Customer Reviews

Monkey Business

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A married scientist (Cary Grant) is trying to prefect a supplement that will make people feel younger. Unknown to anyone, an escapee chimp prefects the formula by accident. The concoction is accidentally placed in the bottled water dispenser. From there it is first assimilated by the scientist; he now dispenses with his glasses, obtains a racy car and the boss's secretary (Marilyn Monroe). Later experiments include the wife (Ginger Rogers) as the genuine pig. Eventually, a hatchet job peruses and the movie gets even stranger.

This is a very busy movie with no down time. There is lots of noise and action. You will not have to worry about falling asleep.

This review refers to the Diamond Collection DVD edition(20th Cent Fox) of "Monkey Business".....

So what do we have here? A laugh out loud screwball comedy from 1952, starring Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Ginger Rogers, and Charles Coburn. It was directed by the legendary Howard Hawks,and has a screenplay by greats Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer and I.A.L. Diamond...And there's more...20th Century Fox has restored this black and white comedy and has made a wonderful transfer to DVD, so we may enjoy all these immense talents more than 50 years later.

The film is a lot of fun, and the stars look like they had fun making it. And, you can blame all this fun on "Esther". Esther is a six month old chimp who mixes up a batch of youth serum and dumps it in the water cooler at the lab of the absent minded researcher Dr. Barnaby Fulton(Grant). When Fulton and wife Edwina(Rogers), get a powerful dose of this formula, it's anything goes, as they become youthfully exuberant and a bit on the mischievious side(okay, okay, more than a bit). The more they drink...the younger they act. Fulton's boss(Coburn)is trying desperatley to market this miracle and secretary Laurel(Monroe), adds to all this fun as only Marilyn can do with her mere presence.And yes...Ginger does a little hoofing as well!

A fabulous restoration makes it all the more enjoyable. The full screen picture(1.33:1/academy ratio) and black and white images are sharp and clear. There are a few instances when that rainbow thing is happening, you may notice it on Cary's suit or tie, but not often and it no way interferes with the enjoyment of this film. The audio gives you the choice of Stereo or Mono, and there are subtitles in English and Spanish.
You can also view a restoration comparasion and there's a still gallery with wonderful photos.

What we have here is a 5 star package deal for anyone who loves old Hollywood, for anyone who loves to laugh, and for anyone who is young...at heart!...enjoy....Laurie

"We dream of youth. We remember it as a time of nightingales and valentines, and what are the facts? Maladjustment, mere idiocy, and a series of low comedy disasters, that's what youth is. I don't see how anyone survives."

So says Dr. Barnaby Fulton to his loving wife Edwina. In fact the search for a youth formula is the commission he is working on at Oxley Chemicals, with the help of his assistant Jerome Keating. So far, he's gotten a 23% efficiency rating out of the formula, until in a serendipitous moment, he hits upon heat as the answer to make it 100% efficient.

Now, we've all heard of the story of many monkeys typing up gibberish until only one of them comes up with Hamlet. Well, in yet another totally bizarre and random moment, Esther, one of the experimental chimpanzees in Fulton's lab, unwittingly creates a formula that's more effective than Fulton's. And the cruel joke is that the chimp dumps her formula into the water cooler. Meanwhile, first Barnaby, then Edwina, take Esther's formula, thinking it's Barnaby's, and they regress back in age, both to college age. Yes, they seem livelier, whooping it up, and acting youthful. But their outrageous behaviour causes consternation among their bewildered colleagues, particularly Mr. Oxley, who's simultaneously pleased and concerned that the formula's working. And guess how the Fultons act when they unwittingly take a larger dose of the formula?

Some of the things are very dated, such as the sports coat and haircut that's reminiscent of college boys in the late 1920's. The open top sports car is a beaut, though.

As for Marilyn, who plays Oxley's secretary, Lois Laurel, she doesn't have much to do, but the one feature that's emphasized are her legs. She raises her skirt to Fulton to show how well the non-rip stockings are working, and when she's sent to find Fulton at the Ford dealer, from beneath a billboard, we see a pair of legs walking. When Barnaby calls out her name, the legs stop in reaction. Interesting technique there. And Edwina says of Laurel, who's described as "half infant" by Barnaby, "not the half that's visible." And yes, her typing is so bad, her boss hands her a paper and says "Find someone to type this."

Cary Grant comes off well as Barnaby, playing the myopic absent-minded professor to a tee. When Ginger Rogers (Edwina) lets her hair down, shades of what made her glow during her Fred Astaire days come through, but it's clear that she hasn't aged that well with time.

The voice telling Cary Grant, "Not yet, Cary" at the beginning is none other than director Howard Hawks, who'd direct Marilyn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, in which Charles Coburn (Oxley) also appears as Sir Henry Beatman. And the young boy in the cowboy hat with the low speaking voice is George "Foghorn" Winston, who has a small role as Henry Spofford III in Blondes.

An average light comedy that's good as a time-killer, enjoyable if it's not taken too seriously. But in going back to that opening quote, it amazes me that no matter how adult adults seem to be, the maladjustment and mere idiocy is something that even most of us adults never grow out of. If that's what makes us young at heart, that's just human nature. I suppose that means that if we're as young as we feel, that it's all in the mind, well, that's what matters in the end. Youth is one thing, immaturity is quite another.

When I think of Cary Grant, I think of the suave, immaculate, debonair actor who defined cool in his own era as well as our own. Monkey Business, a delightfully funny screwball comedy from 1952, shows us a very different side of Cary Grant. Blessed with major talent the likes of Grant, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, and the lovably huffy character actor Charles Coburn, Monkey Business delivers good old-fashioned comedy from start to finish. Grant plays Barnaby Fulton, a chemist working to develop an age-retarding formula. Ginger Rogers is Edwina, his more than understanding wife; she handles his absent-minded episodes with grace and style, putting his interests before her own every time. Fulton's boss Mr. Oxley (Coburn) is very anxious for the solution to be found, for he is already past retirement age, but some piece of the puzzle just will not fall into place - not, that is, until one of Fulton's lab monkeys escapes her cage, mixes her own formula, and then stashes it in the water cooler. When Fulton tries out his latest concoction, washed down by a cup of water, he soon reverts back to a teenager mentality, running around like a wild man and even entertaining Lois Laurel (Monroe), Mr. Oxley's secretary, for the afternoon. Eventually, the effects wear off and he returns to his normal self, but both he and his wife conduct several more experiments (both accidentally as well as purposely) as the movie progresses, each of them regressing farther and farther back toward childhood each time. Naturally, with all these goings-on, a big, zany ending is in store for everyone involved.

The best part of this movie has to be the childlike antics of Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers as they carry on for some time like a couple of eight-year-olds. Marilyn Monroe is stunning and her character never fails to produce laughs. Lois, who has begun coming to work early each morning because her boss isn't satisfied with her punctuation, was not hired for her secretarial skills, but, as Mr. Oxley says, anyone can type. Marilyn gets a fair share of screen time in this early film of hers, but there can be no question that Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers thoroughly steal the show with their comedic antics. In the end, Monkey Business shows that youth is a state of mind, best expressed by Barnaby's line, "You're old only when you forget you're young."

Plot: Barnaby is in search of the elixir of youth. He is experimenting with his formula on chimps. One of the chimps gets out of its cage and starts playing with Barnaby's chemicals. When the chimp is about to be caught, he pours the mixture into a water cooler. Barnaby decides to test his formula on himself, and washes it down with a glass of water.....

This is Cary Grant's second and last movie with Ginger Rogers, the first being ONCE UPON A HONEYMOON in 1942. This is CG's 58th movie and his fifth movie being directed by Howard Hawks. Their relationship had started in 1938, with the production of BRINGING UP BABY. This movie has very true shades as BUB. Cary is the greatest of farceurs, lighting up the screen with hilarity and fun.

Cary plays Dr. Barnaby Fulton who has been working on a youth-restoring formula for several years. He has not had much success until one day a chimpanzee gets loose in the lab and accidentally concocts the exact formula Barnaby had been searching for.

No one knows that the chimp has put the formula in the water cooler (except the water tastes bitter), and everyone who drinks the water gets younger and younger. The chemical reaction is fun and explosive.

Finally, Barnaby decides that the formula has to go and tells his wife, Edwina (Ginger Rogers) of his new formula, "You're only old when you forget you're young," which obviously is the best philosophy for anyone to follow.

Cary makes acting look so easy; I envy him for that. When this film came out it was not a commercial success, but today it is known as a true classic. Just goes to show what time can do to put a new slant on things.

"Monkey Business" looks pretty good on DVD 50 years later. The restoration comparison on the DVD shows the change the restoration brought, a bit darkly tinted, and more defined. The wild plot keeps you glued to the screen throughout. Marilyn Monroe who is the star on the DVD box has more of a supporting role here. She is great as the secretary Lois Laurel who shows up early because the boss doesn't like her punctuation. Cary Grant as the addled Professor Barnaby Fulton turns in a great journeyman performance, getting appropriately loony when experiencing the euphoria of youth. His driving sequence with Monroe had me turning in my chair with laughter to avoid the trucks! Ginger Rogers as wife Edwina gets pretty wacky when returned to youth. If all youth were as lighthearted as these comedic versions, it'd be a laugh and guffaw every time the school bell rings. Hugh Marlowe as the straight-laced attorney Hank Entwhistle does a nice job of standing stoic during the crazy Indian game. Oscar winner Charles Coburn (1943, The More the Merrier) does a great job of appreciating Monroe's assets as Oliver Oxly, the CEO. Kathleen Freeman as Mrs. Brannigan gives a fine performance. The DVD offers perviews of many Monroe films. This is a great little piece of cinematic history. Turn back the clock & enjoy!

MONKEY BUSINESS was a wonderful throwback to the screwball comedies of the 1930's. It boasts terrific comedic performances from the always-fantastic Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe in a fine supporting role.

Director Howard Hawk's puts the film into full-throttle for this hilarious romp about a scientist (Cary Grant - NORTH BY NORTHWEST, CHARADE) who invents a youth serum. When the serum is accidentally tipped into the watercooler, everyone seems to have 'monkey fever'! Ginger Rogers (KITTY FOYLE, TOP HAT) plays Grant's long-suffering wife, whose relationship is put to the test when both she and he are sent back to their rocky courtship, thanks to the mind-bending effects of the serum!

The film also features Charles Coburn, George "Foghorn" Winslow (who both co-starred with Marilyn Monroe in Howard Hawk's GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES the following year), Douglas Spencer (THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK), Esther Dale, Hugh Marlowe, Henri Letondal, Robert Cornthwaite and Larry Keating.

The DVD includes restoration comparisons, still gallery and the trailer. Available seperately or as part of the Marilyn Monroe Diamond Collection.

I purchased this movie on DVD and I had to return it to the store twice before getting a refund on it. Regarding defects, you name it, it has it! It has skipping, pixels showing up, and it's almost impossible to search the movie forwards or backwards because that's when most of the freezing happens. I would recommend having the sales associates play the DVD (if they're willing to do so, that is) and check for all the possible defects. I checked my DVD player with other movies to make sure, and all of them played back okay.

As for the movie itself, well, it's not in my list of movies that I would watch over and over. Once was enough for me!

This is a very good and fun movie, but it it is a bit wackier than I like. For example, Bringing Up Baby, with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, is also a great wacky movie, but sometimes it's too much so. This is even more crazy. I used to love both movies, but after awhile they grated a bit. If you've never seen this movie before and love the stars, I definitely recommend it. But I wouldn't buy it just because Cary Grant or Marilyn Monroe are the stars. Rent it first and make sure you love it.