Don’t Knock It Till You Try It

When one thinks about Marilyn Monroe’s acting career, they would likely imagine her performing in a light musical comedy in the vein of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch or Some Like It Hot. Yet, an early Monroe performance that may catch some off guard is when she plays Nell Forbes in the 1952 film-noirish drama Don’t Bother to Knock.

Set entirely in a posh New York City hotel, bar singer Lyn Lesley (Anne Bancroft) has broken it off, by letter, with her beau Jed Towers (Richard Widmark), reasoning that he is too cold and does not have the heart for a long term relationship. The man arrives, booking a room in the hotel, hoping that he will win her back. After an unconvincing conversation at the bar, the man gives up, returning to his room.

Meanwhile, cheery elevator attendant Eddie Forbes (Elisha Cook Jr.) has found a babysitting job for his niece Nell (Marilyn Monroe), who is new to the city, in the building. Peter and Ruth Jones (Jim Backus and Lurene Tuttle) are heading to a classy shindig in the banquet hall, so they leave their daughter Bunny (Donna Corcoran) with the seemingly together young woman.

It just so happens that Jed’s window looks across to the other wing of the hotel – which is where the striking Nell can be clearly seen. Looking to rebound from the breakup, he phones her room, trying to sweet talk her. He eventually finds himself in the room with her – where she looks extremely wealthy, as she has dressed herself in Mrs. Jones’ chic attire.

It does not take long for Jed to figure out that something is a bit off with the lady, who oozes both innocense and a sultry demeanor. As soon as he mentions that he is a former World War 2 pilot, Nell becomes confused, starting to think that he is actually her former love Philip (who died flying a plane). Bunny, being a curious young girl, enters from the second bedroom and ruins the dame’s charade that she is actually the one renting the suite. She roughs the girl up a bit, but Jed steps in, separating the two. He then settles Bunny down.

Nell soon descends into a sort of unbalanced madness. We later learn that she had been institutionalized, but has been doing better since her release. Attention is drawn to the goings on within the room when Bunny, enjoying the cool air from the window, crawls to the edge of the sill – where it looks like Nell is going to push her out the window, drawing the eye of a snoopy, long time resident named Emma Ballew (Verna Felton). The demanding woman tells her husband that he must investigate the incident, so the couple travel up to the room. Before they reach it, Eddie comes to check on his niece. Seeing that she is still wearing her employer’s outfit (after he had already warned her to remove the garments earlier upon a check up visit), he chastises her – and she takes it as an affront to her freedom (feeling like he is acting much like her overbearing and domineering parents had). Eddie stumbles on to Jed, who is hiding in the bathroom, and while his back is turned, Nell whacks him over the head.

The striking one sheet poster for Don’t Bother to Knock

The deranged dame heads into Bunny’s room as the suspicious couple arrive at the door. Eddie, fearing that he will lose his job, asks Jed to hide (as he makes his way into the closet to hide himself). Instead, Jed decides to slip out of the girl’s room, momentarily surprised at her silence, and the couple, who are now talking to Nell at the main door, suspect the man of holding her captive as they see him fleeing the scene.

Jed finds his former girlfriend in the bar, where he tells her the bizarre tale. Realizing that Bunny was on the wrong bed, he returns to the suite just as the mother finds her daughter hogtied on the mattress. A scramble ensues and Nell slips away in the confusion. Will the group be able to find her before the unhinged woman does something to herself or someone else, or will it be too late?

Don’t Bother to Knock is an entertaining little movie. It has some snappy dialogue. One of my favourite lines is when Jed asks the bartender if he is married – the conversation spurs from him having just had a spat with Lyn. When he gets an affirmative response, he asks if he and his wife fight and argue all of the time. The bartender dryly responds, “some of the time she sleeps”.

The film also has a nice visual flair. The black and white adds to the attitude of the picture, making it feel all the more moody. Yet, in the end, this movie will most likely be remembered as a rare varied role from Marilyn Monroe – who exudes a fragility and vulnerability that colours her whole performance in a subtly beautiful way. Though Widmark and Bancroft provide intriguing characters, it is enthralling to watch Monroe work in a more serious way – proving that she can play more challenging roles. This one just makes my passing grade, as it is a good movie that never drags, yet is not amazing. So, don’t bother to knock, just check in if you are interested in seeing something more from the film legend that is Marilyn Monroe.