Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996) (TV)

Director:

Tim Fywell

Writers (WGA):

Anthony Summers (book)
Jill Isaacs (written by)

Release Date:

18 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Marilyn Monroe was our fantasy. Norma Jean was her reality.

Plot:

This film follows Norma Jean from her simple, ambitious youth to her sex star pinnacle and back down. She moves from lover to lover in order to further her career. She finds fame but never happiness, only knowing seduction but not love. |

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Fame | Icon | William Tell Overture | Female Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Ashley Judd	...	Norma Jean Dougherty
Mira Sorvino	...	Marilyn Monroe
Josh Charles	...	Eddie Jordan
Ron Rifkin	...	Johnny Hyde
David Dukes	...	Arthur Miller
Peter Dobson	...	Joe DiMaggio
Taylor Nichols	...	Fred Karger
John Rubinstein	...	Darryl Zanuck
Allan Corduner	...	Billy Wilder
Dana Goldstone	...	Lee Strasberg
Micole Mercurio	...	Mozelle Hyde
Lindsay Crouse	...	Natasha Lytess
John Apicella	...	Milton Krasner
Robert Alan Beuth	...	Commissary Photographer
Frank Birney	...	Preacher
Earl Boen	...	Studio Physician
Kevin Bourland	...	David March
Dennis Bowen	...	Tom Kelly
Ardie Bryant	...	Tap Dancer
Nancy Linehan Charles	...	Bette Davis
Jeffrey Combs	...	Montgomery Clift
Steven Culp	...	Robert Kennedy
Lou Cutell	...	Henry Weinstein (as Lou Cuttel)
Artur Cybulski	...	Camera Assistant
Joe D'Angerio	...	Whitey Snyder
Marianne Davis	...	Young Norma Jean
Bebe Drake	...	Shampoo Lady
Edith Fields	...	Nana Karger
Yvette Freeman	...	Hazel Washington
David Drew Gallagher	...	Danny Greenson
Jimm Giannini	...	Reporter #1
Kevin Goetz	...	Studio Flack
Beth Grant	...	Grace Goddard
Ian Gregory	...	Truck Driver
Alex Henteloff	...	Dr. Gurdin
Lise Hilboldt	...	Sylvia March
Neil Hunt	...	George Sanders
Ivan Kane	...	Lefty ODoul
Sandra Ellis Lafferty	...	Inez Melson
Michael Laskin	...	Sidney Skolsky
Floyd Levine	...	Spyros Skouras
Marc Lynn	...	Jasgur Photo Assistant
Keith MacKechnie	...	Unit Photographer
Scott Menville	...	'Misfits' A.D
Herb Mitchell	...	Ben Lyon
Virginia Morris	...	Dr. Marianne Kris
Marianne Muellerleile	...	Mrs. Dewey
Kelsey Mulrooney	...	Child Norma Jean
Christopher Murray	...	Doc Goddard
Erika Nann	...	Jane Russell
Audrie J. Neenan	...	Sylvia Barnhart
Terrence O'Connor	...	Gladys Baker
Michael O'Neill	...	Mr. Kimmel
Adam Paul	...	Junior Reporter
Howard Platt	...	Howard Hawks
Eric Poppick	...	Producer
Mary Portser	...	Adrian Wallingford
Alyson Reed	...	Natalie Kelly
John Roselius	...	Earl Moran
Peter Sands	...	Peter Lawford
Sam Shamshak	...	Ted Lewis
Perry Stephens	...	John F. Kennedy
Carol Swarbrick	...	Emeline Snively
Warren Sweeney	...	Reporter #2
Rosie Taravella	...	Electrologist
Wendy Worthington	...	Mrs. Gifford
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sam Anderson	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Harrison Held	...	Church Singer (uncredited)
Robin Jones	...	The Dying Marilyn (uncredited)
Scott McKinley	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Michael Sutherland	...	Fan Operator / featured (uncredited)

Directed by
Tim Fywell

Writing credits (WGA)
Anthony Summers		(book "Goddess")
Jill Isaacs		(written by)

Produced by
Udi Nedivi	....	associate producer
Guy Riedel	....	producer
Marvin Worth	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
John Thomas		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Glenn Farr

Casting by
Nancy Foy

Production Design by
Cynthia Kay Charette

Art Direction by
Troy Sizemore

Set Decoration by
Bob Kensinger

Costume Design by
Ha Nguyen

Makeup Department
Andre Blaise	....	key hair stylist
Christina Criswell	....	assistant makeup artist
David Fields	....	assistant hair stylist
Beth Kaminsky	....	additional hair stylist
Eryn Krueger Mekash	....	makeup artist
Deborah K. Larsen	....	key makeup artist
Gary J. Perticone	....	additional hair stylist

Production Management
Jessica Alan	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wayne Gee	....	second second assistant director
Rip Murray	....	first assistant director
Michael J. Pierce	....	second second assistant director (as Michael Pierce)

Art Department
Michael Barnett	....	on-set dresser
Robert Blau	....	swing gang
Bob Brennan	....	swing gang
Raymond Camaioni	....	construction coordinator
Lee Cunningham	....	property master
Beth Emerson	....	swing gang
Jennifer Flygare	....	assistant property master
Robby Green	....	art department coordinator
Tim Park	....	swing gang
Valerie Pasquiou	....	prop buyer
Tim Snowber	....	lead man
William Stahl	....	swing gang
Maralee Zediker	....	assistant set decorator
Jay Fisher	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dana Austin	....	adr recordist (as Dana Johnson-Porter)
Dana Austin	....	foley recordist (as Dana Johnson-Porter)
David Bartlett	....	supervising sound editor
Ron Bedrosian	....	adr mixer
Alan Bromberg	....	sound editor
Michael J. Broomberg	....	foley artist
John K. Carr	....	sound editor
Marty Church	....	foley mixer
Robert Deschaine	....	adr mixer
Ezra Dweck	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sherrie Exposito	....	boom operator
Donald Flick	....	sound editor
Ginger Geary	....	foley artist
Gary S. Gerlich	....	sound editor
Aaron Glascock	....	assistant sound editor
Robert W. Glass Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
Grover B. Helsley	....	sound re-recording mixer
Elliott Koretz	....	sound editor
Eric Lindemann	....	sound editor
Itzhak Magal	....	production sound mixer
Alan L. Nineberg	....	adr supervisor
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Brian Topel	....	cable person
Oscar Mitt	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
David Waine	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Mary Albee	....	stunts
John Alden	....	stunts
Cindy Folkerson	....	stunts
Richard Humphreys	....	stunts
Maria R. Kelly	....	stunts (as Mary Kelly)
Rob King	....	stunt coordinator
Patricia M. Peters	....	stunts
Kurt Strommer	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Edgar Arellano	....	best boy electric
Dennis Barth	....	electrician
Jonathan Brown	....	Steadicam operator
Phil Cohen	....	first assistant camera
Nelson Elwell	....	dolly grip
Greg Fausak	....	grip
Doug Hyun	....	still photographer
Jeremy Launais	....	electrician
Jason E. Lord	....	electrician (as Lord Jason)
Patriq Luo	....	electrician
Art Martin	....	Steadicam assistant
Jeff Mart	....	Steadicam operator
Mark Mayer	....	grip
John Joseph Minardi	....	key grip (as John Minardi)
Jon Munson	....	electrician
Robert Nichols	....	assistant camera
Christopher Patak	....	second assistant camera
Melvin Pukowsky	....	best boy grip
Roger Schweitzer	....	video playback operator
Chuck Smith	....	gaffer
Scott E. Steele	....	camera operator
Randy Tepper	....	still photographer
Kelly Uchimura	....	camera loader
David Grant Wright	....	grip
Dylan Rush	....	set lighting (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sande Alessi	....	extras casting associate
Suzy Sharp-Kane	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Monica Haynes-Nino	....	set costumer (as Monica Haynes)
Christopher J. Kristoff	....	costume supervisor
Molly Mitchell	....	set costumer
Gretchen Patch	....	assistant costume designer
Michi Tomimatsu	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	conforming editor
Bob McMillian	....	color timer
Mark L. Mitchell	....	post-production executive
Martha Pike	....	additional film editor

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Pete Anthony	....	orchestrator
Tim Boyle	....	score mixer
Steven Hill	....	music advisor
Sidney James	....	music supervisor
Mark Kilian	....	music editor
Eduardo Ponsdomenech	....	associate music editor
John Van Houten	....	music coordinator
Carl Zittrer	....	music editor
Eduardo Ponsdomenech	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Paul Jones	....	driver
James Lowder	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Suzo Barzman	....	assistant: Ms.Sorvino
Suzanne Celeste	....	dialect coach
Jackie C'Meil	....	stand-in
Scott Cohn	....	key production accountant
Kevin Collins	....	location manager
Lisa Collins	....	additional script supervisor
Jennifer Duclos	....	craft service
Linda Duclos	....	craft service
Randolph Dugan	....	assistant production coordinator
Corey Gray	....	set production assistant
Mandie Green	....	assistant: Mr. Worth
Scott Jolgen	....	office assistant
Andrew C. Keeter	....	location manager (as Andy Keeter)
Mary Ann Kellogg	....	choreography recreation
Gabriel Murray	....	creative associate
Gabriel Murray	....	historical consultant
Gabriel Murray	....	researcher
Monica Ochoa	....	script supervisor
Tammy Perks	....	contact lens technician
Jennifer Nichole Porter	....	production coordinator
Erica Radway	....	assistant: Mr. Fywell
David Reynolds	....	assistant: Mr. Young (as Dave Reynolds)
Deborah Ricketts	....	archival film researcher
Deborah Ross	....	title designer
Erica Soeder	....	stand-in
Mark G. Soper	....	set production assistant
Suzonne Stirling	....	assistant: Mr. Riedel
Jacqueline Swanepoel	....	craft service
Rebecca Thornell	....	clearance
Wes Ward	....	location scout
Matt Yarowsky	....	production accountant

Thanks
Gabriel Murray	....	thanks: historical consultant

Production Companies

• Home Box Office (HBO)

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (1996) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Laurenfilm (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lumière Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script annotation

Also Known As:

Norma Jean and Marilyn (USA) (video box title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and nudity, some substance abuse and strong language.

Runtime:

Australia:108 min | Spain:115 min | USA:135 min | USA:139 min | South Korea:91 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R (video rating) | USA:TV-14 | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Spain:13 | South Korea:18 | USA:TV-MA (HBO) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Grauman's Chinese Theater - 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Goofs:

Factual errors: The film has almost too many factual errors to be mentioned and shouldn't be considered a "true" portrait of Monroe's life.

Quotes:

Marilyn Monroe: Oh, no, Johnny, you need your rest.
Johnny Hyde: I'll get my rest when I'm dead, which is going to be sooner rather than later. You know that, Marilyn.

Movie Connections:

Features The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Soundtrack:

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

Not entirely truthful but reasonably entertaining

If you're looking to see the "true story" of Marilyn Monroe's life you're probably better off skipping this movie. Norma Jean & Marilyn takes great liberties with the facts in trying to spice up the drama. There are plenty of half-truths and flat-out non-truths littered throughout. But if you can get past that you may find that this still manages to be a reasonably worthwhile movie. It's not an accurate biographical account of Marilyn Monroe's life, it's a dramatization. And not a bad dramatization at that.

This is a movie with a gimmick in that there are two Marilyn Monroes. Ashley Judd plays the icon in her younger days as unknown Norma Jean. Mira Sorvino takes over when Hollywood transforms Norma Jean into Marilyn Monroe. But we have not heard the last of Norma Jean as Judd continues to pop up now and again as an inner voice so to speak, sometimes to encourage and sometimes to berate and ridicule Sorvino's Marilyn. The point being that young Norma Jean desperately wanted to be a star and refuses to allow Marilyn to screw things up. Suffice to say these constant appearances by her younger self do not help Marilyn's state of mind as her life begins to spiral out of control towards her inevitable sad end. The two lead actresses perform their roles well. Judd is pitch-perfect as the desperate, driven Norma Jean. Sorvino is pretty much stuck doing a Marilyn Monroe impersonation but she makes the best of what she has to work with. As presented here the character may come off as a bit too much of a dumb blonde bimbo to really ring true. Surely, for all the myriad issues she had, the real Monroe was brighter than she's given credit for here. But it's hard to blame Sorvino, she can only portray the character as it was written. All in all it's a fairly gripping, if not entirely truthful, drama. And having two actresses play the famed icon at different points in her life adds a unique twist. This is clearly no work of genius but if you're looking for a reasonably entertaining movie you could do a lot worse.