‘Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars’ DVD Review
Stars: John Phillip Law, Francine York, Richard Moll, Sharon Ratcliff, Arthur Braham, Mark Petrich, Rick Barnes, Jini Flynn, Lisa Watkins, Vincent Di Paolo | Written by Philip Yordan | Directed by John Carr
The second of the Philip Yordan and John Carr collaborations released by Tetrovideo recently, Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars was originally filmed in the early 80s. Filmed but unfinished, with some portions of the movie incorporated into the anthology Night Train to Terror, in the segment “The Case of Harry Billings,” which was released in 1985. After that, the producers completed their version of this movie, using almost all the materials filmed and released this version of the film on VHS as Scream Your Head Off. That film made an appearance in 1992’s Dead Girls Don’t Tango as a film showing at the La Paloma cinema which was at the centre of the film’s story.
Later, John Carr decided to finish his movie and shot new sequences with John Philip Law and incorporated Marilyn Monroe’s character in the story. This last version, the version in this review, is the one known as Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars, completed in 1992. Given the fact there have been various iterations of the film, filmed and edited at different stages of production, the finished product feels a little… disjointed (to say the least). As if it’s merely a series of scenes cut to gather to TRY and tell something of a whole story.
That story is of Harry Billings (John Philip Law), a man who accidentally kills his wife in a car wreck. He is taken to a mysterious psychiatric hospital where he is placed under hypnosis by Dr. Fargo and Dr. Brewer – who also sell human beings and body parts to overseas buyers on the side! The staff use a hypnotized Harry to lure various people to the hospital only to be brutally murdered. But Harry falls in love with Marilyn (Francine York), a beautiful and sweet patient who claims to be Marilyn Monroe and with whom he plans to escape.
Given the fact that there was a huge amount of time between this film entering production and Carr completing it in 1992, there are some obvious continuity errors – namely the fact the film jumps from what looks to be shot on film footage (some complete with excessive grain even in this new release) to shot on video footage; and star John Philip Law ages and de-ages depending on which part of the film you’re watching! Told you this felt like a series of scenes rather than a cohesive movie.
And much like the other Yordan/Carr collaboration released by Tetrovideo, Dead Girls Don’t Tango, there’s nothing very “horrific” about this horror film too. Yes, we get some deaths – at the hands of Richard Moll’s psychopathic nurse – but Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars is more of an oddity. A weird, sometimes almost ethereal film, especially the sequences involving the titular Marilyn – even more so in the “newly” shot footage! In fact, those Marilyn-focused scenes seem like a fever dream brought to life on the screen. Literally.
What’s even more strange is that footage from this film that appeared in Night Train to Terror has been CUT from this iteration, removing some of the sleazier aspects of Moll’s character which, honestly, could have saved this film from the doldrums. As it is, Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars is somewhat of an oddity. A footnote in the annals of film history that shows what can happen to films whose finances fall apart and are left incomplete and is, ultimately, only probably of real interest to those who love Night Train to Terror. Like me.
Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars is out now as a limited edition Mediabook DVD from Tetrovideo. For more on the collaboration between Philip Yordan and John Carr check out our review of Dead Girls Don’t Tango as well as this piece from Dave Wain over on The Shlock Pit.
