starring Colin Blakely and Joan Plowright. This won The London Theatres Comedy of the year award in 1978."

I just now checked my scrap book from back then, and, indeed, per the ticket stub (which I saved), I was seated in seat A-12, for the second performance on Monday, 27 March 1977, at the Lyric Theatre, located on Shaftesbury Ave.

A great keepsake. I've kept all my memorabilia for plays, musicals and ballets (well one) I've seen. They are years old but precious.

That's excellent. Mementos like that definitely serve to spark fond recollections.

By the way, that Lyric Theatre may not be small like my memory "remembers" it as having been. That's how I've always, in my mind's eye, recalled it as being though.

Maybe you just remember it small because you were so close to the stage

That's what I'm thinking - that my perspective may possibly be off since I didn't have anything between me and the stage to stamp overall sense of general surroundings in my memory. Instead my memory is basically of just the area from my seat to and throughout the stage. And it was (yikes!) 40 years ago.

LOL