Niagara (1953) User Reviews

Two forces of nature - Marilyn and Niagara Falls

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 11 October 2005]

Beauty abounds in "Niagara," a 1953 film starring Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten, and Jean Peters. There's the beauty and power of Niagara Falls, spectacularly displayed throughout the movie, and the beauty of Marilyn Monroe, who is gorgeous in Technicolor. Monroe is the unhappy wife of the unstable George Loomis, played by an appropriately seedy Joseph Cotten. It's not clear whether or not Marilyn drove him to his present state, but he's wound pretty tight. Monroe and her lover plan George's demise via the falls. Jean Peters and Max Showalter are a vacationing couple who become more involved than they want to, Peters bearing the acting burden of the film. The casting is great (although the Peters role originally was supposed to go to Anne Baxter). Peters' wholesome prettiness is in sharp contrast to Monroe's va-va-va-voom.

Having grown up near the Falls, it was both interesting and enjoyable to see them featured. And, as we all know who've been there, the Canadian side, where this movie was filmed, is far more beautiful. Given today's security problems, I loved the scene where Monroe intended to walk across to the American side to avoid being questioned while in a car.

I've seen candid photos of Marilyn Monroe taken around the time of filming, and she was surely at the peak of her beauty and sensuality. Though I've always felt her very careful enunciation detracted from her dramatic acting, she's very good as the cheating wife. It's funny to read occasionally that the physical standard of beauty is thinner today - her figure, like the rest of her, is fabulous, shown off in a variety of clothing by Dorothy Jeakins, who was a prominent costumer on Broadway and in film.

There's really not much to the story of "Niagara." It's a standard tale of love, betrayal, and murder set against a magnificent backdrop and given spark by spirited performances. Well worth seeing.

A Noir Must-See

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 12 December 2016]

As two couples are visiting Niagara Falls, tensions between one wife and her husband reach the level of murder.

Marilyn Monroe was given first billing in "Niagara" which elevated her to star status. Her following two films of that year, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", with Jane Russell, and "How to Marry a Millionaire", with Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall, were even bigger successes.

Films like this are what I really wish Monroe was remembered for. She is more often than not seen as the "dumb blonde" of "Seven Year Itch" and other such films. But "Niagara" and "The Misfits", for example, show she was actually a rather good actress and not just an object.

One Of Marilyn Monroe's Better Pictures

[xyzkozak · 6/10 · 18 December 2014]

Like - WOW!!... Marilyn Monroe has never looked hotter than she does in Niagara. Man, Monroe just sizzles in this flick, especially in her hot-pink dress.

This 1953 Thriller offers great fun for the viewer on a variety of levels.

(1) Film Noir themes abound (albeit in Technicolor).

(2) Oodles of location shooting around Niagara Falls.

(3) And, best of all, Freudian Symbolism runs amok.

Monroe plays Rose Loomis, an unbelievably ripe femme fatale.

Niagara's twisted tale of greed and infidelity has the tantalizing Rose devilishly plotting (with her handsome toy-boy) the murder of her emotionally unstable husband, George. And, what better way to do him in, then a quick, hard push over, into the roaring Falls.

Adding to Niagara's thrills - Director Henry Hathaway does an excellent job of squeezing the most out of the spectacular scenery around Niagara Falls.

If you're a Marilyn Monroe fan, then you're sure to enjoy this seductively wicked flick.

Great Cotten and sexy Monroe

[dave fitz · 7/10 · 23 May 2000]

Joseph Cotten was an outstanding actor whose talents have been terribly under-appreciated. He is great in this movie as an abusive husband. The very sexy Marilyn Monroe is his wife, who is having an affair with another man. They meet a pair of young newlyweds on their honeymoon. Max Showalter as the young husband is one of the most annoying characters I've ever seen. Jean Peters as his bride does the unthinkable, managing to look almost as beautiful as Marilyn herself.

This is a suspenseful and entertaining movie, which makes great use of the scenery surrounding Niagara Falls.

Color, gleaming surfaces, dark interiors

[manuel-pestalozzi · 12 February 2004]

Niagara is one of those wonders who came out of the dream factory of the fifties and still manage to leave deep impressions in fresh viewers. Technically it is simply perfect: the story is like in a film noir, but Niagara is anything but «noir»! This is a true color movie with high artistic and aesthetic value. The best possible use was made of the location; it is an idealized place for honeymooners, with gleaming surfaces, gaudy colors and happy faces. The viewers see the postcard-image of the place – it's the era of President Eisenhower, renowned for its uplifting moral integrity, right? But behind the surfaces are dark rooms, depression, madness and scheming thoughts. Innocuous facades conceal quarrels, discontent and eventually murder. And in its midst roars the waterfall, at once beautiful and menacing. The message of the movie is conveyed largely through pictures, the location not the screenplay is the story.

The actors are part of the location. As far as I can remember there are hardly any close ups. Marilyn Monroe looks feverish and disturbed throughout, she elicits compassion rather than arousing sexual desires. Joseph Cotten is very good in the role of her confused and deranged husband. His mental condition seems to stem from war experiences (although in the movie this is treated as a kind of a side remark, its being mentioned is worth remembering, it happens seldom enough). To the disturbed couple are added a «normal» couple and an older, «seasoned» couple (very good, sensible performances by Lurene Tuttle and Don Wilson). The cast aptly represents the chances and pitfalls of life and human relations as behind them water flows down the river and falls over the edge.

Niagara shows a highly artistic approach to a specific place and uses symbols in the way of earlier black and white movies. I can highly recommend it to everyone. It is a pity that the potential of the technical means of this kind of widescreen color movies was not explored further in that direction, creating a direct link between the style of film noir and that of «film couleur». The wet asphalt in the early morning light is just unforgettable.

Sizzling at Niagara Falls

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 16 December 2019]

Marilyn Monroe may not have been one of my favourite actresses, but she was a real beauty and there was something really magnetic about her screen presence, 'Some Like it Hot' being a fine example. Joseph Cotten was responsible for some fine performances, my first exposure to him being in 'Shadow of a Doubt' and still remember how creepy he was in that. Henry Hathaway was a more than able director, while not caring for everything that he did.

'Niagara' is not quite either of them at their best, though they still come off well. But considering how intriguing it sounded a big part of me was hoping for a great film rather than the in my view (as others have liked better, and also worse, than me) a decent one. One that would have lived up to its potential with a better-written second half and if there was a better supporting cast. Don't let this make you shy away from watching, as 'Niagara' does have a lot that works in its favour.

Will start with the bad. Don Wilson, in scenes that add very little to the film, and especially Max Showalter badly overdo their roles and are really annoying (Showalter embarrassingly so).

Some of the second half can be implausible.

However, 'Niagara' is significantly advantaged by the remarkably vivid photography and quite ravishing Technicolor. Niagara Falls looks utterly majestic and captured on film with such beauty and atmosphere. Monroe's wardrobe is a sight to behold, in a good way. The music was in good keeping with the film's tone without overbearing it. The script has a fair share of clever and entertaining moments, even if it was also 'Niagara's' most uneven component.

The story in the first half is highly intriguing and a lot of fun, with some lovely character interaction, helped by that director Henry Hathaway shows that he knew what he was doing. Monroe is something of a sensation and she positively smolders. Cotten makes his character an interesting one, it is not easy making a character such as his affecting as well as menacing but Cotten manages it. Jean Peters sparkles and for me she was 'Niagara's' most likeable character.

All in all, uneven but with a lot of well done things. 7/10

Atmospheric thriller set in breathtaking surroundings.

[fletch5 · 7/10 · 31 December 2000]

Although I think Marilyn Monroe suited comedies better, this somewhat hitchcockian thriller is nevertheless a convincing demonstration of her more serious acting abilities, and also one of the finest films she starred in.

"Niagara" introduces Monroe as a seductive, wily wife wanting to get rid of her jealous husband (a very good Joseph Cotten). Her lover, an awfully small and stereotypical role, is played by Richard Allan.

Funnily enough, it seems that it's Jean Peters who has the film's biggest part. As the innocent honeymooner, her character is clearly designed as a contrast to Monroe.

The breathtaking surroundings of the Niagara Falls are a significant supplement to the film's atmosphere.

Terrific movie that does not get the attention it deserves.

[dconley-1 · 9/10 · 2 September 2003]

The look and atmosphere in this film is so vivid that even viewed on TV it makes you feel as if you have been to Niagara Falls sometime in the early 1950s. The plot takes a deceptively leisurely pace but it builds to a gripping climax. It is worth the viewer's time & effort to stick with it to the end. Marilyn Monroe is radiantly treacherous & her performance is subtle and bears close watching beyond her obvious attractiveness. She should get a lot more credit for this picture than I've seen others give her. Joseph Cotten balances between being menacing & getting our pity & sympathy. Not all the performances are terrific but this movie is a gem that rewards the effort to stick with it to the end.

Just go with the Flow...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 31 July 2023]

There are good reasons why suspicions make you wary, why your blood begins to boil and you're not cheery, as every glance catches the eye, as all the fellas like to spy, because your lady's quite the opposite, of dreary. In addition she's evasive and quite cunning, reticent and secretive and not forthcoming, your lack of trust is justified, as all she does it tell you lies, while she schemes to cause and end that's unbecoming.

Who wouldn't be perpetually jealous and suspicious with a screen goddess for a partner, so George Loomis should take some consolation that most mortal men would have given an arm and a leg to have been married to Rose, although they'd have spent most of the time pinching themselves and asking how!

" He Forgot To Ask Marilyn For Her Autograph "

[PamelaShort · 8/10 · 29 October 2013]

I have a predilection for this Marilyn Monroe film noir movie. Being filmed on location on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the studio hired local actors, carpenters, etc, to work for them. My father knew a sign painter who made the required signs needed. Being aware that the new sensational blonde star would soon show-up, he was extremely surprised when being introduced to a very demure, polite and genuinely sweet young girl, not the stuck-up, demanding big Hollywood star he had anticipated. He was so taken aback by her loveliness, he completely forgot to ask for an autograph. The film itself is a lovely snapshot of the 1950s and the Niagara Falls area is captured gloriously in Technicolor. The acting is adequate for this dark suspenseful story about a honeymoon couple becoming mixed up with a woman planning on murdering her obsessive husband, and the film utilizes it's location very well. Veteran actor Joseph Cotten plays Monroe's neurotic husband, Jean Peters and Casey Adams play the young honeymooners. The highlight of course is Marilyn Monroe and she delivers a fine performance as the cheating, murderous wife. This is a very interesting early Monroe movie, well worth a look for the nostalgic feel of a past era.

More To Niagara Than The Falls

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 22 March 2009]

I like watching Niagara because it gives one a chance to see the place before it became a mini Las Vegas. No doubt that legalized gambling on the Canadian side has certainly given the place a prosperity it hadn't known before when it was just dependent on honeymoon tourism. Still both sides have a quaint look that sad to say is gone forever.

If the town has changed, Marilyn Monroe and one of the great natural wonders of the world remain the same. Marilyn is half of two couples vacationing at the Falls. Marilyn and Joseph Cotten are trying to regain some romance, at least that's Cotten's intention. In the meantime Casey Adams and Jean Peters have won a trip there from his company because he thought up a prize winning ad campaign to sell the breakfast cereal he works for.

Fate brings these two couples together, one a happy couple and one a most unhappy one. It seems that Marilyn has a whole other agenda involving Cotten and Peters becomes innocently involved when Marilyn's plan doesn't work.

If you remember how in Duel In The Sun Cotten and his brother Gregory Peck were both involved in competition for sex kitten Jennifer Jones. In Niagara, Cotten has won the sex kitten, the sexiest woman of the Fifties some say and it's certainly not brought him any happiness. His portrayal of a beaten man, married to a tramp ranks as some of his best work.

As for Marilyn Monroe, Darryl Zanuck brought her along quite carefully and she certainly attracted attention in All About Eve and The Asphalt Jungle. But no doubt that her role as the hard hearted stone goddess married to Joseph Cotten was her breakout role. There was nothing but star parts for her after this.

So for a chance to see an unglitzed Niagara Falls and the statuesque beauty that was Marilyn Monroe, don't miss Niagara.

Is there a film that has better used its location?

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 31 August 2007]

Fine film starring Marilyn Monroe and Niagara Falls! Wow, this still looks good and if it wasn't for the fact that Max Showalter's character so annoys me, I'd be giving this an even higher score. Shame too because Jean Peters, as his wife completely acts him off the screen, even if she does needlessly loose her skirt on the boat only to be wearing what looks like a pair of shorts underneath! Back to the plot. Actually there is not much of a story, all fairly simple but beautifully done in fantastic surroundings. Is there a film that has better used its location? Great attention to the technical details too, the buses, the lifts, the cubicles and all the paraphernalia around the falls. Were those walkways for real? There are noirish moments, particularly in the bell tower, which reminds me, I kept thinking 'Vertigo' and it can't have just been the bells. The colour, maybe and the music, although it's not Herrmann of course. Anyway, if you like 'Vertigo', you'll like this; if you like Monroe, you'll like this; if you like movies, you'll love this.

Well she sure got herself an armful of groceries.

[secondtake · 7/10 · 15 June 2009]

Niagara (1953)

"Well she sure got herself an armful of groceries."

If there as any noir film that holds it noir gloom even though shot largely in daylight, not in a city, and in vivid color, Niagara is it. There are a handful of color noir films, not including some from the 1970s and later that get swept into the category in an expansive but not always helpful way (Chinatown, for one). But this is the real deal, and it's not a perfect film by any means, but it's also a neglected movie, valuable for it's unique feel, for the terrific night scenes it does have, and for the Niagara Falls, which Hitchcock was probably jealous of. There are lots of Hitchcock parallels--famous landmark for a setting, stereotypes played both ways, calm before the disaster, undisguised back projection and its confession of open artifice, innocents caught in a murderous world--but it it's better to see what this movie has on its own terms.

One thing Niagara has is Marilyn Monroe playing Rose Loomis. Monroe the actress is forced (or reinforced) into her recurring role as helpless siren, but she also shows off as the actress she always was, not brilliant, but very effective and smart. The disdain she has in a momentary sneer as she rolls over the second time in bed in her first scene is the first of a thousand good examples--listen to her in the shower backlit, or watch her at the souvenir shop, or on the phone. With a number of adjustments, her role here could have created a paradigm for the two-faced femme-fatale in the 1950s--her coy chill, her thinly disguised greed, her human failings. We never mind sympathizing with a criminal when she is going down at the end if she has earlier shown her complexity and vulnerability.

Joseph Cotten is a problem. He's a terrific actor, but he's not the most beguiling of lead men, nor the sexiest. Wells probably had him figured out best in Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons, and Hitchcock used him beautifully in Shadow of a Doubt, all three movies from a decade earlier. Cukor didn't utilize Cotten's innate likability very well in Gaslight but he tried. Here, Hathaway doesn't really have charm as an option, because Cotten's role as George Loomis is endlessly miserable and self-pitying. Playing against his grain leaves us a little uncomfortable, and the film a little awkward.

As usual with films of this type, there are small things that loom large. After getting soaked on purpose in the spray of the falls at the start of the film (and announcing his desire to find his independence), Cotten, as George Loomis, steps to one side to avoid the spray of a little sprinkler along the sidewalk. There is something here about a man who is making choices, who wants his life to be big but little things are getting in the way. The outdoor dancing scene is an idealized but really delicious view of "youth culture" as the big band era is about to shift to all out rock and roll (remember, it's 1952 when filmed). Monroe even gets to sing a little, and though the camera goes too static here (and elsewhere), the color and dramatic lighting compensate.

If there is one thing that drags the film down it's the clumsy script by Charles Brackett, who has some great scripts to his credit. This one is not only badly written in spots, but also improbable in several key scenes. Singlehandedly, it keeps Niagara falling. Right behind is the hyperbolic acting of the other male lead, the cheery Casey Adams playing the painfully sexist Ray Cutler. It's tough to watch (though even more excessive is the barrel of laughs in Don Wilson playing a goofy executive), and so you wait it out and gather up the plot. Jean Peters playing the good, well adjusted Polly Cutler is at first a small cliché, but her role grows, and grows on you, so by the dramatic end you are "stuck on her" the way she says Cotten is stuck on Monroe, and she makes up for a lot slack elsewhere. The contrast of the two couples--the Monroe/Cotten dysfunctional disaster waiting to happen and the too perfect cheery Adams/Peters pair--is at the serious core to the movie.

The high drama, taking place as both a murder gone wrong and as the falls itself, with its scenery and fabulous tourist machinery, hooks us all along, capping it with the final sweep down the river toward the falls (and over it). Cotten warns earlier in the movie's key metaphoric speech. "Let me tell you something. You're young, you're in love. Well I'll give you a warning. Don't let it get out of hand like those falls out there. Up above, did you ever see the river up above the falls? It's calm and easy. You throw in a log it just floats around. Let it move a little further down and it get going fast. It hits some rocks and, in a minute it's in the lower rapids, and nothing in the world including God himself I suppose can keep it from going over the edge. It just goes."

What would this film have been like if Hitchcock was at the helm?

[jimbo-53-186511 · 3/10 · 3 September 2016]

Rose Loomis (Marilyn Monroe) takes a trip to Niagara Falls with her husband George Loomis (Joseph Cotton) as part of their honeymoon. Rose hatches a plan to murder her husband with her lover's help, but things don't go according to plan.

This really should have worked as it has a very simple 'Hitchcock type' plot, but sadly it always feels much less than the sum of its parts. The first problem with this film lies with the screenplay which is very basic and never offers anything in the way of surprises or suspense at any point in the film (and believe me there were lots of missed opportunities in this respect). The film also takes an awful long time to get going (why it does this when the plot is simple and straight-forward is anyone's guess).

The characterisation here is rather poor and motivation is also rather weak - this ultimately results in a story and characters that I didn't particularly care about. The narrative involves Polly & Ray Cutler as the concerned fellow holidaymakers who both come across as very twee and fake in the early stages (Polly develops and improves somewhat in the second half of the film), but Ray remains the same throughout the film and felt to me more like a caricature than a real person. One thing I will concede is that the Cutler's romance was convincing, but in a sort of nauseating way.

The performances are variable with only Joseph Cotton and Jean Peters making any real impression on the film; Marilyn Monroe looks great, but isn't particularly convincing and the less said about Max Showalter the better.

Aside from a couple of good performances the only other thing that I liked about this film was the on-set locations and cinematography, but in all honesty Niagara just isn't very good and after watching it I just kept thinking to myself 'What would this film have been like if Hitchcock was at the helm?'

Spectacular views of the Falls and Marilyn...

[Doylenf · 23 May 2001]

Marilyn Monroe in one of her earlier roles showed she had promise as a dramatic actress that was never fully realized on screen. We all know she was fine in comedies but she acquits herself well in the role of a young wife anxious to rid herself of her jealous, mentally unstable husband (Joseph Cotten) and plots with her lover to do so. The lovers are spotted by another honeymooner (Jean Peters) who is drawn into the plot by circumstances beyond her control.

Jean Peters is excellent as "the other woman", smart and strong-willed and able to cope with the unstable husband when she has to. Joseph Cotten by this time had played several stressed, shell-shocked veterans and does his usual fine job here. Marilyn is garbed in her most revealing wardrobe and makes the sluttish housewife a real and pitiful being by the time she confronts her husband in the bell tower.

Atmospheric film noir type of story is well photographed for maximum effect among the famous Falls. With swirling mists, choppy waters, bell tower ringing ominously, and murderous intent--it's makes an absorbing, fast-moving melodrama that is chillingly effective and at the same time enjoyable to watch.

I fell for MM too

[ptb-8 · 7/10 · 28 December 2013]

This superb Technicolor noir from 1952 is a real eyeopener for viewers who only know MM as a breathy musical or comedy star. MM's drama roles of this early period are well worth finding, especially also DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK and even LADIES OF THE CHORUS from 1948. However NIAGARA is a star vehicle that delivers in glorious Technicolor and serious scare. One daylight fright with Joseph Cotton is genuine enough to get an audience off their seats, and all through MM gives as strong a performance as Cotten and gorgeous Jean Peters. Only Max Showalter as the Honeymoon Husband is tedious and obvious. Wonderful location footage and spectacular eerie tone is evident and appealing only with some lame back projected footage in key moments to yank the viewer away from the tense drama. Viewers will also think of CAPE FEAR in certain moments. The use of chimes and the song KISS is very effective and the alarming scenes in the tower, especially the stairway are seen again in VERTIGO. Any film that can pre flag those two films from the late 50s as this 1952 Fox production does is deserving of the discovery/classic status NIAGARA has. Monroe clearly nude in bed under a sheet in her opening scene is a real crowd pleaser.

Sensual, unforgettable Monroe. Made her a star.

[Ben_Cheshire · 6/10 · 15 March 2004]

One of the best projects Marilyn was associated with. I didn't like Niagara the first time i saw it, because i thought Marilyn was only good for comedy. But this role as the sensual, unfaithful wife of Joseph Cotton's (superbly performed) troubled war veteran is one of her most memorable roles. Pleanty of indelible Marilyn images come from here: Marilyn lying seemingly naked with legs apart under bed in hotel room, purple dress standing against cabin in grammophone scene, and the entire grammophone scene. Pleanty of location shooting made good use of the beautiful location, and the motif of the song the lovers sing to each other is a beautiful touch. The suspense develops well, but i suppose it depends on what you're expecting. I found it a great sensual thriller, but this movie lives and dies with Monroe. She is captivating in every scene, and looks stunning. The belltower climax of the movie is very fine indeed, one of the best scenes she ever played in. Nods to director Hathaway for camera placement in this scene.

Best line:

(Monroe has just done a sensual walk to the grammophone and had them put it on, then had a virtual standing orgasm listening to it, and spent an entire minute of close-up singing along to it, and the happy-go-lucky honeymooner character says to her)

Honeymooner: You seem to really like this song, Mrs Loomis."

Marilyn: "There isn't any other song," she says. But its all in her face - it always was. One of the best moments in her career.

Ahh! Jean Peters

[prs-51 · 7/10 · 14 May 2016]

Coming late to assessments of Niagara on IMDb I see most of the themes that impressed this reviewer have been well canvassed. A middling to good rating as an entry in the film noir/thriller genre. One of the first full blown depictions of the hyper-curvaceous, iridescent lipglossy and figure-huggingly clothed Marilyn Monroe persona that became standard. The expert use of the wonderful Niagara Falls backdrop to the story. The unsettling(poor) performances of Max Showalter and Don Wilson. But just like [e-mail] , the thought that was most insistent to this elderly male reviewer throughout was – Boy, would I love to be on a honeymoon with this Jean Peters.

Monroe sizzles, Cotten seethes, the Falls enchant

[mbrachman · 8/10 · 6 May 2015]

This nifty thriller represented one of Hathaway's few forays into noir (he was largely known for Westerns). It was unusual for noir in being filmed in shimmering Technicolor rather than the pallet of grays, blacks, and whites more commonly associated with the genre, but then, given the resort setting, this was almost inescapable.

The storyline is straightforward: an amiable Midwestern couple, the Cutlers, Polly and Ray (Jean Peters and Max Showalter, billed as Casey Adams) arrive at the Falls to find the cabin they've reserved is occupied by another, more fractious couple: the Loomises. George (Joseph Cotten), the husband of the latter couple, could be nicknamed "Gloomy Loomy" given his downcast and cynical demeanor; we learn that he spent time in a psychiatric hospital for war veterans. His ravishing and none-too-faithful wife, Rose (Marilyn Monroe) provides ample reason for his suspicions. Turns out she's been two-timing George with a man who looks like the textbook illustration of a smooth gigolo (Richard Allan) and she and loverboy are planning something most foul for George.

But Polly, the distaff half of the Cutler twosome, has witnessed some of the hanky- panky, and when Rose and her lover's nefarious plans run into trouble, Polly finds herself caught between a vengeful husband and a scared-out-of-her-wits wife. The suspense arises from Polly-in-peril and her efforts to extricate herself from another couple's troubles.

Monroe is excellent in one of her few villainous roles in a non-comedy, and Cotten is riveting as the troubled, betrayed husband bent on revenge. His voice-over during an insomniac late-night/early-morning walk by the Falls at the start of the film is almost worth the price of admission alone. And the Falls? They never looked more beautiful- or deadly.

Heading for a Fall(s)...

[Lejink · 6/10 · 28 August 2009]

Entertaining, watchable Technicolour noir showcasing the emergent Marilyn Monroe alongside dependable Joseph Cotton against the spectacular backdrop of Niagara Falls, an obvious metaphor for the teeming passions at play here.

As I've said before on these pages, I do prefer my noir black, as it were, but the lurid Technicolour employed by director Hathaway was probably justified to highlight the natural wonder that is Niagara Falls as well as Ms Monroe's scarlet-coloured lipstick. The noir trademarks are pretty much all in there somewhere, not only most obviously in the plotting, very sub - "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and "Double Indemnity" to name the two most obvious predecessors of a sensual, alluring bored wife using her younger lover to bump off her older, besotted husband, but we also get plenty of mirror-reflection shots and shots against the background slats of window blinds and extravagant long-perspective shots of the "little people" here playing out their rather sordid little lives in the bigger world.

The film starts with Cotton's Loomis character, a Korean vet with a can't-believe-his-luck "trophy-wife" in the form of the long-since disenchanted but still highly-charged form of Monroe, moping his ill-fortune by the falls before returning to the awakening Monroe, heavily made-up even in bed. In fact these early images of Monroe, firstly obviously naked under the sheets and a little later putting on her stockings tell us all we need to know about her character - in their few reluctant embraces you can almost imagine her looking at her watch a la Jane Fonda in the much later Klute.

The plot then sees the introduction of a bright pair of delayed but still loved-up honeymooners here for the Niagara experience but whose paths, particularly Jean Peters as the young wife cross fatefully with the warring Loomises.

Director Hathaway keeps the plot moving and the exterior work highlighting the Falls is a rare treat, especially for the likes of myself who got to visit Niagara only a few years ago. He delivers two particularly effective scenes - Monroe's sexually-charged gramophone scene in the candiest-pink of dresses and later her demise in long-shot on the stairs of the carillon tower, whose eerie bell-ringing throughout adds a further disquieting dimension to proceedings. The big climax on the Falls was coming from a mile off and isn't altogether convincing in its depiction but there's no denying Cotton & Peters earned any "dirty money" bonus for getting good and soaked on-set.

Which takes us to the acting. Monroe certainly makes a big impact with her striking beauty with clothing to match, but she does often act as if she's just finished an "Actor's Studio" class and looks at times like Betty Boop made flesh teetering around on high heels, almost bursting out of her clothes. Her lips almost never cover her teeth throughout so that she seems to be forever pouting. Better is old man Cotton, who superbly projects his hopeless dependence on his young wife even as he is blind to her extra-marital infidelities. Of the young honeymooners, Max Showalters is altogether too college-boy gauche and lightweight as the boss' pet but Jean Peters is very good indeed as his young wife embroiled against her will in the machinations of both the murderous plots of the warring Loomises.

On the whole a well-turned little thriller, perhaps lacking that tang of originality to elevate it to the upper echelons of truly memorable thrillers. That said Monroe's stunning appearance and the acting of Cotton and Peters certainly take it out of the ordinary and don't quickly leave the memory.

You'll Fall For Niagara

[edwagreen · 8/10 · 5 January 2006]

Marilyn Monroe always wanted to be a straight-dramatic actress. She succeeded in this 1953 film.

Unhappily married to Joseph Cotten, the two are at the famous falls where Monroe plots with her lover to kill Cotten.

Jean Peters and Richard Allan (who also went under the name of Max Showalter) are a married couple who befriend the two.

They try to comfort Monroe when they all think that Cotten is dead. Monroe soon realizes that the plot has gone awry and that her lover is instead dead. Cotten has gone totally insane by her actions and plots her demise. The chilling scene where Monroe meets her end is done extremely well as the chimes ring. The latter was supposed to signify the death of Cotten by her lover.

Cotten fleeing with Jean Peters, in the boat by the Falls, is done in an exciting, ambitious way. The end is marvelously staged. ***

Marilyn as Femme Fatale

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 26 March 2006]

It is not the best film noir movie, but NIAGARA is one of the most interesting ones, because of a casting decision. Aside from her performance in DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK, Marilyn Monroe never played negative types. Even Loralie Lee in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDS is really in love with her fiancé - she just is aware that in a world run by men a woman has to be ready to take advantages of whatever she has to protect herself or prepare for her old age. In DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK the fear and chaos she creates is due to mental problems - she is not responsible. But that's not the case in NIAGARA. In no other film did Marilyn show a vicious streak.

Here she is the typical bombshell, tied in a loveless marriage to ailing, cranky Joseph Cotton. Marilyn seems to go in two directions with Cotton - either she ignores him, or she humiliates him. Witness the scene where she plays the suggestive music, and does a sexy, provocative dance for the other denizens of the motel that she and Cotton are staying in. It turns out that she and her lover plan to lure Cotton into an isolated spot, and stage an accident leading to his drowning in the great Falls. The plan, however, goes totally awry, and Marilyn is not certain who is dead, and what the police may or may not know.

She has some excellent moments in the film - when she has to identify the corpse and collapses. When she starts getting "hang-up" calls at the Hospital. There is also great juxtaposition of the tension in Marilyn's performance, and the seeming gaiety felt by most of the tourists around her.

Cotton is moody and suspicious as the film continues, but also helpless and somewhat sympathetic. He has been compared by another writer for his role here and for that of "Uncle Charlie" in SHADOW OF A DOUBT", but "Charlie" was far more vicious and greedy, killing women for their money. Here it is Cotton's George Loomis who is the marked target - not Monroe's Rose Loomis.

Instead of concentrating on the actor playing the lover of Marilyn, the third figure is Jean Peters as Polly Cutler, who is determined to try to make her honeymoon a success, but is drawn into the tragedy of the Loomis marriage. She does well in a thankless part, for wicked women (like wicked men) are more fascinating than their nicer counterparts. But she does get her share of terror too - up to the conclusion when lives and problems are effortlessly swept away by powers beyond mortal men's abilities to control. For all it's flaws as a small production, it is a good film, and helps prove that Marilyn Monroe was a potentially great actress.

Lots To Look At And Admire

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 26 October 2006]

The great scenery and colors of Niagara Falls, two very attractive female leads, and an interesting story all add up to a very good rating for this classic film.

The DVD offers a very nice print: sharp, with color restoration that makes it look great. Niagara Falls never looked better (and I live just 25 miles away), and either did Marilyn Monroe or Jean Peters.

Everyone knows about Monroe's beauty (and, I think, underrated acting talents) but Peters was a beautiful woman with a great body, herself. She apparently fascinated billionaire Howard Hughes, too, since he married her.) It's the men in here who are goofy: Cotten and his whining and mental illness; Casey Adams with his nerd-ish personality and Adams' boss Don Wilson, who is even more of a cornball.

This crime story is a suspenseful film with several twists and turns and segments that keep you on the edge of your seat. It's film noir material even though it's color which might disqualify it for some purists.

The only weak points of the story were some very implausible circumstances (i.e. Peters going into Joseph Cotten's room right after he acted crazy and was someone obviously to leave alone; having a boat "hijacked" in plain daylight, etc.)

As someone who has lived in Western New York for almost 60 years, it was interesting to see the aerial shots on the Canadian side and see the skyline of Niagara Falls and, in the distance, Buffalo.

Marilyn as femme fatale

[hall895 · 6/10 · 17 April 2009]

Alfred Hitchcock never used Marilyn Monroe as one of his famous Hitchcock blondes. If he had they probably would have made a movie much like Niagara. Henry Hathaway directed this film but it definitely has a Hitchcock feel to it. It's certainly not the typical Marilyn Monroe film. Here Marilyn gets to show off some serious acting chops as she plays a femme fatale.

While Monroe, as per usual, commands most of the attention it could be argued that the more important role in the film actually belongs to Jean Peters. Peters plays Polly Cutler who, with her husband Ray, is taking a delayed honeymoon to Niagara Falls. When the young couple arrives they find that the cabin they have reserved is still occupied by another couple, George and Rose Loomis, so the Cutlers end up staying in another cabin nearby. The two couples will soon see their fates intertwine in rather dramatic fashion. It is obvious right away that there are serious problems in the Loomis marriage. George, played by Joseph Cotten, seems to be rather unstable. The much younger Rose, played by Monroe, wants out of the relationship. In fact we soon learn she plans to have her husband killed and run off with a young lover who we never really see or know that much about. The Cutlers are determined to mind their own business and enjoy their honeymoon but they will be swept up in everything that is swirling around them.

While Monroe does very well with her role and of course looks spectacular Peters matches her stride for stride. The story mostly unfolds from Polly's perspective and Peters creates a very sympathetic, compelling central character. Monroe's the femme fatale, Peters is the innocent and beautiful girl you fall in love with. So Monroe is terrific. Peters is terrific. Cotten is as well. Unfortunately there is one actor whose performance leaves much to be desired. Max Showalter plays Polly's husband Ray as a total goofball. The way he delivers his lines, the constant silly facial expressions, the shameless mugging for the camera...none of it works. The filmmakers dropped a clown into what is otherwise a tense, atmospheric thriller and the character sticks out like a sore thumb. Showalter's performance distracts and definitely detracts from the overall experience. But all in all the good outweighs the bad with this film. There's plenty of suspense, some moments of great tension and even a big action scene tossed in. The acting performances, with the one notable exception, are excellent and the film always looks terrific. The falls and all the surrounding scenery are shot beautifully. And if Niagara Falls aren't enough of a natural wonder for you there's Marilyn too. It's not a perfect film but as Hitchcock Lite it works well.

Somewhat interesting, but finale was entirely predictable

[trprt77 · 5/10 · 10 October 2010]

This film was interesting as we had just visited Niagara Falls this past summer for the first time, years after moving from NY and having never visited as a resident. As such, the scenery and the night light shots were nice. The movie progressed nicely, even if you ignored Showalter's highly annoying constantly grinning character. He is the true definition of a sappy dope. Unfortunately, about halfway through, my wife and I were able to predict almost every scene, and especially every aspect of the aquatic escape attempt. Not a terrible movie, but not a classic either. On a funny note, we watched the Anderson Tapes right after this, and who has a bit part in that movie, but doofy Max Showalter, still sporting the goofy grin 17 years later!!