Don't Bother to Knock (1952)

Director:

Roy Ward Baker

Writers:

Daniel Taradash (screenplay)
Charlotte Armstrong (novel)

Release Date:

August 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

SHE'S DYNAMITE! It Opens the Door on the Screen's Most Exciting New Personality---MARILYN MONROE

Plot:

An airline pilot, dumped by his girlfriend, pursues a baby-sitter in his hotel...and gradually realizes she's dangerous.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Hotel | Singer | Elevator Operator | Clothe

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	Jed Towers
Marilyn Monroe	...	Nell Forbes
Anne Bancroft	...	Lyn Lesley
Donna Corcoran	...	Bunny Jones
Jeanne Cagney	...	Rochelle
Lurene Tuttle	...	Ruth Jones
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Eddie Forbes
Jim Backus	...	Peter Jones
Verna Felton	...	Mrs. Ballew
Willis Bouchey	...	Joe the Bartender (as Willis B. Bouchey)
Don Beddoe	...	Mr. Ballew
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emmett Vogan	...	Toastmaster (unconfirmed)
Harry Bartell	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Gloria Blondell	...	Janie - cafe photographer (uncredited)
John Call	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Dick Cogan	...	Bell Captain (uncredited)
Charles J. Conrad	...	Speaker (uncredited)
Tom Daly	...	Man in Elevator (uncredited)
Elizabeth Flournoy	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Woman at Awards Dinner (uncredited)
Charles Flynn	...	Uniformed cop at end (uncredited)
Robert Foulk	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Grace Hayle	...	Mrs. McMurdock with her dog (uncredited)
Marjorie Holliday	...	2d Phone operator (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Uniformed cop at end (uncredited)
Eda Reiss Merin	...	Maid (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Banquet Guest (uncredited)
Vic Perrin	...	2d Elevator operator (uncredited)
Michael Ross	...	Pat, hotel detective (uncredited)
Olan Soule	...	Bespectacled desk clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Ward Baker		(as Roy Baker)

Writing credits
Daniel Taradash		(screenplay)
Charlotte Armstrong		(novel)

Produced by
Julian Blaustein	....	producer

Cinematography by
Lucien Ballard

Film Editing by
George A. Gittens

Art Direction by
Richard Irvine
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Paul S. Fox
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Travilla

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director

Music Department
Earle Hagen	....	orchestrator
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestrator
Lionel Newman	....	musical director

Other crew
Jerry Goldsmith	....	scoring tasks (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1952) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Centfox (1953) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

76 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #15705) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Donna Corcoran is the only member of the cast still alive today.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lyn and Jed get photographed in the bar by the camera lady, she snaps only one picture of them. When she brings the novelty items to their booth minutes later, each item (handkerchief, matchbook, ashtray, and postcard) shows a slightly different pose.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mrs. Emma Ballew: After all, we guests who live here from year to year, we deserve a little consideration, too.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend (1987)

Soundtrack:

MANHATTAN

An Itch To Scratch

Don't Bother To Knock finds airline pilot Richard Widmark flying with more than the safety of his passengers on his mind to New York. He's on a mission to confront Anne Bancroft who's given him a 'let's call it a day' letter. Anne works as a singer in a posh New York nightclub attached to one of the fancier hotels. After a nasty scene with Bancroft, Widmark's left with an itch to scratch.

The answer might be Marilyn Monroe across the courtyard looking real provocative and arousing Widmark's interest. He gives her a call and things might be going good. Then the little girl, Donna Corcoran, wakes up from the next room and Marilyn starts to act very weird indeed.

This one was one of Marilyn's first roles which exploited a little more than her beauty. She plays a troubled young lady who's just spent some time in a mental institution. Her uncle Elisha Cook, Jr., got her that job as a babysitter for Corcoran whose parents Jim Backus and Jeanne Cagney are at a banquet in the hotel. Truth be told the role was no stretch for Marilyn given her own sad history.

Widmark's not a particularly noble character here, but he's a decent enough man. He's just like millions of other men who when they lose their love, cure it with trying to love what's available. Anne Bancroft makes a nice screen debut here although I can't believe she sung those songs herself. If so, why didn't she do any more singing on screen?

Though the film gets melodramatic and the characters don't give you any real rooting interest, Don't Bother To Knock remains a landmark film for the careers of both Marilyn Monroe and Anne Bancroft.