The Misfits | |
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Directed by | John Huston |
Screenplay by | Arthur Miller |
Based on | "The Misfits" by Arthur Miller |
Produced by | Frank E. Taylor |
Starring | Clark Gable Marilyn Monroe Montgomery Clift Thelma Ritter Eli Wallach |
Cinematography | Russell Metty |
Edited by | George Tomasini |
Music by | Alex North |
Color process | Black and white |
Production company | |
Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
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Running time | 125 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $4 million |
Box office | $4.1 million (domestic)[2][3] |
The Misfits is a 1961 American contemporary Western film directed by John Huston and written by Arthur Miller, who adapted his own 1957 short story. It stars Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift, alongside Thelma Ritter and Eli Wallach. The plot centers on a newly divorced woman (Monroe), and her relationships with a friendly landlady (Ritter), an old-school cowboy (Gable), his tow-truck driving and plane-flying best friend (Wallach), and their rodeo-riding, bronc-busting friend (Clift). The Misfits was the last completed film for both Gable (who died three months before the premiere) and Monroe (who died a year after its release).
The Misfits was released by United Artists on February 1, 1961. It was a commercial failure, but received critical acclaim for its script and performances. Its reputation has enhanced over the years, and many critics now consider it to be a masterpiece and one of the best films of the 1960s. The film also gave name to the punk band Misfits formed in 1977.