'Blonde' brings dignity, accuracy to Marilyn

That's right. The woman on the front of this section isn't Marilyn Monroe. Believe it or not, it's an actress playing Marilyn, and it's about time that somebody brings dignity and accuracy to one of showbiz's most mysterious and recognizable icons.
   Poppy Montgomery is the name, "Blonde" is the game (8 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday on CBS). A mini-series on Marilyn is nothing new (actresses such as Mira Sorvino, Kim Stanley, Faye Dunaway and Ashley Judd have portrayed Monroe), but it's unusual for fans to embrace such a project and its leading lady, as they have with this production.
   My brother is one such fanatic ( his walls are lined with special edition Marilyn plates, commemorative lithographs and rare wine bottles) who, after seeing the "Blonde" commercials and press materials, is convinced that Montgomery plays Marilyn almost as well as... Marilyn. Nonetheless, it was still intimidating for Australian-born Montgomery.
   "I had so many doubts about doing it," she said in a recent interview. "I was terrified, especially being Australian playing an American, and we were shooting in Australia. My main concern was that it had been done, you know, a lot before this. There's been a lot of Marilyn done in every which way, and I didn't want to do the standard thing, you know, which was sort of the caricature of Marilyn Monroe."
   'Blonde' the book
   It's been done before, but not like this. "Blonde" is based on author Joyce Carol Oates' book of the same name. The book laid out the events in a fictional form, referring to Arthur Miller as "The Playwright," husband Joe DiMaggio as "The Ex-Athlete" and John F. Kennedy as "The President," and it was praised as one of Oates' most readable books.
   "For me, the key to playing Marilyn was to try and put aside the sort of cartoon figure she's become, and understand the person," Montgomery continued. "And it was important for me to try to see the similarities in my life and to humanize her because she is such an icon and a mythical sort of figure. In reality, she was an actress and a girl who wanted to succeed and, when she succeeded, wanted to be respected for what she did. I tried to look at those aspects."
   Montgomery admitted she has been infatuated with Marilyn throughout her life; she also read the novel five times prior to shooting, and she used it constantly as a reference tool during production.
   "I've been obsessed with Marilyn since I was a child," said Montgomery. "I've read all her biographies. I had done all my research because I was always in awe of her, and I am more so now. Playing Marilyn has affected my life. As an actress, it made me realize that we all share the same kind of desires and hopes. What I also learned about her is that she wasn't just a victim of stardom. I think she was very ambitious. I think that she was very bright and smart, and that aspect of her has been neglected.
   "Joyce Carol Oates really explores that in her book, 'Blonde.' I wanted to do justice to Marilyn. Not just Marilyn the icon but the woman with brains, ambition, humor and wit who was living this amazing life. I was overwhelmed by the prospect of having to portray all of that because I have such reverence for her. Also, she was such a talented actress, so to try to recreate her acting when we do certain movie scenes of hers was daunting."
   Norma Jean
   The mini-series explores both the emotional journey the real Norma Jean faced on her road to stardom and the physical journey it took for her to become Marilyn Monroe. Making the transformation for the role with the hair, makeup and costumes helped Montgomery step deeper into the shoes of her idol.
   "I don't think Norma Jean was ever an everyday girl," she said. "I don't think you become an American icon unless you have a lot of drive and ambition and desire or something that separates you from the rest who don't desire to be that in their lives. The physical transformation is enormous; it almost looks like two different people.
   "When I see myself as Marilyn, I almost don't recognize me, and that's a lot of work from my hair and makeup artist. He's doing both. The wigs and the makeup are really his creation. It's amazing. It can take anywhere from two hours to three and upward depending on how glamorous the hairstyle is and the makeup that is required."
   Academy Award-winning makeup artist Paul Pattison transformed Montgomery into Norma Jean Baker and the glamorous Marilyn Monroe.
   "Paul is a genius! He's brilliant," said Montgomery. "I've never had my makeup done this way before, and there is so much that goes into it. There is shading and seeing the (results) on the monitor. I really look like Marilyn Monroe."
   'LAPD Blues'
   Once upon a time, L.A.'s Finest was considered one of the, well, finest law enforcement institutions in the country. That reputation was upheld until about 10 years ago, and the agency now wears a shroud of high-profile crooked cops, police brutality and departmental racism.
   "LAPD Blues" is one of the last new Frontline documentaries of the season (9 p.m. Tuesday on PBS), and it explores the city where officer morale has plummeted and public confidence is nonexistent.
   "In the wake of Rodney King, the O.J. Simpson acquittal and widespread charges of racism, allegations have surfaced about a gang of rogue LAPD cops who robbed banks, dealt drugs and ran with rappers," said Frontline correspondent and "The New Yorker" magazine writer Peter J. Boyer. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, one of those cops has even made allegations that some members of this elite anti-gang unit participated in dozens of false arrests and systematic corruption."
   Boyer's companion article to the series will run in the May 21 edition of "The New Yorker."
   Frontline is synonymous with quality entertainment. The series tackles everything from the large-scale drug war to a community-wide syphilis epidemic among teens in an Atlanta suburb ("The Lost Children of Rockdale County" airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday May 22). If Frontline is covering it, it's worth watching.
  
  
  

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