Review Fix Exclusive: Richard J. Shmelter Talks An Iconic Influencer Marilyn Monroe: Tales From the Making of Niagara 1953

Review Fix chats with author Richard J. Shmelter, who discusses his book, “An Iconic Influencer Marilyn Monroe : Tales From the Making of Niagara 1953.”

About the Book:

Any film star in Hollywood history had that one defining moment on the silver screen that catapulted them on a path to stardom. In the case of Marilyn Monroe, it was as the smoldering femme fatale Rose Loomis in Niagara that started her on the way to legendary status, and also made her an iconic influencer.

This project, the first in a series dedicated to Marilyn, serves as a guide to her films spanning from 1953 to 1961 on an individual basis. It is filled with details just prior to filming, during production, and briefly after the film was completed. It also contains critics’ reviews, biographies of all Marilyn’s main co-stars, director, writers, and other people that helped make celluloid magic on Niagara.

Whether a long-time aficionado on Marilyn, or a novice just discovering the screen magic created by this immortal star, the hope is that this project will not only provide trivia, but also enhance the viewing experience before, during, or after watching Niagara.

About the Author:

Richard J. Shmelter is a writer/researcher from Sagamore Hills, Ohio, specializing in sports history, American crime history, with emphasis on the Prohibition era, and Hollywood history. He is a member of the North American branch of the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League, and the Pro Football Researchers Association. 

Review Fix: What inspired this book?

Richard J. Shmelter: A long-standing passion for classic Hollywood.  Marilyn Monroe was, is, and always will be, one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars, and once I began writing twenty-some years ago, I always wanted to do a project on her. However, my interest in Marilyn goes back to when I was 11 years old and watched her in Some Like It Hot.  After that, there was no turning back.
Review Fix: What was the process like?

Shmelter: Naturally, I had to really dig deep to find an angle on a subject that already had an overabundance of previously published material.  That is where digging deep came into play.  Why not find a story within the highly saturated Marilyn Monroe market and write about it.  That is when I decided to focus all the attention on her famous films, and tell the story of what went on prior to, during, and right after, the filming of, in this case Niagara. This film noir classic was Marilyn’s first starring role, and it only seemed fitting to begin with what I hope to be a series of similar scholarships pertaining to her other films in chronological order from 1953 to 1962.Review Fix: Why Marilyn?

Shmelter: Simply put, Marilyn was pure magic.  She is truly the alpha dog of all Hollywood female sex symbols.  Marilyn’s impact is so great, that even after her untimely passing in 1962, she still commands top ranking all these years later.  Now, there have been countless beauties that graced the silver screen, and they all had their moment in time.  Marilyn, however, still has that certain flare to captivate.  Numerous directors that worked with her stated that while looking over the daily rushes from that day’s filming, they were mesmerized by her presence.  

Review Fix: What did you learn from this process?

Shmelter: On how to conquer a subject matter that I wanted to delve into for some time.  My writing passions are sports history, the gangsters of the Prohibition era, and Hollywood history.  I was fortunate enough to tackle and succeed in the first two, but taking on Hollywood history was always waiting in the shadows.  I was a bit nervous to write about such a beloved subject matter that Marilyn is, but once I received solid feedback from Marilyn Monroe experts and Hollywood historians, I knew that I had something positive going on, which drove me even harder to complete it.

Review Fix: Find out anything you weren’t expecting?

Shmelter: Finding so many “little gems” in newspapers, magazines, old interviews, and books about Marilyn and the making ofNiagara.  I was always a person to wonder what went on behind the scenes while creating eternal magic with the finished product.  I was lucky enough to find so much material about every aspect of the film, including what went on off the set.  When you begin a project, obviously you feel like you know a great about the subject matter, and rightfully so.  After all, it is that initial interest that sparked you to it.  In reality, I personally felt a bit of false bravado, due to all the amazing things I found that I had no idea about, and those moments were filled with major adrenaline rushes that kept me pumped up to find more, and then present them to the masses.Review Fix: Who will enjoy this one the most?

Shmelter: Hopefully every Marilyn Monroe, and classic Hollywood fan IN THE WORLD!!!!  Alright, maybe I got a wee bit ahead of myself there.  Back to reality, I hope anyone interested in the alluring Marilyn, regardless if they are aficionados or novices, will be entertained by the book’s contents.  This project, as noted earlier, is the first in a series dedicated to Marilyn Monroe’s films, serving as a guide filled with details just prior to filming, during production, and briefly after the film was completed.  It also contains critics’ reviews, biographies of all Marilyn’s main co-stars, director, writers, and other people that helped make celluloid magic on Niagara.Review Fix: What’s next?

Shmelter: Moreprojects in this same series on Marilyn, a series on the Golden Age of Hollywood year-year year, beginning with 1927 and the advent of sound in films.  Also, a project on the 1964 Cleveland Browns championship season, plus a few more that are still in the embryonic stages of development.  

I am also setting up two new podcasts, and hope to do some speaking engagements in person or via Zoom meetings for college film study classes.  Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Shmelter: First off, thank you once again Patrick for this great opportunity to showcase my latest project with you and your audience.  Secondly, I looked to keep the price down so that it is affordable, as well as entertaining.  Most important of all, I hope readers will come away from this book very satisfied with the information it provides, and love it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Review Fix: Where can people find out more?

Shmelter: Just go to Amazon and click on the link provided below:

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14316 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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