MovieChat Forums > Bus Stop (1956) Discussion > Why was she blue?

Why was she blue?

posted 11 years ago by bok602
6 replies | jump to latest

I just caught this recently on AMC when they were showing the new HD remastered print and was struck by something weird. Really weird.

During the last half of the film -and especially noticeable during the last few minutes at the bar as they reconcile- I could not help but wonder why Marilyn Monroe was blue.

It wasn't a defect in the film stock or a poorly adjusted monitor; her makeup was this weird shimmery blue stuff that made her look unearthly. And it wasn't subtle by any stretch -in some shots where she was next to another character it was painfully obvious that she was literally painted with makeup and -as compared to the normal flesh tones of the other actors- she was quite literally mauve/white/blue.

This was obviously a clear and conscious decision on somebody's part to paint her this weird shade of blue -but WHY?

Can anyone provide any insight or answers?

"If you don't know the answer -change the question."

[–] marvelass 10 years ago

Marilyn powdered herself because she felt that her character, who slept during the day and performed at night, would be pale since she never went out in the sun.

.

[–] bok602 10 years ago

That would seem reasonable if she were white or gray; but she was blue.
Even given that explanation, somebody at some point (especially the makeup man and/or cinematographer) would have pointed out the fact that her color was quite literally unnatural -by even the most charitable definition.

Also, union rules would have forbade MM from applying her own makeup; and surely no artist worth his Max Factor certificate would have allowed such a garish paint job on their star.

"If you don't know the answer -change the question."

[–] marvelass 10 years ago

I was just relating what was said in this AMC Backstory documentary about the making of the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSn82F-fX20#t=5m21s

.

[–] starline 10 years ago

I noticed the blue too...although I didn't notice Marilyn being blue in the bar. But comparing Marilyn to Hope Lange sitting on the bus... where Marilyn looks bluish to me... well, the lights outside the bus...the blue of night...the blue moonlight coming through the bus windows... seems to make Marilyn look blue. I guess it's because Marilyn is just so pale that the lights reflect blue onto her. It was funny though...because on the bus Marilyn says she's SO cold...and you think - Yep... so cold she's turning blue... lol

After getting off the bus...and going inside the brightly lit bus stop... Marilyn no longer appeared blue to me...just very pale.

[–] denis-38 10 years ago

Nor does she appear blue in the rodeo sequences, shot outdoors.

She felt strongly about this makeup--Cherie was NOT supposed to look healthy or to be especially glamorous. Her makeup man, Whitney Snyder, who did her makeup for all her films, objected, but he did as she asked. The studio objected as well. But MM stood her ground. It took guts because it isn't flattering, but she was all into her Method characterization.

[–] jjjohns2569 10 years ago

When painting, in order to make white look whiter, you add blue. Maybe that's the application she was going for, but perhaps overdid it? Also, aren't angels luminous? There are comments here about how her face stood out from all the others... Again, maybe that's another thing she was going for along with the sickly palor?